Creative Playhouse: P - T in the ABCs of Sensory Play

This is part 4 of the ABCs of Sensory Play. Please do go back and read from A-E, F-J, and K-O.

P is for Paint

Playing with paint can be ultimately sensorial; its colourful, can be textured, smelly, some can be edible... plus it can provide endless opportunities for open ended creativity. You can make a simple home made paint and add a multitude of things to to it, you can also use shaving foam as a base for paint.

Here are some ideas for sensory play with paint:

Puffy Paint
Edible Finger Paint
Super Spagetti Painting
Painting with Pine Needles and Cones from Kids Activities Blog
Glowing Fly Swatter Painting from the Artful Child
and Full Body Painting
Hand, Finger, Feet and Toe Painting Ideas from Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk
Ice Painting from Growing a Jewelled Rose
and love this No Paintbrushes Allowed Paint Station from Nurturestore
Small Potatoes has this great post on Mixing Different Paints to Expand the Senses

Q is for Quick

Setting up sensory play does not have to be time consuming or complicated. Here are some quick and easy ideas:

Play with salt, and Coloured Salt
Add some cars Trucks to Shaving Foam
Colour Mix in Shaving Foam like Rainy Day Mum
Do some Everyday Shave Cream Play like Teach Preschool
Fill a box with rice
Whip up some simple 4 Minute No Cook Playdough - this recipe from The Imagination Tree is awesome
Set up simple Playdough Playtrays for siblings or playdates
Set out a bowl of water with jugs, ladles and pans, add food colouring for extra fun
Add shells, pebbles, cars, trucks, glitter, or crushed chalk to sand
Fill a box with porridge oats, add cups and other objects like Inspiration Laboratories
Make some Goop
Have a fun bath
Set up a tray of textured craft materials like Pom Poms or Buttons

R is for Relaxation

Sensory play can be very therapeutic for both children and adults.

Take a look at our 15 Play Ideas to Help Children Calm Down for some great relaxing sensory play.

S is for Small World

Small World play is wonderful. It incorporates so much learning, imagination and sensory play. There are so many fantastic small world play ideas out there... but here are a few of ours and a few of my favourites.

Show jumping Small World Table
Ocean Small World
Small World Farm with mud playdough, cereals and grasses
Reptiles Small World
The Imagination Tree has so many amazing small world play ideas, see them all here.
Small Potatoes have this beautiful In the Fairy's Night Garden
I love Connecting Family and Seoul's Ocean Small World play
Do small world play in the bath like In Lieu of Preschool did with their gorgeous Antarctica Bath
Space Moon Scape small world from Taming the Goblin
Out of this World Playdough from Childhood Beckons

There are just so many ideas for small world play... if you have never set one up before, take a box or tray, pick a scene or theme, like 'farmyard', 'beach', 'garden', etc. and choose some simple sensory materials that you have at home and just be creative; look at pictures in books or photos on the internet for inspiration, get your little one to join in with ideas too. I bet you'll have just as much fun as your kids!

This post, 'Building a World in a Box' from Small Potatoes is great for getting started with small world play.

T is for Trays and Tubs

Sensory trays are probably the most common form of sensory play, and there is literally one for everything - have you been on pinterest lately??

Royal Baloo is doing the ABCs of Sensory Tubs so make sure you check that out.

Creating a sensory tray is pretty simple. You can make it as big or small and as simple or elaborate as you choose. You need a tub, box or tray and some basic sensory materials (see M is for Materials for over 100 ideas). Picking a theme can help, but is not essential. Place your items in the tray as randomly or as meticulously as you like (they will get messed up regardless), and you could add some sort of scoops, spoons or pots too, but hands work just as well. And then let your kids loose!

Happy Hooligans - Fall Sensory Tray

This is a fantastic post from Pin and Green Mama: 'Sensory Boxes; 101 Tips and Inspiration', and this 'Sensory Trays: why, when and where?' from Dirt and Boogers is a must read too!

Here are some sensory tray ideas that I love: