I am a big believer in sensory play. While cuddling on the couch to watch a favorite show is always nice and going to the park with friends is fun, sensory play is another important part of our day.
Some of LW's favorite sensory activities are the simplest, too. The snow has melted now, but there were a few days this winter where we were able to get outside and roll around in the snow. Feeling the cold and hearing the crunch under his feet are sensory!
Since the snow has melted, it's left LOTS of puddles, mud, stinky piles of rotting leaves and crisp, dead grass. Letting him explore the yard can be REALLY messy, but it's always rewarding. He gets so much from just being allowed to experience nature, no matter how disgusting.
Indoor sensory play is fun too, and really handy for cold or rainy days when we can't get outside. A friend told me her son loves to play in a container of beans and it gave me the idea to use pasta! I was cleaning out our pantry and found a few packages of shells and cheese that had made not one, but two moves with us...so I made the executive decision that the cheese would best be served to the garbage can and the shells could become our new sensory activity.
LW is OBSESSED with this activity. He knows where I hide the bin of pasta and always asks me to take it out. The first day we played with the pasta he was wonderful about keeping every shell and noodle in the tub...but since then he's gotten a little careless. I have to watch him very closely with this activity because before I know it, he has a mouth full of raw pasta. Gross.
Giving him measuring cups and spoons allows him to work on some motor skills (pouring from one container to another) and letting him play barefoot encourages the full sensory experience because he ALWAYS climbs in the tub!
What are your favorite toddler sensory activities?
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