A Great Book & Neon Sunflower Seeds!
After reading Jory John’s “The Bad Seed” we just couldn’t resist trying to color sunflower seeds for the first time. We also wanted to try out our new neon food colors. The colors came out awesome as you can see. In no time, we were enjoying a surprisingly relaxing sensory experience. We know you will enjoy this too, so, lets get started…
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Summary of “The Bad Seed”
“The Bad Seed” by Jory John (with awe-inspiring illustrations by Pete Oswald) is an amazing book about a seed labeled as “Bad”. Everywhere he goes within his community, he is outcast. He believes he is bad because he has heard that so many times. But we soon hear his harrowing back story! 😮 How he was happy with his family…until he got separated from them and trapped in a sunflower seed bag. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was almost eaten, spit out, and left… damaged. This experience changed him. That is, until one day when he decided he doesn’t want to be the “bad seed” anymore. Of course this changes everything, which leads to a happy ending. But most importantly a few important life lessons…
1. You don’t have to be who people think you are.
2. You can change your perspective at any time.
3. It might take time, but eventually, people will start to see you for who you really are, so… be yourself!
Neon Colored Sunflower Seeds?
You might be wondering… “What do you do with them?” or “How is this not just going to be a sensory mess?” There are many ways to answer these two common questions…
First off, the answer to “What you could do with Neon Colored Sunflower Seeds?” is endless. Sensory play at its finest is not about “doing” something specific. It is about exploring, feeling, listening, watching, problem solving, creating, etc… This is an open-ended activity. Just as each child has their own unique personality, experience, and preference in play, the outcome of this activity is just as special.
As for the second question, I hear you. I’ve been asked that question many times. Therefore, a detailed answer, along with strategies for successful sensory play, can be found by reading, “What about the Sensory Mess?”
What We Did with the Neon Colored Sunflower Seeds…
Honestly, we kept this activity real simple; We didn’t add any tools or characters this time. We simply engaged with the neon sunflower seeds, and it was enough. They felt lighter than I anticipated them to be and have a beautiful texture to them. The texture is smooth, and when they fell through my fingers I instantly noticed how much they sound like rain (which is one of my most favorite sounds). My daughter and I found them very calming as we listened to them “raining”, as we took turns pouring them into each others waiting hands, watching the amount get smaller and smaller until we began again.
I would suggest sunflower seed sensory play if you’re looking for a simple and relaxing activity to connect with your child.
Materials We Used
- “The Bad Seed” by Jory John (from the library or buy it here)
- Bags of Sunflower seeds (we used 3 bags)
- Neon food coloring
- Vinegar
- Zip lock plastic bag (quart sized worked well)
- A sensory bin, container or tray
- Wax paper
- Click HERE for Free Printable copy (Email Subscribers Only)
How to Make Neon Colored Sunflower Seeds?
- Decide how many different colors you are making and take them out of the box.
- Take out one zip lock bag for each color you have chosen.
- Disperse the seeds into the bags in an amount that is close to equal.
- Place a few drops of neon food coloring into the bag with the sunflower seeds.
- Measure 1 tbsp vinegar and pour into the bag with the sunflower seeds and neon food coloring.
- Make sure the zip lock bag is sealed well.
- Shake, shake, shake the bag until all the sunflower seeds are colored (this is the fun part).
- Let it sit for a moment.
- Rip a piece of wax paper the length of the bin, tupperware, or tray you are using.
- Place the wax paper on the tray.
- Open the bag of neon colored sunflower seeds.
- Pour them onto the wax paper.
- Spread them out (use a glove or a spoon so you don’t get the food coloring on your hands) Set the tray out of reach where it can dry.
- Depending on weather and humidity levels, the time it will take to dry will vary. Your best option to ensure they are dry is to wait until the next day.
Click HERE for Free Printable copy (Email Subscribers Only)
Wait, There’s More…
I believe you can easily strengthen communication skills and foster independence all while playing and connecting with your child. To help you do this; I’ve created a FREE printable for each activity called, “Communicating & Connecting”.
It will give you a list of suggestions I’ve found very helpful as a Mom & as a special education teacher; to help you build lifelong skills. Please don’t feel obligated to do everything on the list (but if you do, you’re a rockstar 😉 ).
As a Thank You for subscribing; this is a special FREEBIE for our Email Subscribers Only. 🙂 Click here if you’ve already subscribed. Otherwise, Sign Up below to get the password & access to our entire FREE Printables Library today! 😉
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