Pumpkin Fun for Little Hands #PreschoolActivities

Updated post from 2014:

Please offer direct supervision for young children and infants when involved in any sensory activities. 

Working in an infant room full-time has been a new challenge for me after being with three and four year old's for a decade.  My repertoire of sensory activities will have to be adapted for little ones that like to put everything in their mouth.  Here is one of my sensory-motor Fall Harvest activities.

1. I cut open the pumpkin and scooped the contents in a bowl. 
2. Using large freezer bags, I divided the contents up into four bags. 
3. I put a teaspoon of food colouring into each of the three bags, leaving one bag plain. 
4. Squeeze the air out of each bag before sealing tight. I also used heavy duty packing tape to tape the zipper seal shut. 
5. It is recommended to have one sensory activity item per infant. Direct supervision at all times is a must when playing with any item that could be a choking hazard.

The infants were able to explore the pumpkin stuff without putting the seeds in their mouth or risking allergic reaction (especially if they haven't yet been exposed to pumpkin or squash yet).

Learning Outcomes:

Fine motor exercise as the babies squeeze the materials.

Visual comparison and observation as they see the food colouring mix through the orange pumpkin stuff.

I would love to know what sensory activities your little ones love.