Looking for fun and easy sensory play ideas to keep your little ones engaged at home? Sensory play is not only exciting and fun for kids but also helps with brain development, fine motor skills, and creativity. Whether you’re using household items, simple DIY setups, or store-bought sensory toys, these activities will keep your child entertained while stimulating their senses. From mess-free options to hands-on fun, here are our favourite sensory play ideas you can try at home.
Sensory Sand
When I think of sensory play I automatically think of sensory sand (more commonly known as kinetic sand). It is so ridiculoudly satisfying to play with (for parents as well as kids) and very fun to build and mould with.
Ideas for play:
- Include moulds (or beach toys) for kids to build and play with
- Use cutlery to cut up the sand and practise those fine motor skills
- Squeeze the sand around animal figurines for kid to find and unbury
Where to find it:
You can find recipes to make your own kinetic sand at home, or you can buy a packet that is ready to go!
Sensory Magic Sand and Sensory Cotton Sand is available to buy from www.kidsplaycrafts.com.au
Cloud Dirt
Taste safe!
We all know how much kids love playing with dirt, but we also know that kids love to explore through putting things in their MOUTH! So this ‘cloud dirt’ is perfect as it’s taste safe and totally fine for them to pop in their mouth, while also having a fun time playing!
Ideas for play:
- Add animal figurines for kids to play around with
- Include a cup or ladel for kids to practise scooping and tipping the sand around
- Pair with small trucks for a construction site setup
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 cup of cocoa
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
Method:
- Pour all ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix until combined
Recipe from ‘The Play Card – Play Recipes’
Available to buy from various websites, including www.theplaycardco.com.au
Chalk Paint
Taste safe!
Painting is so fun, but sometimes it’s just TOO messy! However, with this chalk paint you can enjoy the fun of painting without the mess and clean up! Simply paint on the footpath or driveway (or paper, if you wish) and it will wash right off with the rain. And if it gets on their clothes, it also washes right out!
Ideas for play:
- Create multiple colours in a muffin tray and paint on the driveway or footpath
- Paint an obstacle course in the footpath and then complete it together
- Practise letter formation on the brick wall of your house
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2T cornflour
- 4T water
- liquid food colouring
Method:
- Mix cornflour and water together, creating a paste
- Add 2 drops of food colouring
- Mix again
- Repeat with each desired colour
Recipe from ‘The Play Card – Play Recipes’
Available to buy from various websites, including www.theplaycardco.com.au
Jelly/Gelatin
Taste safe!
Jelly and gelatin are so easy and cheap to find but provide such a fun sensory activity! The feel of jelly is unlike anything your children will have felt before, so watch them spend a solid 20 minutes playing and feeling and exploring this new sensory sensation!
Ideas for play:
Break apart and have it as is on their high chair or in a tray
Set it in a container with animal figurines for them to break out of the jelly
Combine blue gelatin with ‘cloud dirt’ or ‘edible sand’ to create a beach scene
Recipe:
You can find jelly in your local supermarket, or you can make your own gelatin at home
Ingredients:
750ml boiling water
4t gelatin powder
5 drops liquid food colouring
Method:
Pour boiling water into a bowl.
Add gelatin powder and stir until it dissolves.
Add food colouring.
Pour into your tray or mould and place in fridge to set overnight.
Colourful Pasta
Who remembers making necklaces and photo frames with pasta? It was fun, right?
Dying pasta various colours simply adds to the fun and creates a great sensory activity for kids that can be saved and used over and over again!
Ideas for play:
- Use penne pasta and make a pasta necklace
- Add your favourite mini figurines to explore and play in the pasta
- Include containers for kids to split the pasta into colours, or use to scoop and tip the pasta
Recipe:
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Acrylic paint
Method
- Pour pasta into a plastic zip lock bag
- Add a squirt of paint (you don’t need as much as you think!)
- Shake and passage the paint into the pasta until covered
- Pour onto parchment paper and allow to dry
- Repeat with desired colours
Finger Paint
Taste safe!
