Playing With A Purpose

Why are doing this activity? What is the purpose behind it? These are the questions mother-of-three Tina asked herself when she set up her business that’s all about playing with a purpose.

I have worked with children and families for about 14 years, and when the organisation I was at closed their program, I decided I wanted to continue the work. P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose is about empowering people big and small to play with passion and purpose. Play is meaningful; an opportunity to learn through engaging in the process.

Painting With Babies

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It’s no secret that babies and art and craft don’t always mix so well. Here is a great activity to get painting with babies and creating artworks worth framing.

Let’s face it, when it comes to craft and babies, things to end up a real, big mess. Sure, you might hang their artwork on the fridge for a week out of pure, parental pride, but beyond that, the achievement isn’t much worth sharing. Your bub is too young to hold a brush, too young to actually paint anything, and too young to not eat everything they play with. So what’s the solution: yoghurt paint and sticky tape. I’m not kidding, this makes for a great activity that looks fantastic at the end. We painted ours on some canvases (cheap ones from Kmart), and were able to give them out to family and friends – these were definitely worth sharing.

DIY Ball-pit

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Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love an opportunity to play in a plastic DIY ball-pit? So, why not bring a little playground joy into your home and finally get a spare five minutes to go to toilet in peace.

This play idea is cheap and cheerful, and also makes use of that port-a-cot that your Aunties-cousins-girlfriends-daughter gave you which is still sitting under the bed. All you need to add is a packet of plastic balls, which can be purchased from most large department stores in the sports/toy section for around $10.

Finger Painting For Babies

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This great mess-free activity will have you proudly hanging your baby’s first artwork on the fridge. Discover the best method when it comes to finger painting for babies.

Finger painting for babies isn’t like regular painting. Let’s be honest, what baby is likely to only dip their fingers into the paint (rather than their whole hand) and neatly bring them to the paper (rather than to their mouths). Not many! But this doesn’t mean you should avoid painting altogether. This is a great mess-free option – and by mess-free I mean the baby will remain free of paint, you however, will still have some cleaning up to do. It would also make the perfect gift for loved ones – just put it in a frame and everyone will think you have a mini Picasso.

Messy Play

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Early Childhood Teacher Avril Mahony shares the benefits of messy play, along with some great recipes to test out.

Any parent knows that children inherently get messy. Be it eating, playing in the garden, crafting, cooking or those mystery messes that kids seem to attract. While some parents are happy to embrace it, others tend to steer clear of mess and dirt, but one thing is for sure – kids certainly love getting messy.

Oil & Water Sensory Bottles

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Sensory bottles are an easy and inexpensive toy that can be made with materials you already have at home! Start off with these oil and water sensory bottles and go from there. Megan from The Playful Genius shares with us.

Sensory bottles can be used for stacking, rolling, shaking, and exploring different materials. They provide children with an opportunity to engage their senses as they listen to the sounds the bottles make as they shake them and watch objects move around inside. Sensory bottles create a safe way for babies and toddlers to explore different materials that would otherwise be off limits. There’s no need to worry about young children putting objects in their mouths when they are safely contained in a bottle.