A Great Big List of Sensory Activities for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers & Big Kids

Inside: A great big list of fun sensory activities and experiences sorted according to age.

What is sensory play?

Sensory play is any playful activity that engages one or more of the five senses – sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing.

Sensory play

What are the benefits of sensory play?

Sensory play is important to brain development as research shows that engaging in experiences that stimulate the senses develops nerve connections within the brain (read more about sensory play and brain development here). Depending on the type of activity and the frequency of play, it can also support the development of thinking and reasoning skills, scientific and mathematical understanding, fine and gross motor skills, language and social skills. And sensory can also act as an important stress reliever for children of all ages.

Baby Sensory Play Activities

For babies and toddlers who are still mouthing objects, stick with taste safe options that are not choking hazards. You might try a little colored water in a shallow basin, or finger play with custard, a little cold cooked spaghetti, or even jelly/jello for something fun. Or try one of these baby sensory play activity ideas;

Exploring Sound Sensory Treasure Basket: Shake, jiggle and giggle with this fun basket of sensory objects to explore.

Exploring Shiny Materials Sensory Treasure Basket: Catch the eye of your little one with this shiny basket of fun!

Baby Sensory Play: Starting Out with Water Play: Babies love water. And as long as you’re there with them helping them to be safe, water is a great way for them to use their senses.

Edible Glitter Finger Paint: A fun first sensory art play idea that sparkles!

Our Pick of the Top 25 Baby Sensory Toys: It’s never too early to start working on the senses. These top baby sensory toys are the perfect addition to any home with little ones.

Sensory play activities

Sensory Activities for Preschool & Kindergarten

For older toddlers and preschoolers, sensory play is all about exploring a range of textures and manipulating materials with their hands and simple tools (tongs, spoons, cups, etc). Preschoolers and kindergarteners will enjoy the addition of small toys, such as figurines and vehicles, to add an imaginary/pretend play element to their sensory explorations too.

Once children are past the stage of mouthing objects, you can try all manner of different sensory play bases – just be mindful that supervision and some consistent expectations and guidelines about how and where the materials can be used are important. Here our our pick of the best sensory play activities for preschool and kindergarten;

31 Days of Sensory Play Ideas: A full month’s worth of sensory play ideas to keep kids active, engaged and creative every single day.

55 Sensory Bins: Did you know that a sensory bin is a fabulous, hands-on resource for children to learn and explore with? This great big list of sensory bins options invites children to use their all of their five senses in fun ways.

21+ Sensory Play Bottles: Sensory bottles are fascinating to kids and great for adults (thanks to the lack of mess!), inviting little ones to use their eyes, ears and nose to explore.

20 Best Ideas for Sensory Play for Toddlers: Just when you thought you’d never find any fresh, new sensory play ideas, this list of over 20 great ideas for toddlers provides hours of guaranteed fun!

Learning About the Five Senses with 50+ Five Senses Activities: Does your child know how to use all five of their senses? These life-sized play activities can help!

10 Sensory Pre-Writing Activities for Preschool: These sensory pre-writing activities offer fun and engaging ways to help young child learn about forming letters, whilst also giving their fine motor skills and finger muscles a workout.

5 Games To Develop the Sense of Touch: Learning is always better more fun when there are games involved!

Ice Cube Painting: The perfect creative, sensory activity to take outdoors.

Bubble Wrap Painting: Knobbly, bumpy, squishy painting fun.

Bubble Blower Painting: Bubbles + Paint = The most fun you can have painting!

10 Easy Water Play Ideas: Up the fun in your water tub or table with these simple ideas.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Sensory Bin: Pair this beloved children’s book with some sensory fun to see literacy skills explode!

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt Sensory Bin:  This fun, first story based sensory bin brings the story to life.

12 Sensory Playdough Recipes and Fun Ideas for Play: 12 great playdough recipes, each with a fun sensory twist.

Sight Word Sensory Bag: A great sensory tool for those starting out on the road to reading.

Sensory Toys for Kids of All Ages: Invite sensory play with preschoolers through to school aged children with this great big list of sensory toys for kids.

Sensory Activities for School Age Kids

Even school aged children can enjoy sensory play – just think how the slime craze has taken over the world! And sensory play can provide a wonderful form of stress release for children right through to the tween/teen years – who am I kidding, even adults can enjoy running their fingers through sand or pebbles! Get school age kids started with putty and slime with these cool ideas;

21 Silly Putty and Therapy Putty Activities & Exercises: Over 21 engaging activities to strengthen fingers and hands with putty.

10 Things to Do With Silly Putty: Even when you don’t like the feel of it!

DIY Silly Putty Recipe: Try making your own with just three ingredients.

Easy Fluffy Slime Recipe: This slime is super fluffy and squishy and not sticky at all. Thing of it like “cloud” slime!

Floam Slime Recipe: Super sensory and so stretchy, a great sensory slime to make for home play and use.

Ocean Slime Recipe: Give your child the feel of the ocean with this ocean slime recipe.

Snow Slime Recipe: This frosty wintertime slime recipe is different than all the rest.

How to Make Crunchy Slime: Slime that crackles and pops! This recipe proves that slime can be both crunchy and colorful.

Purple Monster Floam for Halloween: Get your child excited for Halloween with this purple monster floam. Makes a great Halloween party favor too.

Super Sensory Sludge – Picklebums: You call it slime…the kids call it sludge.. regardless of what it’s “proper” name is, it’s SUPER fun to feel, stretch, and mould.

Rainbow Snake Clay Pots: Warm up the fingers with these colorful clay pots made with air dry modeling clay.

Outdoor Sensory Play Activities

Take your sensory play outdoors with these fun activity suggestions;

Five Senses Scavenger Hunt {Printable}: Get kids outside exploring with this super unique scavenger hunt that engages all five of the senses.

10 Super Sandpit Play Ideas: Take sand play to the next level with these fun activities.

15 Mud Play Ideas That Kids Love: Get messy and muddy with these muddy, sensory ideas.

Ice Cube Painting: The perfect creative, sensory activity to take outdoors.

Don’t Ring the Bell Obstacle Course: Sensory play meets an outdoor obstacle course challenge for kids of all ages.

Holiday Sensory Activities

Combine sensory play with your holiday celebrations with these ideas for festive fun;

21 Fabulously Fun Sensory Play Ideas for Valentine’s Day: Get into the Valentine’s Day spirit with these fun sensory play ideas. Your child is certain to love them!

15 Easter Sensory Play Ideas: From bunnies to chicks to Easter eggs, these fun, holiday sensory play ideas are exactly what you need this Easter.

11 Dr Seuss Sensory Play Ideas: Celebrate Seuss’ birthday with some sensory fun.

Fall Sensory Play with Maple Pumpkin Playdough: This pumpkin playdough is perfect for fall.

21 Christmas Sensory Bins: Explore the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the holidays with this fun collection of Christmas themed sensory bins.

12 Days of Christmas Sensory Play: The 12 days of Christmas with a twist! This one includes 12 days of Christmas sensory play ideas.

Sensory play for kids of all ages

One Comment

  1. Jessica Cole says:

    What great ideas! Many of the outdoor games I play with kids are similar to my childhood ones.. Tug of War, Hide and Seek, Egg and Spoon Race, Tag.. Love these fresh ideas, I’m excited to try out with my kids.

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