What's in the Tub? ~ Gingerbread

 

Our January theme here at Totally Tots is Gingerbread.

Here are a few ideas of what to include in your bin for your Tot to explore!

What’s in the Tub?

• cotton balls
• jingle bells
• 5 pine trees
• 10 large gingerbread men
• 4 small stuffed gingerbread men
• candy cane decorations
• hard candy decorations
• gum drop decorations
• gingerbread men decorations
• 1 gingerbread house

Lydia, my resident Tot, is 28 months and loved decorating and un-decorating this gingerbread house. The handy-dandy tin was quickly turned into a (loud) musical instrument by shaking the jingle bells inside. And the stuffed gingerbread men (she called her babies) took many naps in the gingerbread house.

We’ve been working on number recognition and counting with her so I added the felt numbers to the back the large gingerbread men. Aaron, 4 years old, couldn't help joining in the fun.

Other possible activities with this tub:

• sorting by color
• sorting by shape
• making patterns with the felt decorations
• counting

I borrowed the pine trees and used cotton balls I had on hand. All other items I found at JoAnn’s. This is an easy Tub to put together with just a little puffy paint, some hot glue, and the quiet of afternoon nap time. The gingerbread house was made from a box I found at the store and some peel-and-stick sheets of felt and foam board for the peaked roof. (How-to photos can be found on my blog: Simply Sarah.)

 

What's in the Tub? is a monthly feature that focuses on fun sensory tub ideas to go along with the monthly theme at Totally Tots. Click here to see past sensory tub ideas.