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I used to be a fun mum 💁🏻‍♀️ I mean, I’m still kinda fun but I used to be really fun...
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When Lilly was a baby, I’d set up a new activity just about every single day. Not only did it fill in the days, I felt excited knowing that I was setting her up for success as she grew!
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Then Elliot came along. I still set up activities for the two of them but they became a lot simpler. I avoided art like the plague and mostly wanted activities I could do with them both at the same time.
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And then along came Audrey. Poor Audrey. She’s lucky if she gets a couple of planned activities each month. But you know what? I’m okay with that! I’ve learnt that simple is best. Our little ones don’t necessarily need us to entertain them all day long. They just need us to be there. To chat, giggle and play with them.
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For our 10 month baby play blog post this month, I’m sharing some activities that I’ve done with each of the kids at this age. And let’s be honest...that’s mostly because I prepared absolutely nothing for Audrey during her 10th month 😂 Head to the link in my bio to see what we didn’t get up to 💁🏻‍♀️

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Wanna know how to make rainbow chickpeas? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! 🌈
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1. Add a cup of chickpeas to a sandwich bag. You’ll need a bag for each colour!
2. Squirt in some paint (ours are from @worksatplay 😍) then seal the bag. Shake it about, coating the chickpeas in the paint!
3. Pour the chickpeas out onto some baking paper in a thin layer. Occasionally shuffle the paper around so the chickpeas don’t stick together.
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And there you have it! Beautiful rainbow chickpeas which you can use in a sensory tray for many years to come! 🌈
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We love to use them for colour sorting, scooping, pouring and as a base in our play kitchen! So what do you think? Are you keen to make your own rainbow chickpeas?

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Double tap if you love imaginative play 😍
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Watching our little learners become totally engrossed in their play lights be up like nothing else. Seeing them role play familiar experiences, negotiating roles, exploring money and doing oodles of mark making and pre-writing makes my teacher heart explode with happiness 💥
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If you’re looking for a simple way to encourage more age-appropriate learning through PLAY, head to the link in my bio to shop my dramatic play sets 😍
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“Amazing resource! This is the second dramatic play pack I have purchased from Little Lifelong Learners. So many great options to be able to rotate through over the year in K-2 classrooms. It saves so much time and is value for money. Highly recommend, thank you!!” - Laura, Classroom Teacher ✨

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Audrey is turning one NEXT WEEK #WhereHasMyBabyGone 😭 and we’ve juuuust started to see some transferring happening during her playtime over the last few weeks.
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We’ve spotted her transferring clothes from pile to pile while I sort the washing. She transfers anything and everything she can find from the ground, straight into the bath. She transfers leaves into tubs when we’re outside in the garden.
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Last week I was trying to get some cleaning done while the kids were outside and Audrey was right under my feet the entire time. I looked in our cupboards and spotted our aluminium cooking bowls which make the most lovely/highly annoying sound. And then it hit me. Wooden pegs! I arranged them on the side of the bowl for her to pull off, and sure enough...in the bowl they went. She sat exploring this for nearly an hour 😱 Which is basically 543 years in baby time!
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Never underestimate the power of the contents in your kitchen cupboards. A few bits and pieces are so interesting to our little learners! Just make sure anything you grab is taste safe and you’re good to go.
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Have your little learners enjoyed rummaging through your kitchen drawers? What’s their favourite thing to explore in the kitchen?

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If you know a Prep teacher in Australia, tag them below! They’re probably going to be setting up a Post Office to support and encourage their Prep students to write some amazing letters this term!
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It’s no surprise that this Dramatic Play set is the most popular item in my store - I mean check out all these opportunities for authentic letter writing to take place!
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Swipe through this gallery to see how some very clever parents and educators have used my printables to prepare the most amazing imaginative play spaces for their little learners!
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Lilly sported these photos on my phone earlier today so guess what we’ll be setting up this weekend? 🙊 She’s already got some name cards and envelopes ready to go!
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Want to encourage some thoughtful, purposeful letter writing with your little learners? Head to the link in my bio to grab my printables and get a head start!

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Double tap if you have a dinosaur lover in your home....because it’s dinosaur month in the Little Play Club and we’ve been having so much fun preparing a new Play Pack for our members!
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We’ve made dinosaur eggs, played with goopy dinosaur swamp small worlds and made our own fossils! Swipe across to see some of the dinosaur fun we’ve been having 🦖 🦕
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Don’t forget to pop your name on the wait list at littleplayclub.com if you’d like to become a member! The doors are opening soon 😍

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When I first started dreaming up what the Little Play Club would be, I imagined a monthly play pack full of quick and easy play ideas!
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I imagined themed learning packs that would inspire parents and educators with playful ideas and printables to make preparing for play-based learning quick and easy! I wanted to focus on skills like hand-eye coordination, imaginative play, early literacy and numeracy knowledge and fine motor skill development - all through play!
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Right now I’m working on a Dinosaur themed pack which my beautiful members will be able to download tomorrow! It’s full of ideas for imaginative play, fine motor skill development and early numeracy concepts!
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These Play Packs are exclusive to my Little Play Club members so make sure you head on over to littleplayclub.com or the link in my bio to get your name on the wait list - I’m opening the doors again this month! #LittlePlayClub

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What do you think? Is it okay to use food during play?
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This is something I’m asked often. I know many early childhood settings don’t allow food as part of a sensory play program due to wastage and also some cultural beliefs. But I also strongly believe that little ones especially benefit so much from exploring food during their play as well. In fact, Audrey’s speech pathologist has suggested we explore lots of different textures both during mealtimes and using play therapy as well.
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Babies especially learn so much through mouthing so it makes sense to me to offer some sensory play experiences to allow them to safely explore the sense of taste. Though I’m also mindful of wastage and being able to reuse things like rainbow rice and cloud dough for years and years to come.
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So tonight I’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you like me and love to use food as a sensory element during playtime or are you firmly against food as play? Remember to keep things respectful and kind 💞

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