Easy Sensory Activities For Toddlers
Hiiii friends, today’s blog is in collaboration with my corresponding YouTube video! I wanted to show you how I prepare these sensory activities but also wanted to write everything down as well.
Here’s the video link if you want to check out the YouTube video: easy sensory activities for toddlers
Today I have three easy sensory activities you can prepare for your toddlers. Sensory activities help to support your baby/toddler’s cognitive function, encourages the development of their fine motor skills, scientific thinking, problem solving, and more!
Let’s get into them!
BAKING SODA DINOSAUR EGG
My son has become obsessed with dinosaur eggs… like not the dinosaur, but the egg. I started buying him those eggs you can crack open or dissolve, but it’s cost started adding up. I tried to find a more affordable alternative and I found this!
Supplies:
+ 1/2 pound of baking soda
+ 3 tablespoons water
+ small plastic dinosaur toy
+ white vinegar
+ food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
+ if using food coloring, mix desired amount of food coloring with water
+ in a medium bowl, mix colored water with 1/2 pound of baking soda. texture should be similar to moist sand/kinetic sand. moldable but not runny/watery
+ start molding egg shell in one hand then place dinosaur in the middle and continue forming the egg
+ let sit for 12-24 hours until hard
+ when you’re ready to present this activity, place egg in a baking tray or flat dish with a small bowl of vinegar, a spoon or something for your child to drop/pour vinegar on the egg.
when vinegar mixes with baking soda, a chemical reaction happens and the baking soda disappears into the vinegar and “hatches” the egg and exposes the hidden dinosaur. your child will love this! have fun :)
JELLO ECOSYSTEM
This activity is fun because it’s safe to eat! The jello, not the animals lol Noah was using the animals as spoons to eat the jello, but after telling him once that the animals don’t go in his mouth, it was fine.
Supplies:
+ 1 box of jello
+ water (amount depends size of jello box)
+ plastic small animals
Instructions:
+ prepare jello according to the box instructions
+ pour jello mix into flat baking tray
+ gently place small animals in jello mix
+ refrigerate according to box instructions
When you’re ready to present this activity, I always first put down a mat/towel and put Noah in a smock since the jello can get messy. As messy as it can get, I try not to intervene and let Noah have supervised free play.
Water Bead Ecosystem
*Be sure you’re supervising your child at all times during this activity. If a small dehydrated water bead is ingested, it will expand and a hydrated water bead poses a choking risk.
Supplies:
+ water beads
+ water
+ plastic small animal toys
+ large bowl
+ spoon/scoopers
Instructions:
+ in a large bowl, mix 2-3 teaspoons of dehydrated water beads with 4-6 cups of water
+ let beads soak in water for 3-4 hours. check on beads every 30-60 minutes to see if you need to add more water. you’ll know if you need to add more water if the beads aren’t to your desired size but look like they’re running out of water to absorb.
+ when beads are at desired size, place small plastic animals in tray. you can “hide” the animals in the water beads so they can search and find them or you can place them on the surface of the beads.
When you’re ready to present the activity, place the tray of beads and animals on a mat with another empty bowl and a scooper. Your child will love this activity and the water beads are good for a few days! They can also dry back down to its dehydrated size and reused. But keep an eye out for anything that may resemble mold. At that point it’s best to throw it out.
I hope you and your tots have a great time with these activities! Sensory activities are great for children at any age since they encourage so many types of development. Your child will benefit from these activities and it’ll keep them occupied for a bit!
But please remember that their safety comes first and foremost, so be sure they’re being supervised at all times during these activities.
If you do any of these activities, tag me on Instagram so I can see! :)
That’s all i’ve got for ya for today!
sending you all the love + light <3
xx, Laurena