Sensory Activities Archives ⋆ Page 24 of 31 ⋆ Parenting Chaos

Glow in the Dark Sensory Rice

December 9, 2020October 8, 2015 by Stephanie Oswald

Ever been in one of those situations where you need your kids preoccupied safely so you can work? I have and that is how this fun glow in the dark sensory rice idea was born 😉

So, we have now been here for seven months and I am still unpacking. I don’t think it has ever taken me this long to get my life organized. It has been crazy. With the hubs working long hours during the day we decided to invest in some photography lights so that I could hang out with the kids and work on the house while he was at work and then go to my job at night.

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough

December 9, 2020September 20, 2015 by Stephanie Oswald

Alrighty guys, I have held out on this as long as I could. But with only a couple more days until Fall equinox I think I am safe in sharing…PUMPKINS! Don’t worry, I am not a pumpkin latte girl so ya’ll wont be bombarded with drink recipes. But, I do love just about everything else pumpkin. How could I not? This Pumpkin Spice Play Dough is an awesome way to greet Autumn and fill your home with some fantastic scents through play!

I absolutely love making homemade play dough for the kids. With how quickly we spend through play dough, it is definitely a must…otherwise my pocket book would be taking quite the hit.

Frog Egg Slime! A Slippery Squishy Sensory Bin

April 8, 2016September 17, 2015 by Stephanie Oswald

Frog Egg Slime! A Squishy Slipper Sensory Bin

Earlier this summer we were able to visit this amazing natural playground in Rochester, MN. If ya’ll ever go through there make sure to stop and visit (it is called Oxbow). While we were there we got to see Frogs and Toads up close and it was super cool. This experience spurred on a fascination with frogs for my kids. Ya’ll are never going to believe what this Frog Egg Sensory Bin is made out of, but it was perfect for setting up some pretend play while learning about the anatomy of Frog Eggs.

Ok…so it looks gross. I know. But if you ask me Frogs fit into that slimy gross category. We just did this activity the other day and my kids are already asking to do it again. This sensory bin is a blast!

Shaving Cream Clouds on a Mirror

April 8, 2016September 6, 2015 by Stephanie Oswald

Every day we head to the park, even if it is only for 10 minutes. It’s a simple ritual that I greatly enjoy. A brief time of silence as the kids run around and have fun. The other day while we were at the park Meatball noticed a couple grey clouds. Not being able to verbalize what he was seeing, he acted it out until I understood. Following his curiosity we decided on painting shaving cream clouds once we got home.

This activity turned out to be so much more fun than I expected. In the past we have had a ton of fun playing with shaving cream but, quite honestly I expected this activity to not hold his attention for that long being outside and all. If given the choice Meatball is not one to pick sedentary activities outdoors…but leave it to him, this one definitely was not what I expected it to be.

Hammering Water Beads

May 21, 2017September 5, 2015 by Stephanie Oswald

So…it’s no secret that my kids LOVE water beads. At least twice a week they are requesting that the water beads get pulled out. While I love sensory bins, there are times (especially when the weather outside is beautiful) that we need to be exploring more than a bin. Hammering Water Beads is a fantastic way to take a water bead sensory bin and extend the play into some gross motor fun.

The other day while I was talking to a colleague, they said to me that they were not into sensory play. That they didn’t care for the mess of sensory bins. And I’ll be honest, my heart sunk a little because I realized that some of the activities that I share on the blog make it seem like sensory play happens in a bin and is always messy. And that can’t be farther from the truth — that is just the type of sensory play my kids prefer. And while this activity is messy (because we love messy play) I hope that it helps get you thinking outside of the bin 😉