a play filled life | sensory play

a play filled preschool curriculum

An at-home preschool foundation built through movement, play, sensory experiences and real hands-on learning.

Impactful, Simple, Hands-on Play

Engaging resources and sensory classes that encourage hands-on, play-based activities and support fine motor skills, self-regulation, and early academic concepts!

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Spring

Sensory Play

Educational Activities

Self Regulation

Try Our Latest Activities

DIY Outdoor Mud Kitchen for Kids

30 Simple Summer Activities for Toddlers + Kids (Your BINGO Guide to Easy Fun + Connection over the Summer)

Chalk-It-Up: DIY Colored Salt Chalk Art for Preschoolers and Toddlers

In-Person Sensory Classes

A Play Filled Life in-person sensory classes are now available in the Dallas-Fort Worth area!

Our Sensory Classes are a 100% hands-on, fun, and impactful way to explore the magic of sensory play!

All materials and supplies are provided. Just bring your imagination and be ready to have fun!

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Private Classes

Workshops

In-person workshops are for parents, teachers, and caregivers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who are interested in offering meaningful sensory opportunities to their children.

If you are a parent organization, school, recreation department, or business that is looking to offer exciting and meaningful programming to your community, reach out today to learn more!

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Hi, I’m Gina!

I believe deeply that play is the way children learn, connect, grow, and make sense of the world around them.

I’m a mom of four, a sensory play advocate, and an educator with more than 20 years of experience teaching preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. I hold a master’s degree in Special Education and a CAGS in Early Childhood Education.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of teaching children with a wide range of strengths, needs, and learning styles—and those experiences have shaped everything I do.

Through A Play Filled Life, I share ways to use play to support regulation, learning and motor skills.

I also created A Play Filled Preschool Curriculum, a comprehensive, play-based curriculum for children ages 2.5–6. It brings together more than two decades of classroom experience with the activities and approaches I have used with my own children. Every lesson is designed to help families create meaningful learning experiences through movement, sensory exploration, hands-on discovery, and purposeful play.

Watching children explore, create, and discover is truly magical. My hope is that the resources you find here help you bring more of that magic into your home—without adding more stress to your day.

Explore the free resources, discover new ways to play, or visit the shop to find the preschool curriculum, our latest book, and additional learning resources.

I’m so grateful you’re here.

Let’s find joy in the magic of play—together.

A Play Filled Life E-Books

Step-by-step guides for parents, caregivers and educators. They are the perfect way to bring hands-on, engaging, sensory-based learning into your home, classroom or therapy space.

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A Play Filled Life Printables

Enhance your learning and play at home or in the classroom, and sprinkle a little magic into your everyday adventures! Our printables inspire and spark a love for learning with hands-on, purposeful and impactful materials . Download, print and play today!

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play alongside us @aplayfilledlife

Join us on Instagram for our newest activities, sensory recipes & resources!

Like + follow if you find these swaps helpful. I’m Gina 👋🏽 I have been in education for over 20 years and I have 4 kids ages 4-11.

If you want to reduce screen time, start small. Pick a time that feels manageable and swap it out with a simple activity.

It can provide an opportunity for some 1:1 connection, it can encourage independent play and it can strengthen a whole bunch of skills, all through play.

Which one will you try?!

A Play Filled Preschool is HERE!!!!

Like + Comment APFL and I’ll send the link your way!

Volume 1 is 13 thematic units and a ‘Get Started’ Guide.

Each unit is 2 weeks (3 days + optional extension activities).

It’s hands-on, play-based and sensory driven. Motor skills and social emotional lessons are woven throughout each unit.

It merges PLAY with direct and explicit instruction.

It’s flexible. It’s fun. It’s ready for you to download!!!

Like + follow for play-based ideas to support regulation, motor skills and learning.

This will take less than 5 minutes because I made one for you and it’s FREE. Comment SKILLS and I’ll send it your way.

Vertical play is SO good for motor skills like balance, core strength, hand-eye-coordination and more!

If you don’t want to hang it on the wall, you don’t have to. Print it out and leave it out for scissor skills practice anytime!

As a teacher, I know how important fine motor skills are and I am on a mission to help you, help your kids, strengthen them through PLAY. Follow for more ideas like these!

This is week 35 out of 52. Comment 20 for a free PDF with the first 20 weeks of activities!!

Like + follow for ways to use play to support learning, motor skills and regulation. Comment UNO if you need the link to our set!

I always recommend starting scissor skills with play dough and this one checks ALL the boxes.

It’s 10/10 for fine motor skills.
It’s color identification.
It’s scissor skills.
It’s number recognition.
It’s counting and problem solving and sensory goodness all in one!!

Let me know if you try it!

Hi! I’m Gina- I am a teacher and I have four kids ages 4-11.

I share play-based sensory, regulation and learning strategies daily! (And I think kids over 12 will like it here too!!) let’s keep them playing and creating!❤️

Follow along and tell me how old your kid(s) are!

I mean it’s really, really good. It’s squishing and squeezing and so much sensory goodness all wrapped into one little activity.

