Giving kids the freedom to be messy is not only good fun, it can help develop their hand-eye coordination and basic motor skills, too. Toddlers especially take great pleasure from exploring tactile objects – anything involving bright colors, unusual textures and satisfying sounds is bound to be a hit! Sponsor content – This is great news. I want to share with you about: colouring rice for sensory play, sensory play ideas for toddlers, christmas craft ideas for kids, sensory play ideas for babies, why is sensory play important Need extra ideas for keeping the kids entertained? Discover even more with our activities for kids guide. Top 10 Sensory Play Ideas 1. Colorful spaghetti Cook a batch of spaghetti, then divide it between bowls and add different food coloring to each one. Mix well, and soon you’ll have a whole rainbow of squidgy ‘worms’ for toddlers to play with. Sensory Play [mellis8] 2. Blowing bubbles Sponsor content – That is nice behaved. I would like to talk about: educational toys for 1 year old, educational toys for 2 year old, montessori toys for 2 year olds, what are the gross motor skills, best baby shower gifts for boy Mixed race boy blowing bubbles outdoors Mix one part washing-up liquid with six parts water to make your own homemade bubble mixture. If you don’t have store-bought wands, have fun finding your own versions. Can the children make their bubbles using a biscuit cutter, paperclip or colander? Sensory Play 3. Pom-pom sorting Blank blue envelope surrounded by multi-colored pom poms on a light wooden background and a caucasian child’s hand reaching out Create a simple matching game to teach little ones about color. Find a pack of readymade pom-poms in your local craft shop, or get an older sibling to help make a pom-pom using wool. Draw colored circles onto a large sheet of paper, then help your toddler to sort the different pom-poms into the right color groups. [mellis9] 4. Ice block treasure hunt Dinosaur in a block of ice Freeze small toys inside a block of ice and older kids can excavate their very own artefacts! Put a few toys, such as dinosaurs, in the bottom of a container, then partly fill with water and freeze; repeat until full. Provide children’s tools or cutlery and help them bash into the ice. 5. Play with slime Our simple recipe for edible slime is perfect for toddlers – it’s safe enough for them to put in their mouth to explore the texture, but we’d advise against making a meal of it! Combine cornflor, icing sugar and coconut milk with your choice of food coloring to make your own squidgy slime at home. Sensory Play [mellis10] 6. Make a mud kitchen Children outdoor wooden mud play kitchen If they’re old enough to stand, explore our mud kitchen ideas for some messy creative play. Provide some old pots, spoons and plastic bowls for them to mix together their own weird and wonderful concoctions from the garden. 7. Rainbow rice Sponsor content – That is good topic. I want to talk about: best pretend play, montessori toy, kids pretend play, montessori toys for 1 year old, wooden montessori toys Children play educational games with a sensory bin in kindergarten To make your own brightly coloured rice, put about a cup (185g) of any dried rice with your choice of gel food colouring in a container. Add ½ tsp vinegar to the rice – this stops the dye from transferring – then put the lid on and shake well to mix. Spread the rice out in a thin layer on a baking sheet to dry for 2-3 hours before using. 8. Homemade playdough Girl playing with play dough Raid the kitchen cupboards and follow our easy playdough recipe – you’ll soon have a tactile diversion that can be used time and time again. Provide some different tools to help your child engage with it, such as plastic biscuit cutters, silicone ice cube trays, small rolling pins or travel cups. 9. Make some maracas If you don’t mind a little bit of noise, learn how to make maracas and your toddler will love discovering a new sound sensation! You can either use plastic spoons and an old toy egg, or cardboard tubes to make triangular versions. Sponsor content – This is great idea. I want to talk about: montessori toys for 2 year old, busy board, 3d wooden puzzles australia, montessori toys 1 year old, wooden jigsaw puzzle 10. Fake snow There’s no need to wait for Christmas to make a snowman! Learn how to make fake snow using just three ingredients. Young children will love squishing together this ‘snow’ to make clumps and snowballs for a winter scene. You can add a few drops of food colouring for a summertime version – be sure to add the colour before the water to achieve the right consistency.