We hear all the time how important sensory play is for our little ones. It helps them to learn important skills for their future, including fine and gross motor skills, textures, just to name a few. However, a lot of the time, we often think it is too hard to create for our children. It becomes overwhelming, trying to figure out what to do every day.
Here are five super easy but effective sensory play ideas for your toddlers. Not only will they love these activities, but they will also play with them multiple times. These are so easy to set up, and the best part is you probably already have all the things right at home, making them practical and cheap as well!
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Pom Poms
It may sound a little too easy; however, something as simple as playing with pom poms is something your little one will love. They will have so much fun coming up with where to put these tiny balls.
You can set out some bowls or other play toys where they can fill up and dump out the pom-poms. You can also take recycled cardboard tubes like paper towels or toilet paper and tape them up on the wall. Your toddler will enjoy watching the little balls drop from the pipes.
If your toddler is older, have them sort the different colors onto different trays. Or have them try to catch the pom poms into a container after dropping them in the tubes. They can even draw and make outlines with the pom-poms. The options are pretty endless with these. Leave them out with a few tools and watch them explore and get creative on their own!
Here’s where to get your own Pom Poms.
Sand
What kid doesn’t like sand? Again, there are so many options with sand. However, sand can get messy, so make sure to lay out some rules beforehand. Sometimes sensory play will get messy, and that is completely okay. Kids need to make a mess every now and then.
To avoid some mess, here are some general rules you can use and adapt as you see fit:
- Lay out a plastic table cloth (you can find one from Dollar Tree, and it helps make clean up so easy)
- Put the box of sand on the table cloth
- Explain that they can get messy, but the sand has to stay on the table cloth
- Or make a box with tape on the floor and explain the same thing
You can make your own kinetic sand with just some glue and corn starch. Then they will have fun exploring and creating different things and then squishing their creations while watching the sand crumble.
Or, you can just put sand in a container with some other tools. This is a super easy sensory play activity but also super effective. Your child will go wild with their imagination, and you will get some time for yourself.
Here’s where to get a large bag of sand for all your fun play!
Jello
Again this is another super easy and cost-effective sensory play activity for your toddler. You can have fun making the jello together as kids love to mix and stir things. Or have the jello already made beforehand; it’s whatever you prefer, really. Some days I don’t mind making it together, while other days, I just don’t have that patience.
Put out some cookie cutters and let your child make jello cookies. You can also cut the jello into cubes and put it in a box of water, and have your child ‘fish’ out the jello. Or just in a container with other objects of different textures and have your child sort by textures.
Here’s where to get Jello.
Pasta
There are so many options for sensory play with pasta. This is a great one for younger kids because it is edible in case they put some in their mouth.
You can do dry pasta or cooked, whichever you prefer. Colored pasta is also a kid favorite. Make pasta to match the colors of the rainbow and have them create their own rainbow.
Pasta is one of the best sensory play activities for toddlers because there are so many different textures with each pasta. It is also edible and harmless.
Sensory Bags
Another favorite of ours is to make sensory bags. We have found the easiest one is to mix the color dye and hair gel in a Ziploc bag. Make sure to tape the opening shut so your child can’t open it up again. You can even add extras like glitter or jewels.
These make for great bags to squish around the gel, which toddlers love to do. These bags will also grow with time as it then becomes an erasable writing tablet once they get older.
Toddlers love and need sensory play in their lives, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and a challenge to incorporate into their daily activities. These five ideas are easy to make, and your toddler will have a blast.
Bio:
Aloha! I am a mama of 3 little ones. All my life I wanted to be a mom. When I was pregnant with my first, I had to stop working. So, I created a blog to help me be a stay at home all the while supporting my family as well. I am working towards my master’s degree so I can become a family therapist. My goal is to become a virtual therapist. My blog helps me accomplish my goal somewhat right now! I love to help mamas and wives find their true identity and potential.
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