Affiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Spring brings warmer weather, outdoor activities, and fun changes to see and do. Kids of all ages can explore the world around them through these sensory activities.
I am absolutely in love with these amazing spring sensory activities for toddlers and preschoolers that I found. I know your kids are going to love playing with these too. What a fun way to celebrate the coming of spring and warmer weather.
Spring sensory play table of contents
What are the benefits of sensory play?
What are sensory activities examples?
What are the benefits of sensory play?
Sensory play has many benefits, especially for the toddler and preschool age demographic. This includes:
Physical development through exploring the 8 senses
Language development
Cognitive skills like problem-solving and STEM exploration
Social and emotional skills to help with self-regulation and playing with others
Creative development
Sensory input through the 8 senses to help with sensory challenges or self-regulation skills
Fine motor skill development
Visual-motor skill development
Plus, sensory play is so much fun!
You can read more details on the benefits ofsensory play and messy play in my blog post here.
What are sensory activities examples?
Sensory activities are any type of activity that engages the 8 senses. Yes, there are 8! You probably think of sensory activities as messy play, but it can be so much more than that.
The 8 senses include:
Tactile (touch)
Vision (sight)
Gustatory (taste)
Auditory (hearing)
Olfactory (smell)
Proprioception (body awareness and input from the muscles and joints)
Vestibular (sense of balance)
Interoception (internal sensations such as hunger, thirst, and bathroom needs)
Sensory play activities can target one or more of each of the sensory systems. Many of these activities can have a regulating effect on children, particularly if they need help with attention and focus throughout the day. All children benefit from sensory play though, as we discussed above.
You can read more about all 8 of the sensory systems here.
20+ Fun Spring Sensory Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Here are some fun spring-themed sensory play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.
Sensory Binsare a great way to encourage sensory exploration and play, here are some of my favorites for spring.
Water beadsare another fun sensory play base. You can also use tapioca pearls for younger toddlers who may still put things in their mouths, or if you want a more environmentally friendly activity.
Water tablesare a great spring sensory play activity since you can set them up outside to help avoid the watery mess. Here are a few fun water-based ideas.
Sensory bottles are a great way to set up some sensory play and emotional regulation stations in your home or classroom. There are so many fun-themed ones, here are a few of my favorite spring ones.
Sensory bags are a great way for children to explore while avoiding some of the mess. It's a great first activity for children who may not want to get messy. It can also be a great idea for younger toddlers so they don't put things in their mouths.
Do you have a favorite spring sensory play activity idea? Share it in the comments below!
You May Also Like:
20+ Easy Spring Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
Ocean and Beach Themed Sensory Activities
25 Water Hands-On Activities for Kids
25 Sand Hands-On Activities for Kids
Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.
Sensory play is any activity that stimulates our senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It helps children interact with and make sense of the world that surrounds them.
But do you know why they're so vital and why they're even more important for children as they grow? Sensory play focuses on activities that engage your child's senses, helping them develop language skills and motor skills. It also helps with cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.
Sensory play is a vital aspect of childhood development, offering children valuable opportunities to explore their environment, engage their senses, and make sense of the world around them. Research indicates that sensory play has numerous benefits for children's cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional development.
It's simple for children to enjoy sensory play when you create a sensory bin for them to explore. To create a sensory bin, simply fill a small tub or container with objects from nature such as leaves, rocks, and sand that have different textures for your little one to explore.
Introducing preschoolers to the concept of the five senses at an early age is not only fun but also immensely beneficial for their cognitive and sensory development. Understanding the five senses – sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound – helps children make sense of the world around them.
Our favorite sensory play ideas for toddlers to preschoolers and beyond include sensory bins, sensory bottles, playdough, slime (especially taste-safe slime for younger kids), water play, messy play, and more. You can make so many unique sensory play ideas from convenient supplies!
What is Sensory Play? In essence, sensory play includes play that engages any of your child's senses. This includes touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. But it also covers movement, balance, and spatial awareness.
Oversensitivity to pain, temperature, and touch; experiencing strong reactions when feeling touched. Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Easily distracted by continuous, loud sounds.
Messy play is the open-ended exploration of materials and their properties. Activities like squishing clay, pouring sand, and sorting stones allow children to repeat and experiment as they like. Children are naturally curious, and messy play engages their senses at a developmental level that is appropriate for them.
Food play and other sensory activities help children learn through hands-on approaches. They're used as a form of therapy for children with sensory processing disorders. They also help any child develop language and motor skills by engaging their senses.
Messy and sensory play is extremely important for a child's development. It provides children with an exciting tactile and sensory experience that inspires their curiosity, allows them to explore the world around them and enhances their learning, language and creativity.
Playdough is a great sensory and learning experience for children. Playing with playdough is good for creativity, muscle strength and fine motor skills.
Messy play includes hands-on activities that encourage exploratory play in the nursery. Anything can be used to facilitate messy play activities in EYFS: paint, water, sand, shaving cream, jelly, mud, soil and more. Messy play offers many benefits for child development – it's also really fun!
It's so satisfying to watch children learn and develop through various sensory play activities that are often quick, cheap and easy to create for them.
What is Sensory Play? In essence, sensory play includes play that engages any of your child's senses. This includes touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. But it also covers movement, balance, and spatial awareness.
Compare it to how most people feel when they touch a hot stove. To your child, an itchy sweater might feel just as intense and uncomfortable. Or the loud siren that annoys you might really hurt your child's ears. Giving concrete examples can help family and friends better understand.
One of the main benefits of sensory play for preschoolers is that it encourages them to use their senses to explore their environment and discover new things. This then helps them develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as they learn to make connections and identify patterns.
Sensory rooms provide environments in which they can experience special sound and visual effects, tactile experiences, vibration, use of aromas and music in many combinations and variations.
Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
