Creative Learning Preschool, Inc, Linwood, NJ 08221

Category: Sensory Play

Getting Messy: The Benefits of Sensory Play With Natural Materials

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Spring is here, and as it settles in, the natural world is quickly starting to rebloom. Nature is practically a playground when it comes to the different opportunities for your little one to engage in sensory activities. All types of environments come with natural elements that make great materials to engage in sensory play. In this blog, we’ll explain why allowing your preschooler to get messy with natural materials is so beneficial!

Cognitive Development & Problem-Solving

Unlike toys, natural materials are open-ended, meaning they don’t have a specific way that they are supposed to be used. Presenting your child with a stick, shell, or even mud will give them the opportunity to engage in open-ended play and exploration. This encourages children to think critically, solve problems, and use their imagination.

Physical Motor Skills

Activities such as scooping sand, carrying stones, or pouring water strengthen hand-eye coordination and fine motor muscles in the fingers and hands. Playing in nature requires a lot of tactility, which is great for preschoolers who are developing their motor skills. Different elements of nature promote the development of fine and gross motor skills.

Calming and Emotional Regulation

Engaging with nature is inherently soothing. Textures like sand and water can reduce stress, provide emotional comfort, and help children relax. Utilizing natural sensory play as a way for your child to wind down and decompress is a great way to help them regulate their emotions. Finding ways to incorporate this throughout their day, like using a sand zen garden, can help make this a part of their routine.

Scientific Reasoning

Natural materials present an introduction to scientific reasoning. Children are able to learn about mathematical and scientific concepts, such as cause-and-effect, volume (full/empty), and weight (heavy/light), while manipulating natural, unstructured items. They can also begin to understand how different parts of the natural world interact, such as seeing that water will mix with dirt to create mud.

Language Development

Playing with natural materials surprisingly provides an opportunity to develop language and observation skills. Natural materials are very engaging when it comes to touch and feeling. They provide your child the opportunity to observe what they are feeling and use sensation words to describe it, such as rough, smooth, cold, damp, etc.

Connection to Nature

Playing with natural materials is a great way to connect with nature. Using, recycling, and re-purposing natural items in play builds environmental awareness and respect for nature from an early age. Pairing these activities with reading books about nature is a great way to further build this connection.

Spring Sensations: Spring Themed Sensory Activities For Preschoolers

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Spring is here, and with the season comes lots of sights, sounds, and textures. A great way to introduce your children to the wonders of Spring is through spring-themed sensory play activities! Sensory play is a great way to engage your child’s senses, improve their motor skills, and encourage exploration. In this blog, we’ve got some ideas for different types of sensory activities you can create for your little ones!

Sensory Bins & Tables

Spring Creature Bin: Fill a bin with soil, sand, or dried beans, and add in toy bugs, worms, and frogs for digging and exploring.

Flower Garden Bin: Use dried black beans or dyed rice as a base, combined with artificial flowers, plastic pots, and gardening tools.

Bird Nest Bin: Create a textured bin with shredded paper, twigs, cotton balls, and small toy birds.

Art & Sensory Crafts

Rainstick Craft: Decorate cardboard tubes and fill them with dried beans to create the sound of spring rain.

Flower Petal Sensory Bag: A mess-free option where flowers and water are sealed in a plastic bag for squishing.

Pasta Craft: Dye pasta in pastel colors and have children string them together. Your child can string them to wear as jewelry, or you can string them together to create a wind chime.

Outdoor & Exploration

Nature Walks: Take walks to feel different textures like grass, pavement, sand, or soil and smell flowers or rain.

Planting Seeds: A hands-on activity with soil and seeds, or, for a simpler version, growing beans on wet cotton balls.

Garden Yoga/Movement: Play, “Simon Says” with spring actions like “hop like a frog” or “crawl like a caterpillar”. 

Sensory Bottles

Flower Bottle: Fill a clear bottle with water, glitter, and fake flowers.

Bug Bottle: Fill a clear bottle with dyed rice or dry beans as dirt and plastic bugs.

