Let’s look at the top 5 sensory activities to do with your kids. As parents, we want to give our children the best possible early years experience that we can. We want them to get the best start in life and ensure that they have a happy childhood full of fun, adventure, and learning. Sensory activities are great ways to engage with children and help their development in many different areas. There are so many different kinds of sensory activities to do with babies, some fun and some great learning activities. If you’re looking for some ideas here are some of my favorites and a little more detail about each one:
1. Playdough Fun
This is a simple activity that you can do with your child at home or in the classroom. You just need some playdough, bowls for mixing, and perhaps a few other tools depending on how complicated you want to get! The idea is simple: take two different colors of playdough and mix them together until they’re one color. Then try adding more colors or adding more water—you can even use food coloring! This activity teaches your child about mixing colors and seeing how they change when combined with each other. If you want to make it extra fun, set up obstacles in the way of your mixing—like putting paper towels down on the table so that when you mix them together they won’t stick together as much!
2. Sensory Bin Play
Sensory bins are such a fun way for kids to explore the world around them. They’re also an easy, non-messy way for parents to get their kids involved in science. One of the best parts about sensory bins is that they’re not just for little kids—they can be used by any age child and even adults!
Here are some ways you can create your own sensory bin:
Fill a bin with rice, beans, or other materials that will stick together when placed in water. Then add some water and let your child play with it! This can help develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as well as encourage exploration of texture.
Put some flour in a bin and add water until it forms a dough-like consistency. Then let your children play with it! This is great for developing fine motor skills, working on hand-eye coordination, and exploring texture. You can also make homemade playdough by adding salt to flour or cornstarch; this will help them learn about chemical reactions!
Put some uncooked pasta in a bin and add water until it forms a dough-like consistency. Then let your children play with it! This is great for developing fine motor skills, working on hand-eye coordination, and exploring.
3. Sensory Bottles
Sensory Bottles are a fun way to liven up your day—and any time you’re looking for a way to keep your kids occupied, sensory bottles are a great option. The best part is that they’re easy to make with items you probably already have around the house!
Here are some ideas for sensory bottle activities:
- Add a few drops of food coloring and water to an empty bottle and watch it swirl around as you shake it up.
- Fill an empty bottle with sand and water, and then add a few drops of food coloring. Shake up the bottle until the food coloring has evenly coated all of the sand.
- Fill an empty bottle with salt, water, and vinegar (for example). Shake up the bottle until it turns completely white (it will look like milk).
4. Sensory Balls
It’s no secret that kids love to play with sensory balls. It’s also no secret that they can get pretty messy. But we say, why not make the mess a part of the fun?
Here are some ideas for making your own sensory balls at home:
1. Put some glitter in a water balloon and blow it up. Then let your kid shake it around until all the glitter falls out—it’ll look like he’s throwing confetti!
2. Pour some liquid soap into a plastic bag and then fill it with water. Let your kid roll it around in his hands until he gets bored (which could be never) and then pop the balloon for a foam party!
3. Mix together flour, water, and salt until you have a thick paste; add some food coloring if you want to make a blueberry pie or green grass! Then let your kid squeeze it out of his fingers onto newspaper or cardboard—he’ll have a blast trying to make patterns with his fingers (and you’ll have fun when he finally gives up!).
5. Sensory Bags
Our kids are constantly learning and growing, but how do we help them learn more about their world?
One of the best ways is through sensory bags. Sensory bags are a fun way to introduce different textures and scents into your kids’ lives, which is great for their development. And they’re easy to make!
Here are some of the top sensory bag ideas:
- Bubble Wrap Bag: Fill a bag with bubble wrap and let your child explore it with their hands or feet. You can also use this opportunity to teach about colors by asking questions like “What color is the bubble wrap?”
- Sensory Sand Bag: Pour sand into a bag, then allow your child to play with it on top of an old sheet. This is a great way for them to practice scooping and sifting activities, which will help them develop fine motor skills as well as cognitive abilities such as problem-solving skills.
- Jellybean Bag: Fill a bag with jellybeans or similar small objects like beads or buttons. Your child can shake it around, pour it out onto a flat surface such as the floor or table, or even play with it in another way like putting all of the jellybeans into one.
Conclusion
In an increasingly digital world, most sensory activities involve simple experiences and familiar objects. We offer these activities to expand upon young learners’ typical digital reading experiences. The activities are also fundamental in developing children’s skills in mathematics and science. Through five simple experiences, parents can help build their children’s skills through sensory integration and movement-based learning.