25 Sensory Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Easy Setup)
Written by: Kokotree
Updated:
Quick Answer: Sensory play engages touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste to build brain connections and develop fine motor skills. Start simple: a bin filled with dried rice and measuring cups, homemade playdough, or water play with cups and funnels. Most sensory activities use items you already have at home. Supervise closely with younger toddlers who may put items in their mouths.
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Why Sensory Play Matters for Development
Sensory play isn’t just messy fun—it’s how young children learn about the world. When toddlers squish playdough, pour water, or run their fingers through sand, they’re building neural pathways that support all areas of development.
What sensory play develops:
Fine motor skills: Pinching, pouring, scooping, and squeezing strengthen hand muscles needed for writing
Language development: New experiences give children vocabulary (“squishy,” “bumpy,” “cold”)
Problem-solving: Figuring out how to fill a container or build with materials develops reasoning
Scientific thinking: Cause and effect, predictions, and experimentation happen naturally
Emotional regulation: Calming sensory activities (like playdough or water play) help children self-soothe
Sensory processing: Exposure to different textures helps children who are sensitive or under-responsive to sensory input
The key is variety—exposing children to different textures, temperatures, sounds, and smells builds a rich sensory foundation.
Sensory Bin Ideas
Sensory bins are the workhorse of sensory play. A simple container filled with a base material and some tools keeps toddlers engaged for extended periods.
1. Classic Rice Bin
Fill a large container with 5-10 pounds of uncooked rice. Add measuring cups, funnels, small containers, and plastic animals or toys.
Why it works: Rice flows smoothly, makes satisfying sounds, and is easy to clean up with a dustpan.
Variation: Dye the rice with food coloring and vinegar for rainbow rice.
2. Dried Bean and Pasta Bin
Mix dried beans, lentils, and various pasta shapes. Add spoons, scoops, and trucks or diggers for scooping.
Why it works: Different sizes and shapes provide variety in one bin.
3. Water Bead Bin
Hydrate water beads according to package directions. Add cups, strainers, and slotted spoons.
Why it works: The unique texture (squishy but not wet) fascinates children.
Safety note: Water beads are a choking hazard—supervise constantly and reserve for older toddlers/preschoolers.
4. Kinetic Sand
Use store-bought kinetic sand or make your own (8 cups sand + 1 cup oil). Add molds, cookie cutters, and small toys.
Why it works: It holds shapes like wet sand but isn’t messy like actual sand.
5. Shredded Paper Bin
Shred old documents or newspaper. Hide small toys, letters, or counting objects for children to discover.
Why it works: Free, recyclable, and great for developing the pincer grasp.
6. Cloud Dough
Mix 8 cups flour with 1 cup oil. The result is moldable but crumbly—completely unique texture.
Why it works: It’s silky smooth and can be molded into shapes.
7. Pom Pom and Tongs Bin
Fill a bin with colorful pom poms. Provide tongs, tweezers, and containers for sorting and transferring.
Why it works: Excellent for fine motor skill development and color sorting.
Water Play Activities
Water is the most accessible sensory material, and children never tire of it.
8. Basic Water Table
Fill a large container, storage bin, or water table with water. Add cups, funnels, squeeze bottles, and floating toys.
Variations:
Add dish soap for bubbles
Add food coloring
Freeze toys in ice blocks to excavate
Add water wheels or pipes
9. Sink or Float Experiment
Gather various household items. Let your child predict and test what sinks and what floats.
Why it works: Introduces scientific thinking and vocabulary like “heavy,” “light,” “sink,” “float.”
10. Pouring Station
Set up multiple containers of different sizes. Children pour water between them using measuring cups, small pitchers, and turkey basters.
Why it works: Develops hand-eye coordination and concentration.
11. Bubble Blowing
Mix dish soap with water. Provide bubble wands, straws (for blowing), and fly swatters (for popping).
Why it works: Engages breath control, visual tracking, and gross motor skills (chasing bubbles).
