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Educational toddler activities that promote development through play!

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Category: Lunchbox Inspiration

Home / Lunchbox Inspiration
Lunchbox Lunchbox Inspiration Uncategorized

Lunchbox Comparisons: A Bento Guide

by Play Inspired Mumupdated on January 19, 2020June 16, 2019Leave a Comment on Lunchbox Comparisons: A Bento Guide

Choosing a lunchbox for your child can be an overwhelming experience so we have put this comparison table together to help make the task that bit easier for you. Lunchbox …

Healthy Homemade Lunchbox Snacks
Lunchbox Lunchbox Inspiration Uncategorized

Healthy Lunchbox Recipes

by playinspiredmumupdated on June 21, 2020January 18, 201916 Comments on Healthy Lunchbox Recipes

I am always on the look out for yummy, healthy lunchbox goodies that the kids will love. I love the idea of preparing and cooking our own foods. From this, …

Lunchbox Lunchbox Inspiration

Kindy Lunch 11th May 2018

by playinspiredmumupdated on December 19, 2019May 11, 2018Leave a Comment on Kindy Lunch 11th May 2018

This morning Miss 4 was very excited to get into our latest batch of freshly, homemade yoghurt. Sweetened only with a little pear purée, she was so excited to enjoy …

Lunchbox Lunchbox Inspiration

Kindy Lunch 10 May 2018

by playinspiredmumupdated on December 19, 2019May 10, 2018Leave a Comment on Kindy Lunch 10 May 2018

Our lunchbox today was put together by Miss 4 after numerous visits to the freezer. I am not a morning person at the best of times so try to stay …

