May Sensory Tub & Playdough - Gardening

(Phew! I'm getting this in just under the wire, aren't I?)

Sensory Tub
I was so psyched about this month's tub because it involves dirt!! Like real actual dirt! What kid doesn't love playing in dirt?! And truth be told, I was anxious to get my hands in this tub for some sensory goodness! Ever since I was a kid I've loved getting my hands dirty whether it be with mud, paint or flour. :) Hooray for messy fun!!

James saw the tub and said, "Ooo what's that?! It's beautiful!". :) Bless his little heart.

Here's what's inside:
:: Dirt - organic potting soil, to be exact. If you create this yourself please be sure to use organic soil because the other stuff has far too many chemicals in it for little hands.
:: Little gardening tools - this is the set we bought & it has three tools and a kneeling mat.
:: Silk sunflowers
:: Small clay pots - to scoop dirt, collect seeds or plant the sunflowers in.
:: Lots of rocks
:: Plant markers - these are actually from my own potted plants, but had been pulled out by James. Thankfully I can tell the difference between mint and dill! :D
:: Seeds - I used the biggest seeds I could find: sunflower, peas & pumpkin.
:: Small (fake!) bugs and snakes

My bloggy friend, Cara, from The Picky Apple made an awesome garden sensory tub for her cute little guy where she used real flowers and LIVE worms! Now that's one super mama!! (sorry, James, your mama just can't handle creepy crawly stuff!)

Playdough
(fyi, I've just added my go-to playdough recipe to my sidebar.)

I went with brown to simulate dirt and, with this idea in mind, I created a little gardening activity for James.

He can put the "dirt" in the little pot and grow some plants...

OR

He can roll out a little garden bed and grow some flowers. :)

I'm positive he'll come up with lots of other ideas on his own - he's the true creative force behind our activities!

The little pebbles (in the muslin bag pictured above) and the tiny flowers provide an excellent opportunity for fine motor improvement.

Live and learn: the playdough stuck to the clay pot and would not come off without washing. Just something to keep in mind should you recreate this activity for yourself.

PS: This is an OUTDOOR ONLY sensory tub for us! I like dirt, but I do not like it in my house! :)

PPS: I'm linking this post up to a couple of fun blog carnivals - click here for more information.