Mirrors add a magical element to play setups. Here are some ideas for how to use them for play + creating ...
Mirrors are a fun material to use for play, art and learning! There are many possibilities for the ways they can be used. They also add a sense of awe and wonder to play through experimentation with the reflections created. Keep reading to find out some the ways we have been exploring using mirrors at home.
There are 3 types of mirrors used for play and art as shown below. These mirrors are:
Acrylic rectangle mirror - Ours came in a 2 pack from Educating Kids 4 years ago. You can also buy these from place such as Bunnings. Kmart Australia has a 4 pack of square acrylic mirrors available at the moment.
Reflective play mirror inlay by Gus and Mabel. This is a round mirror that fits perfectly in the Busy Bee Tray from Gus and Mabel.
Folding mirror in wooden frame - from Educating Kids with acrylic mirrors (keep an eye out when they come on sale). These can also be made (DIY) by joining together photo frames with hinges and cutting some acrylic mirror to fit the frames.
*Please note all mirrors used are acrylic which are safer for kids. Always supervise mirror play and don't leave mirrors outside.
*All play and art ideas shown here were supervised by an adult. Small parts for ages 3+.
Here are some fun mirror play and art ideas for kids ...
Mirror Painting
This was a fun way to paint! We used Crayola washable neon paint on the mirror surface. After lots of fun was had painting we pressed some blank paper onto the mirror to make some prints.
The paint easily washed off the mirror at the end.
Mirror Drawing
Mirrors are a fun surface to draw on too! We used Kitpas window crayons to draw on the mirror and experiment with colour mixing too. The crayons easily washed off at the end too.
Mirror Play with Loose Parts Outside
This was a very calming play idea for outside for some mindfulness time. We took our Gus and Mabel Busy Bee Tray lid and mirror insert outside in the early morning sunshine and under a tree.
We used our gemstones from Bunnings (in the craft section) with some natural loose parts from our backyard - leaves and flowers. Both kids enjoyed creating on the mirror and were highly engaged with this.
They made a butterfly, dragonfly, worm and bee. Then explored placing the gems on the mirror surface.
Mirror Play with Lucite Cubes
Mirrors make a fantastic surface for play as the reflection add a new element to the play. Here we used lucite cubes, some Grapat mandala pieces and sensory bubblers (from Kmart) on the mirror.
The cubes were stacked into little towers, making beautiful reflections in the mirror for some magical and colourful play!
Mirror Play with Playdough
Another fun way to add an extra magical element to this playdough play was through the use of a mirror in the background. The mirror had beautiful reflections of the playdough play including the gemstones (these ones are from Grimms).
Mirror Play with a Light Panel
Mirrors work so well as the backdrop to play on the light panel. The reflections in the mirror add a magical element to the play!
Mirror Small World Backdrop
A folding mirror like this one is perfect for adding as a backdrop to a small world table. Here we used a mirror as a backdrop for our fairy small world table.
Mirrored Toy Shelf
An acrylic mirror also works perfectly to stick onto the back of a toy shelf like shown below. The addition of the mirror adds extra interest to the shelf and allows children to explore both their own reflection and the reflections of the toys as they play.
Mirrors are such a simple, but fun way to add an extra interesting element to children's play invitations and art.
There are so many possibilities! I hope you enjoyed these mirror play and art ideas for kids and found some inspiration. I'm sure you have many more of your own wonderful ideas for how to incorporate mirrors into play and art for children.
Thank you for reading this blog post!
Until next time, have fun learning in a playful way!
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