Gel bags

Hair gel sensory bags 

For this activity your adult will need:
• Zip lock food bags
• Hair gel
• Food colouring
• Tape

Before you begin, and just as you have been doing before now, we want you to explore a little bit of the hair gel using your hands. Your adult could help you to dip your finger tips in the gel and then maybe your whole hand. If you are a bit reluctant, your adult could smear a little bit on the palm of your hand first. Your adult will tell you what it is (hair gel) and talk about how it feels - sticky, cold, thick.

I wonder if the gel sticks your fingers together?

Instructions

• First, your adult should help you to scoop or squirt some gel into a zip lock bag and add a few drops of food colouring. If the hair gel is already coloured you won’t need to add food colouring

• Your adult should help you to squash the extra air out of the bag (pat, pat, pat), then zip the bag shut

• Your adult should then tape the bag to the table, tray or to the floor, where you can explore the gel in the bag. Can you push, poke, pat, press, smear? Try making marks or shapes in the gel? Can your adult help you to move the gel from side to side, make 'up and down' marks or 'round and round' marks. Your adult should use simple words to describe what you are doing, pat, press, poke, push, smear, round and round, up and down, and so help you begin to make links in your thinking and learning.

On a sunny day your adult could attach the gel bag to windows or doors. You could try making marks in the gel bag as the sun shines through. Your adult could even help you to add interesting objects to your bag e.g. shapes, numbers etc. Maybe your adult to could help you to explore the bag using your feet, just like you have been done previously.

Don't worry if your adult does not have any of the items to hand today, you can try this another time. Have fun exploring!