Note: When the super surprising sensory play happened, I did not see it as play. I was too shocked. It took a few days to see it for what it was.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Hunter was on the toilet. I was sitting on the edge of the tub. We were chatting about sticks, dirt, and motorcycles, the three things that most interested him. My only goal for this day in our family child care was for this child to poop in the toilet instead of in a diaper I’d have to change. Then it happened.

“Yes, your favorite stick is right where you left it. After you poop, we can go outside, and you can play with it.”

“Guess what, Jeff.”

“What?”

“I can poop on my hand!”

Which he proceeded to do as those words tumbled from his mouth.

He held out his pooped-on hand with a look of accomplished pride.

My face must have registered a combination of shock and fear (with a dash of panic) because his prideful look evaporated into one of concern.

I tried to regain my composure, “Yes, you can poop on your hand. But most people don’t.”

“Oh. What should I do with it?”

“Why don’t you drop it in the toilet and wash your hands? Wash them two or three times. I’ll turn on the water.”

“OK. Then can we go find my stick?”

Hunter’s super surprising sensory play had a back story I learned later. During rest time, I phoned his mother, who I’d known since third grade, and shared the story. Such story-sharing was a common occurrence. She’d once called over the weekend to tell me how this child had tried making her breakfast by cooking a dozen eggs in the clothes dryer. Anyway, between snorts of laughter as I shared the hand-poop story, she choked out, “Jeff should have told you.”

“Told me what?”

“We went to the zoo last weekend, and he spent a long time watching some monkeys. There was some hand-pooping going on. At least he didn’t throw it at you!”

Super Surprising Sensory Play Wrap Up

I’ll always feel blessed that he chose not to throw it at me.

Hunter was not trying to be bad. He was not trying to make me rethink my career choices. He was a curious little boy conducting an experiment based on observations of the world. This super surprising sensory play involved his tactile system (warm poop on hand), proprioceptive system (positioning his hand to catch the poop), and interoceptive system (sensing that he was ready to poop and letting it go when his hand was in place).

Still, it was super gross. I much prefer everyday sensory play to super surprising sensory play. I don’t like surprises. Yet, if you work with children, super surprising sensory play will happen from time to time. My advice: keep your cool.

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