3 Simple Spring Sensory Play Ideas

Spoiler Alert: SENSORY PLAY SHOULD BE SIMPLE! These are SIMPLE spring sensory ideas to carry you through April!!

Phew! Let’s all breathe a sigh of deep relief! Simple is good.

Sometimes the word sensory play makes us cringe because of the "Pinterest worthy creations" that cost a crazy amount of time and money to be put together... They are beautiful and eye-catching but I always find myself wondering how... or why!?

Somehow over the last few years sensory play has become this elaborate and expensive trendy kind of play that makes us too stressed and overwhelmed to even try it. I don’t subscribe to that kind of sensory play… because it’s not necessary and it’s not what is best for children.

Sensory play is a staple in our house because it’s simple for me to set up and essential for my daughter’s development! It’s such a crucial way to foster growth and independent confidence for our children. Did you know that simple sensory play builds language skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, cognitive function, imagination, creativity and regulates the nervous system? It’s a powerful way to play and it can be so simple to set up!

Here are some easy and very inexpensive ideas to spice up your sensory playlist with this spring!

All of these sensory set ups include items found very frugally at the local dollar stores, grocery aisles, outside or occasionally the junk drawer! It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive to do sensory play in a meaningful way!

All you need to set up a sensory station is some kind of tray or bin. You don’t need a whole table, or space designated for sensory play! You just need one container big enough to house and hold the material. Some people prefer two bins: one for materials and one for tools. It’s personal preference and really…you can just use what you have! Your children or students won’t really care because they’ll be completely enthused by the invitation to play and explore!!!

1. Carrot Plant & Pull

This one was so fun to put together! It’s my favourite one to play in myself. Yes, I play in the sensory bins haha, I’m only human! Adults need sensory experiences too, okay! Don’t judge me!

I’m so ready for us to get into the real garden but this will have to do for now!

Materials:

1. Black Beans (dry) - $3 @ grocery store or use actual soil if you have it and it’s not a mucky muddy mess like it is where I live.

2. Pretend carrots - $1.50 @ dollar store, use baby carrots, use anything orange that resembles a carrot, wooden carrots from other toys, make some felt carrots, it can be anything!

3. Mini garden tools - $4 @ dollar store but spoons work just as fine!!

4. Containers with depth for ‘planting’ - use what you have at home, cups work great, pots, bowls, ceramic bread dish.

VOILA!

The key with sensory play (in my personal and professional opinion) is to set it up and leave it. I never explain or show my daughter the set up. I never show her how or what to do with it. This way her imagination and creativity have to step in order for her to engage with the materials! Sometimes she does exactly what I think I’d do with it! She might transfer beans to the tiny pots and plant individual carrots, but she may also plant them all in the big garden box. She may count them, she may put the pots in the big garden box with carrots inside, the beans might get dumped out into the bins and swirled around for 10 minutes. It really doesn’t matter what she does — her play is stimulating her brain in so many incredible ways.

2. Egg Colour Match

The colours of this one just make me so happy! Pastels? Yes, PLEASE!

What do you need?

1. Black Beans (dry) - $3 @ grocery store or any other bin filler: dried chickpeas, corn, rice, pasta, that crazy crinkled and crimped easter basket paper stuff... whatever you like!

2. Mini Easter Eggs - $2 or something @ dollar store, but literally any eggs of any size will work...

3. Egg Cups - $4 maybe @ dollar story, but it could be bowls with coloured paper in the bottom.

4. Tongs - from your kitchen drawer... I have these mini ones but you don't need mini ones. Tongs are excellent fine motor/grip strength tools. These are an incredible muscle and hand tone builder for writing later on -- if you don't have tongs (which you likely already do) please get some so you kids/students can squeeze on them!

The cups became scoopers, the tongs picked up eggs, picked up beans, picked up cups, the eggs got sorted by colour and also, did not get sorted by colour, the eggs got 'hidden' in the beans and then found with the tongs... it was a play exploration of all kinds.

3. Chick Hatch

This was a hit at our house! Like of all the bins... this was the winner. Hatching chicks… I mean, how cute!! Endless little peeps were heard and there was the joyous welcoming of new sibling chicks... it just melted my heart. She first put all the chicks in the eggs, pushed them in the beans, talked to them, cracked them, hid them under the eggs, made them into little families... the options were really endless...That's the thing about this kind of play, there is no one way to do it!

Materials:

1. Black Beans (dry) - $3 @ grocery store or use any other kind of bin filler you have! I keep my bin fillers all in big Ziploc bags in a drawer so I can swap it all out easily.

2. Eggs that crack - $4 @ dollar store, any size works! You want eggs that have to crack and put back together. Excellent for fine motor development and grip strength for writing but also a superb visual motor strengthener - think hand eye coordination and visual memory! Getting those eggs lined up just right to squeeze together is an absolute skill!

3. Mini chicks - $4 @ dollar store, every dollar store I have been in around here has these in multiple sizes! If you can't find them, get some big fluffy yellow pop-poms, googly eyes, hot glue and tiny orange paper for beaks and make 5-6!

4. Container for the hatchlings - little box, bowl, tray... doesn't really matter.

Hopefully these inspire some similar sensory play in your house or get your own crafty brain coming up with something else for your little that you know they'll love based on what you have at home! You are full of great ideas for your child/students... after all, you know them the very best!!

Happy spring time playing!!

-Ashley

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