  • 🌈 How to Colour Cooked Pasta 🌈 I well and truly made to much pasta last night and with some already allocated for left overs, we still had a surplus. Rather than wasting our wiggly fun spaghetti, we coloured it! Colouring cooked pasta for sensory play is so easy! Just throw your pasta into a ziplock bag, add your colour, zip it up & shake it, scrunch it and roll it until the colour is evenly distributed! Miss 3 loved snipping her ocean of blue spaghetti and is now freelancing her play creating the most elaborate and interesting stories with her ocean figurine friends. Once she is finished, I’m going to dehydrate the pasta for even more sensory play another day 🌈♻️ How would your little one like to play with coloured, cooked pasta? #sensoryplay #sensoryplayideas #cookedpastaplay #pantryplayideas #funathomewithtoddlers #playathome #colouredpasta #easypeasyplay #toddlerplayidea #toddlersensory #toddlersensoryplay #activitiesforkids #learnanddiscover #experimentalplay #activitiesfortoddlers #finemotorskills #wastenotwantnot
  • 🐌 🌈 Rainbow Snail Finds a Friend 🌈🐌 #playoccupyjuly Day 7: Rainbow 🌈 We made pipe cleaner rainbow snail trails in a little paper plate setting for our own snail puppets! This really is a darling little story about friendship, showing two different perspectives when a new face comes to town. We have been having lots of conversations about inclusiveness in the playground at school this year and this little story aligned with our chats perfectly! The girls loved creating their gardens for their snails. The highlight was taking their snail puppets for a walk on their popstick holders 🌈🌈🌈🐌🐌🐌 #playinspiredmum #paperplatecrafts #paperplatecraft #paperplate #rainbowsnail #rainbowsnailfindsafriend #bookishplay #readingwithkids #socialskills #comprehension #toddleractivities #creativeplay #toddleractivities #toddlerplayideas #toddlercrafts #diypuppets #learningthroughplay #rainbows
  • 🌟 🚀 Printable Space Busy Book 🚀🌟 This pack includes: 14 single sided pages to print at home (including 3 pages of cut outs) ✅ 1 page - Solar system poster with planets ✅ 3 pages - Cut outs ✅ 1 page - Match the planets to their names ✅ 2 pages - Order from closest the furthest from sun ✅ 2 pages - Order from biggest to smallest ✅ 1 page - Counting 1 to 10 ✅ 1 page - Counting 11 to 20 ✅ 1 page - Adding to 10 ✅ 1 page - Build a rocket puzzle ✅ 1 page - Tic Tac Toe Comes with both black and white backgrounds - the white background will save your printer ink if that is a concern 😉 Comment for the link or search ‘space’ under printables via link in bio 🌟🚀 #playinspiredmum #space #learningaboutspace #busybook #lookbook #printable #learningmadefun #toddlerplayideas #travellingwithkids #simplespaceplay #spaceplay #planets #solarsystem
  • 💦🌳 Winter’s Nature Play 🌳💦 #1newplayaday Day 7: Footprints 👣 Today we explored one of our favourite places in Perth. The river was free flowing, the hills were green again and there were so many birds! The difference between summer and winter here is such a contrast 🌸 We took only memories and left only #footprints 💚💚💚 #natureplay #natureplayjuly #rapids #bellsrapids #bellsrapidswa #naturewalk #outdoorsplay #playoutside #playoutdoors #winterplay #naturesplayground #waterplay #unpluggedchildhood #learningthroughplay #experimentalplay #sensoryplay #meaningfulplay #muddypaws #playinspiredmum
  • 🍎 10 Apples Up On Top 🍎 Another little play based lesson from ‘Playing Preschool’ by Busy Toddler! After reading this great counting book by #drsuess, we drew some self portraits then with a little finger coated in red paint, dotted 10 apples up on top! 😁 I love the creative element teamed up with some structured numeracy that this simple activity presented. Learn more about ‘Playing Preschool’ via the link in our bio 🙌 #playinspiredmum #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #toddlercurriculum #learningathome #playtolearn #drawing #toddleractivity #fingerpaint #fingerpainting #toddleractivity #toddlerhomeschool
  • 💦🐊 Lady and the Crocodile 🐊💦 #1newplayaday Day 6: Nursery Rhyme Today we learnt a new nursery rhyme! The Lady and the Crododile was a bit morbid but aren’t most classics? 😅 After breaking down the text, we made a little game after crafting our own toilet roll crocodile 🐊 I blind folded Miss 6 before laying out stones across the river. She then had to listen to directions; left, right, forwards and backwards, to navigate the crocodile around the stones to find the lady. The craft was a hit! The girls loved painting their crocodiles bubble wrap scales 🙌 #playinspiredmum #toilettubes #toiletroll #toiletrollcraft #cardboardcrafts #recycleandplay #playideas #nurseryrhyme #crocodilecrafts #animalcrafts #craftswithkids #earlychildhoodeducation #nurseryrhymeplay #toddlerplay #toddlercrafts #sensoryplayideas #playideasfortoddler #comprehension #playtolearn
