Have you ever wondered why babies want to put everything into their mouths and toddlers seem to get into everything? It’s because these sensory experiences—of tasting and touching—help them understand the world around them. Sensory experiences play a big role in children’s development from infancy throughout their childhood.
What is sensory play?
Sensory play or sensory activities are games or activities that are centered around at least one of the seven senses: taste, smell, sight, touch, hearing, balance or body awareness.
Incorporating fun sensory activities into playtime with your children is an important tool to improve their learning and attention. The benefits of sensory activities don’t end there! Engaging children’s senses improves their language skills, enhances their memory, and helps their brains make new nerve connections. Sensory activities also allow children to learn what smells, sounds and textures make them feel calm. You can even use sensory activities to help your toddler or preschooler overcome a sensory sensitivity. For example, an aversion to certain food textures or loud sounds. Leading your child in an enjoyable activity, in a safe space, that allows them to engage with textures or sounds they don’t like can help them build up a tolerance. There are many fun and educational activities that you can do at home to engage your toddler or preschooler’s senses. You can start with any of these 8 ideas!
Sensory Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- The Balance Act
Materials: painters’ tape or sidewalk chalk
The balancing act is a great sensory activity for children that will help them with balance and body awareness. Create a line on the floor with painters’ tape or, if you’re outside, sidewalk chalk. After you’ve finished, instruct your child to stand on one foot. Then switch to the other. Next, have them try to walk on the line like it’s a balance beam. If they’ve mastered it and want to try something harder, instruct them to try it backward.
- The Spotlight Game
Materials: flashlight
The spotlight game is a sensory activity for toddlers that’s perfect for bedtime. While you’re sitting in bed together, when the light is off, use a flashlight to point at different objects in the room. You can shine the light on books, pictures, toys, etc. Each time you shine it on an object ask your child, “What is the spotlight on?” You can also ask other questions about the objects like “What color does it look like with the spotlight? And what color does it look like when I move the spotlight?”
- Playing with Spaghetti
Materials: spaghetti, food coloring, bowls or Ziplock bags
This activity with colorful slimy spaghetti is a sensory activity that toddlers and preschoolers love! First, cook a package of spaghetti noodles. Then drain out the water and rinse them under cool water. Once they’ve cooled down, separate them into two to four bowls or Ziplock bags. Add food coloring to each one and mix it in until the spaghetti absorbs the color. Then add a little bit of vegetable oil so that the noodles don’t stick together. Once they’re dyed, let your child stick their hands in the bags. Ask them questions about how it feels. Let them pick up handfuls and play with it or fill a new bag with their choice of colored spaghetti.
Homemade Maracas
Materials: empty clear plastic or glass bottles, marbles, small stones, rice, dry beans, masking tape
Making homemade maracas is a fun sensory activity for toddlers and preschoolers that allows them to be creative and play with sounds. Fill clear plastic or glass bottles with different small objects like marbles, stones, dry beans, and rice. Screw the caps on. Then tap around the lid so that it stays on. Let your child shake the maracas. Ask them questions about how they sound. “Which one is louder? Which one is quieter? What objects in the bottle are the noisiest?
Exploding Color Experiment
Materials: pie pan, milk, food coloring, Q-tips, dish soap
The exploding color experiment is a cool science and sensory activity. Pour milk into a pie plate until it’s about an inch deep. Let your child squeeze drops of different colored food coloring into the milk. After they’ve finished, dip a Q-tip in dish soap. Then touch the surface of the milk with the Q-tip and watch as the color explodes. (Check out a video of what it looks like here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQSlEViNpk). Ask your child questions about what it looks like. “What colors are there? How have the colors changed?” Let them move the Q-tip around in the milk and watch how the colors change.
- Sensory Treasure Trove
Materials: basket or box, scraps of fabric
The sensory treasure trove is a soothing sensory activity for children. Fill a basket or box with scraps of fabric. Choose scraps that are different colors and textures (like velvet, faux fur, silk, burlap, etc.). Then let your child explore their new treasure trove. Ask them questions about what textures they like and don’t like. Talk about the sizes and colors of the fabric in their tactile treasure chest.
- Tambourine Band
Materials: paper plates, stapler, small objects (pebbles, dry beans, rice, etc.)
Start a tambourine band by making homemade tambourines! This sensory activity incorporates touch, sound and body awareness. Let your child paint or draw on the back of two paper plates. Once they’ve finished their design, fill one of the plates with small objects and place the other plate on top (with the bottom facing out). Staple the two plates together to make a tambourine. Make one for yourself and other members of your family too. Teach your child how to use the tambourine to make sounds with their hands and hips. Practice different beats and rhythms. March around making music.
- Guess What’s in the Bag
Materials: tote bag or old purse, old wallet, keys, small toys, lipstick, etc.
Guess what’s in the bag is a sensory game that lets children focus on their sense of touch. Toss an assortment of different sized and shaped objects into a tote bag or old purse. Have your child stick their hand in the bag and describe the first item they feel without looking in the bag. Ask them to guess what it is. After they guess, have them pull it out. Repeat this until the bag is empty.
We hope that you enjoy using these 8 sensory activities for toddlers and preschoolers at home! We use activities like these at Kids r Kids Avalon Park. Leading children through activities that engage their senses is part of our whole-child approach to daycare and preschool. If you want to learn more about Kids r Kids Learning Academy, contact us to set up an appointment!