Rainy weather can lead to spending more time indoors and that can mean looking for activities to do with our kids. Sensory play is any activity that stimulates children’s senses: touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Though sensory play, children of all ages explore and naturally use scientific processes while they play, investigate, create and discover new sensations. I have put together a list of five crafts to try with your kids. All require some parental assistance depending on your child’s ages. I would recommend they not be done near carpeted areas of your house. They all have easy to find ingredients and quick prep times.
Calming Bottle
This three ingredient craft could be made with any theme in mind and any colour palette. It would take less than 10 minutes to create. These glitter bottles can be used for any age. They can help be calming and relaxing for all, great for autistic or special needs children, for sensory purposes, stress reliever, boredom buster or as a timer.
Moon Sand
I really appreciate being able to do crafts with things that we would normally find in our house. This recipe calls for flour, vegetable oil and food colouring. Moon or kinetic sand is easily moldable yet free flowing. Moon sand aids in fine motor development. You can squish, squeeze or mold it with an endless amount of possibilities. This would be a great stress reliever as well for all ages.
Photo by Early Learning Ideas
Painting with Bubbles
This activity could be used with paint or food colouring. The most challenging part of this craft will be to find a good paint to soap ratio. This craft can be scientifically educational for kids by teaching them about mixing colour combinations, experimenting with different shapes and straws.
Kool-Aid Slime
I feel like families either love slime or hate it. My 11-year-old uses hers as a stress reliever. For those who love it, this recipe can be made with Psyllium husk or Metamucil. It is edible but not encouraged for consumption. The benefits of making slime is quality time together making this science experiment, it is great for tactile sensory play and a great stress relieving tool.
Photo by The Imagination Tree
Frozen Dinosaur Eggs
This craft could be easily customized to toys you have on hand– farm animals, cars, etc. This would require some pre-planning as you would need fill the balloons with the figurines and freeze them in advance. You can customize each balloon with glitter or food colouring as well. Children can play with the eggs in a sensory bin and problem-solve different ways to have the figurines escape.