Make Gelatin A Fun Sensory Taste-Testing Experience

Judy Benz Duncan, Occupational Therapist

Encourage touching, holding, and carrying different items wherever you go and promote active participation – take small steps forward; it’s important to encourage but let the child do what they can tolerate.

Never force a child to touch or feel something they find overstimulating or distressful. Work with what is tolerated and try to expand from there. Begin with less challenging textures and work up towards new and more challenging textures (from firm and dry to wet and sloppy/messy). Give control on what they will touch, if they will only look at, and for how long to your child.  Let them stop when ready – not when you feel it is time to stop.

The variety of activities and ideas provided here are by no means the only things you can try - personalize, adjust, and modify to fit your lifestyle, and your child’s needs and abilities. Use the suggestions given as a “springboard” to coming up with more ideas you can try. Giving your child variety, exposure, change, and experience are ALL growth and learning opportunities. Stay Calm, Have Fun, and Keep Supporting Your Child!

1.    Mix up some gelatin (one color, or a variety) and when it is cooled but not set, let your child drop in small plastic or rubbery toys

2.    Once the gelatin sets, have your child dig in to remove all of the items; have them use a spoon or fork if they cannot tolerate touching the gelatin - Play “find the treasure” with the set gelatin

3.    Since it is edible encourage your child to lick their fingers or even take small bites

4.    Try different colors and flavors

5.    Try dropping in some small cut-up pieces of fruit or vegetables instead of non-edible items and see if they may take a taste as they pull them out of the gelatin

6. Use molds, small cups or containers, construction blocks, etc to pour gelatin in to form shapes, different sized pieces

7. Drop gelatin chunks into a small basin of water for water play - let your child break them up by squeezing, poking, squishing the pieces in the water bath

8. Pour gelatin into a shallow layer onto a rimmed cookie sheet or large rectangular baking dish - once set, let your child use cookie cutters to make shapes; Fun to cut, pull out, and then eat!

More Ideas below Photo!

9. Let your child use utensils if they do not want to touch the gelatin; let them cut the blocks up into slices or cubes with supervision; let them try and cut them up using safety scissors if they will (use of 2 hands and touching!)

10.   Supervise for choking hazards at all times!

11.   If you keep for any reason, refrigerate and then only keep for a day or two

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