PARENTING NOW™ Squishy Summertime Fun

Squish Into Summer

BY PARENTING NOW

As A PARENT, YOU are your child’s first teacher—and wonderful learning can take place when you play together. You don’t need expensive toys or gadgets to entertain and engage your child. In fact, the best learning and play comes from items you can find around the home and your imagination! For this reason, Parenting Now’s Squishtivities program was designed!

So just what exactly is a Squishtivity?

Squish - 1. to make a gushing sound when walking in. 2. a squishing sound.

Tivities - 1. currently being active. 2. in progress.

Squishtivities - 1. to squish now. 2. have fun, pouring, painting and squishing!

Squishtivities, designed for 2 to 5-year olds, is an exciting adventure in play using games, arts and crafts, music, and “messy” play. In this program, we do painting projects; make and learn projects; games, sorting, stacking, and matching games; songs and finger plays. It is a time for you and your child to be creative and playful, and it is all about fun and learning!

Here’s a fun Squishtivity to try with your family this summer:

KOOL-AID SOFT DOUGH

Squishy soft dough does more than encourage the budding artist. Your child is developing knowledge of how the world works and is becoming proficient with different materials. Her tactile senses are stimulated and refined as your child squeezes the dough through their fingers, rolls it into balls, and shapes it into creations.

Safe kitchen tools such as a garlic press and spoons are fun ways to manipulate the soft dough, as are interesting natural objects like leaves, pine cones and sticks. All these items can be used to create interesting textures with soft dough and spur your child’s creativity!

You Will Need: • 2 cups flour mixed with, • 1 cup salt • In a separate container combine: • 1/3 cup oil • 1 cup water • 1 package Kool-Aid

Add this mixture to the flour and salt. Now mix and squish until you have soft dough!

When your child plays with Kool-Aid Soft Dough, they are building their: creative expression; eye-hand coordination; fine motor skills; experience with shapes and textures in three dimensions; sensory exploration; and understanding of cause and effect.

Children need to get messy. It’s an essential component of any learning experience. When your child squishes, splashes, sprays, drops, and smears, his brain is sorting out a vast amount of complex information—and having fun too! ✦

Come get messy at Parenting Now! Through August 24, Parenting Now is offering a Squishtivities session every Tuesday from 10 am to 11 am. Space is limited, pre-registration is required at https://parentingnow.org/ squishtivities-summer-series/