Rain Bottle: Fill a clear bottle with water, chunky blue glitter, and white tinsel pom poms for clouds.

5 Fall Sensory Activities For Preschoolers

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Autumn is here, and if you’re looking for ways to incorporate the colors and images of the season into activities with your little ones that will actually keep them engaged, sensory activities are the way to go! Sensory activities engage your children’s senses, help develop their fine motor skills, and can provide additional learning opportunities. In this blog, we’ll go over a few autumn-themed sensory activities that your preschooler will love!

Fall Leaf Water Bin

If you’re looking for a sensory activity that doesn’t mean you have to run to the store for too many things to make it fun, a water bin is the perfect choice! All you need for this sensory activity is a bin, water, liquid watercolor, acrylic craft leaves, and kitchen utensils!

Apple Cloud Dough

Apple cloud dough is a great option if you have little ones who want to get involved in sensory play, who are still exploring by putting things in their mouth. This apple dough is taste-safe and is great for developing fine-motor skills!

Apple Foam Bath

A foam bath is a fun sensory activity to do with some leftover apples! This activity is fun for your little ones and helps with fine-motor skill development and problem-solving skills.

Fall Leaves Sensory Bottle

If you just finished drinking from a disposable water bottle, this is the perfect sensory activity for your child! You can utilize water, autumnal elements you’d like for this activity. If you glue the cap to the bottle, then it’s a great activity that definitely won’t result in a mess.

Get Out In Nature

If you’re looking for the simplest sensory play this autumn, step out into your backyard! Between fallen leaves, bark on trees, pinecones, and decorations on your house, there are so many textures to engage with and enjoy.

6 Holiday Sensory Activities For Preschoolers

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The holiday season is here and the official start of winter is right around the corner! If you’re looking for ways to incorporate the festivity of the season into activities with your little ones that will actually keep them engaged, sensory activities are the way to go! Sensory activities engage your children’s senses, help develop their fine motor skills, and can provide additional learning opportunities. In this blog, we’ll go over a few winter and holiday-themed sensory activities that your preschooler will love!

Snowman Ice Melting Activity

Whether it’s too cold to play outside or the weather isn’t feeling wintery enough for your little ones, this melting snowman activity is a fun sensory experience and can be used to talk about shapes and colors. Customize your melted snowmen however, you want with items like googly eyes, foam shapes for their carrot nose and coal buttons, stickers shaped like gloves and scarves, glitter, and more!

Winter Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are a great way to create a contained sensory experience that can be tailored to what your child likes! Messy Play Kits has a ton of ideas for winter-themed sensory bins whether you want to create a themed bin for winter, Christmas, Hanukkah, the New Year, and more! Depending on what goes in your sensory bin, it’s a great option if you want to make something once and always have it on hand for when you need a last-minute activity!

Christmas Water Play

If your preschooler or toddler loves water play but it’s a little too cold for outdoor play right now, this is a sensory activity that they’ll love! All you need is a tub, a clear plastic ornament, and food coloring if you’d like. Use the food coloring to color your water to a festive color of your choice. Then, all you need to do is give your little ones a plastic ornament and let them scoop the water with it. Find ornaments that are clear so they can see the water inside. You can add glitter or shimmer dust to the water and use different-shaped ornaments to add another element of fun to this sensory experience! 

Melting Snowman Experiment

This is a great activity if your little one is excited for winter and is interested in watching things change like water boiling or making bubbles in the bath. This activity does need to be prepared in advance so keep that in mind. You can create the snowmen with your children then put them in the freezer to cool. The longer they sit in the freezer the longer they will take to melt! Once your snowman is fully frozen adding the vinegar mixture to your snowmen will cause a reaction that will “melt” the snowman. This is not only a fun sensory activity but can provide an opportunity to introduce new STEM concepts to your child.

Easy Christmas Decorations Sensory Bin

This activity is great if you’re planning to put up holiday decorations and have a little one that really wants to help. You can completely customize this sensory bin to utilize whatever spare decorations you have or aunty items your little one absolutely loves. Fill the bin with items like beaded garlands, ornaments, tinsel, fake snow, and more. This activity will not only be an enjoyable sensory experience for your child but can help you decorate without interruption!