You can squeeze out the water and let the Pom Poms dry on a towel, then reuse them.

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children.

Like + follow for ways to use play to strengthen regulation, motor skills and learning at home.

Use clear packing tape or contact paper, stick side out. Put your apples on the tree. Pull them off. Do it again.

The fine motor skills are 10/10. It’s problem solving and color identification and texture and it’s FUN!

This is from the Apple unit in my at-home preschool curriculum that launches WEDNESDAY!!!!

Like + follow for hands-on, play-based ways to work on BIG skills!

How adorable is this apple tree? It’s a fun way to work on scissor skills, color recognition and motor skills. Not to mention ruin its super cute when all the strips are cut.

This is just ONE of the lessons in my new preschool curriculum that is launching Wednesday!! It’s 13 thematic units, all ready to open and play!

Let me know if you try it! Let me know how old your kid(s) are in the comments!

Comment PLAY for the links!

Everyday I share a free play idea that you can set-up in 5 minutes or less.

These ideas are meant to spark creativity, encourage independent play + strengthen a TON of skills (motor skills, language skills, self-regulation and more!)

Follow for more ideas like this! Let me in the comments, what kind of activities are you looking for?

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children.

Hi! I’m Gina- a teacher and mom of 4. My at-home preschool curriculum (volume 1) launches on Wednesday and I can’t wait for you to see it.

It’s 13 thematic units (26 weeks of instruction).
It’s hands-on, play-based and sensory-driven.
It combines play, creativity, problem solving and exploration with direct and explicit instruction.

I give you all the tools you need to learn and play with your little one in 30 minutes a day!

What questions do you have?

Like + follow for ways to use play to support learning, motor skills and regulation. Comment UNO if you need the link to our set!

This hits ALL the boxes.

It’s 10/10 for fine motor skills.
It’s color identification.
It’s sorting.
It’s number recognition.
It’s counting.
It’s 1:1 correspondence and comparing and problem solving and sensory goodness all in one!!

Let me know if you try it!

Comment TIE for the links to the hair ties we use!

A pool noodle is one of my most used tools for learning and play. Do you want to see other ways to use them?!

This simple activity works on so many motor skills, patience, focus….all the things.

Strengthening these skills sets you up for big tasks like putting on your socks, cutting and writing!

If you find this helpful, like, save and share with a friend! Follow along for more daily ideas like this!

Hi 👋🏽 I’m Gina. I am a teacher and a mom of 4. I share ways to use play to support regulation, learning + motor skills.

Follow along and tell me where you are from!

I made you a free copy, comment CLOTHES and I’ll send them your way.

We are working toward a low-stress back to school season so I am sharing all the visuals I use in my home. We are going to create solid systems together to promote independence and take some of the load off of you.

Hi! I’m Gina, I have 4 kids and I have been in education for over 20 years.

I did this every year in my classroom because it is fun + visual + makes an impact on kids!

Like + follow for play-based ways to work on big skills!

You don’t have to draw a hand, that’s just for fun. Pour water into a bowl, sprinkle a light layer of pepper and dip a q-tip into dish soap. Put the q-tip into the ‘germs’ and watch as they wash away!

This is one of the hands-on lessons in my Healthy Habits unit. It is part of my 13 unit (26 week) preschool curriculum that launched August 26th!!!

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children.

Follow for daily ideas that support play, motor skills learning and regulation!

Ok before someone gets upset- yes - this has to freeze for awhile-i like to do it overnight. BUT you can prep it in literally a minute and then you’re ready to grab it and play the next day!

Comment ICE for the links to supplies.

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children.

Ok one more…

6. I need help.

These are perfect phrases to work into home, play + bedtime chats.

Comment ABC for our fav lowercase letters!

Like + follow if you’re sending your baby off to school this fall.

Like + Comment THREE for the links!

This one doubles as amazing fine motor work AND color mixing- look at those hands go!

What happens when you mix red and yellow? Yellow and blue? Red and blue?!

Follow along for a simple play idea every day!

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children in or around water.

The fine motor work here is 🤯.

Like + follow @aplayfilledlife for play-based ways to strengthen motor skills, support regulation and learn at home.

Cut a piece of cardboard to size (thanks @amazon) and draw the numbers (or letters or shapes or words) with pencil. Use a screwdriver or sharp pencil to poke holes. Cut q-tips in half.

Play!!

Like + Follow @aplayfilledlife for more daily play ideas!

Comment CLIP for the supplies.

Wrap tape (or color with a marker) around a craft stick. Grab the clothespins and match.

This is Amazingggg for fine motor skills, color identification, focus and more!

This is a great one for on the go busy bags (think restaurants, car trips, sporting events etc!)

#toddlermom #toddleractivityideas

Like + follow @aplayfilledlife for ways to use play to support regulation, learning and motor skills.

Flowers + a sunny spot are actual magic in the making. Trace them. Paint them. Look at them. It’s fun and unique and magical every time.

Comment FLOWER for our favorite watercolor palette.

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