  • 🛁🌈 Duplo Bath Play 🌈🛁 #playoccupyjuly Day 6: Water Super simple and this play idea had Miss 3 and Miss 6 happily playing in the bath after a full on day! Typically when they are tired, bath time can be challenging. Tonight they were happily playing side by side, building towers, boats and Miss 3 spent most of the time pouring water into her rubbish truck 💦 🙌 #playinspiredmum #waterplay #duplo #bathtime #bathtimeisfun #sensoryplay #experimentalplay #learningthroughplaying #playbasedlearning #playtolearn #learningthroughplay #easypeasyplay #simpleplayideas #simpleplay
  • 🐮🐞 What the Ladybird Heard 🐞🐮 #1newplayaday Day 5: Farm Animals Miss 3 and Miss 6 loved re-enacting this long time favourite book from Julia Donaldson. It is full or rhyming words, repetition and fun farm animals put to save a friend! It was amazing how much more of the story Miss 3 is able to comprehend now that she is a bit older. She demonstrated empathy and passed her judgment on the character of the villains too! All in all both the girls enjoyed being the story to life both with guidance and independently. #playinspiredmum #bookishplay #juliadonaldson #whattheladybugheard #farmanimals #funwithphonics #readingwithkids #toddlerplayideas #comprehension #playchallenge #reenactment #playtolearn #rhymingbooks #childrensbooks #woodentoys #bookbasedplay #playtime #toddlerplaytime #toddleractivityidea #toddleractivities #learnandplay #learningathome #earlychildhood #earlyyears #earlyyearsliteracyfun
  • 🍎 🐜 🚑 Letter A plus Letter Hunt 🚑🐜🍎 As part of the curriculum, ‘Playing Preschool’, we spent some time studying the letter A! We started off by identifying upper case and lower case (Aa) letters, making short and long ‘a’ sounds before practising our A formations. With a bumpy start, Miss 3 loved practising her written letters and had refined her formations by the last ‘a’. She was so proud! Using our magnifying glass, she then went on a letter hunt! Using a few items from the pantry, Miss 3 busily searched and identified both upper case and lower case letters 🙌 The printables are from ‘Discover and Learn’ play subscription and this is activity is one from the Apple Unit of Busy Toddler’s ‘Playing Preschool’ 🙏 More info on both of these resources can be found on our resource page in bio 🙏 #playinspiredmum #letterhunt #letters #earlyliteracy #toddlercurriculum #learningathome #finemotorskills #handwriting #pantryplayideas #toddleractivities #learningletters #letterrecognition #letterrecognitionactivity #alphabetplay #alphabet #alphabetactivities #toddlerplayideas #entertainingtoddlers #learningthroughplaying #playtolearn #playtolearnaus #preliteracyscanning
  • 🥝 🌟 Kiwi Fruit Fact Chart 🌟 🥝 #playoccupyjuly Day 5: Cardboard Learning about the food we eat certainly makes my job easier in getting the kids to eat quality food that fuel their bodies! Today, we celebrated one of our favourite fruits which have just come back in season - The Kiwi Fruit! Not only are they delish and so versatile, they are jam packed with goodness to make our bodies healthy and strong 💪 When creating this fun Kiwi Fact Chart, even I learnt loads about the anatomy and nutrition value of the humble Kiwi. Did you know they are a great source of Vitamin C, folate and potassium, aids in gut health and they have a low GI. Something important in our household, is that Kiwies are a great source of fibre and relieving constipation 💩🙈 Miss 3 loved learning about Kiwi Fruit and enjoyed her breakfast even more! Looks like I’ll be making kiwi owls regularly now 😅 Porridge sprinkled with cinnamon with Kiwi eyes and wings, pepita feather tuft, almond toes and a little sliver of dried apricot for the beak. Perfect for keeping her belly full and delivering that immune boosting vitamin C 🙌 #learningthroughplay #playinspiredmum #fastfacts #cardboardcrafts #youarewhatyoueat #toddlereats #feedingtoddlers #foodanatomy #crosssection #montessoriathome #montessoritoddler #learningathome #playwithfood #playwithfoods #funfoods #oatsforbreakfast
