Young Artists at Play: Coloured Foam

When my two little girls were even littler I used to put shaving foam in a zip lock bag for them to play with.  It never held their attention for a huge amount of time, but then I had never thought to put food colouring along side it.  It was this which gave me a seed of an idea for some free play during our one hour art time.  I filled the zip lock bag with pink (A & B’s favourite colour) food colouring and sprayed in some cheap shaving foam, adding in some extra food colouring at the end.  I gave them to the children:

The girls needed to play and mold the foam until it was all pink
The girls needed to play and mold the foam until it was all pink
They both enjoyed it so much more with a colour inside as well
They both enjoyed it so much more with a colour inside as well

After it was all mixed I snipped a little hole in the corner of the bag and showed them how to empty it, icing a cake style:

B2 so got the hang of it straight away...
B2 so got the hang of it straight away…
And had such fun emptying the contents all over the paper taped to the table
And had such fun emptying the contents all over the paper taped to the table
A4 did it with less abandonment, but still seemed to enjoy it.
A4 did it with less abandonment, but still seemed to enjoy it.

I gave the girls some pastry brushes and bath sponges to spread the foam all over the paper:

This both really, really enjoyed!
This both really, really enjoyed!
Although A4 used her hands more than anything else!
Although A4 used her hands more than anything else!
B2 was perplexed as to what the sponge actually was!
B2 was perplexed as to what the sponge actually was!
They made great progress along the table
They made great progress along the table
Next I gave them spray bottles full of coloured water, which A4 thoroughly enjoyed and completely soaked the table
Next I gave them spray bottles full of coloured water, which A4 thoroughly enjoyed and completely soaked the table

A4 has been asking all week could she please do the foam thing again.  A hit I think!

14 comments

    1. I only started this one hour play as a way to distract my 2 year old from her tears. It is working so much better than I thought, and for at least one hour she is so absorbed in her activities she forgets to cry!

  1. Shaving Foam is awesome! Especially for really intense Sensory Play. It is also standard in our weekly Sensory Diet. At first my little man couldn’t bear to touch it, the feel of it on his bare skin sent him into spasms of complete fear and revulsion. But now he can handle at least 20 minutes at a time and loves it! Well done on the food colouring! This may appear to be a simple activity, but well worth it and FUN! 😉

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