Winter Ice Castle Sensory Bin

This ice castle bin is a great way to put some miscellaneous decorations to use. Start with a base of kinetic sand or fake snow. Then, you can give your child an ice castle by using blocks or any pieces of a winter village you may have that aren’t fragile. You can also add leftover items from potpourri, like pinecones, or extra decorations, such as bottle brush trees. Not only is this an opportunity for sensory exploration but it’s a great opportunity for imaginative and creative play too!

6 Ideas For Summer Sensory Play

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Summer is the perfect time to engage preschoolers in sensory play, using items that capture the essence of the season. Sensory play is not only fun but also essential for developing fine motor skills, cognitive growth, and developmental skills. In this blog, we’ll talk about six ideas for sensory play activities that utilize seasonal items.

Sand Sensory Bin

Materials:

Clean play sand

Small shovels and buckets

Sea shells

Toy dinosaurs or animals

Mini beach toys (tiny beach balls, plastic rakes, etc.)

Activity:

Fill a large bin with clean play sand and hide sea shells, small toys, and mini beach items within it. Provide children with shovels, brushes, and buckets to dig, explore, and discover hidden treasures. This activity stimulates their sense of touch and encourages imaginative play as they create their own beach scenes.

Sea Shell Sorting and Counting

Materials:

Assorted sea shells

Small containers or trays

Markers or stickers (optional)

Activity:

Set up a station with various sea shells and containers for sorting. Ask the children to sort the shells by size, color, or type. For an added educational element, have them count the number of shells in each group and place stickers or markers on containers to indicate numbers. This activity enhances their fine motor skills, sorting abilities, and counting skills.

Frozen Fruit Sensory Play

Materials:

Assorted seasonal fruits (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, watermelon)

Ice cube trays

Water

Plastic utensils

Activity:

Cut the seasonal fruits into small pieces and place them in ice cube trays filled with water. Freeze the trays overnight. The next day, provide the frozen fruit cubes to your children and let them explore the different textures and temperatures. They can use plastic utensils to scoop, mash, and taste the fruits as they melt. This activity is a fantastic way to introduce them to new textures and flavors while keeping them cool.

Beach-Themed Water Play

Materials:

Large plastic bin or kiddie pool

Water

Sea shells, small beach toys, and sponges

Blue food coloring (optional)

Activity:

Fill a large plastic bin or kiddie pool with water and add a few drops of blue food coloring for a sea-like appearance. Toss in sea shells, small beach toys, and sponges. Let the children splash, squeeze, and explore the items in the water. This activity promotes sensory exploration and provides a refreshing break from the heat.

Fruit and Veggie Stamping

Materials:

Seasonal fruits and vegetables (e.g., apples, oranges, cucumbers)

Non-toxic paint

Paper or canvas

Activity:

Cut the fruits and vegetables in half and dip them in non-toxic paint. Provide the children with paper or canvas to stamp and create their own artwork. Each fruit and vegetable will produce unique shapes and patterns, allowing children to experiment with different colors and textures. This activity is not only fun but also fosters creativity and fine motor skills.

DIY Sand Dough

Materials:

1 cup of sand

1 cup of flour

⅓ cup of oil

Large mixing bowl

Activity:

Combine the sand, flour, and oil in a large mixing bowl to create a sand dough. Allow the children to knead, mold, and shape the dough into various forms. They can use cookie cutters, rolling pins, or their hands to create sand sculptures. This activity is a great way to develop their tactile sense and creativity.

Spring Sensory Play: Engaging the Senses with Seasonal Materials

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Spring is here and with the season comes a variety of beautiful sights, colors, and scents! Introduce your children to the wonders of Spring through spring-themed sensory play activities! Sensory play is a great way to engage your child’s senses, improve their motor skills, and encourage exploration. In this blog, we’ll give you five ideas for sensory activities that utilize Spring themes and materials!

