Sensory Play Ideas

There are some brilliant ideas for sensory play and recently I have come across these which are practical and developed by families to meet the needs of their sensory challenged child.  They are simple but really effective.

Developed by Familylicious, this Slime Basket looks like fun.  You can almost feel the soft, cool slime snaking through your fingers, can’t you?  It might be a little messy so make sure you set up in an area that is easy to clean or cover the floor with paper.

The Sensory Spectrum shared this clever idea for making music.  Set up a sturdy frame and hang different containers and objects.  Plastic bottles filled to different levels with rice or water make great sounds.  Empty tins, sticks of wood – anything you can find.  Then simply let your child tap or shake them, or just move them as they walk past.  The different sounds could be captivating.

GummyLump has a great idea for sensory Easter play.  Cut large Easter egg shapes out of sturdy cardboard and decorate with items that each have a different feel.  Twirled pipe cleaners, cotton wool, tinsel – whatever you can find – can be glued to the egg so that the surface feels different when you touch it.

Mom to 2 Little Divas has an idea that I would love to play with.  Fizz, Bubble & Pop! Experimenting with Vinegar + Baking Soda is a combination of science experiment and pure fizzing fun.  You know what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar but your kids won’t.  Add a dash of food colouring and you will have colourful fizz happening right in front of their eyes.

Most of these activities take imagination rather than expense to prepare and they will be just as much sensory fun for you as they are your children.