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Don’t you just love sensory play?
It’s magical stuff that can get a child in the grottiest of moods smiling.
Stompy angry kids are calmed. Bored whingers utterly absorbed. And even very little ones are happy to give you 10 minutes space to make tea.
And … a big AND … it is seriously NO prep!
Of course sensory play can be fancy and you can prep all sorts of stuff if you have time.
But on those days … like most! … when I’m back footed and winging it simple no prep sensory play is my best friend. Just grab a tub, tray, box, bowl, jar, bag, board, sauce pan, colander … whatever … and add stuff.
Stuff that can be pulled and stretched and scrunched and rubbed and poured and stirred and splodged and shaken and rattled and so so much more …
Sometimes the sensory play morphs way into other imaginative play or “science” or cooking or sticking or even maths but mostly it’s just enough to the textures, smells, sounds and even tastes!
And in case you need inspiration, here’s more than 50 ideas for stuff that you can offer in all sorts of combinations … both indoors and out … for sensory exploration …
50 No Prep Ideas for Sensory Play Activities
- Sand
- Rice
- Jelly / Jello
- Mud
- Dry pasta
- Flour & water … it might end up as play dough, but it might not
- Paint
- Shaving foam
- Water beads
- Dish washing bubbles
- Cooked spaghetti
- Dry cereal
- Straw
- Tissue paper
- Shiny paper
- Furry material
- Pop corn
- Bubble wrap
- Sawdust
- Snow
- Fake snow
- “Moon sand”
- Food colouring
- Coffee beans
- Ice cubes
- Leaves
- Rocks
- Flowers
- Shells
- Sticks
- Beads
- Nuts
- Sequins
- Buttons
- Feathers
- Marbles
- Old or plastic jewellery
- Fir cones
- Conkers
- Snails – yes, real ones!
- Worms – yes, again real ones!
- Magnets with magnetic & non-magnetic objects
- Letters
- Colours
- Dinosaurs
- Bear hunt
- Farm animals
- Insects
- Sea side
- Oceans
- Pirate treasure
- Diggers and road works
- Boats
- Shredded color paper or “grass”
- Sensory balloons
I hope you find some ideas in here that you and your child love. Happy sensory playing!