S is for Shaving Cream Sensory Play (2024)

FAQs

How do you use shaving cream for sensory play? ›

Playing with shaving cream and food coloring can develop a number of cognitive skills. It allows children to create art with a deeper understanding of three-dimensional shapes and can help them identify patterns.

This sensory foam is so easy to make and is a great taste safe alternative to shaving cream so perfect for little ones.

I love messy sensory and art activities, so I am all for it. The scented shaving foam art lets children explore with multiple senses as they create. On top of that, they're practicing a variety of early learning skills, too.

It's a genius non-toxic alternative and super-easy to make, so grab the instructions here. There are so many interesting ways to use shaving foam or aquafaba foam to engage children in some sensory play, I've rounded up some of my easy activities that are perfect for children of all ages, especially those with SEN.

Squirt shaving cream on a tray. Using premade or teacher-made cards, place letter cards near the tray. In small groups, model how to write a letter. Then, using your hand, rub the shaving cream to erase the letter.

The purpose of a shaving cream, foam or gel is to create a protective barrier of lather over hair to make them soft before running a metal razor through them. They minimise friction on the face, so the blades glide smoothly without causing any nicks, cuts and bumps.

Keep the can out of reach of children. When exploring shaving cream on a table or in the sensory tub the adult is the dispenser of the cream, make sure you provide enough for exploration and when the children are finished exploring, the can gets put back in the cupboard. If this is the compromise, take it.

A good shaving cream acts as a protective barrier—a bodyguard, if you will—softening the hair and creating a smooth surface for the blade to glide across (read: bye bye friction, razor burn and the risk of inflammation). This isn't about luxury; it's an essential in the art of shaving.

Dump water in a bowl and add soap of your choice (I use baby shampoo so little eyes dont sting). Add color and mix on highest for 2 minutes until stiff peaks form. Enjoy! Yup, it's really that simple.

What is the science behind shaving cream? ›

Shaving creams commonly consist of an emulsion of oils, soaps or surfactants, and water. In addition to soap, lather shaving creams include a humectant for softer consistency and keeping the lather moisturised. Brushless shaving creams, on the other hand, don't contain soap and so don't produce lather.

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair.

Shaving cream itself is not a hazardous or toxic substance. If it was, people would not be putting it on their faces and legs. But if you want to get technical, the aerosol propellant that pushes the cream out of the can could be considered hazardous… IF THE KIDS ARE HUFFING THE EMPTY CANS!

Squeeze a large amount of shaving cream on the surface and encourage your children to draw shapes, letters, or just smoosh the cream between their fingers.

To save yourself the expense of a professional deep-clean, first reach for the shaving foam. Similar to the sofa trick, cover the area you want to clean with shaving foam, massaging it in, and leave it for up to an hour. Wipe it off with a damp cloth or use a toothbrush to scrub at more ingrained marks.

Here is a 2 ingredient, colorful sensory playdough with shaving cream! What do you get when you whip up a batch of cornstarch and shaving cream? You get foam dough, a totally awesome texture for little hands and big hands to squeeze and squish.