  • 🍃 Insect Observations 🍃 #1newplayaday Day 4: Free When cleaning out our insects enclosure, we discovered a complete mould! Usually they eat their old skin as they shed so this was quite a surprise! We identified the body parts on our Crown and the shed exoskeleton. The girls were amazed that the much larger crown used to fit inside the shed skin! #playinspiredmum #shedskin #moult #insects #crownstickinsect #australianinsects #observations #sciencewithkids #natureplay #exploringnature #minibeasts #kidsandinsects #kidsandbugs #playchallenge
  • 🍏🍎 Apples 5 Frame 🍎🍏 Using some good old masking tape, we made our own 5’s frame to visualise the value of numbers up to 5 🌟 To start with we read this great book from Dr Suess: Ten Apples Up On Top. Then we matched spoken numbers with their numeral before placing them onto the frame in order. We then counted out the numbers using the apples, to compare the size of the line of apples. 1 apple has a lesser value than 4 apples etc. Another great lesson from the Apple Unit from ‘Playing Preschool’ by Busy Toddler! More more information on this play based curriculum for toddlers, see our resource page in bio 🙌 #playinspiredmum #learningthroughplay #toddlercurriculum #toddlerhomeschool #playathome #playbasedlearning #earlynumeracyskills #earlynumber #earlynumbersense #montessoriathome #montessoriactivity #montessoritoddler #playwithnumbers #apples #funwithmaths #drsuess #readingwithkids #toddleractivity #toddlerplayidea #toddlerplayideas #gettingreadyforkindy #learningisfun #playwithpurpose #meaningfulplay #meaningfulplayideas
  • 🏝 Beach Sensory Oobleck Play 🏝 #1newplayaday Day 3: Beach I was so excited to create this little scene. I was prepared to have discussions on the colour of the water representing the depth of the ocean, different type of eggs found on the beach and predators of the sea. That did not happen 😂🤷‍♀️ The call of the Oobleck was too strong and busy hands were more interested in the sensory side of the play today. While it didn’t go to plan, this play tray still held their attention in meaningful play for close to an hour 🙌 #playinspiredmum #sensoryplayidea #ocean #oceansmallworld #smallworldplay #smallworlds #playathometoday #playathome #finemotorskills #finemotoractivity #learningthroughplay #playtolearn
  • 🌈🌟 Pom Pom Adding Machine 🌟🌈 Day 3: Pom Poms #playoccupyjuly A quick DIY with some recyclables turned an old tissue box into an adding machine! Roll the dice, count the pom poms into each tube as shown on the dice and the answer falls to the bottom to be counted! #playinspiredmum #playbasedlearning #earlymathsfun #earlynumeracyskills #pompomplay #pompoms #playchallenge #learningthroughplay #learningnumbers #readingdice #toddlerplayidea #diyplay #reuse #recycleandplay #playtolearn #learningathome #learningisfun #toddleractivity #toddleractivities
  • ☀️🌈 Reflective Open Ended Play 🌈☀️ Playing catch up on the #1newplayaday Play Challenge! I present Day 1: Share the Challenge (last pic) & Day 2: Reflective 💕 Using our DIY mirror trio, Miss 3 indulged in the warm winters sun while have some free build time with our @connetix_tiles 🌟 She made a fairy house with an opening door. The colours were shown off so brightly in the afternoon sun that even a little bee was attracted to our play 🐝 We then experimented with the positioning of the mirrors to change the reflection of her fairy house. Miss 3 loved how the sunshine changes colour when it passed through the coloured tiles, colouring everything behind them- even her hand! 🤚 #playinspiredmum #reflection #mirrors #mirrorplay #kmarthack #connetixtiles #coloursoftherainbow #sunnywintersday #playoutsidetoddler #playoutdoors #openendedtoys #openendedplay #playideas #playathometoday #toddlerplayideas #toddlerfun #toddlerplaytime #childled #childledplay
  • 🌈 Mystery Fizzles 🌈 We are a few days late to join in but better late than never! Here is our ‘Baking Tray’ play inspired by Day 2 the #playoccupyjuly play challenge! We kept it simple with some hidden colours and some science 😉🌈 Miss 3 loved discovering the colours each well revealed before blending the colours to create her own! #playinspiredmum #sciencewithkids #sunnywintersday #colours #colourplay #playwithcolours #toddleractivity #meaningfulplay #experimentalplay #colourrecognition #causeandeffect #crossingthemidline #finemotoractivity #toddlerscience #scienceexperiment #colourreveal #fizzle #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #learningathome #earlychildhood #earlylearning