Flower Petal Sensory Bin

Dive into the vibrant colors and fragrant aromas of spring with a flower petal sensory bin. Fill a large container with fresh flower petals collected from the garden or local florist. Let children explore the soft textures, vibrant hues, and delicate scents as they engage their senses in this immersive sensory experience.

Rainstick Craft

Embrace the soothing sound of raindrops with a DIY rainstick craft. Gather cardboard tubes, dried beans, and decorative materials such as stickers, markers, and ribbons. Encourage children to decorate their tubes before filling them with beans and sealing the ends. As they tilt the rainsticks back and forth, they’ll be mesmerized by the calming sound of rainfall.

Spring-Scented Playdough

Whip up a batch of homemade playdough or slime infused with the fresh scents of spring. Experiment with natural ingredients like lavender, lemon, or mint to create sensory-rich playdough that engages both the olfactory and tactile senses. Add flower petals or herbs for an extra sensory surprise!

Rain Cloud Science Experiment

Explore the science behind spring showers with a rain cloud in a jar experiment. Fill a clear jar with water, then add shaving cream to create a “cloud” on top. Using droppers or pipettes, drip blue food coloring onto the shaving cream cloud. As the “rain” falls through the cloud and into the water, children will observe the process of precipitation in action.

Spring-themed Sensory Bottles

Spark curiosity with spring-themed sensory bottles filled with captivating materials. Fill clear plastic bottles with items such as colored rice, flower petals, sequins, and small toys. Seal the bottles tightly and let children shake, twist, and turn them to explore the fascinating sights and sounds within.

Outdoor Activity Ideas for Springtime

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As the temperature begins to warm and flowers start to bloom, spring presents the perfect opportunity to take preschoolers outdoors for some fun and exploration. Outdoor play not only promotes physical health but also fosters creativity, imagination, and a connection with nature. With spring just around the corner, here are seven exciting outdoor play ideas for you and your preschooler!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items commonly found in your local environment such as pinecones, flowers, rocks, or different types of leaves. Give your child a basket or bag and encourage them to explore the outdoor space to find and collect the items on the list. This activity not only encourages observation skills but also teaches children about the natural world around them.

Sensory Garden

Set up a sensory garden area with various plants and flowers that children can touch, smell, and even taste. Include plants with different textures, scents, and colors to stimulate their senses. Let the children explore the garden freely, encouraging them to describe what they see, feel, and smell.

Outdoor Art Station

Provide easels, paintbrushes, non-toxic paints, and large sheets of paper for your child to unleash their creativity outdoors. Encourage them to paint the blooming flowers, buzzing bees, or chirping birds they see around them. This activity allows children to express themselves artistically while enjoying the fresh air.

DIY Bubble Station

Set up a bubble station with homemade bubble solution and a variety of bubble wands. Let children experiment with different shapes and sizes of bubbles, chasing them around and trying to catch them. This activity promotes gross motor skills and endless giggles!

Water Play

On warm spring days, nothing beats the joy of water play. Set up a water table or provide buckets, cups, and watering cans for children to splash, pour, and explore. Add toys like rubber ducks or plastic boats to enhance the play experience. Water play not only keeps children cool but also fosters sensory exploration and cooperative play.

DIY Nature Crafts

Gather natural materials such as leaves, sticks, flowers, and rocks, and invite children to use their creativity to make nature-inspired crafts. They can create leaf rubbings, stick sculptures, flower crowns, or rock paintings. Encourage them to let their imaginations run wild as they transform these materials into works of art.

Outdoor Storytime

Set up a cozy outdoor reading nook with blankets, cushions, and a selection of great books. Sit with your child and read stories about spring, nature, or outdoor adventures. Turn it into a family activity by making snacks and having a picnic while you read!

5 Wintery Craft Ideas For Preschoolers

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Winter is a magical season filled with snowflakes, frosty adventures, and cozy indoor activities. Engaging your preschooler in winter-themed crafts not only sparks their creativity but also enhances fine motor skills and sensory exploration. In this blog post, we’ll explore five cute and easy-to-create winter crafts perfect for little hands and big imaginations!

