5 Simple Sensory Play Ideas

If you have young children, you’ve likely heard the term ‘sensory play’ before. Sensory play is essentially any activity that involves the child’s senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing. Deb here at www.rememberstuff.me wrote a fantastic article explaining the basics. Often combining the use of multiple senses, this form of play helps children develop these senses and also encourages children to think critically.

Chances are most kids engage in activities that meet this criterion every single day without a parent’s intention to provide children with the benefits of sensory play, but there are also countless ways that parents can facilitate sensory play. Here are some ideas for you.

Homemade playdough provides endless opportunities for sensory play.

Surely you can recall, even years later, the salty, powdery scent of store-bought playdough. There are tons of sensory dough recipes available on the web that provide sensory experiences with different textures, scents, and even tastes. There are several recipes that are seasonal, like these fall playdough recipes or this gingerbread playdough.

You can even set up some special seasonal playdough activities, like these fall playdough activities. The play opportunities are endless, and kids rarely tire of this fun and imaginative activity.

Sensory bins combine all sorts of materials to create an exciting learning experience.

These bins full of all sorts of sensory materials (which, as you might have imagined, can be almost anything) provide kids with the opportunity to explore, learn, and work on both fine and gross motor skills. This feed the baby bird bin is a great activity for fine motor skill development, and also engages a child’s sense of sight and touch.

This apple cinnamon sensory bin is an exciting and deliciously scented exploratory activity.

This magnet sensory bin is a great way to get kids curious about science.

You an even use sensory bins as an alternative way to teach the alphabet. There are so many great ways for kids to learn, play, and develop by using sensory bins. Use your imagination and provide your young ones an exciting, educational experience.

Water play is a great way for kids to engage in sensory play.

The term water play is pretty self-explanatory. Different water play activities can help to develop kids’ motor skills and also help introduce them to the physics and science behind why water behaves the way it does. Here are some great ideas on developing hand-eye coordination through water play.

Here is a fun guide to water walls, which are a fun way to get in some sensory play and keep cool in the summer.

Use water to melt ice eggs to excavate the dinosaurs hiding inside in this great sensory activity. Even bath time can become a fun sensory experience with a little creativity!

Kids can create art through sensory play.

Many art projects are great examples of sensory play for children of all ages, from this tummy time finger painting activity for babies to this rainbow bubble wrapped tree project for older children.

Make bath time extra fun with these homemade bath paints. By allowing your children to do art projects that are visceral in nature, you are giving them countless opportunities to engage their senses!

There are tons of DIY sensory material recipes available on the web!

Check out the web for a plethora of unique sensory materials that you can make yourself. From floam to sand foam to flubber, these sensory materials have unique textures and smells that make them irresistible to most kids.

They are also great for helping kids who have trouble with texture get used to feeling new things like floam.

There are endless ways for parents to facilitate sensory play. Please, always choose age appropriate sensory activities and supervise children closely during sensory play to keep kids safe!

Check out Remember Stuff's Kid's Activities section to find new, exciting things to do with your kids.