Sensory Play Time with Zara’s Play Tribe

As the Melbourne weather warms up we are spending more and more time outdoors. Ever heard the outdoors referred to as nature’s playground? Well, that is exactly what it is. Endless opportunities for play right out your back door!

Although our backyard already offers many sensory experiences in our grass, trees, flowers, textures, smells and sounds, sometimes Aidan and Evie like me to take it a step further and offer different sensory adventures.

We recently got an outdoor sensory table, it is called a sand and water table BUT has so much more potential than just sand and water!

Although it does have a removable lid, the lid rarely goes on because the kids are too busy creating! There are two sections in the table, one that is made for wet substances and one that is made for dry. Let’s be honest, it all ends up getting mixed together which is AMAZING!

So far, we have tried a few different table combinations:

  • Sand & Water with scooping and pouring utensils
  • Beans & Coloured Water as a potion making station
  • Blue gelatin & ocean animals as an ocean theme
  • Truck washing station

When I reset the table I have left the ‘leftovers’ from previous play in there, it adds extra elements and the kids love building on their previous play experiences.

Engaging in sensory play outside not only gives the kids room to move and explore in new ways it gives me, as their mum, peace of mind knowing that the couch, the carpet, and the walls won’t get covered in sensory goodies. Plus kids and fresh air certainly have a certain magic about it!

The best part is that cleaning up is literally just hosing it all down, how good is that!

Thanks for the fantastic review. For even more amazing play ideas, check out Zara’s website playtribe.com.au

Plum Play Gifts – A Kid’s Guide To Christmas

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Christmas is just around the corner and we want to make it the most magical Christmas yet!

Need some help with your Christmas shopping list? We’ve got gift ideas with the fun factor to keep kids playing throughout the Summer holiday season. Browse our range of carefully selected gifts from play sets to ultimate outdoor climbing frames. From scooters to trampolines, we’ve got the perfect gift for your family!

This year, Plum Play® are counting down to the festive season. It’s week one and time to start our Christmas festivities!

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You have the chance to WIN a Grand Wooden Teepee Hideaway which will arrive just in time to surprise little ones on Christmas morning!

Head over to our competition page for your chance to WIN! Plus, you’ll automatically be in the running to WIN 1 of 5 $100 Plum Play Christmas Gift Cards! We’ll be giving away 1 each week! Make sure you are following @PlumPlayAus on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with our Christmas giveaways and promotions.

We’d love to see photos of your #PlumPlayPresents on Christmas day! Tag your festive family play pics with #PlumPlayChristmas 🙂

Plum Garden Games

Cementing the Bond Between You and Your Child

Here at Plum Play, we dedicate ourselves to helping children learn through play. That’s why we were thrilled recently when we were asked to contribute to an article about fun activities that parents and children can enjoy together in order to cement the bonds between them. The article was published on the Bupa Life Insurance company blog entitled ’12 Fun Activities to Enjoy with Your Kids’.
It was extremely satisfying for us to be recognised as a trusted voice in our industry. Our contribution talks about the power of role play in bringing you closer to your child.
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The Vital Role of Play
Role play can bring so much value to your child’s life, and can also help them develop many extremely important skills. Making up stories gives your child’s imagination an outlet, letting them push the boundaries of what they can create. Acting out these scenarios has been proven to help with their physiological and cognitive development. Through role play your child can learn to make sense of the world, giving them a great preparation for the real life situations they will face in the future. It also increases their mental and physical and confidence, self-esteem and decision making abilities, as they learn to take control of the world they have created.
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Getting to Know Your Child
Getting involved in role play with your child enhances the bond between you, as you can collaborate on the stories and act them out together! It offers you the chance to escape from your traditional roles of parent and child, allowing you to get to know your children as little people in their own right. This will build their trust in you and could even make them more likely to confide in you.
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Fun for the Whole Family
We love to hear about the fun families have together with our activity toys like the Plum Peppermint Townhouse! It has a unique two-in-one design that is a play kitchen on one side and a doll house on the other. The kitchen in particular is perfect for role play scenarios as it incorporates all the features of a real working kitchen! Your little chef can put pans on the hob or chop ingredients on the work surface. It’s a wonderful way of exploring your child’s creativity alongside them, even if you do get stuck with the washing up!

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