Durban lifestyle momfluencer Naz Abib shares how this freedom to explore and play with messy materials does the world of good for little ones.
First-time mom Naz found her passion for sensory and messy play activities with her son Noah during Covid. With no opportunity to join mom and baby classes, she started researching ways to stimulate her then six-month-old at home.
“My aim was to keep it simple, using ingredients most of us would have in our kitchens. I also didn’t want to overwhelm myself, so I created activities that were quick and easy, that kept my little one busy but not forgetting the sensory benefits attached to each of them. I thoroughly enjoyed this time with Noah, and so I started sharing to my social media pages.”
Naz’s intention of primarily documenting her journey through parenting as a first-time mom, soon became a platform for others searching to get involved in stimulating their children at home.
“I wanted to be that positive and authentic online source for moms looking for budget friendly DIY sensory/messy play activities, toddler activities and fun food art.”
Naz’s Instagram grid is very diverse. Featuring everything from shopping finds for kids play to child-friendly spots in Durban and everything in between. But her focus is on helping other moms get more involved with their little ones through simple, but fun, home activities.
Messy play is when kids explore and learn with their hands while trying out a variety of textures which helps build fine motor control, problem-solving skills, language and vocabulary, social skills and so much more.
“Kids love getting messy and by engaging in these activities with your child you are actively helping them build crucial life skills in a fun way.”Sensory play involves engaging your child’s senses; it includes any activity that stimulates you’re their sense of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.
“Ultimately sensory play encourages kids to explore and investigate, and it encourages the development of motor skills.”
When it comes to food art Naz says she absolutely loves being creative and sharing quick and easy ways to make food and snacks fun, especially for moms with picky eaters.
Here are some of her and Noah’s favourite activities and food art fun that you can try at home:
Sunlight Putty One cup of corn flour and half a cup of sunlight liquid is all that’s needed to create homemade putty which provides finger strength, fine motor skills and helps develop strong grip.
Window Painting One cup of corn flour, one cup of shampoo and food colouring of your choice creates a quick DIY painting activity which is great for hand-eye coordination.
Magic Milk A combination of milk, food colouring and dishwashing liquid makes an interesting science experiment. It will peak your kid’s interest and it’s an absolute visual treat.
Chalk Paint One cup of corn flour, one cup of water and food coloring makes the perfect sidewalk chalk paint and it great for working those fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Jelly Hunt Jelly, blue food coloring and sea creatures is all that is needed to create this tasty hunt which works those fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Edible Books Tortillas cut into rectangles, cheese, cold meat, mayo and edible pens create the cutest lunch box snack. They are literally the most adorable little books that you can eat.
Pizza Roses Strips of pizza dough topped with sauce, polony circles and cheese rolled up, popped into the oven creates the most beautiful roses.
Bread Painting Simply colour your milk with food coloring and let your kids create some art on bread slices using a clean paint brush. Then pop the bread into the oven to toast and sprinkle with syrup. This is sure to be a breakfast hit in your home.
Edible Ties This is a fun and adorable project for your kids to do with their dads. Bread, necktie template, chocolate spread, icing and sprinkles are all you need to have fun with this edible art. You can also opt for a savory option which could be a great breakfast treat for dads next birthday.
Details: You can follow Naz on Instagram: @my_life_as_noahs_mama
