S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (2024)

ByHeather Greutman

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I am happy to have Sara of Happy Brown House sharing with us all today as part of the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series. She is sharing one of my favorite things to use, shaving cream sensory play.

One of my favorite go-to sensory play materials for preschoolers is shaving cream. Little fingers love to squish it and spread it around. Shaving cream has a smell, so this activity involves more than one sense. Most households have shaving cream already in a cabinet, making this a quick and easy activity to set up with zero prep time. Best of all, it's relatively easy to clean up!

S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (1)

Like most three-year-olds, my son is an active little guy with a short attention span. When I need to engage him in an activity that will keep him busy for longer than normal, I pull out shaving cream.

Manipulating shaving cream by itself is a fun activity–spreading it, squishing it through fingers, and trying to clean off the globs from his hands keeps my son busy for quite a while.

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After he's had time for free play, I encourage my son to practice “writing” with his finger. He's taken great interest in practicing his name lately, so he tried writing that with surprising success for a 3 year old! (His name is Asher if you need a little help making sense of his letters below.)

After writing his name, I encouraged him to “erase” by spreading the shaving cream around and asked him to write some more. He chose a variety of letters and shapes. This is a great pre-writing activity for little hands still strengthening their fine motor skills.

S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (3)

When he was bored with writing letters, he chose a car to drive through the shaving cream “snow”. He enjoyed making tire tracks with his favorite red fire truck. In just a few minutes, he was ready to wash his hands and move to another activity.

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Tip: For easy clean-up, I usually have my son play shaving cream on a baking sheet or plastic tray. When he's finished, I can rinse off the shaving cream in the sink and move on to the next thing in a matter of seconds.

Want more fun activities for little hands that promote fine motor skills development? Check out this blog post.

Developing Fine Motor Skills Series

Sara is a former teacher turned homeschool mom to two active boys. She loves to share hands-on learning activities on her blog, Happy Brown House. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

For more sensory play ideas, follow along in the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series.

S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (6)

Heather Greutman, COTA

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.

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CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.

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All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.

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S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (2024)

FAQs

Is shaving cream a sensory activity? ›

Mostly because it's fun! But there are great developmental benefits to sensory play, like this shaving cream activity. Messy play can reduce tactile sensitivity in children, which translates to better experiences with clothing and food later on.

What can I use instead of shaving cream for sensory play? ›

This sensory foam is so easy to make and is a great taste safe alternative to shaving cream so perfect for little ones.

How do you use shaving foam for play? ›

For a less messy sensory play activity, pop some different coloured poster paints into the corners of a ziplock bag, then add shaving foam. Seal the bag and let your tot squish and squash the bag until the colours spread and mix together.

How do you write activities with shaving cream? ›

Write your child's name in the shaving cream. 4. Have your child copy the letters under your writing or have them trace your writing before writing letters of their own. They can erase their work, by re-spreading the shaving cream and practice as many times as they like.

What senses are used in sensory play? ›

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates our senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It helps children interact with and make sense of the world that surrounds them.

How do you make shaving foam sensory? ›

Just mix equal parts corn starch and shaving foam, add your desired food colouring, then gently knead into a dough consistency for easy sensory fun.

What is the best thing to use instead of shaving cream? ›

One of the most popular substitutes for shaving cream is conditioner — and for a good reason. Conditioner typically has a thick formula and is formulated with soothing, hydrating ingredients, making it an easy swap for shaving cream if you're in need.

How do you make edible foam for sensory play? ›

How to Make Taste-Safe Sensory Foam
  1. Add the chickpea liquid and cream of tarter to a mixing bowl.
  2. Beat on high with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (approximately 4-5 minutes).
  3. Add a few drops of food colouring (if using) and gently stir.
Nov 8, 2021

Can you use hair gel in sensory bottles? ›

Also known as zen jar, mindful jar, relaxation jar, or sensory bottles. There are many different recipes to make your child's sensory bottle, including water, dish soap, baby oil, food coloring, clear glue or hair gel.

What liquid can you put in a sensory bag? ›

Put a gallon zip-top plastic bag in a large bowl and pour 2 cups of oil in it. You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or baby oil. It really doesn't matter. Next stir several drops of food coloring into a half cup of water.

Can you use shaving foam for messy play? ›

This is a wonderful messy play and art activity for toddlers, babies and children. It is quick and easy to set up and the shaving foam and paint looks really effective and enticing against the black of the tuff tray.

What do you use shaving cream or foam? ›

A shaving foam offers you the ultimate convenience for its 'fast' service. But many critics of the can complain that they don't contain ingredients beneficial to your skin, unlike shaving creams. However, many brands offer highly specialised shaving foams with superfoods that are extremely useful for your skin.

What classification of matter is shaving cream? ›

Shaving cream is a special type of mixture called a colloid, consisting of tiny air bubbles dispersed in liquid. This particular type of colloid can further classified as a foam.

What is an example of a sensory technique? ›

Learning sensory language techniques helps children to accurately describe the sensation they are trying to express. For example, they might be able to explain the umami taste or the taste of a certain food they may not have been able to express previously when asked what it tasted like.

What is an example of sensory processing? ›

Kids with sensory processing issues behave in ways that their parents often find confusing. They might react strongly to loud noises or bright lights or complain that their clothes are uncomfortable. They may be clumsy or have trouble with fine motor skills like fastening buttons.

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