Engaging Sensory Play For Toddlers

This post may contain affiliated links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure statement here.

This post is all about sensory play for toddlers.

Does sensory play for toddlers intimidate you?  There are so many options, and which one is the best for your toddler, when should you start, and more.  It seems like such a big, fancy, overcomplicated activity, but really it isn't. 

If any of these thoughts sound familiar, don't worry, you've found the right place! You're about to learn what sensory play is, in simple terms and easy activities you can start implementing today.

 Don't let your fear hold you or your toddlers back from learning. 

SENSORY PLAY FOR TODDLERS

What Is Sensory Play

Sensory play is a learning activity to enhance a toddler's five senses through play. It encourages exploration and discovery. Children are able to interact, connect,  and understand the world around them through sensory play. Simply, it's playing using their five senses, sounds easy enough, right? See nothing to be scared of!

Why Sensory Play Is Important 

There are so many reasons why sensory play for toddlers is crucial to early childhood development. It helps develop the brain, complex thinking, and memory. Sensory play aids in emotion regulation through calming effects. Encourages creative play, critical thinking, problem-solving, and exploration. It also helps strengthen fine motor skills, social skills, taking turns, oral communication, balance, and more. 

When a toddler's senses are strong, it opens the door for more complex learning down the road.

When Can You Start Sensory Play

From birth! God designed children to be natural explorers, and this starts from the day they are born. They are naturally seeking and exploring the world. You can easily adjust sensory play activities for the age. For example, babies can have blankets with different textured tags, 1-year-olds can have gel or Play-Doh in a taped baggie that is taped to the highchair with adult supervision, or textured books.

Sensory Play Activities

These sensory play for toddlers ideas are mostly mess-free. However, I promise the messy ones are the most fun for everybody!

1. Shaving cream: The ideas are endless! Draw simple shapes, numbers, letters, and their name with their fingers. Add food coloring to add some flair. 
2. Finger painting: Place a small amount of washable paint on a plate for the children to use their fingers to create their masterpieces. You can add paper with a few drops of paint inside a baggie for a mess-free painting. 
3. Play-Doh: Store-bought or homemade, it doesn't matter, just get it out! Have them roll it, pinch it, and stretch it. Use play-dough tools, stamps, and loose parts. These Play-Doh mats are another great tool to add!
4. Mud: Have an area outside or a container where they can explore dirt and mud. Hands down a fan favorite every single day!
5. Bubble wrap paint: Save the bubble wrap from all of those Amazon boxes! Allow children to paint them and then press them onto paper for a cool design. Ideas are endless with bubble wrap.
6. Cooked spaghetti noodles: Add food coloring for extra fun. Hide small items for the children to find or provide Play-Doh scissors to practice those fine motor skills, too.
7. Filled balloon: Fill balloons with different items such as rice or confetti. Let the children play with the balloons. Pro-tip: make it into a game, the floor is lava, then you're burning their energy while involving sensory play!
8. Ice cube play: Provide droppers, ice cubes, paint, paintbrushes, and let the children explore. You can freeze small items in the ice cubes and have children save them. Or add hot water, cold water, and salt in different containers, allowing the children to explore which helped melt the ice faster.
9. Barefoot walk: Create a path with different textures and have children take off their socks and shoes, exploring the textures. For a bonus, have them do it with their eyes closed and attempt to guess what it is.
10. Sensory bins: Add fillers and items for them to explore. Fillers can be pinto beans, black beans, rice, oatmeal, kinetic sand, etc. Items can be small animals, letter magnets, numbers, mini erasers etc. These themed sensory bins for hands-on math activities and number recognition are so fun, and my daycare children love them! The younger children that don't know how to count or recognize numbers yet are still being introduced to the numbers and the importance of sensory play.
11. Sound walk: Go on a walk and have children listen for the different sounds they hear. Discuss what the sound is and where it's coming from.
12. Rain puddles: Yep, just try me!
13. Scavenger hunt nature style: Create a list of items for the children to find. Use pictures for the children that can't read yet. Items such as a smooth rock, a rough rock, a crunchy leaf, a green leaf, etc. 
14. Water play: Using a container or water table, water, cups, spoons, and bowls, let the children explore. You can add food coloring to the water to add some flair. Have children find items and determine if they will sink or float. 
15. Books, books, books: Reading is the most important tool that you can provide a child from birth for their development. Pick books that have bright colors, images, and different textures.