Great Gift to Give a Mom Who Already Has Children

My long time and wonderful friend, Kim made me (and O) and AWESOME gift! It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Being this is our second baby and we are having another boy, I didn't have nor want a 2nd baby shower. There really isn't a need, I have almost everything I need. Don't get me wrong, there are still things to replace and stuff to buy, but instead I had a small lunch with my mommy friends. It was so nice to have a couple of hours to ourselves to unwind and have a normal conversation without chasing a two year old.

So back to my AWESOME gift... Kim who is also pregnant and due in about 8 days has a sweetie pie little one and was preschool teacher prior to starting a family.  So she is super creative in the kiddo entertaining and development department.

Drum Roll please...

She made us SENSORY BOXES! A total of 13 (9 listed below) sensory activities and recipes to do with O and keep him busy when our little bundle of joy #2 comes along and I am trying to split my time between the both (stressed about this for sure).

I took everything out of it's storage container so you could see all of the materials.

Isn't this an AWESOME gift?!?! Isn't she the BEST?!?!

Ok, now for the sensory recipes and activities-

1. Oublick- mix equal parts cornstarch and water.
2. Moon Sand- 1 cup of baby oil to 2 cups of flour.
3. Flubber-

• 1 1/3 cup of warm water      
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup glue
• 4 tsp of borax
• coloring

Mix water, glue, color in 1 container. In a separate container, mix warm water and borax until borax is dissolved. Next pour glue mixture into borax mixture and mix well. Store in air tight container.

*Be sure to strip down your little one. Very hard to remove from clothing.

4. Erupting "Volcano"- 

• baking soda
• vinegar
• solo cup
• eye dropper/spoon

Pour baking soda into solo cup and then add vinegar using eye dropper or spoon. Watch it bubble up.

5. "Puffy Paint"- 

• shaving cream
• glue
• food coloring

Mix together above ingredients. Paint onto paper and let dry to puff up.

6. Colored Rice and Pasta-

• Ziploc
• rice or pasta
• food color
• vinegar
• cookie sheets
• wax paper

Measure out 4 cups of rice or pasta. Separate into Ziploc bags. Number of bags will depend on how many colors you will be making. Next add about 2 Tbs of food coloring and 3 Tbs of distilled vinegar. Mix each bag well. Lastly, lay colors rice/pasta onto covered cookie sheet and place in sun to dry. Shouldn't take long to dry.

7. Fine motor exercise-

• beans or cotton balls
• ice cube trays
• tweezers (fingers work just as well)

Place beans or cotton balls into ice cube tray. Use fingers or tweezers to take out or transfer to another ice cube tray.

8. Paint on bubble wrap or just walk on to feel and hear the pop!

9. Finger paint. Use plastic drop cloth and go to town. Wash off and reuse.

What a great gift idea. I will be adding this to my baby gift giving list for sure. Hope you have lots of fun with your little ones. I know we are having a blast.