I went to a workshop last week and the instructor asked us what kind of sensory play we do for the kids at our Daycare the workshop was a review of the book " No more Teaching a Letter a Week by Rebecca McKay", the instructor asked us what games and activities we use for letter practice, since I'm always involved in these workshops told her that I use all kinds of games and activities from posting letters on the ceiling and having the kids pick a letter to nap under to using colored rice , noodles in my sensory bin and have the kids use tweezers to spell out words which works for sensory play, fine motor skills and works their cognitive skills.
I noticed after I gave her my example she was looking a little upset and in some kind of tune she said " you work with dry food produces knowing that there are starving children in the world" this caught me do off guard I felt very embarrassed mind you! I was in a room with my state licensor system directors and about 20 other home child care providers


so I had to think fast under all that pressure so I was really honest , and mind you I respect what others opinion would be on this topic , I replied " preschool age children need to learn about their world in a real and concrete way before they are ready to deal with larger life issues. I include food in sensory play for their cognitive development because I think if you want to teach children about food you need to first give them the opportunity to explore it , feel it , taste it , smell it, and even let them play with it . also learning through play I believe that children learn through play , so this should be true in their exploration of food as well, and problem solving they toss it off their sensory bin pick it up etc.", and so much more I I just went on and on because I was questioning this matter


then after i gave her my opinion she went on saying that the quality rating scale doesn't want you using food as part of a sensory practice ( which I don't use all the time MIND YOU ) because it brings up concerns regarding lower income families, she said some kids have high stress about what their going to eat when they get home that they stuff their pockets of rice, beans, noodles etc. also knowing the families philosophical beliefs about how important food is , their culture and so on .


so LADIES WHAT IS YOUR opinion in this matter??



YES for food ( stale noodles or rice) for sensory play


or NO for food for sensory play TIP using bird seeds instead of rice for those rainbow sensory bin ideas.


at the end of the workshop we stayed an extra 40 minutes discussing this around as providers and we ended up giving each other tips for sensory play .. and instructor didn't even say good by to me.

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