VIPrintStudio

Tag: Theme-Messy Play

  • Mini Dishwashing Station Play – Practical Life Water Fun for Kids 🚰🧽

    Mini Dishwashing Station Play – Practical Life Water Fun for Kids 🚰🧽

    💦 Encouraging Independence Through Water Play

    Kids love water play, and this dishwashing activity turns that excitement into a practical life skill! With our water pump set, small sponges, a little soap, and pretend dishes, you can set up a mini dishwashing station that feels just like the real thing. Children get to scrub, rinse, and clean their own play utensils — all through fun, sensory-rich water play.

    🧺 Materials

    ✔ VIPrint Studio Water pump set (the set comes with 1 acrylic insert, 1 water pump and 1 bear ear shaped cup)
    ✔ IKEA Flisat Sensory Table and Flisat bin
    ✔ Small play dishes or sensory play utensils
    ✔ Sponge (cut into child-sized pieces)
    ✔ A little dish soap (in the bear-ear cup for easy scooping)
    ✔ Towel or tray for drying dishes

    Recommended products

    💡 How to Play

    1. Set up the water sink play set on your table or on the IKEA Flisat Sensory Table. You can place the hose in the same bin for recirculating water, or place it in a different bin to create a running-water setup. Note: Recirculation is for clean water only. Other materials may clog the pump and shorten its lifespan.
    2. Fill the bin with clean water and turn on the pump
    3. Place pretend dishes, utensils, and tools in the bin
    4. Put a few drops of dish soap into the bear-ear cup.
    5. Give your child a small sponge and show them how to dip into the soapy water.
    6. Let them scrub, rinse, and wash their own play items. kids LOVE seeing the “dirty” dishes turn clean!
    7. Place washed utensils on a towel or drying tray.

    🎯 Learning Benefits

    • ✋ Builds fine motor strength and hand coordination
    • 🌟 Encourages independence and real-life practical skills
    • 💦 Provides calming, open-ended sensory play
    • 🌱 Teaches responsibility and clean-up routines
    • 👀 Supports focus, sequencing, and pretend-to-real world learning

    🧩 Extension Ideas

    • Add food-themed sensory items (pom poms, toy veggies) to “wash”
    • Introduce color sorting: wash red dishes first, then blue, etc.
    • Turn it into a role-play game: restaurant helper, kitchen assistant, or clean-up crew
    • Add a timer and see how many dishes they can wash before time runs out

    🧽 Cleanup Tip

    Water play is always a little messy, so expect some splashes! Keep a towel nearby or move the table outdoors for easier cleanup.

    ✨ Closing

    This dishwashing station transforms water play into a meaningful, skill-building activity. Fun, engaging, and wonderfully practical — a perfect way to let kids explore independence and responsibility while having an absolute blast with water!

  • Taste-safe Chia Seed Sensory Play: A Fun and Messy Activity for Kids

    Taste-safe Chia Seed Sensory Play: A Fun and Messy Activity for Kids

    How to Create a Chia Seed Sensory Bin

    Chia seed sensory play is a fantastic way to engage your child’s senses while promoting fine motor skills, creativity, and imaginative play. When mixed with water, chia seeds create a fun, squishy, and slightly slimy texture that kids love.

    Materials Needed:

    • 1/4 cup chia seeds
    • 2 cups water
    • A few drops of food coloring (optional)
    • IKEA Flisat sensory table (you can use any sensory table or sensory bins of your choice)
    • Kitchen funnel
    • VIPrint Studio funnel insert (fit perfectly with IKEA sensory table)
    • Small toys, scoops, spoons, and cups for play

    Instructions:

    1. Prepare the Chia Gel: In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of water. Stir well and let it sit for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight for best results. The chia seeds will absorb the water and form a thick, gel-like texture.
    2. Add Color (Optional): If you want to make the sensory bin more vibrant, add a few drops of food coloring to the chia mixture and stir.
    3. Set Up the Sensory Bin: Pour the prepared chia seed gel into a large IKEA Trofast bin.
    4. Add Toys and Tools: Place the kitchen funnel on the funnel insert. Add small toys, spoons, and scoops in the bin to encourage interactive play.
    5. Let the Fun Begin! Encourage your child to explore the texture by squishing, scooping, and pouring the chia gel.

    Observing Chia Slime Flow

    One of the most fascinating things about chia seed slime is its unique flow! Try this simple experiment:

    1. Grab a Kitchen Funnel: Pour some chia slime into a funnel sitting on the funnel insert and observe how it slowly oozes out.
    2. Talk About Liquids and Solids: Ask your child questions like, “Why does the chia slime flow so slowly?” and “How is this different from water?”
    3. Experiment with Speed: Does it move faster if you shake the funnel? What happens if you use a wider funnel?
    4. Hands-On Exploration: Let your child squeeze the chia gel as it comes out—this is a great way to develop sensory awareness and fine motor skills!

    This simple activity introduces kids to basic science concepts like viscosity and flow while keeping them engaged with hands-on fun.

    Other ways to Play with Chia Seed Sensory Bins

    🌱 Hide-and-Seek Game: Hide small toys (like mini animals or cars) in the chia gel and let your child dig them out.

    🌈 Color Mixing Experiment: Divide the chia gel into sections and add different food coloring to each. Let your child mix the colors to see what happens!

    🧑‍🍳 Pretend Cooking: Provide cups, bowls, and utensils so kids can “cook” with the chia mixture, making pretend soups or smoothies.

    🐾 Animal Rescue: Place toy animals in the bin and have your child “rescue” them from the squishy swamp.

    🖐️ Fine Motor Practice: Use tweezers or tongs to pick up objects from the chia gel to strengthen hand muscles.

    Benefits of Chia Seed Sensory Play

    ✔ Safe and Non-Toxic: Chia seeds are natural and edible, making them a safer alternative to artificial sensory materials.
    ✔ Mess But Relatively Easy to Clean: I’m not kidding. It’s not as bad as you think. Plus you can turn it into other activity. Just keep reading. 👀
    ✔ Encourages Sensory Exploration: Helps children develop their sense of touch and improve focus.
    ✔ Promotes Creativity and Imagination: Open-ended play allows kids to create their own games and activities.

    Cleanup Is Easy—and Turns into a Spring Science Activity!

    One of the best things about chia seed sensory play is how simple it is to clean up!

    ✔ No Mess Left Behind: Just take a damp paper towel and wipe the surface clean—chia seeds stick together, making it effortless!
    ✔ Reuse the Seeds for a Fun Spring Activity: Don’t throw away the chia seeds left on the paper towel! Instead, place the damp paper towel on a tray, add a little more water, and set it by a sunny window.
    ✔ Watch Them Grow! In just a few days, your child can observe tiny sprouts emerging. This is a great way to introduce kids to plant life cycles and the magic of growth—perfect for springtime learning!

    Recommended products

    Chia seed sensory play is an easy, fun, and educational activity that provides endless entertainment. Try setting up a chia seed bin today and watch your child’s creativity come to life!

    How do you play with the chia seeds? Let me know in the comments! 👇