Snowflake Flurries

Help your child create their own unique snowflakes using simple materials like white paper or paper plates, scissors, glue, and optional glitter. Discuss the concept of symmetry as they fold the paper and cut out intricate shapes. Hang the finished snowflakes around your house or their bedroom to create a winter wonderland.

Cotton Ball Snowmen

Let the little ones build their very own snowmen indoors using cotton balls, construction paper, and googly eyes. This activity not only allows for creative expression but also helps in developing fine motor skills as they carefully place each cotton ball in its place.

Penguin Pals

Dive into the world of adorable penguins with a craft activity that involves black and white construction paper, glue, and orange markers. Your preschooler can cut out penguin shapes, glue them onto a snowy background, and add beaks and feet using the orange markers. You can also pair this craft with a book about penguins, like Little Penguin by Julie Davey.

Mitten Masterpieces

Explore the concept of warm winter clothing with a mitten craft using colored paper or felt, yarn, and decorations. Children can trace and cut out their hands on paper, decorate the mittens, and even practice lacing with yarn around the edges. This craft is a creative practice of fine motor skills and gives you an opportunity to talk about the importance of warm clothing in the cold winter months!

Sensational Snow Globes

Create mini winter wonderlands inside clear plastic cups or glass jars. Your little ones can fill the cups with cotton balls as snow, small winter-themed figurines, and a dash of glitter for that magical touch. Seal the top with a lid, and voila – they’ve made their very own snow globes!

 

Snow Day Delight: Fun and Educational Activities for Preschoolers

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Winter is here and with it brings the chance of a few wintery snowstorms! A few days spent inside while snowflakes swirl outside your window can be magical but when it cancels school and activities,  you may find yourself having a hard time keeping your little ones occupied. A great way to save yourself and your little ones from getting antsy after they’ve played out in the snow is to prepare some fun activities and games that you can pull out when you need to! We’ve compiled a list of engaging DIY crafts, cool science experiments, entertaining games, and cozy book recommendations to make the most of those unexpected snowy days.

 

Snowy DIY Craft Ideas

Paper Plate Snowflakes

If you’ve got some extra paper plates lying around from the holidays, this craft is perfect. Grab some paper plates, scissors, and markers. Help your preschooler cut out snowflake shapes and decorate them with colorful markers. Hang them around the house for a winter wonderland feel. Try to fold your paper plate into quarters to make symmetrical snowflakes. 

Cotton Ball Snowmen

Another craft that you’ll likely already have all of the components for! Grab some cotton balls, construction paper, and glue. Let your little one create adorable snowmen by gluing cotton balls onto paper and adding paper accessories like hats and scarves.

 

Easy Snow Science Experiments

Snow Slime

If your little one is a fan of slime, it might be worth stocking up on everything you’ll need. To make a sparkly snow slime, mix white glue, liquid starch, and a dash of iridescent glitter. This tactile experiment is not only fun but also great for sensory play!

Melting Snowman

Build a snowman indoors using baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. Watch as the snowman fizzes and melts, creating a mini science spectacle. For a full walkthrough of the experiment, check out Little Bins, Little Hands.

 

Indoor Snow Day Activities

Snowball Toss

Create a target with a large cardboard box or a laundry basket. Use soft, plush snowballs or rolled-up socks for a safe and fun tossing game.

Penguin Waddle Race

Pretend to be penguins by waddling around the house. Set up a “racecourse” and see who can waddle to the finish line the fastest without slipping.

 

Cozy Book Recommendations

“First Snow” by Nancy Viau

With rhyming text and cheerful illustrations, this is a charming celebration of the winter season.

“Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner

Ever wondered what snowmen do when you’re not looking? This imaginative book has the answers.

“The Snowy Nap” by Jan Brett

In this instant winter classic, Jan Brett’s Hedgie tries to stay awake so he doesn’t miss out on all the snowy fun his friends are having

 

Snow days can be an unexpected gift, providing opportunities for creativity, learning, and family bonding. Whether you’re crafting paper snowflakes, making snow slime, having a penguin race, or snuggling up with a good book, these activities are sure to turn any snowy day into a memorable and educational experience for your preschooler!

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