[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Were you told not to play with your food growing up?
Studies show that preschoolers who play with their food are more likely to try different fruits and vegetables than those who don’t. Although this may just sound like an excuse to let your kiddos make a mess, this research is a testament to a type of learning called
sensory play.
Believe it or not, a child’s brain is approximately
90% developed by age six. Although complex concepts are not taught until older ages, babies and toddlers grow and develop at rapid speeds. Their brains are like sponges, absorbing enormous amounts of information as they learn new sights, sounds, smells and feelings. While there are many ways to teach little ones about their surroundings, sensory play is an excellent (and fun) way to encourage little ones to use their senses and teach them firsthand about the world around them.
Play is essential for developing children’s budding skills such as creativity, problem-solving, motor skills and collaboration. The good news? Sensory play is second nature. It’s easy to teach and learn and doesn’t require fancy products or lesson plans. Here are the best cheap and educational sensory play activities for toddlers!
Sensory Activities for Toddlers
Before we dive into sensory play ideas for toddlers, let’s cover the basics of sensory play and how this practice can benefit your little one.
What is sensory play?
Sensory play is any activity that utilizes the senses – sound, sight, smell, touch or taste. Sensory play is not one-size-fits-all. There are so many ways to go about these fun learning practices. It can be as complicated as a sandbox filled with different types of toys or as simple as putting raw
almonds in a Ziploc bag with water. Whether you practice stirring, mixing, pouring or just observing different materials and textures, the options are endless, and each session of sensory play can be tailored to fit your unique circumstances. Based on your materials on hand and your little one’s personality, there are countless cheap and fun ways to encourage your little one to learn!
Benefits of sensory play
At the surface level, sensory play appears simple. However, it teaches more skills than you may think. Here are the many benefits of practicing sensory play with your little one:
Fine and gross motor skills
Sensory play can aid in fine motor skill development through tactile play by teaching coordination and the use of hand muscles. Tactile exercises and exploring new textures and shapes is a great way to teach independent skills like buttoning buttons, zipping coats and tying shoes. Additionally, gross motor skills like walking, jumping, sitting, throwing, etc. are all encouraged by further exploring their senses and surroundings.
Thinking outside the box
Coming up with sensory play activities sometimes requires a bit of thinking outside the box. Similarly, sensory play
teaches independent thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills. These simple activities help children
build nerve connections in their brain pathways, which is an essential part of cognitive development. They’ll help your child think independently, make connections, explore their environment, and better understand cause and effect!
Language development
Sensory play encourages language development as children talk through their experiences and communicate their emotions and thoughts. Children can better understand how to express themselves effectively as they talk about what is going on in front of them and the emotions they feel watching real-time cause and effect.
Emotional regulation
Sensory play provides an outlet for children to express themselves. This can help ground children who have difficulty calming down or focusing. On the other hand, it’s a great way to provide stimulation for children who are bored or inactive. Sensory play has long-term developmental benefits in addition to short-term emotional regulation.
Socialization
Sensory play with family or friends encourages the development of social skills. Problem-solving with others, communication, compromise and sharing are all benefits of engaging with others through sensory play. Since sensory play has no rules, it’s an inclusive way for children to learn with and from their peers of all ages.
Sensory play ideas for toddlers
Now that we’ve covered how sensory play can benefit your kiddo, let’s dive into the best cheap and educational sensory play activities for toddlers!
Sensory bins
Sensory bins are an easy win. You can use whatever you have in your cabinet to keep your little one entertained and teach them about different textures and shapes. Sensory bins are a foolproof way to keep babies busy, and once they’re a little older, you can add in some dolls or figurines for imaginative play. You could have them scoop objects from one container to the next, or just promote tactile learning by having them touch different consistencies.
Try these ideas to fill up your sensory bins:
The great thing about sensory bins is that the options are endless! Stick a few
sponges and toys in the water to show sinking and floating, add dry or cooked
pasta (or both) or throw in a bunch of ribbons to encourage your little one to learn different sights, sounds, touches and smells.
Washing toys
This activity is a great way to make chores feel fun! Gather a bunch of toys into a big bin full of water, throw in some
dish soap, and have them scrub away. You can use plastic kitchen pieces like cups or plates or any toys you have lying around. (It might even teach your kid to love chores!)
This big tub of
Method Dish Soap is perfect for doing dishes
and practicing sensory play. Since it’s 54 oz, you can use it for both without worrying about running out quickly. This dish soap is cruelty-free and made without parabens, phthalates or phosphates. It cuts through grease with ease and is scented with bergamot, lemon, rosemary and notes of crisp marine.
Pouring activities
Have your little one practice pouring from cup to cup. You can use just water, or incorporate different consistencies like
jello,
beans, soapy water – whatever you have in your cabinet. To eliminate mess, keep the cups inside a big bin for easy cleanup.
Finger painting
Finger painting is a fantastic way to pass the time while teaching creativity. However, things can get messy quickly. This
finger-painting soap is the perfect solution! It allows your little one to get as messy as they’d like without worrying about cleaning up the aftermath. It’s cruelty-free, non-GMO and made without SLS, parabens, harsh chemicals or sulfates. It’s safe for bath time, tubs and bodies, and it easily wipes away with just warm water!
Bath time bubbles
Bath time offers lots of opportunities for splashing, bubbles and fun activities to encourage learning and development. For a simple learning activity, have your child scoop bubbles from one cup and pour them into another. This
Fresh Monster Kids & Baby Set is complete with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a 2X super concentrated bubble bath. It’s cruelty-free, vegan and made without sulfates, BPA, toxins, dyes, parabens or synthetic fragrances. It’s perfect for creating extra bubbly baths!
Multicolor bath bombs
These
Patcha Soap Co. Bath Bombs are another way to incorporate sensory play at bath time. The pack comes with 6 froth bombs in red, blue and yellow that are made from real fruit, Epsom salt, oatmeal and plant-based oils to hydrate the skin and make bath time more fun. You can use one bath bomb at a time or combine them to make new color creations. Made without animal products, gluten, sulfates, or parabens, these bath bombs are gentle on the skin while demonstrating cause and effect in real-time.
Shaving cream painting
This sensory activity is simple to set up and so much fun. Fill a container with
shaving cream and put drops of
food coloring in different spots. Your little one will love mixing the colors and making different paintings in the shaving cream!
This
Watkins Assorted Food Coloring Pack is made with 100% pure vegetable juices and spices like turmeric, spirulina extract and beet juice. It’s gluten-free and formulated without any FD&C dyes for safe, vibrant color.
Treasure hunting
This exciting activity entails filling a container or box with sand and hiding small toys throughout. (If you don’t have access to sand, you can even use
flour!) Using a toy shovel, spoon or even just their hands, your kiddo can “dig for treasure” and find all the different hidden pieces.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174702" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1714408719643{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/the-unscented-company-dish-soap-unscented-refill"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174701" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1714408734310{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/simply-delish-natural-jel-dessert-mix-sugar-free"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174700" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1714408750123{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/simple-truth-kids-finger-painting-soap-cotton-candy"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