  • 🍎 🍏 Apple Stamping 🍏🍎 Continuing our activities from the ‘Playing Preschool’ toddler curriculum by Busy Toddler, Miss 3’s little art lesson was apple stamping! We started by examine our cut apples; one cut vertically and the other horizontally. We identified the seeds, core, flesh and skin. Miss 3 was amazed at how the apples looked different when cut in the different directions. To start off with we used the green apple in the green paint, and the red apple in the red paint. From there Miss 3 was happily experimenting by sliding the apples across the page and blending colours. We enjoyed the other halves as a yummy snack on the way to school pick up and put the painted halves in the fridge for more play later during the week. ✅ Cause and Effect ✅ Grasping ✅ Experimental Play ✅ Hand Eye Coordination ✅ Crossing the Midline ✅ Bilateral Coordination ✅ Problem Solving ✅ Colour Recognition ✅ Sequencing Events If you would like more information on ‘Playing Preschool’, the link is on our resource page in bio 🙏 #playinspiredmum #learning #earlylearning #applestamping #toddlerpainting #toddlerpaintingideas #applestamps #toddlercurriculum #learningathome #playathome #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhood #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #playtolearn #toddlerplay #toddlerplayactivities #toddlerplayideas #playideasforkids #playideasfortoddler #learnandplay #learnsomethingnew
  • 🍎 🍏 Sorting by Attributes with Apples! 🍏🍎 Today, we started our first study unit using ‘Playing Preschool’ by Busy Toddler: Apples! Miss 3 loved this early numeracy activity! With three varieties of apples, we sorted them by 🍎colour/variety 🍎stem length 🍎sticker vs no sticker We started off by guessing which we thought would be the answer before grouping our apples by attribute. We then counted them by group before adding groups together. Miss 3 loved this activity (and loved eating an apple afterwards too)! ✅ Grasping ✅ Fine motor skills ✅ Early numeracy ✅ Identifying patterns ✅ Crossing the midline ✅ Vocabulary builder ✅ Cognitive thinking ✅ Sequencing events If you would like more information on this play based curriculum for your toddler, tap ‘Playing Preschool’ via link in the bio 🙏 #playinspiredmum #earlynumeracy #earlynumeracyskills #apples #funathome #playathome #learningathome #gettingreadyforkindy #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #toddlercurriculum #homeschooltoddler #toddlerhomeactivity #toddlerplayideas #toddleractivity #toddlerplayideas #toddleractivitiesathome #playtolearn #playtime
  • 🚙 Muddy Cars 🚙 Chocolate Oobleck takes only a minute to make and is amazing to add a taste safe sensory element to your toddlers play! We teamed up a batch with some of Miss 3s cars and a little bath of soapy water this afternoon. She loved it! This play opened up so many conversations around tracks, tension and solids vs liquids, while squeezing, poking, scrapping and dripping the chocolate gloop! Comment below for the recipe 🙏 #messyplay #messyplayideas #sensoryplayideas #sensoryplayfortoddlers #sensoryplay #playtray #learningthroughplay #tastesafemud #oobleck #playathome #learningathome #playmatters #toddlerlife #toddleractivities #creativeplaywithtoddler #toddleractivity #toddleractivityidea #messyplaytime #earlylearning #finemotorskills #carsactivity #bookishplay
  • ♻️ Fine Motor Sensory ABC’s ♻️ Miss 3 loves copying her older sister who is our list queen. She has been taking to constructing her own lists of doodles and shapes. When I asked her today if she would like to practise tracing some letters, Miss 3 was running to the shelf in seconds! She quickly chose coloured oats from our saved sensory play mediums. Pouring the oats into the tray, she began exploring with different patterns and the letters of her name which she knows well. I introduced our DIY Alphabet Board, and caught her interest as I started unscrewing the bottle tops to place them in the box. She picked a lid, we identified it, played with the phonics for a few moments before I showed her how to form the letter in the oats. With a gentle shake of the tray, the oats settled before Miss 3 recreated the letter. Once completed she matched the upper and lower case to the board and screwed the lid in place. It was a success! And she was so proud to even trace a number 3- I think she surprised herself!! #playinspiredmum #sensoryplay #sensoryplayideas #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #learningmadefun #recycleandplay #playwithyourletters #playathometoday #playathome #learningathome #toddleractivity #earlylearning #lettertracing #recycle #diyplayideas #toddleractivities #colouredoats #learningphonics #alphabetplay #earlyliteracy #letterrecognition #letterrecognitionactivity #homeschooltoddler
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