Best Sensory Play Ideas of 2013

  Before this year I had never focused on sensory play for Kay and I certainly didn't know all the benefits it provided. Sensory play is any activity that allows kids to use their senses and since kids learn best from hands-on play, sensory play is helpful in several areas. 
  Our first sensory bin was with shaving cream, a wonderful material for squishing and playing in. Below are some of our favorite sensory play ideas from this year. I've also teamed up with Samantha of Stir the Wonder, Sarah of Little Bins for Little Hands, Georgina of Craftulate, and Erin of Royal Baloo to bring you a sensory play linky. Hopefully you'll get some ideas and add your own post below if you have one. Have fun!

   One of my favorite things about sensory play is that it doesn't need to be complicated. Walking barefoot in the grass, playing in the mud, exploring the feel of tree bark...all free sensory ideas. I also put together some Super Simple Sensory Bins for more extra-easy ideas.

Ewww...Bugs in Jello! We did this around Halloween but anytime is a fun time to play in Jello. (Hey, they should use that in the commercial!)

  Not really ghost eggs and not really disappearing, this is really just clear water beads that appear to become invisible in water. Water beads are great for sensory play anyway, but they can get everywhere (they bounce too!) 

A simple tub of water is sensory play too. For this one we used Kay's water table and added some details to make it look like a pond. 

 One of my first posts was Ice Cube Painting. All of our art turns into a full-on sensory experience, but this one was actually intended to be!

  
I really liked this ice cream sensory bin and so did Kay (most importantly).