Sensory play ideas that don't wreck the lounge

Sensory play builds brains — texture, temperature, squish and splash all wire up your baby's understanding of the world. The trick is saying yes to the experience without saying goodbye to your carpet. Ideas parents love:

• Cooked spaghetti play — cool it, colour with a drop of food dye, and let them squish. Fully edible, so tasting is fine.
• Yoghurt finger painting — dollops of yoghurt on the highchair tray, tinted with fruit purée. Art you can lick.
• Ice cube chase — a few big cubes sliding around the tray on a hot day.
• Texture treasure basket — a wooden spoon, a silicone brush, a crinkly wrapper, a soft cloth. Free, fascinating, mess-free.
• Water tray — a splash of warm water and a few cups. Simple and endlessly entertaining.

Do the messy ones in a coverall bib with a catch tray underneath, and clean-up is a wipe, not a mission. Say yes to the mess — on your terms.