A mum has shared an easy sensory activity perfect for babies and toddlers – and it costs just 28p. Keeping little ones occupied can be a challenge at the best of times, especially when it’s cold or wet outside.
Playing with the same toys every day can quickly become repetitive, with babies routinely growing seemingly bored of their usual favourites. DIY sensory activities are a great way to mix things up and create a more interesting play environment for your child.
But they can be messy – not to mention expensive and time-consuming to set up in the first place. Luckily, one mum has a cheap and simple alternative, and it involves one common store cupboard essential you probably already have in your kitchen.
Posting to TikTok, Jodie, also known as @fablesinfocus, shared a video of her baby playing with cooked spaghetti in a colander along with the caption: “This is your sign to let your baby play with a bowl of spaghetti.” She added: “I mean, how could you not? So much fun.”
The reaction to her parenting hack was positive, with many sharing their own experiences in the comments section. Kelsey wrote: “One of my favorite things I’ve ever done with all my kiddos and they absolutely love spaghetti still!”
Maria said: “I know what I’ll be doing with my baby tomorrow,” and Courtney added: “Why have I never thought of this genius!!”
Meanwhile, others raised concerns about the spaghetti being a choking hazard, to which the video’s creator and others said that they just made sure to keep a close eye on their children while they played with the spaghetti.
Messy play with food is often recommended by experts as a way to help babies become more confident at mealtimes. Ella’s Kitchen, an organic baby and toddler food brand, recommends trying activities like “sea spaghetti” from six months onwards.
“Little ones discover a love of food through more than just their taste buds,” Helen Coulthard, developmental psychologist, wrote on their site. “Engaging all their senses through foodie games will really help to develop good habits during mealtimes.”
They suggest cooking a bowl of spaghetti before running it under cold water to stop it sticking. You should then stir through plenty of oil to make it super-slimy and add blue food colouring (of the non-staining variety) and stir until all the spaghetti is blue.
Finally, pop in some fishy bathtime toys and encourage your little ones to use their hands to dig into the slippery sea and find hidden treasures.
You can buy spaghetti from all supermarkets, including Asda for 75p or Tesco and Sainsbury’s for just 28p.