Baby Play: Coloured Spaghetti

Offer your baby an exciting way to play that will stimulate their senses using cooked spaghetti and food colouring. 

With a settling in session booked for a little 12 month old yesterday I planned to have a focused play activity planned to keep on stand by. The spaghetti will usually last for a few days so if it wasn't used I could save it for another day. This can be a VERY messy activity so it's a good idea to put some sheeting or a table cloth down before you start and strip your little one down to their vest.

Method:

When cooking the spaghetti add 5 drops of food colouring to the water, this will help to colour the spaghetti as it cooks. Once soft rinse the spaghetti with cold water and allow to finish cooling before placing in you sensory tray. 

The boys were apprehensive about touching the spaghetti to start with but it didn't take long for Tinnie to dive in with both hands and of course to try eating some (every thing goes in his mouth at the moment). At this point the spaghetti was clean and taste is a way for babies to learn so I didn't mind. L was happy to sit and watch the spaghetti fall from Tinnies hands instead of putting his hands in at this point. 

Once L felt more confident he pulled the tray closer and got his hand stuck into the spaghetti. He felt more comfortable using his pincer grip to pick up pieces instead of letting it touch his palm. Meanwhile Tinnie enjoyed exploring the spaghetti by pulling it a part, dropping it from a height and placing it in his mouth. Every so often he would glance at me for reassurance before diving back in. The activity lasted most of the morning for Tinnie but L was little a little unsure and preferred to explore the rest of the toys in the room. 

Links to the Development Matters:

Communication and Language- • Reacts in interaction with others by smiling, looking and moving. 

Physical Development- • When sitting, can lean forward to pick up small toys • Passes toys from one hand to the other. • Holds an object in each hand and brings them together in the middle, e.g. holds two blocks and bangs them together. • Picks up small objects between thumb and fingers.• Enjoys the sensory experience of making marks in damp sand, paste or paint.

Understanding of the World- • Closely observes what animals, people and vehicles do. • Looks for dropped objects.