An Educational Book & Poop Goop!
After reading Lauren Gehringer & Dr. Natalie Gehringer’s “From Chewing to Pooing” awesome rhyming book about “Foods Journey through your Body to the Potty” I couldn’t help but think we needed some panty hose & chocolate goop (oobleck) STAT! Lol, so let’s get started…
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Summary of “From Chewing to Pooing”
“From Chewing to Pooing” by Lauren Gehringer & Dr. Natalie Gehringer and illustrated by Maile McCarthy is an educational book about the digestive system. The illustrations are playful and paired with the rhyming text, it makes it a simple and fun way to learn about how your food gets “From Chewing to Pooing”. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to @from_chewing_to_pooing for gifting us this book for review.
Poop Goop?
You might be wondering… “What do you do with it?” or “How is this not just going to be a sensory mess?” There are many ways to answer these two common questions…
First, the most basic answer to “What you could do with Poop Goop?” is… have Messy Fun. 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, Yes, this is definitely a messy one! But, I hear you. I’ve been asked that question many times. Therefore, a detailed answer, along with strategies for successful messy sensory play, can be found by reading, “What about the Sensory Mess?”
What We Did with Poop Goop…
We tend to keep the activities as simple as possible around here. We’re not interested in complicated or costly. We are also all about fostering independence. For this activity we made goop (oobleck) which is cornstarch & water mixed together. Its both a solid and a liquid at the same time, and it is fabulous! But to make it even better and more realistic for this project we added cocoa powder to it. It gave it a heavenly chocolate scent and helped it look like poop, which was perfect lol.
Next, we needed an intestine, so we cut a leg from a pair of pantyhose. I highly recommend checking out our Instagram “Story Highlights” to see the videos and watch this in action, because I’m not convinced my words will do it justice, lol. This is a two person activity; somebody has to hold the panty hose open while the other person pours the poop goop into it.
Then comes the very best part… squeezing and pushing the poop goop through the panty hose intestines. It really replicates the process of digestion remarkably well. The pantyhose stretch and become quite long. The liquid seeps through the nylon material just like the nutrients seep out to be used by our body.
Of course when you get to the toe part of the panty hose(which also has been snipped with a scissor to make a small hole) it replicates the elimination of the poop goop! I know it sounds disgusting, looks disgusting but I promise it will bring LOTS of laughter and its not something that will be forgotten. And hey, at least it doesn’t smell disgusting! 😉
I would suggest Poop Goop sensory play if you’re looking for a unique & engaging activity to connect with your child.
Materials We Used
- “From Chewing to Pooing” by Lauren Gehringer & Dr. Natalie Gehringer (from the library or buy one here)
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Cocoa powder
- Bowl
- Panty Hose
Click HERE for Free Printable copy (Email Subscribers Only)
How to Make Poop Goop?
- Pour 2 cups of cornstarch into a bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the cornstarch.
- Whisk thoroughly.
- Add 1 1/4 cups of water and mix.
- It should look smooth, when you pick some up it should be firm yet melt out of your hand.
*If its dry/clumpy add a little more water until you get the desired consistency.
**If its too wet either add a little more cornstarch or take a paper towel and let it absorb some of the water to get the right consistency. - Cut a leg off the panty hose.
- Snip a small hole by the toes.
- Grab some poop goop and pour it into the wide opening of the panty hose leg.
- Keep pouring it all into the leg until its full or bowl is empty.
- Then squeeze and push the poop goop down the panty hose leg until it exits out of the toe hole.
- Enjoy squishing and squeezing the poop goop in and out of the “intestines” for a unique sensory experience.
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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