Sensory and creative play activities including many for those who are disabled and/or neurodivergent.
Learning & Development
fine motor skills
boosts imagination,
improves social, play, communication and observation skills
sparks curiosity
develops hand-eye coordination
improves focus and attention
supports emotional regulation
turn-taking
stress-relief
fun!
& creates opportunities for CONNECTION
Senses stimulated: SIGHT & TOUCH
Googly Eyes; Oh what a joy these are! This is all about being silly and letting your imagination take over for a bit.
The personification of everyday objects with Googly Eyes is not a new concept; indeed it is all over the internet and many people have created some hilarious videos doing it. It's so popular because it's so very relatable and accessible. If you have no other play resource in your home but these you could still have many hours of fun!
This is one of the simplest activities I talk about in this series of Creative and Sensory Play blogs but it actually also has the potential to be very therapeutic as well as just downright daft and fun! I have had some brilliant conversations about emotions and problem solving and some big life questions with my youngest while playing with these makeshift characters. When a child is talking through a toy it can take a lot of the pressure off of conversations they may find difficult. We had a great one recently all about what a lie was and why they could be dangerous.
Approximate preparation time: 0 minutes
Suggested minimum age: 2 years (supervised due to potential choking on small parts.)
What You Need:
Googly eyes
Stuff to stick the eyes to
Blue or white tack or masking tape torn into little pieces and made into a loop to stick to objects
How To Play:
Gather your Googly eyes and add a tiny bit of blue tack or looped tape to the back.
Stick the eyes to stuff! On this page I have some ideas for you but you'll probably find your kids have brilliant ideas for creating funny characters with the eyes! Be sure to follow them around with a camera to take photos!
As well as photos you can have lots of fun with videos for this activity; give the characters a voice and a name and maybe a story and you and/or your child can make a video of the character. My youngest has had a wonderful time making up a conversation and a song with a Googly-eyed salt and pepper grinder!
Another way to play with the Googly Eyes is one of the quickest 'invitation to play' set-ups ever. You just need a piece of paper or card (bigger is better if you can, you can cut out the side of one of those large delivery boxes you probably have lying around the garage!) Dot a few solo eyes and a few pairs onto the page with lots of space around them and invite your child to create a character around them. Some examples are here on the blog if you or your child need some inspiration.
If any of you reading this already play in this way and would like to share with me, please do send me an email - I love to hear about how you're all playing with your kids.
I'll end with this:
Silliness keeps the heart young - so get into it!