I don’t know about your children, but my 6-year-old, Monty LOVES watching You Tube – particularly other children playing games or with toys. So, imagine Monty’s excitement when, after watching endless You Tube videos of the ‘Slime Baff’ and ‘Slime Play’, some were delivered to the door for him to try. Thanks to the lovely lot at Zimpli Kids who have developed a range of products for sensory play –  Xmas had come early.

Autism and the Senses

As well as being huge amounts of fun, ‘Slime Baff’ and ‘Slime Play’ products have a huge educational value due to their sensory nature. Sensory play is anything involving the senses, touch, sight, sound, taste and smell.  This type of play is so beneficial for young children as it encourages cognitive development, as well as creative play to name a few.

However, as my two lovely boys have Autism, I’ve decided to concentrate on the benefits of sensory play for those on the spectrum. Many people on the spectrum have issues surrounding sensory processing. This may mean, they don’t like to touch certain materials, eat certain foods, wear certain clothes – even a strong smell may send them into a tailspin. Alternatively, they may be what’s known as ‘sensory seekers’, whereby touching certain materials or products give them a sense of comfort. Or in turn, they could be a mix of the two!

Why is Sensory Play so important for those on the Spectrum?

Whether your child recoils in horror at certain textures or smells, or loves diving into a vat of gloop, it is important to encourage sensory play. Why you may ask? Well here’s just a few of the benefits sensory play offers for those on the spectrum…………

• Develops concentration and focuses attention
• It can develop or heighten awareness of the world around them
• Improves alertness
• Improves creativity
• Encourages language and communication
• Can promote calm and relieve stress levels – in turn, reducing aggressive outbursts
• Improves social skills and encourages shared play
• Allows the person to explore their environment in a safe, calm way
• Promote awareness of cause and effect

That’s a pretty impressive list, eh? So, lets see what happened when my boys were let loose on these Zimpli Products.

Slime Play

First up, we tried the Slime Play! To put anyone’s mind at rest, this product is 100% non-toxic, non-staining, safe for the environment and totally safe on skin.

The Slime Play super simple to make up. Grab a decent sized bowl, a washing up bowl would be perfect. Simply fill with warm water and sprinkle the sachet into the bowl. I gave the mixture a bit of a stir and let it settle for a bit.

After about 15 minutes (I got side tracked by a small toddler demanding packets of crisps……again……), we had perfect slime! Monty was the first to dive in and he thought it was hysterical. He is very hit and miss about texture but the Slime Play he loved. One of his Autistic traits is his lack of imaginative play, but I was so delighted when he grabbed a whisk and pretended to mix a cake.

Theo had a go too! He is non-verbal, but I’m guessing the giggles and whoops of joy as he poked his pudgy fingers in the slime meant he loved it. We had a vibrant red colour slime, but they also come in different colours. Just head to their website to have a look.

It was dead easy to dispose of too, just water the slime down even more and pour down the sink.

Slime Baff

Next up was the one Monty had been waiting for. After hours and hours of Monty quipping ‘Can we do the slime bath yet??’, he was delighted when I agreed the time had come. His enthusiasm was relentless as he started stripping off whilst sprinting to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes in his wake……bless.

So, a bit like the Slime Play, you fill up the bath with warm water, and just sprinkle the sachet in to the tub.  I would suggest leaving it for a few minutes for the slime to thicken up. We had our bath quite shallow, but I’d suggest a couple of packets if you want a deeper bath and thicker slime.

Monty plunged in the bath with gusto, me crying tears of mirth when Daddy decided to jump in to. I was in the kitchen and heard lots of laughing and giggles of delight. It really great to witness them both having fun and communicating together with such ease.

Monty probably spent a good 45 minutes in the bath. He was pouring and filling tubs of slime, letting it drip off his fingertips..…..the rubber ducks even got to swim in the blue sticky stuff.

I was really surprised how workable the slime was, but it wasn’t too sticky or so thick it stuck to the skin.

Again, its so easy to dispose of, just remove the plug and down it goes. Easy peasy.

The Verdict?

After witnessing the giggles and chortles both the boys (and Daddy), I wouldn’t hesitate to buy these products. I must admit, I was a tad worried when Monty got into the Slime Baff as he does suffer from Eczema, but he didn’t get a reaction at all!

The products are so easy to make up and dispose of and for something that is ‘slimy’, the mess is minimal. Sometimes the concept of ‘messy’ or ‘sensory’ play leaves parents in a cold sweat as they fear the carnage of clearing up. But honestly, these Zimpli products were easy to set up and clear away. Educational AND not a faff – because lets face it, us parents haven’t got the energy for extra cleaning.

Both Monty and Theo’s concentration could be better, but the fact both played with the slime for a good while was positive. I found with Theo, playing with the slime meant it was a perfect, non-stressful opportunity to encourage his language skills, I could use key words to describe what he was doing. He often looked at me whilst laughing during playing, which meant he wanted to share his joy with me! That is a fabulous step for his non-verbal communication skills.

I was so delighted to see them both giggling away when playing with these products, it was lovely to witness!

Oh and Dad had a blast too………………

Find out more about Zimpli Kids products and to view the full range go to:

http://www.zimplikids.com/www.zimplikids.com

We used the single packets of the product which you can buy from Amazon or ToysRus – prices start at £2.99 for the Slime Play and £4.99 for the Slime Baff.  If you are based in an Educational Setting, you can buy bigger quantities direct from the Zimpli website.

Go forth and SLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zimpli Kids kindly sent me these products – I have not been paid to share this review and all thoughts are my own – as you were…..!!!!!