Modern psychological research has determined that flashcards, drills, and worksheets are not effective ways of teaching young children. Your young child is not able to grasp abstract concepts. Instead, he learns by doing and by using his five senses. Sensory activities help your child learn while he has direct, concrete, hands-on experience with the world around him. This post provides all sorts of interesting sensory activities that are perfect for a toddler.
Sand Activities
Sand is a great sensory material for children to explore. It is versatile and easy to find, and it even changes properties when water is added. You do not need to have an elaborate sandbox or table for sand0-play activities; simply use a plastic dish bin. Add a shovel, a funnel, and other simple tools, and your child will have all he needs. You will need to tell your child that the sand must stay in the container.
Pirate’s Treasure
Your toddler will enjoy searching for the buried treasure! You may choose to think other interesting things to bury.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What she needs:
Gold spray paint
Small rocks (large enough not to pose a choking hazard)
Sand box with sand
1. Paint the rocks and let them dry.
2. Hide the rocks in the sandbox and let your child dig for treasure!
Roadway
This activity combines the fun of sensory play with your child’s imagination. You can also adapt this activity fo any outdoor dirt area.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Flat spatula
Sand box with sand
Small toy cars and trucks
Smal blocks (optional)
Toy or handmade mini road signs (optional)
1. Show your child how to us the spatula to draw roads and passageways in the sand.
2. Let him create the roadways and then drive the vehicles around.
Sand Squiggles
This simple project is very easy and yet creates a beautiful result. Add some glitter to the sand for a special effect.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
White craft glue
Construction paper
1 small spoon
1/2 cup of sand
Glitter (optional)
1. Show your child how to squeeze the glue bottle to drive a design onto the paper. You may need to put your hand over his to guide him. Fine squiggly lines work better than big blobs.
2. Have your child use the spoon to sprinkle sand all over the picture.
3. Help your child tilt the paper over a garbage receptacle so that the excess sand falls off. Let the picture dry.
Water Activities
Water play is soothing. Splashing and dipping in water is a stress reliever for both children and adults. You may find that your toddler is drawn to water, wanting to play in the sink or puddles. You must always supervise your young child around water. Drowning can occur with even a small amount of water.
Ships Ahoy
Our toddler will enjoy helping to make these boats as much as playing with them. You can also use plastic container lids for small crafts.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Waterproof markers
Thin sheets of Styrofoam (such as butcher trays that come with meat in the grocery store, washed well)
Scissors
1 sheet white construction paper
1 small drinking straw
Small blob of Playdough
1. Let your child use the markers to color and decorate the Styrofoam.
2. Cut a small paper triangle with 2 horizontal slits.
3. Thread the paper triangle onto the straw to make a flag.
4. Place the blob of Playdough in the bottom of the tray to hold the flag.
Glacier Creatures
This is a good opportunity to talk about temperature and melting. Be sure to choose toys that are not a choking hazard.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 3 hours
What you need:
Small toys
Small clear plastic containers (Tupperware works well)
Warm water
1. Place a toy in the plastic container.
2. Fill the container with water and freeze.
3. When the “glazier” is frozen, remove from the mold and add to your child’s warm play water
Water-Play Accessories
Most young children love to play in the water, If you don’t have a sand/water table, a dish bin will work just as well. Your toddler may enjoy simply splashing in the water, but you enhance her enjoyment by adding a few props.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
What you need:
Sand/water table or a large shallow dish/tray
Assorted toys
The next time your child is playing with water, try adding some of these toys and props:
• Plastic metal tubes or pipes
• Straws
• Squeeze bottles
• Corks
• Strainers or sieves
• Funnels
• Basters
• Floating toys
Natural Materials
Your toddler is naturally inquisitive, and he loves to explore. You don’t have to loo far to find fascinating sensory materials for him to play with. Don’t be afraid to let him or her get dirty—that’s half the fun!
Etch a Sketch
This activity can get a bit messy, so you may want to have your child do it outside or over a bin.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Salt or cornmeal
A flat try with edges, such as a cookie sheet or shoebox lid.
1. Put some salt or cornmeal on the tray to a depth of 1/4”
2. Show your child how to use his finger to create designs. You may wish to guide your child in practicing shapes and letters, too.
3. To clear the picture, your child can either gently shake the tray or just smooth over the design with his hand.
Mud Paint
It’s okay for young children to get dirty when they play. Why not? Just be sure to do this activity outside.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
1 cup of water, or more as needed
Dirt
Old spoon
1 sheet poster board
1. Either find some mud for your child to use, or help him make some mud by adding water to dirt. Use a spoon to whip the mud up to a creamy consistency. Add more water if needed.
2. With the spoon, place a blob of mud on the poster board for your child to finger paint with.
Rock Painting
These make handy gifts as paperweights.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Rocks
Poster or tempera paint
1. Take your child outside and help him find rocks for painting. Large smooth stones for best
2. Let him paint his rocks with poster or tempera paint.
Playdough and Clay
Long before you could buy commercial Play Doh in a can people were modeling with clay. Playdough and clay activities let your child use her imagination. She can create and destroy as much as she wishes. She can preserve her creation or she can squish it down and start all over again. Don’t be surprised if your toddler is more interested in the process of working with this material than she is in crating something specific.
Pretend Food
Making pretend food is just one of many creative uses for Playdough. You may wish to sure older kitchen utensils or pick some up at a garage sale.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
What you need:
Playdough or craft clay
Kitchen utensils
Provide your child with various tools and utensils for cooking up a pretend Playdough meal. Try these tools: garlic press for making pasta, cookie cutters rolling pins, and measuring cups.
