21 June 2017

Sand Foam Recipe for Sensory Fun


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoftsoapTouch #OurCaringHands #CollectiveBias


My children are homeschooled for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that two of my kids have autism.  My oldest son is high functioning and doesn't need many accommodations, but my middle child, Caleb, needs some accommodations during the day.  To make our day go smoother, he has a sensory diet.  This is a schedule of sensory activities that he does to help him regulate himself and help him concentrate better when we work.  His occupational therapist has given us tasks that he can do for his sensory breaks, including heavy work, specific exercises, and sensory play.  Since Caleb is a sensory seeker, the messier his sensory play the better for him.  Last week, we made this fun sand foam recipe.  He loves the texture, and he got to use his favorite toys, his dinosaurs, as well.



Caleb likes to feel things.  It calms him down.  He has a basket of small toys, fidget toys, that he touches while we do school work.  These toys are soft or have a unique texture for him to feel, but they aren't messy so we can keep working.

Sensory break time is another story.  That's when it's time to get messy.  That's when he plays with something messy like this sand foam recipe.  He also likes to help me make the recipes.  Don't tell him, but this is a great way to learn math and science.


I usually get messy with him, which means that I have to wash my hands several times a day.  Between my usual mom chores and our sensory breaks, I wash my hands a lot during the day.  My hands get really dry, so I picked up SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™ while I was at Target.  It's the only hand wash made with lotion to keep your hands soft and clean.



I bought both the Shea & Cocoa Butter and the Luxurious Orchid & Coconut Milk.  Even though Caleb likes sensory fun, he doesn't like the feel of lotion on his skin.  Neither version of SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™ leaves your skin greasy, so he tolerates them both well.  It locks in moisture, so my hands are softer even when I wash my hands several times a day.

Sand Foam Recipe


What You'll Need

  • Large container with lid or small storage container
  • 3 cups play sand
  • 1 can shaving cream
  • Toys (optional)
Making sand foam isn't an exact recipe.  How much sand and shaving cream you use depends on personal preference.  We started with three cups of play sand in a large bowl.  I added some shaving cream and let the kids mix it up with their hands.



I added more shaving cream as needed.  We used about half of the can, which gave us a nice sand foam to play dinosaurs in.  



Caleb loves dinosaurs, so we used his set of small plastic dinosaurs with rocks and trees.  The sand foam was fun to play with in the bowl, but for the dinosaurs, we put the sand foam on a plastic tray so he could play easier.


When we were done playing, our hands needed a good washing.  I reached for the SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™  at the kitchen sink to get our hands clean before we started on school work again.   


I stored the sand foam in a small storage container with a lid.  It should last for several days, depending on how often you play and how tight the lid is on the container.

How do you use your hands to care for your loved ones?  Be sure to check out the Softsoap YouTube channel for more information!
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