Taste-Safe Mud Tractors Bin

Taste-safe mud tractors bin is perfect for toddlers and children who are still mouthing objects to explore through the power of sensory play.

Have you ever wondered how to turn food into a TASTE-SAFE baby or toddler sensory bin invitation to play? Trust me! It is easier than you think! Besides, if you are lenient to use “food” as play filler, look for items that have seen their expiration date! (Note, if you use expired food, the sensory filler is no longer taste-safe!) Oral sensory seeking behavior, or mouthing items, is a typical way for little ones to explore their world. By making your MUD homemade and by following my simple recipe you can make sure your filler is SAFE if accidentally it ends up in your child’s mouth. Besides, MUD is a super fun theme with tractors or construction vehicles, however, you can try it with earthworm habitat, clean the dirty farm animals, and more! Let your imagination be your limit! Most importantly, follow your child and create bins that will ignite their interest!

Taste-Safe Mud Tractors Bin

To make taste-safe mud tractors sensory bin, I am using brown sugar as a sensory filler. I also added corn starch to thicken it and give it a little of the GOOP feel. And the best part is that it could not be simpler to make.

TO MAKE Taste-Safe Mud

•  1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of corn starch
• 1/2 cup of regular tap water

The RATIO is 1 : 1 : 1/2. (In the video, I used 1/2 to 1/2 to 1/4, and then I made another batch.) Note, you can also use cocoa powder instead of sugar, just maintain the RATIO, you should be good!

Taste-Safe Mud Tractors Bin

As with any sensory play set up, you will also need:

• waterproof tray
• actors/players (here we are using tractors)
• tools (optional)

Please NOTE, corn starch is considered RAW until cooked, and like all raw grain, flour, egg cartons, etc., it might contain E-coli, Salmonella, or other bacteria. So, to make it TASTE-SAFE, spread it 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.

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SETTING UP Taste-Safe Mud Tractors Bin

If your child enjoys construction vehicles and tractors, 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 tractors carrying things. So setting up this MUD BIN will be bringing IMAGINARY PLAY TO LIFE!

TIP: Set a water station near by for clean up (your kiddo and the tractors)!

HOW TO DISCOURAGE EATING

Despite the MUD 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 a lasting memory and brain agility! Thus, homemade TASTE-SAFE sensory bins like MUD offer little people a safe opportunity to explore the world and stimulate the senses!

MORE TASTE-SAFE PLAY TRAY IDEAS

SEE HERE Cloud Dough Construction Bin

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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