Edible finger paint is so much fun! It’s made with ingredients you already have at home and will provide lots of fun for your children! Older children can use finger paint to practise their letter formations or just to draw fun pictures, while younger children can just feel and explore!
Ideas for play:
- Place on baby’s high chair tray and let them explore
- Place in a baking tray and provide paint brushes for them to paint and draw with
- Put various colours in little tubs and let them mix, paint, create on their own
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2T plain/greek yoghurt
- 2 drops liquid food colouring
Method:
- Mix yoghurt and food colouring in a bowl.
- Repeat for every colour.
Playdough Kit
Taste safe!
I know some parents aren’t a fan of playdough (especially on carpets), but there is SO MUCH that can be done with playdough. From just feeling and playing with it, to rolling it into worms and making words, to making animals and stamping patterns, it is so versatile! A playdough kit is especially fun as it comes with all of the goodies required to keep your kids busy for a good amount of time.
Ideas for play:
- Use a rolling pin to roll it flat and then stamp it with items around the house to make different shapes and patterns
- Use a knife to cut it into pieces and practise fine motor skills
- Make your favourite animal or character using the playdough
- Roll playdough into worms and see if your kid can make their name with it
Recipe:
Where to find it:
You can find recipes to make your own playdough at home, or you can but some ready to go.
Playdough kits are available to buy from Little Pelican via Instagram @little.pelican or email hello@littlepelican.com.au
Edible Sand
Taste safe!
Similar to the cloud dirt, this is a super fun (and taste safe) sensory activity for kids to play, explore and feel without you stressing about them popping a little bit into their mouth!
Ideas for play:
- Add your favourite animal figures to create a farm scene
- Pair with blue jelly/gelatin and figurines to create a beach scene
- Bury figurines in the sand for your kids to dig up with a shovel or a spoon
- Include cups for your kid to practise scooping and pouring
Recipe:
Edible sand can be made by crushing up biscuits (digestives are perfect because they’re crumbly!) or wheat bix. Place in a zip lock bag and pound with a rolling pin, or blitz it in your food processor.
Water
Taste safe!
Water is free! Water is everywhere! Water isn’t messy! Water is so much fun!
Water is definitely my go to when my kids are a little unhappy as it always captures their attention and makes them happy again. Who doesn’t love splashing about in a bit of water?
Ideas for play:
- Fill the sink and place your child’s feet in the water for them to kick and splash about
- Put water in a tray and add bath toys and figurines to play with
- Turn on the sprinkler and let them run around squealing with joy!
- Buy a water table for them to pour water down the little pipes and tracks while practising their scooping and pouring skills
- Pair with the ‘cloud dirt’ to make mud! This definitely removes the ‘mess-free’ aspect of water play, but gosh its fun!
Recipe:
Turn on tap. The end.
Mess Free Painting
Want to make a cute birthday card for someone but don’t want any mess? This mess-free painting hack is perfect as it makes a beautiful artwork made by your BABY, but there is absolutely no clean up! And, it’s so smooshy and fun, your kids will love it!
Ideas for play:
- Make it into a homemade card
- Get your kids to do a mess-free painting each year as a tradition on their birthday
- Create a statement art piece for the nursery or play room
How to do it:
Tools:
- Paper, cardboard or canvas
- Zip lock bag (big enough to fit paper/canvas)
- Acrylic paint
Method
- Pop splotches of paint of various colours on the canvas/paper. You don’t need to add too much, and try not to add too many different colours or it could end up brown.
- Place the canvas inside the zip lock bag and seal it TIGHTLY (it’s best to remove as much of the air as you can to avoid it popping open).
- Place on the floor, or tape it to baby’s highchair, and let them smoosh and slap the paint around the canvas, creating a fun abstract artwork.
- Remove from the zip lock bag and place somewhere to dry.
Some of the products in this post were given to us free of charge to be included in this article.
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