Sensory play is a type of play that is very beneficial for children. Starting at birth, babies begin to explore the world around them using their five senses. As children grow, their senses are their most familiar and most basic way to explore and process new information. Sensory play enhances learning through hands-on activities that stimulate the child's senses. This is a great way for children to explore the world they live in! Since sensory play is so important, I do a lot of sensory … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Fluff Sensory Activity
I am so excited to share with you my latest sensory play activity! I came up with this play activity that is great to do during fall because it uses pumpkins! Your kids are gonna love it and the best part is, is that Pumpkin Fluff only uses 2 ingredients! Yes, this is a messy play activity. But you know what? I actually love planning messy sensory activities for my children. This type of play encourages using the senses and lets them be creative and have fun without me telling them "no" … [Read more...]
If You Give a Toddler a Sensory Bin…
If you have a toddler, you KNOW that they love to make messes! It doesn't really matter where they are are, they just love to take a part things, throw items, and get into cupboards that they know they aren't supposed to get into! Am I right??! While I was playing with my toddler the other day, I came up with a cheeky little story about what happens when you give a toddler a sensory bin. This story is similar to the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If you give a toddler a sensory bin, I … [Read more...]
Spooky Noodles Sensory Activity
Here's a super fun sensory activity that's great to do for Halloween or any time of the year! We LOVED playing with these soft, squishy noodles. All 3 of my boys enjoyed getting their hands in the noodles. And a few were eaten, too! These noodles are so much fun to hold and slip through your fingers! And tongs are super fun to use with them! Materials Needed: spaghetti noodles food coloring olive oil Ziploc bag Here's how you make … [Read more...]
Fun Ways to Play with Kinetic Sand
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Have you ever played with kinetic sand? It is the coolest sensory material! Kinetic sand feels so awesome that it's hard to stop playing with it. There are some homemade ways to make kinetic sand, or you can buy kinetic sand at the store (or here on Amazon.) Kinetic sand is fun to play with. It's great to touch, squeeze, and hold. Kinetic Sand is a mixture of sand and polymers and so it feels like no other sensory … [Read more...]
Foam Bits Sensory Bin
I am so excited to show you this sensory bin! I couldn't believe that these foam bits were on sale for just $1.49 at Michaels! I knew I had to snag these off the shelf and use them in a sensory bin. I set a sheet down outside and placed an empty bin, some tools, and foam bits as an invitation to play. Then the boys took turn pouring in the different colored foam bits. It was so fun to watch all the colors mix together. Both boys LOVED exploring this bin. We didn't add anything else to … [Read more...]
4th of July Sensory Bin
We made a 4th of July sensory bin and it has been so much fun to play with! Here's how we made it... For this bin, I used rice and star noodles. I hadn't seen these star noodles before, but when I was at the grocery store last week I saw these and knew they would be fun to add in our sensory bin. So first, I took the star noodles and colored them blue. To do this, I put them in a gallon Ziploc bag (actually 2 because it started leaking!) and then poured rubbing alcohol in it. I didn't … [Read more...]
3 Sensory Activities Toddlers Will Love!
Toddlers are very busy (at least mine is!) and finding ways to keep them occupied can be a challenge. I realize I haven't shared very many toddler activities lately, so today I'm not just sharing 1 idea, but 3 sensory activities toddlers will love!! 1. Edible Finger Paint Here's an EASY recipe for making edible finger paint. Pour 1 cup of cold water and 1 cup of flour into a pan. Gradually add 3 cups of boiling water to the mix. Stir over heat until it boils. Take off the heat and let … [Read more...]
Fabric Matching Game
Good Morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We had a great weekend...nothing too exciting happened, but I love having a quiet weekend. I didn't feel the greatest, but my awesome husband took great care of me and helped out tremendously with the kids. He is the best and I feel so blessed! :) Today I'm sharing with you a fun Montessori-insprired sensory activity. It's a Fabric Matching Game and it is great for 2-5 year olds. Here's what you'll need: *box or basket *pairs of … [Read more...]
Sensory Bottles
Have you heard of sensory bottles? I hadn't heard of them until I stumbled upon For the Love of Learning blog. Deborah has some neat ideas for little ones, including an array of sensory bottles. You should check out her blog! We decided to make our own version of a sensory bottle. Here's what we used: *Voss water bottles (found at TJMaxx for $1.79 each...the water tastes really good, too!) *glitter *beads *super glue First, we dumped glitter in the bottles. Then we added the … [Read more...]