12. Ice Excavation
Freeze small toys in a block of ice. Provide spray bottles with warm water, droppers, and small tools to “rescue” the toys.
Why it works: Combines sensory exploration with problem-solving and patience.
Messy Play Ideas
Some sensory experiences require accepting mess. These activities are worth the cleanup.
13. Homemade Playdough
Recipe:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 cups boiling water
Food coloring (optional)
Mix dry ingredients, add oil and water, stir until combined. Knead when cool. Lasts weeks in an airtight container.
Add-ins: Glitter, essential oils (lavender for calming), or Kool-Aid for scent and color.
14. Oobleck (Cornstarch Slime)
Mix 2 cups cornstarch with 1 cup water. The result acts like a solid when squeezed but flows like a liquid when released.
Why it works: Non-Newtonian fluid behavior is endlessly fascinating (for adults too).
15. Shaving Cream Play
Spray shaving cream on a tray, table, or in a bin. Children can draw in it, hide objects in it, or just explore the texture.
Extension: Add food coloring and let children “paint” with colored shaving cream.
16. Mud Kitchen
Set up an outdoor station with dirt, water, pots, pans, and utensils. Let children make “soup,” “cake,” or “coffee.”
Why it works: Open-ended, imaginative, and connects children to nature.
17. Finger Painting
Mix finger paint or use pudding for taste-safe painting. Let children use their hands directly on paper or a tray.
Why it works: Direct tactile experience without tools as intermediaries.
18. Slime
Basic recipe:
1/2 cup white glue
1/2 cup liquid starch
Food coloring (optional)
Mix glue and coloring, add starch gradually, and knead until not sticky.
Variations: Add glitter, small beads, or foam balls for texture variety.
Nature-Based Sensory Activities
Outdoor sensory play provides textures and smells you can’t replicate inside.
19. Nature Collection Bin
Go on a walk and collect leaves, sticks, rocks, pinecones, flowers, and seeds. Place everything in a bin for sorting, examining, and arranging.
Extension: Add a magnifying glass for closer examination.
20. Sand Play
Real sand (at a sandbox, beach, or in a bin) offers unique tactile properties. Add water to change consistency.
Tools to include: Shovels, molds, dump trucks, and containers.
21. Gardening
Digging in soil, planting seeds, and watering plants engages multiple senses: touch (soil), sight (growth), smell (herbs).
Why it works: Connects sensory play to real-world outcomes and responsibility.
22. Rain Play
When it rains, go outside (dressed appropriately) and catch raindrops, splash in puddles, and listen to rain sounds.
Why it works: Engages all senses in a way that can’t be replicated indoors.
Sound and Music Sensory Play
Auditory experiences are often overlooked in sensory play.
23. DIY Instrument Band
Gather pots, pans, wooden spoons, containers filled with rice (shakers), and rubber bands stretched over boxes (guitars).
Why it works: Explores cause and effect, rhythm, and loud vs. soft sounds.
24. Sound Matching Game
Create pairs of containers filled with different materials (rice, bells, coins, cotton). Shake to find matching sounds.
Why it works: Develops auditory discrimination—the ability to notice differences in sounds.
25. Listening Walk
Go outside and close your eyes. How many different sounds can you hear? Birds? Cars? Wind?
Why it works: Builds focused attention and environmental awareness.
Sensory Play by Age
Adapt activities based on your child’s developmental stage.
12-18 Months
At this age, everything goes in the mouth. Focus on taste-safe sensory play.
Best activities:
Cooked pasta (cooled)
Yogurt or pudding finger painting
Water play with supervision
Soft playdough under supervision
Textured balls and fabric
Always supervise closely and avoid small items that pose choking risks.
18-24 Months
Toddlers are developing fine motor skills and can handle slightly more complex activities.
Best activities:
Rice or oat bins with large scoops
Water play with pouring
Simple playdough play
Pom pom sorting with large tongs
Nature exploration walks
2-3 Years
Children at this stage can follow simple instructions and engage in more elaborate setups.
Best activities:
Sensory bins with themes (construction, farm, ocean)
Slime and oobleck
Ice excavation
Mud kitchen
Sound matching games
3-5 Years (Preschool)
Preschoolers can handle more complex activities and extended play.
Best activities:
Multi-step sensory projects
Science experiments (sink/float, color mixing)
Intricate sensory bins with small items
Cooking activities
Nature journaling with sensory observations
Setting Up for Success (and Easy Cleanup)
Sensory play doesn’t have to destroy your home. These strategies contain the mess.
Containment Strategies
Use under-bed storage containers (low sides for small children)
Place a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain under play areas
Set up outside when weather permits
Use the bathtub for water play
Do messy activities right before bath time
When to Let Go
Some mess is unavoidable—and that’s okay. Children learn through hands-on exploration. A little rice on the floor or playdough in the carpet is a small price for developmental benefits.
Cleanup as Part of Play
Make cleanup part of the routine. Even young toddlers can help sweep, pour materials back, and wipe tables. This builds responsibility and extends the activity.
Incorporating Sensory Play Daily
You don’t need elaborate setups every day. Many daily activities are already sensory experiences.
Everyday sensory opportunities:
Bath time (water play, soap foam)
Cooking (stirring, pouring, tasting)
Outdoor play (grass, dirt, sand)
Mealtime (different food textures)
Laundry (warm clothes, soft textures)
A formal sensory bin 2-3 times per week, combined with everyday sensory awareness, provides plenty of stimulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sensory play?
Sensory play is any activity that engages one or more of the five senses: touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste. It includes activities like playing with playdough, water, sand, or exploring different textures and materials.
At what age should I start sensory play?
Sensory play begins in infancy—mobiles, textured toys, and tummy time are early sensory experiences. More structured sensory activities typically start around 12 months with taste-safe options, becoming more elaborate as children grow.
Is sensory play messy?
It can be! Some activities (water play, slime, painting) are inherently messy. Use containment strategies like plastic sheeting, outdoor spaces, or bathtub setups. Some activities (sensory bottles, dry bins with rice) are relatively clean.
My child won’t touch certain textures. Is that normal?
Some sensory sensitivity is normal in toddlers. If your child avoids certain textures, introduce them gradually without pressure. Start with similar but more tolerable textures and slowly work toward the avoided sensation. If sensitivities significantly impact daily life, consult an occupational therapist.
Can sensory play help with picky eating?
Yes! Exposure to different textures through play can make children more comfortable with varied food textures. Playing with food (before eating expectations) can reduce anxiety around new foods. See our guide on getting toddlers to eat vegetables for more strategies.
How long should sensory play last?
Follow your child’s lead. Some children engage for 30+ minutes; others lose interest after 10. Short, frequent sessions are better than forcing extended play.
What if my child just dumps everything out?
Dumping is developmentally appropriate for young toddlers! It’s how they learn about gravity and cause/effect. Provide fewer materials to dump, or embrace the dumping as part of the experience.
Are sensory activities educational?
Absolutely. Sensory play naturally teaches concepts like full/empty, heavy/light, wet/dry, and more. It develops vocabulary, problem-solving, and scientific thinking. For more structured learning activities, explore the Kokotree app—designed to support early childhood education through play.
Building a Foundation Through the Senses
Sensory play is one of the most valuable activities you can offer your child. It requires minimal expense, uses everyday materials, and provides benefits that extend across all developmental domains.
Start simple—a container of rice, some cups, and a curious toddler. As your child grows, expand to new textures, temperatures, and experiences. The neural connections built during sensory play form the foundation for more complex learning later.
Embrace the mess, follow your child’s interests, and remember that play is how young children learn best.
For more activities that support your child’s development, explore our guides on outdoor activities for young children, fine motor skill activities, and toddler development. And for app-based learning that complements hands-on play, check out the Kokotree app.
