If you're looking for some good ideas and some fab resources for your ice cream role play tuff tray and sensory play, then look no further! All of the items in this blog post can be found in my Amazon afilliate store front, within the ice cream role play section here. (USA followers you can navigate to the US resource info here)
This post includes images, ideas, recipes for home made ice-cream playdough and a video of our jelly (Gelli!) and ice cream sensory tuff tray...PLUS A FREE PRINTABLE
You don't need to spend lots of money on commercial products for little ones when it comes to role play scenarios such as this, this post includes images from different ice cream role play activities we have set up - including home made ice cream playdough, gelli play jelly and ice cream (AD - Previously gifted), and some good old ice cream parlour play resources...
Ice Cream Parlour Role Play Sensory Tuff Tray
If you would like to skip straight to the sensory tuff tray video you can see it here:
Here is a free playdough mat printable for you - just download and print!
Home Made Ice Cream Playdough:
(NB: If you would like to see a quick video of how to make this playdough, pop over to our Valentine's Day playdough tuff tray post here)
This is a great way to save money on resources - especially if you want a decent amount of play-dough and made from ingredients that you know will be safe (although a bit salty!) if your little one decides to explore by putting it in their mouth (highly likely!)
Depending on how you use this activity, it can cover so many areas of development and learning for young children. Working alongside other/another child(ren) will allow them to build up their relationship making skills, speaking and listening skills, turn taking etc.
If mummy or daddy joins in - you can extend the challenge by giving prices for different ice creams and paying with real money - allowing your child to count, add up, find a total, find the difference, give change (depending on their age and ability) and you can introduce order forms and receipts to help with their reading and writing skills (young children can still 'make marks' and say what these marks represent even without the ability to read and write actual words and sentences).
Play-dough is great for physical development - squeezing and kneading the dough builds up the muscles in the hands which are needed in order to be able to eventually hold a pencil and become a great writer!
Obviously, role play activities of this nature also help your little one to build up their imagination skills, to explore and use different media and materials and helps them to understand different people within the world and their community by pretending to work at an ice cream parlour or on an ice cream van!
How to make ice cream playdough - RECIPE:
For the play-dough, follow the recipe in the image above (I used a saucepan on the hob as I felt I could control this better).
For the different 'flavours' of ice cream include the following:
- Vanilla - no food colouring, just vanilla essence.
- Strawberry- red/pink food colouring and strawberry flavour/essence
- Lemon - yellow food colouring and lemon essence
- Mint choc chip - green food colouring, peppermint essence and dried brown rice
- Chocolate - cocoa powder
Each flavour was made separately and then put into empty ice cream cartons (have fun emptying them!). I also made some pretend whippy ice creams by playing the plastic lids from squirty cream canisters inside empty yoghurt pots (see photo).
There are so many ways you can extend this activity, including making your own (real) ice lollies and experienting with different flavours and ingredients, or taking a trip to your local ice cream parlour together, designing a new fabulous ice cream and writing recipes, the list is endless!
Ice Cream Parlour role play - playroom and tuff tray:
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| Bath pouff with strawberry and vanilla essence |
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| Playroom ice cream parlour with decorations and tuff tray |
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| Ice cream playdough tuff tray resources and loose parts |
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| Ice cream playdough tuff tray and Gelli play sensory tuff tray ideas and resources |
Gelli Play - Jelly and ice cream sensory tuff tray:
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| Strawberry Gelli ice cream and orange Gelli play jelly - sensory play tuff tray |
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| Gelli play - Chocolate 'snoball play' ice cream, Vanilla gelli ice cream and strawberry gelli ice cream. Orange glitter gelli play jelly. Scoops for ice cream and cones. (all available in my amazon shop) |
Here is our latest Instagram post on our Ice Cream Parlour Role Play area, including new images and photos - you can view this post on instagram to swipe and see all of the photos.
The resources for this role play area are available via my Amazon store Ice Cream Role Play list here.
Learning through play posts
