Your favourite sensory activities

[megs_95]

I've just been placed in a permanent room (toddlers) for the first time and my director has asked me to be in charge of sensory activities. I've been researching them all weekend and picking out ideas and trying things out (so far I've made slime and sensory bags with oil and watered-down glitter gel - all non-toxic of course). What are you favourite sensory activities? What do you find is the most popular?

Plus - my room has a girl with Downs Syndrome and a boy with autism. Are there different sensory activities that children with these disorders respond to more?

[Lorina]

Love love love sensory play! Provides children with another method of learning and it's so fun too! Babies, toddlers or preschoolers I think it's important to set up a sensory area for each age group... a great way for children to explore and get messy and educators too!

Some ideas include:

- shaving foam (add animal, people figurines etc).
- ice
- bird seeds
- jelly
- rocks and small pebbles
- cooked noodles
- dried pasta
- dried beans, lentils etc.

,
L.A

[Smiley]

autism & down syndrome:

Balloons: Get balloons fill with each with flour, sand, water, seeds many more. Tie & close. Don't blow it up. Use funnel, add these & tie up.
Another, fill balloon with water add object (toy), freeze, when frozen child play with ice ball using spoons, small shovel to dig toys out.

Gooey Stuff: 2 cups cornstarch, 1 cup water, food colouring mix & enjoy.

Balls: squishy balls, stress balls, spikey balls, soft balls, hard balls.

[cathiek]

love all of the above,,,when we use ice, we get out polar animal toys and the children make their own arctic adventures etc.

One sensory i really love is water beads. they are the little beads that when you add water they swell up. Great sensory experience and non toxic so no dangers. We put them in small trays and add items for the children to play with.

Lux flakes beaten with water makes a great slime activity for the children - always popular the kids have told me it is like snot! GRoss!

Cathie

[keyplacement]

water beads - edible water beads available in asian grocery shops called "Tapioca" can cook by boiling in water for about 20 minutes and when become clear add food coloring.... children love this
ice cube painting- add food coloring to water and freeze it and setup ice cube painting outside- bit messy but children really love it

[roxy88]

I have recently made foamy bubbles. Mixing dish washing liquid and water with and electric mixer. Made it all extra foamy and fun! Added some food coloring for the children to explore and discover how colours can mix etc

[An Educator]

Cloud dough is great too. Try Pinterest for loads of sensory ideas

[Lorina]

Cloud dough is great too

8 cups plain flour
1 cup baby oil

,
L.A

[Lorina]

Soapy Goo

water
dishwashing liquid
cornstarch
food colouring (optional)

Mix a spoon of dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of water.
Add bubble water to cornstarch.
Mix and add more cornstarch until it resembles a pancake mix like consistency.
Add food colouring and mix.
Enjoy!

,
L.A