Simple & Fun Shaving Cream Sensory Activity For Kids - Awkward Mama (2024)

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Thisshaving cream sensory activityis great for toddlers and preschoolers. Easy to prepare, lots of fun, but can be a bit on the messy side!

This shaving cream sensory activity is going to stay locked in my core memories for the rest of time. It’s such a fun sensory experience that you are going to love! It’s also a great way to get a few minutes to just breathe, too LOL.

I originally posted this a few years ago (back when the blog was called Imperfect Mommyhood) with quite a story of what happened with this activity.

I’ll spare you the story this time but I will tell you this – you’re going to want a sensory bin. DO NOT use a cookie sheet as displayed. That was where I went so incredibly wrong.

While the risk for mess is serious, I still plan to pull this out as my baby reaches toddler age. It’s so much fun for them to enjoy! There’s lots of ways to level it up with more ideas listed later in the post, too.

But for now, let’s get into the shaving cream sensory activity!

What is Sensory Play?

In simple terms, sensory play is merely a type of play that engages the senses in many different ways. This includes things like touch, sight, smell, taste, etc.

Sensory play can be a dedicated activity, but it also exists in the day-to-day as well. This can be from feeling the texture of cookie dough while baking with you, staring at a projector night light as they fall asleep, or smelling a pretty flower on an afternoon walk.

This level of exploration aids in their development as they learn to develop the language for these experiences, emotionally regulate themselves through various activities, and more.

In other words, sensory play is not only fun but very beneficial too! I’ve noticed a difference between kids in the long term when I consider how much sensory play they get or have gotten at young ages.

But even if you’re not the activity type of mom, you can still look for simple ways to expose them to these types of sensory experiences.

Why You’ll Love This Activity

• Uses basic supplies: This shaving cream sensory activity includes everyday supplies that you likely already have at home.
• Quick setup: The setup is super simple and will only take a few minutes. Nothing too complicated is involved, making it perfect for busy moments.
• Supports development: This activity practices fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and exploring colors and different textures. It can also be expanded upon to practice other skills.
• Easy clean-up: While this wasn’t the case with using a cookie sheet, choosing a different container would allow for the clean-up to be quite minimal.

Supplies You’ll Need

This shaving cream activity will only need a few basic supplies. The setup should only take about 5 minutes and then your child will be ready to play! Below is a list of everything you’ll need as well as some additions to take the shaving cream activity further.

1. Cookie Sheet or Plastic Bin: I used a cookie sheet for this activity but if you want to contain the mess better, I suggest a plastic tub or container. I love long sensory bins as they make it easy to access but you can also use something like a dish tub.
2. Shaving Cream: This is the primary supply for this activity. Shaving foam creates such a fun sensory experience.
3. Food Coloring: You’ll need a few different colors of your choice to add to the shaving cream. I encourage bright and vibrant colors as kids love them.

Optional Additions:

• Paper: We added this towards the end as it allows your child to create some really fun shaving cream art. Thin computer paper works just fine but you can also use thick cardstock.
• Sensory bags: If you have smaller hands joining in, you can choose to add the shaving cream and colors for them to squish.
• Foam blocks: These added some fun extra texture to your play. You can even cut up some pool noodles!
• Small toys: Add some toys for kids to fish around and find. Miniature animals, dinosaurs, army soldiers, and anything else you can think of.
• Glitter or sequins: This really depends how you feel about glitter LOL but this could add some fun visual stimuli to the activity.
• Nature elements: Add some brightly colored leaves, flowers, or even twigs for a variation of texture.
• Plastic utensils: Add scoops, forks, small bowls, or other sensory material to mix things up.

Directions for This Shaving Cream Sensory Activity

While this shaving cream activity is super simple, it’s helpful to see each step as they happen. Remember to find fun and creative ways to extend the play experience as you go!

Step 1. Select Your Play Surface

We used a cookie sheet to spray the shaving cream on, but you can also use a small tub or a long sensory bin. A cookie sheet keeps it simple without needing extra supplies but it also welcomes ALOT of mess. Toddlers and preschoolers will get it everywhere with that route.

If I did this over again, I would definitely choose a tub or container of some kind instead.

Step 2. Add Shaving Cream & Food Coloring

Once you’ve chosen the surface you will use, spray the bottom of the surface with shaving cream.

Then, generously apply drops of food coloring across the shaving cream. Make sure to distribute each color into each area of the shaving cream. I highly encourage choosing vibrant colors. We love the neon food coloring for things like this.

You can also opt for some of the additions to take the play further before inviting your child to play. Think about what toys you can hide in the shaving cream, supplies to set out, etc.

Step 3. Extend the Invitation to Play

After everything is set up, it’s time to invite your child to play! They can squish it in their fingers and explore the texture.

We also chose to apply a piece of paper to make shaving cream art. There are so many fun variations of this that you could try as well! This will quickly become one of their favorite shaving cream activities.

Exploring Different Variations

There are lots of fun ways to mix up this activity for even more play. It can also make it more interesting when you need to pull it out to keep little kids busy.

Here are some more fun ideas to consider:

• Swap out the food coloring for washable or puffy paint for a more vivid palette of colors.
• Try creating your own food dyes with ingredients such as beets or turmeric for a more natural sensory experience.
• Sprinkle some Kool-Aid mix or jello mix for added scents. I think this can add another fun element to your creative play!
• Print up flashcards to turn this into a mix of educational activities. You can incorporate language arts such as sight words, math facts, etc to practice skills in a fun way.
• Turn this into a fun shaving cream experiment by adding glowsticks, different types of sensory materials, etc. This can make sensory exploration even more fun.

Tips for an Enjoyable Experience

For best results, here are a few tips to make this activity fun for everyone:

• Skip the cookie sheet and opt for a bin or container of some sort. This will make the cleanup a lot easier to manage.
• Lay it down on a surface that aids in easy cleanup. Think the kitchen floor, an old tablecloth, a large towel, etc. You can also choose to take it outside instead.
• Consider having young kids wear an apron or old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Then toss them in the wash when they’re done!

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

I hope you have lots of fun with this shaving cream sensory activity! Even with the mess at the end of the project, this is a great activity to do with kids. Plus, you can get a few minutes to just breathe when they’re busy playing.

I definitely suggest trying to mix it up too. Come back to this a few times and see what new things you can try! If you did this activity, I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.