Nature’s sights, smells, and textures inspire adults daily. Why not explore that same inspiration with children? We wanted to create a nature-based program that would delight babies and their caregivers alike. Sensory play is a great way to engage multiple senses in learning, and nature offers many opportunities. Read on to learn how we created Petal Playtime for those aged 0 to 18 months.
Supplies
Because this program involves specialized supplies, we created a program kit with most materials. We used a 9.0-liter plastic box, making it easy to move between locations. The hosting building provides a few consumable supplies. The kit’s home location purchased the needed specialty supplies, like the extracts. Now, we can replace the dough as necessary, but reduce costs by limiting purchases of more expensive supplies to a single location. If your sensory bottles contain liquid, you may want to prep them in advance and seal the bottles with hot glue.
Program Prep
Before launching the program, we created a detailed outline and activity instructions. We also identified and tested a scented dough recipe. We made the dough several weeks in advance, and if stored well, it lasts through several sessions. Like many kit programs, Petal Playtime requires minimal preparation before the scheduled date. We host Petal Playtime as a ticketed program with limited capacity based on the available supplies and space in the room. These capacity limits help manage crowds and ensure supplies for all participants. Each building identifies its limitations.
Set Up
On the morning of the program, staff set up the activity stations in their room based on their building’s unique layout and safety considerations. We set up activities on the floor to make it easy for babies and caregivers to interact. Consider including a designated area for strollers, car seats, or other personal belongings to make it easier to explore without stuff. Thirty minutes before each program, we distribute free tickets. These guarantee a space in the program.
Activity Stations
| Activity | Supplies Needed | Objective |
| Flower petal play | Rose petals, artificial flower heads, plastic bins or tubs | Encourage sensory exploration by manipulating flowers and petals. While we used fake flowers, you could replace them with leaves, petals, or other items collected from nature. |
| Flower sensory bottles | Artificial flowers, flower buttons, flower confetti, sensory tubes | Explore sensory experiences by shaking, rolling, tapping, or manipulating sensory bottles with various filler materials. A liquid base, like water, dish detergent, or baby oil, is optional. |
| Flower dough | Baby oil, cream of tartar, essential oils, flour, food coloring, reusable sandwich bags, salt | Explore hands-on play by squeezing, pushing, rolling, and manipulating dough. To start, we chose five scents. |
| Flower art | Construction paper or cardstock, finger paint, craft sticks, ribbon, glue or tape | Use baby’s palm and/or fingers to create personal works of art. If you offer this program near a holiday, these keepsakes make great gifts or mementos that caregivers can share. |
At Home Applications
With this program, we also wanted caregivers to leave with actionable strategies to try at home. In addition to having fun at the library, we hope caregivers feel empowered to replicate our activities or build on them in their own lives. We focus on easily recreated activities using household items. However, we also note at-home extensions that caregivers can try. Here are some at-home extensions that we suggested.
| Activity | At-Home Extension |
| Flower petal play | Take your baby on a walk around the neighborhood. What flowers, plants, or trees can you find? Let your baby feel the different textures, smell the flowers, and interact with nature. |
| Flower sensory bottles | Create a sensory bottle with natural elements around you! Take a walk and collect flowers, leaves, sticks, or other elements from your local plants and flowers. Then, use them to fill your bottle. As you play, talk about where you found the items and their unique characteristics. |
| Flower dough | Create playdough! Use recipes with different ingredients to explore textures, smells, and tastes. Edible dough recipes work well for babies who enjoy tasting. |
| Flower art | Take a walk around your neighborhood and gather different flowers. First, fold a piece of paper in half and put the flowers on top. Then, cover the paper and flowers with a piece of wax paper. Gently place it into a bag and seal it. Next, hammer away at the petals using a mallet, hammer, or even your hands. Finally, carefully remove the paper from the bag to reveal your art. |
Tips and Feedback
Our first Petal Playtime had 31 attendees, perfect for the intended audience. Next, we’ll continue offering the program throughout spring and summer. Further, we’ll collect feedback from attendees and presenters. Ultimately, we’d like to expand this program to seasonal applications and additional nature-based play elements. Here are some tips we’ve collected so far:
- Experiment with your layout. While our babies liked the playdough, our initial layout felt uninviting. We used craft mats to create space, but it wasn’t intuitive for baby play. Next, we’re looking at options like a vinyl tablecloth to make a designated activity space.
- Include take-home instructions. While our activity signage included tips for extending learning at home, we didn’t include our dough recipe. In addition, including the recipe answers questions about ingredients and makes at-home learning more accessible for families.
- Make more sensory bins. Families loved our sensory bins. With more bins, we encourage more participation and texture exploration. However, some flower heads came apart, so experiment with what you purchase. We’re exploring options for crocheted or stitched flowers that offer extra durability. Similarly, experiment with the materials in your sensory tubes to see what resonates with your families.
- Consider paint alternatives. While finger paint is fun, it’s also messy. Further, it’s easy to use a lot of paint quickly. As one of our higher-cost items, we’re considering options like ink pads to help reduce both cost and mess. Consider options like baby smocks to help caregivers feel more comfortable with the mess.
Additional Resources
Looking for more ways to add nature to your library? Check out Ann Baillie’s post on indoor nature walks or Erika Hogan’s post on nature-based engagement. I can’t write about this program without crediting my wonderful colleague Laura Hargrove, who shared the initial program inspiration and worked with me to create the final product. If you’d like to learn more about our program, you can reach me via email or in the comments below. Have fun exploring!
This post addresses ALSC Core Competency #3: Programming Skills. All photos courtesy of Plano Public Library and provided by Jaime Eastman, ALSC member.
Jaime Eastman is a senior Public Services Librarian and Early Learning Coordinator at the Harrington Library, one of the Plano (Texas) Public Library locations. She’s currently serving as a member of the ALSC Board of Directors. Jaime is also working on at least two ambitious cross-stitch projects, dreaming of future travel plans, and reading far too many books. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be an author. Writing for the blog and publishing with Children and Libraries feels like a good start, and she regrets nothing about her adult decision to be a librarian doing storytimes, who didn’t have to grow up too much.
The post Petal Playtime: Nature-Inspired Sensory Adventures for Babies appeared first on ALSC Blog.
Nature’s sights, smells, and textures inspire adults daily. Why not explore that same inspiration with children? We wanted to create a nature-based program that would delight babies and their caregivers alike. Sensory play is a great way to engage multiple senses in learning, and nature offers many opportunities. Read on to learn how we created Petal Playtime for those aged 0 to 18 months. Supplies Because this program involves specialized supplies, we created a program kit with most materials. We used a 9.0-liter plastic box, making it easy to move between locations. The hosting building provides a few consumable supplies. The kit’s home location purchased the needed specialty supplies, like the extracts. Now, we can replace the dough as necessary, but reduce costs by limiting purchases of more expensive supplies to a single location. If your sensory bottles contain liquid, you may want to prep them in advance and seal…
The post Petal Playtime: Nature-Inspired Sensory Adventures for Babies appeared first on ALSC Blog. Read More
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