During Advent my children have loved playing with a simple

Cinnamon Scented Sensory Box

It was super simple to set up

With things we already had at home

The potential for open ended play

Was limited only by their imaginations

And I was proud of the many ways to play

Together and alone

Here is how I set up this invitation to play

A layer of cinnamon powder

A layer of white beans

A layer of fresh cranberries

Some cuttings from your Christmas tree or other evergreen foliage

I also added cinnamon sticks

Which the children used as magic wands and wooden spoons

I gave them some paper cups

We used Christmas ones and stars

You can choose a design to suit your season

Or use plain cups

I also added measuring beakers of different sizes and scales

Scoops, tweezers, tongs, spoons

And multi-coloured lollipop sticks

All tools for scooping and spilling

Emptying and filling

I also added cup cake cases

At the children’s request

Which prompted us making cranberry buns

To buy and sell

While singing our cranberry version

Of Five Currant Buns

This was a super set up for sensory play

So easy to put together

And offering so much potential for play

The whole house smelt wonderful too

There was lots of pouring

Stirring

Estimating

Measuring

Transferring

Pretend cooking

Serving cakes and drinks

Esther and William age 7

Enjoyed this just as much as Bea, age 3

We baked and boiled

Brewed and concocted

Made food for fairies

And potions with spells

We made reindeer food

And sowed magical seeds

The games and creations

Went on and on

This play was a sensory experience

Offering sights, sounds and scents to be explored

Lots of colour

And a range of different textures

The tools and small parts

Offered a fun way to develop fine motor skills

And build finger strength

All through play

A super simple scented sensory play

Think we might add some forest animals next

To extend and change our play

What would you do with this next?