It is amazing to see George developing and each stage just seems to get better and better. It’s also getting harder too. There will be no sugar coating here. I feel like each stage is amazing, but it comes with it’s own new challenges. I can no longer turn my back for a second. I think the proverbial Mom’s “eyes in the back of my head” are growing and developing too. My crawling little explorer loves to pull himself up on everything and he definitely needs more and more stimulation. 

Some of my best memories of my childhood was getting messy. Finger painting, jumping in muddy puddles, making mud pies and “baking cakes” out of playdough… I loved it! I’m so excited to introduce this to Georgie. I love that I get to experience everything afresh. Such simple things that most of us take for granted, I now get to experience again through his eyes as a whole new world unfolds for him.

Krayons Baby launched in the early 1990’s as a Baby Petroleum Jelly. The range was extended into Aqueous Cream, Hair & Body Wash and recently Mild Gentle Baby Soaps. It is hypo-allergenic and approved by Dermatologists.

Their Mission: Krayons knows that a happy baby is a happy mom.

Su-Marie Annandale, brand manager at Krayons Baby says that parents are looking for ideas constantly to keep their kids entertained. “Dreaming up healthy, stimulating and interactive activities for our children is not always as easy as you think it’ll be – especially if you’ve just walked in from a day at the office.”

It’s so true… when George started being less of a feeding, sleeping adorable lump and started being more awake and more exploratory… I started panicking with: Oh my gosh. What do I do with him now?

I received this Messy Play Box from Krayon’s and The Play Lab:

In the box there is:

Playdough, coloured sand, coloured rice, a work board, mixing bowls and utensils:

From 6 months up – focusing on touch and sight is important. Introducing different textures into their little lives like sand, jelly and even grass will help them explore the world around them. Bright colours and interesting shapes also work wonders to keep them entertained.

This is where Georgie and I are now… It’s so amazing to see him feel different textures and see the wonder on his face. I also have to be really careful what we play with because almost everything goes into his mouth.

We played with the play dough provided and the look on his face when he put it in his mouth made me laugh so much. He wasn’t too impressed, but watching the concentration as he squished it between his fingers, and then the sudden burst of excitement as he giggled and waves his arms up and down, was so cute.

From the age of 2 (and I feel like we are so far away from that, but at the same time I’ve blinked and he’s a week away from being 10 months) we can really have fun with messy play activities. They are less likely to pop everything and anything into their mouths and can take a limited amount of instruction. Here are some sensory play ideas and messy tips from Krayons Baby to keep your little one happy and stimulated:

1. Sensory Rice

Take a cup of jasmine rice and add one teaspoon of food colouring. Mix together until the rice is completely coloured, then lay it out on a paper towel in the sun to dry. Do several cups of rice in different colours to make rainbow rice! Kids love to pour the rice from a jug into cups, down a small toy slide, or just feel the textures with the tips of their fingers.

2. Squishy bags of colour

Collect 1 cup of flour, 6 tablespoons of water and food colouring. Put the flour in a bowl and add the food colouring, and then the water. Mix together well before spooning into a Zip-lock bag (22cm x 22cm).  You can also add glitter, laminated shapes or letters before sealing the bag. Remember to lay the bag flat and press out any air before sealing the zip-lock bag and double securing with sticky tape. Kids love to manipulate the bags, feel the sensation in their hands, watch how the liquid can be manipulated and even carve gentle shapes into the squish while the bag lies flat on a surface.

3. Endless fun with shaving cream

This is the simplest of the ideas, but can be the most fun. Find a large window or glass door in your house and squirt shaving foam in fun shapes on the glass surface. Encourage your little one to get stuck in with bare hands and ‘paint’ the surface with the foam. Let them really get into it – smooshing and spreading it this way and that. They can paint letters with their fingers, or just enjoy the sensation of moving it about. A quick once over with a cloth and your window is good as new afterwards.

4. Playdough!

We often forget the simple pleasure of rolling a piece of dough under your palm and carving out a shape. Homemade playdough is simple to make and lasts for ages if kept in the fridge. Find a recipe online that suits you and add food colouring and glitter to make it visually stimulating for your toddler. Add a drop of lavender essential oil to give it a beautiful smell.

5. Washing up time

If you’re in the Western Cape, this option is not for you sadly, as it requires water. No child can resist a bowl of soapy water and a couple of plastic items that they need to ‘clean’.  Equip him or her with a sponge and sit back (with a clear view of your little washer) and watch them have hours of soapy fun. Instead of washing up liquid, use the Krayons soap bar to create the suds. It’s softer on their skin and will leave their hands moisurised. When they’re done, massage a layer of Krayons Aqueous cream into their forearms and hands to lock in the moisture for the rest of the day’s activities.

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