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
Take a look at our 15 Play Ideas to Help Children Calm Down for some great relaxing sensory play.
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!
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:
I could go on and on and on.......... are you inspired yet?? :)
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!
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:
- Golden Cinnamon - The Imagination Tree
- Glowing Halloween - Creative Playhouse
- Tea and Coffee Tray - Creative Playhouse
- Happy Hooligans have lots of gorgeous sensory trays
- Construction Tray - Pre-school Play
- Winter Tub - Mom's Heart
- Fall [Autumn] Sensory Tub - Counting Coconuts
- St Patrick's Day - Jada Roo
- Pond Life - Jada Roo
- Garden Sensory Tub - Our Cup of Tea
- Easter Bin - Olives and Pickles
- Christmas Sensory Bin - Love, Play and Learn
- Christmas Peppermint Bin - Stir the Wonder
- Valentines Sensory Tray - Dirt and Boogers
- Name Recognition - Smiling Like Sunshine
- Moon Dust - The Imagination Tree
- Butterfly Play Scape - Taming the Goblin
- Summer Sensory Tray - A Day in the Life of the Browns
- Hedgehog Hibernation - The Imagination Tree
- Flowers and Fairies - The Imagination Tree
I could go on and on and on.......... are you inspired yet?? :)
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