The Clever Bugs Play Ideas Library
Easy activities, play inspiration and learning ideas for busy parents, educators and caregivers.
Whether you need 20 minutes to drink your coffee while it's still hot or you're looking for your next play setup, you'll find plenty of ideas here.
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Easy Ocean Play Invitations
Ocean Clean Up
Learn about why its important to keep our oceans clean. Simply fill a tray with water, blue food colouring and a bit of corn starch. Hide ocean animals and ‘rubbish’.
Pasta Coral Reef
You just need: coloured pasta, playdough, ocean animals. Perfect for building hand muscles for prewriting strength.
Ocean Sensory Tray
Kids love scooping and pouring. Use a blue sensory base and some ocean themed items for a simple, calming activity.
Easy Construction Activities
Playdough Mortar
Transform playdough into "cement" and challenge little builders to construct walls, towers and buildings. A fun way to strengthen fine motor skills, problem-solving and imaginative play.
Oobleck Construction Site
Add construction vehicles to oobleck for a sensory experience that's part liquid, part solid. Perfect for encouraging curiosity, experimentation and hands-on learning.
Cereal Construction Bin
Need a taste safe option? Fill a sensory tray with cereal and let children scoop, pour and transport materials around their construction site.
Easy Bookish Craft Acticities
Plaster Painting
You can make your own or grab one at a Dollar Store.
Rocket Decorating
Kids love decorating their own rocket. Grab a wood one or cut one out of cardboard.
Rocket Decorating
Kids love decorating their own rocket. Grab a wood one or cut one out of cardboard.
Easy Space Play Invitations
Moon Sand DIY
4 cups of flour + 1 cup of oil to make this awesome moon sand. Make sure you use your hands to rub in the oil until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed.
Mess Free
Using a play scarf or a printed space scene on a light table with some loose parts is a super simple activity.
Counting
Use a 10s frame and some loose parts to explore early maths concepts and counting.
Easy NAIDOC Inspired Play Invitations
Sand Symbols
Using some sand, create sand drawing and symbols. Great for pre writing skills.
Nature Walk
Head outside and look for some nature treasure. You can even use what you find in a craft or sensory play back at home.
Spice Painting
Using spices and water. We used cumin, paprika and tumeric.
Easy Wildlife Play Invitations
Hidden Pictures
Hide a picture or a reuseable colouring mat under a sensory base and use a mini brush to reveal whats hidden.
Animal Figurine Matching
Match animal figurines with cards or books. Talk about the similarities/differences/habitats.
Animal Covering
Match animals with their covering scales/skin/fur etc.
Easy Halloween Activities
Halloween Potions
Just add water potions make a super quick and easy activity to keep the kids entertained. Don’t have any fizz at home? Just use bicarb and vinegar.
Frozen Loose Parts
Freeze your Halloween loose parts, plastic eyes, organs, spiders and more. Use pipettes of warm water to free the spooky goodies.
Playdough Monsters
Loose parts or nature pieces and some playdough is always a winner. Get a simple recipe here.
Built by a Mum Who Gets It
I purchased Clever Bugs in 2022 while raising two young children on our rural Queensland property.
Like many parents, I was juggling the mental load, trying to keep little people entertained and creating meaningful childhood memories along the way.
Play became more than something to keep the kids busy.
It became a way to connect, learn, explore and support big emotions.
And sometimes it simply gave me enough time to drink my coffee while it was still hot.
What type of play are you looking for?
