Thrifty Thursday: Fun With Shaving Cream

When I had a do-it-yourself camp for my son and his friends a few years ago, one of the biggest hits among the activities we tried was playing with shaving cream. I'd spray a big gob of the stuff in front of each kid on our glass picnic table, and they'd have a great time spreading and smooshing it around, wiping it smooth on the table, writing their names in it, piling it up like snow, driving toy cars into the "snow" drifts, and generally getting it all over themselves. Gotta love the clean up -- a little water and toweling off, and it's gone. The table could be hosed off; when we tried it inside, we did the same with a plastic tablecloth. The kids loved the mess of it, and also the sensory feeling of the smooth, good-smelling stuff between their fingers and under their palms. Buy the cheapest can you can find, and you're good for many play sessions. In addition to table play, you can try spraying the shaving cream on the side of the shower or bath for your child to spread around; spray some into a ziplock bag for your child to squeeze and smoosh; or make marbled paper with shaving cream and food coloring. Pretty good for something you can pull out of the bathroom cabinet in a pinch.

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_{Photo by Terri Mauro}