Children love sensory play. They love to explore using all their senses, especially their hands. It's in their nature. In our classes the thing that amazes parents most is how naturally the kids become immersed in the art. They want to feel the paint on their hands, feet and bodies. They want to squeeze it out, pour it over their heads and watch how it drips and falls. They love the sound when the paint splats. I love the sound of their laughter!
Sensory play has long been a part of child development. It is crucial to brain development for children to be exposed to activities that encourage the use of their senses. Often parents wonder why their children want to put everything in their mouth "is this normal??" Yes! It is their way of exploring and making sense of the world around them.
So how can we provide sensory play for children at home? Very simply. With just a little bit of prep and a lot of enthusiasm you'll have some activities that your kids will go back to again and again! I also have handy tips on how to extend these activities to keep kids playing longer.
Let's dive in. Here are our favourite sensory activities that you can do at home.
Pasta play
Dried pasta makes the most wonderful sound! Kids learn valuable skills from scooping, pouring, pinching and grasping. We like to use tools such as tongs, spatulas, measuring cups - anything you can find in the kitchen! I also add blocks and vehicles for extra fun.
Colouring the pasta is very simple and last for a long time if you keep it in a sealed container after playing.
How to make: Put the cooked pasta into a bag, add a few drops of food colouring or paint, shake and you're done! I lay it out on some kitchen towel on a cookie sheet to dry.
For dried pasta you do the same but also add a splash of vinegar to the mix.
Playdoh
Squish, cut, roll. This stuff is all about working those hands, helping to develop the fine motor skills. It is visually very stimulating. The colours, the way it moves and the fact that you can make it into anything. It ticks all the boxes! I also just saw in Kmart that they have scented playdoh!
Because of it's versatility you can pretty much make playdoh look like anything you want it too. Ice cream is our favourite!
You can extend this activity by only putting out a few tools to start with and then add things in as they're playing. Also adding new colours helps too.
Chickpeas
Similar to pasta this really hits the olfactory sense! We love to dye it with paint (same way as pasta) and chuck it in a tray with some scoops, bowls and trucks. A nice extension of this activity is to use it as part of a fairy garden or mini world set up.
Potion making
This activity just needs your child's amazing creative mind. Collect flowers, interesting leaves, twigs, (anything that takes your child's fancy) from your garden or a nearby park. Then at home find a nice big bowl or a set of old pans, add water and let the kids do the rest.
You can extend this activity by bringing out extras such as herbs, essential oils and food colouring for them to add into their potion.
Tools:
Set of old pots and pans (I like to grab them from the op shop - metal ones make very satisfying sounds for the kids and can be re-used again and again.
Ladles
Ice cream scoops
Bowls
Spoons
Tongs
Jug/s of water
Flowers/leaves
Extras:
Syringes for dropping food colouring in
Fresh herbs
Essential oils - I'd advise adults only adding these
Citrus fruits either sliced or halved for squeezing (and probably eating!)
Water play
If in doubt, just add water! Water is the ultimate sensory play item that can bring calm to your kids and also provide so much learning. Scoop, tip, pour, add food colouring, add toys - duplo in the shower is one of our faves! Our toys often need "washing" which is a great way to prompt the play. Give them old rags and some diluted dishwashing liquid for extra fun!
You can extend this by adding bubbles, essential oils and a few drops of food colouring or edible glitter.
Happy playing!
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