finger painting!

I've really been making an effort lately to expose Iris to new sensory experiences. In the past, anything sticky, gooey, mushy or slimy has caused displeasure at best, or even hysterical tears at worst. Experimenting with new projects for her has been fun, now that she can be reasoned with and seems much more open to new experiences. She has learned to push through her trepidation and accept sensory play on her own terms. About a month ago, her first highly successful project became finger painting. She now asks for paint all the time and is very deliberate about the way she paints. Here are a few pictures of her exploring it for the first time. I will post some of her paintings soon!

Poking at primary colors.

"Ehhhh I don't know about this!"

"Look what I can do!"

So proud of herself!

little creations.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was chopping vegetables, I decided to give Iris a handful of carrots, olives and celery to explore. I didn't suggest anything or show her what to do, just let her have a few minutes of completely open play. First, she squirted some juice over the veggies and took a few nibbles.

Then, she created...

I asked her, "would you tell me about what you're making?"

"Carrots," she replied.