Sensory play is a type of play that stimulates the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. It’s an integral part of toddler development, as it helps them explore the world, learn new skills, and express their creativity. Sensory play for toddlers can also support cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth.
Are you looking for some easy and fun sensory play activities for your toddler? You can try these five ideas that we use at our Montessori preschool. Each activity focuses on one of the senses, but you can also combine them for a multisensory experience.
Sight: Color Mixing
You’ll need clear plastic cups, water, and food coloring to enjoy this experiment. At preschool, we fill the cups with water and add a few drops of different food coloring to each one. You can use containers or tubs that are readily available. Then, let your toddler mix the colored water in various combinations and see what colors they can create. You can also use white paper or a tray to catch the mixed water and observe the colors.
Warning: Sensory play for toddlers can get messy!
Sound: Musical Instruments
This creative task requires some household items that can make sounds, such as pots, pans, spoons, bells, shakers, or anything else you can find. Arrange them on the floor or a table and let your toddler explore the different sounds they can make. At our Montessori, we also play music and encourage little ones to join in with their instruments.
Touch: Play Dough
You’ll need some play dough for this activity, which you can buy or make at home. You can also add some tools, such as cookie cutters, rolling pins, or stamps. Let your toddler manipulate the play dough with their hands and fingers and create different shapes and textures. At our preschool and daycare, we introduce concepts, such as colors, numbers, or letters, by making them with play dough.
Pro tip: get involved with sensory play for toddlers to bond with your child.
Smell: Scented Bottles
You’ll need some small plastic bottles, cotton balls, and different scents, such as vanilla, lemon, lavender, or peppermint, to do this exercise. Put a few drops of each scent on a cotton ball and place it inside a bottle. Then, let your toddler smell the bottles and try to guess what they are.
Taste: Fruit Salad
For this delicious project, you’ll need some fresh fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, or berries. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl. Then, let your toddler taste the fruits and try to identify them. You can also talk about the fruits’ colors, shapes, and textures and how they’re good for their health.
Sensory play for toddlers is a great way to have fun and learn at the same time. By engaging the five senses, we help toddlers attending Centerra Ranch Montessori School develop their curiosity, imagination, and confidence.
Contact us today to schedule a tour of our family-oriented preschool and learn more about our infant care, daycare, afterschool programs, and more.
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