Playdough Textures
Enhance your child’s play dough fun by adding texture activities.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
What you need:
Various tools and materials to add textures to the clay
Playdough or craft clay
Provide your child with various tools and utensils for adding interesting patterns and textures to the Playdough, such as a meat mallet, potato masher, corrugated cardboard, or screen or netting.
Mini-Pots
Your child will develop fine motor skills as she explores ways to work with clay.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
What you need:
Playdough or craft clay
1. Show your child how to roll the clay into a ball. Have her use her thumb to create an indentation in the middle and then pinch the sides out wider and higher to create a basic pinch pot.
2. Show your child how to roll sections of the clay into thin coils and then place the coils together to build the walls of a pot.
Blowing Bubbles
You do not need to rely on the traditional wands that come with commercial bubble solutions. When you make your own bubble tools, you can control the size of the bubbles.
Activity for an individual child:
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
Here are jut a few ideas for making new bubble wands and tools.
• Twist together two pipe cleaners, then form them into a loop. Dip the loop into the bubble solution.
• She your child how to hold a plastic berry basket and dip it into the solution and wave his arm around to make lots and lots of bubbles all at once.
• Tie a string to one loop of an unbroken six-pack holder and dip the whole thing into the bubble solution. Wave it around like a kite to get many, many gigantic bubbles.
Miscellaneous Materials
There are many materials that you can us for your child’s sensory play. Remember, the most successful activities are ones where your child is directly involved. Perhaps these activities will inspire you to explore some new things with your child.
Shaving Cream Finger Painting
Toddlers love the feel of the shaving cream squishing through their fingers, and they enjoy the fresh smell as well. If your child can keep the mess contained on the pan, cleanup will be nice and easy.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Non-toxic shaving cream (a non-menthol variety)
Large baking pan or cookie sheet
1. Squirt a blob of shaving cream on the baking pan in front of the child.
2. Encourage your child to smear and squish th shaving cream around, as he would with finger paint. Some children will dive right in while others may be very reluctant to do this.
3. When your child is finished, simply wash the pan with hot, soapy water to remove the sticky shaving cream.
Scent Discovery
Keep safety in mind while you do this activity with your child. If you use any cleaning, cosmetic, or toxic products be sure to reinforce the idea that these products are not for the child’s use.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
Lead your child around the house and find interesting things to smell. Some suggestions include onions, lotion, cedar chips, shampoo, and spices.
Bubble Wrap Fun
Save the bubble wrap that come with packages. You can also buy quantities of it fairly cheaply. Bubble wrap, like any other plastic, can be fatal if your chlid uses it to cover his face. Always use with hand-on supervision.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
What you need:
Bubble wrap
Scissors
Tempera paint
1. Let your child enjoy popping the bubble. Show him how to roll the wrap up to pop more than one at a time.
2. Spread the bubble wrap on the ground, and let your child walk and stomp on it.
3. Cut out small squares of bubble wrap. Show your child how to bunch it up and dip it in the paint. Let him push the painted bubbles on the paper for an interesting effect.
Squishy Bags
Here is the answer if you want to pan some great sensory experiences for your young child buy you want to avoid the mess.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
2 ziplock freezer bags
Sensory materials, such as mud, pudding, or hair gel
Super-strength glue
1. Fill a freezer bag approximately halfway with your chosen sensory material.
2. Glue the bag closed. Put that bag into the second bag and glue that one securely also. Your child can now squeeze roll his sensory bag without fear of a mess.
Sensory Bottles
Sensory bottles ten to have a very calming effect on young children. They love to shake them and roll them and watch the contents swirl around.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
1 or more (20 ounce) soda bottle(s)
Water
Liquid dish detergent, or
Cooking oil and food colouring, or
Light corn syrup or clear shampoo or hair gel
Small decorative items such as sequins, buttons, or foil shapes
1. Choose whether you would like to make a bubble bottle, wave bottle or slow-motion bottle.
2. For a bubble bottle, fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with water. Add 2 tablespoons dish soap.
3. For a wave bottle, fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with water. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and a few drops of food coloring.
4. For a slow-motion bottle, fill the bottle with corn syrup, shampoo, or hair gel. Add any of the small decorative items.
5. Be sure to seal the bottles so they do not leak and your child does not have access to small parts that he can choke on.
Music Activities
It has been said that music soothes the savage beast. Whether that is true or not, you will find that music activities will engage and delight your child.
What’s Playing?
This activity will enhance your child’s listening skills and promote the auditory discrimination needed for literacy skills.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
1. Play a variety of instrumental musical selections. Select solo pieces that feature only one instrument at a time, such as dulling banjos, steel drum music, or piano solos.
2. Ask your child to identify the instrument that is playing. Some instruments are easier to identify than others. Start with drums, the tuba, and the piano.
Kazoo
This simple homemade instrument sounds a lot like the real thing.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-30 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you needed:
Pencil
Toilet paper tube
Markers
3” x 5” piece of waxed paper
Masking tape
1. Use the pencil top to poke a hoe into one wall of the tube, approximately 1” from the end.
2. Let your child decorate the tube with markers.
3. Secure the waxed paper over the end nearest the hole you created. Wrap tape around th lip to keep the waxed paper taut.
4. Show your child how to play the kazoo by pressing the little hole and humming in the open end of the tube.
Shine a Flashlight
Stick wit ha traditional flashlight rather than a laser pointer that could hurt someone’s eyes if misdirected. Of course this game is more fun in the dark!
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What you need:
Flashlight
Shine a flashlight on your child’s body parts or on objects in the room and ask your child to name them.