Valentine's Day Kissing Booth Dramatic Play Kit

January 25, 2022 Kylie Tuosto

This year for Valentine’s Day we decided to put together this fun and unique sensory activity. I got out the lipstick and some white paper and let Sofie make kisses all over the paper. She absolutely loved it! Usually sensory play is with her hands, but this was such a great way to engage new senses and let her play with her mouth — normally I have to find taste safe activities because she still likes to put things in her mouth. But this was so much fun and she enjoyed it when daddy and I stopped by for some kisses. And even our labradoodle Milo joined in for the fun! He manned the kissing booth for a bit while Sofie went to gather more supplies.

Here’s what you’ll need to bring this together:

Valentine’s Kissing Booth Kit - $7 - This kit is so adorable and it includes the Pennant Flag, Bunting Banner, Paper Letters, Paper Mailbox, Cut out hearts, and more!
Flisat Table - $185 - We do all of our sensory play and kits on our table. It’s the perfect height for her size and the bins help us contain the mess and keep everything organized.
Wooden Toy Cash Register - $36 - Sofie loves to play with this! It gives us a good excuse to talk about money and how it’s use and what it’s for.
Pink Ribbon
Hole punch
Scissors
Tape

Lady Bug Valentines Day Basket

January 18, 2022 Kylie Tuosto

This year we got inspired by one of Sofie’s favorite books and Slumberkins and did a Lady Bug themed valentines basket and sensory bin. We started by making a bright red colored rice using vinegar and food coloring. Unfortunately the vinegar made the rice really smelly so we’ll be doing it with paint next time around. To create this cool ladybug effect we started with uncooked black beans for the head and inner wings. With those shapes in place we poured a vase layer of rice and then went back and forth until we filled the dish. Then we used an empty toilet paper roll to funnel the black beans on top for some nice round spots. The contrast of the black and red created quite a stunning effect. And Sofie loved scooping and pouring the rice. It’s the only activity she’s been talking about for the last two weeks! I wasn’t loving the mess of rice all over the room but luckily Sofie was happy to help me clean it up.

Valentine’s Basket Fillers:

Cuddle Bug Book: This is one of Sofie’s favorites and since we were doing a Lady Bug theme, I had to include it. Even though she’s already read it, she’s still at the age where I can repurpose gifts which is awesome for me.
Slumberkins Love Bug: I love that Slumberkins did a lady bug this year! It’s so stinking cute. And the set even comes with classroom Valentine’s cards. Sofie will be taking hers to the park along with these cute little Valentine’s Memory Game sets since over here we’re big fans of non-candy Valentines.
Colored Rice & Black Beans Jar: I made this one by hand, but I highly recommend checking out @busylittles on instagram for great sensory kits pre-made and mailed directly to you!
Bugs Flashcards: These are so great for expanding your toddler’s vocabulary and teaching new words in both English and Spanish. Sofie loves using these to match things like toys to each flashcard as she learns the words. These are also great mealtime distractions for quizzing her when she’s getting challenging at the dinner table.
Floss & Rock Magnetic Dress Up Character: Sofie absolutely loved the one that she got for Christmas so I bought her another doll in the set for Valentine’s day. This little dress up down keeps her entertained for at least and hour. She loves taking the clothes off and on and the more dolls you have in the set, the more outfits you have overall.

For our sensory bin we paired the rice play with the Cuddle Bug book and our favorite letters from Chars Jars shop.

Quarantine Valentines Activity for kids

January 24, 2021 Kylie Tuosto

For Valentines this year, kids aren’t at school or day care and can’t bring sweets to share. And without seeing family, it’s so hard for Sofie to connect with family and friends. So this year we decided to do some coloring postcards to send out to family and close friends. It was so much fun to color these. It was Sofie’s first experience coloring and she’s clearly still learning. But she loves holding the crayons and trying to eat them hahaha!

So if you’re looking for a great Valentines activity I highly recommend checking these out! They even come with stamps so you don’t have to go out and get any supplies. Friends and family will love the hand drawn effect. And if your kids are a bit older, their friends will love connecting through snail mail.