Cloud Dough Construction Bin

Taste-Safe CLOUD DOUGH DIRT CONSTRUCTION sensory bin is perfect for toddlers and children who are still mouthing objects.

Have you ever wondered how to turn food into a TASTE-SAFE baby or toddler sensory bin invitation to play? Well, let me tell you, CLOUD DOUGH is the winner! It is SO SATISFYING and by following my recipe you can make sure it is SAFE if accidentally it ends up in your child’s mouth. Oral sensory seeking behavior, or mouthing items, is a typical way for little ones to explore their world. Most importantly, by making home-made CLOUD DOUGH, you will know the exact ingredients of what might end up in their mouth. Besides, if you would like to add a THEME, DIRT is a super fun one as a CONSTRUCTION BIN, flower planting garden theme, earthworm habitat, and more! Let your imagination be your limit!

TASTE-SAFEC LOUD DOUGH CONSTRUCTION BIN

I am using cinnamon cloud dough as a sensory filler. It smells divine and is amazingly crumbly and soft to handle. Cloud dough is beautifully soft, wonderfully moldable, and is absolutely silky soft to touch. And the best part is that it could not be simpler to make.

TO MAKE TASTE-SAFE CLOUD DOUGH DIRT

•  3 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• sensory bin

The general recipe is to combine 1/2 cup of oil with 4 cups of flour. If you wish not to use cinnamon, add one cup of cocoa powder instead of half. As long as you maintain the RATIO, you should be good! Also, you can use baby oil, but I prefer to use VEGETABLE oil so that it is TASTE-SAFE. For older children, you can add spices, essential oils, and small objects. Most importantly, follow your child and create bins that will ignite their interest!

RATIO 1 cup OIL : 8 cups of FLOUR

Please NOTE, FLOUR is considered RAW until cooked, and like all raw grain, corn starch, egg cartons, etc., it might contain E-coli, Salmonella, or other bacteria. So, to make it TASTE-SAFE, spread flour on an oven-safe tray and bake it on low 100 C or 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely before using.

HOW TO MAKE TASTE SAFE DIRT

First, add flour, cocoa powder, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix well. Then, start adding oil little by little and keep mixing it with a spoon and then with your hands. You will know CLOUD DOUGH is ready when the mixture becomes moldable and you are able to clump it together into a ball. Note, cloud dough breaks apart easily.

STORAGE: Homemade cloud dough lasts weeks if stored in an airtight storage container.

SETTING UP CLOUD DOUGH CONSTRUCTION BIN

If your child enjoys construction vehicles and tractors or is fascinated by a human capacity to build bridges, subways, skyscrapers, and more with the help of mighty machines, then this bin is for you! Little people are generally in awe observing the building process on a smaller scale such as diggers moving dirt or cranes lifting cement blocks. So setting up this CLOUD DOUGH CONSTRUCTION BIN will be bringing IMAGINARY PLAY TO LIFE! (We are using wooden Plan Toys city road construction set along with some other tractors. )

And, to keep it totally TASTE-SAFE, SKIP the kinetic rock, marbles, and stone.

HOW TO DISCOURAGE EATING

Despite the DIRT being TASTE SAFE, you want to DETER little ones from eating it! Good habits will ensure SAFE play! So, if they put it into their mouth, calmly say “No, not for eating. Not in your mouth.” or “Do not put it in your mouth. This is not food.” Or stick a tongue out and make a yucky /disgusted face. Most importantly, model appropriate ways to play. If the behavior persists, remove and introduce it later.

Benefits of Multi-Sensorial Stimulation

Recent research advocates that combining the sense of touch with other senses such as vision, hearing, smell, and/or taste helps build cognitive skills. In fact, pediatricians now advocate for simultaneous multi-sensorial stimulation! The nervous system is multisensorial right from its early development stage when a toddler, for example, uses a sense of touch to explore the texture of food, smell and taste to identify it, and the vestibular sense to sit upright at a weaning chair during food offerings. In fact, hands-on learning through the power of sensory play happens all the time! Besides advancing fine motor skills, children also develop language, social interaction, and reasoning skills, as they strengthen neurological pathways within the developing brain! Sensory play also helps build new synapses between neurons, leading to lasting memory and brain agility! Thus, homemade TASTE-SAFE sensory bins like DIRT CLOUD DOUGH offer little people a safe opportunity to explore the world and stimulate the senses!

 Mighty 🚜Machines ~ Big 📚Book of Big Machines

SEE HERE some of our favorite construction vehicles books and MIGHTY MACHINE in action!

Have you ever made CLOUD DOUGH CONSTRUCTION BIN? How about Taste-Safe Toddler Sensory play bin? Leave a comment! I love hearing from you!

MORE CLOUD DOUGH PLAY TRAY IDEAS

TO MAKE RAINBOW CLOUD DOUGH, follow the recipe for each color batch. Keep your 1:8 ratio and add food coloring.

Or make play-dough eggs and hide your OVIPAROUS animals in them! Lay the eggs on CLOUD DOUGH DIRT.

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