Like so many others, we have had to get creative with how to keep our boys entertained and engaged at home over the past year. TJ in particular has pretty specific likes and dislikes in terms of sensory input and he is very active, so we’ve done a lot of trial and error to find what keeps him entertained for a longer period of time. Here are some of our favorite sensory activities for toddlers!
Water Play
Snow shoveling/driving/scooping – This one has quickly become one of the boys’ favorites. Whenever it snows, I’ll scoop a couple of cups of snow off the deck and put it in one of our sensory bins, add a few constructions trucks and measuring cups, and watch their imaginations run wild. Sometimes we even add food coloring to watch the snow change colors, too!
Sink or Float – This one was inspired by our good friend Blippi, but it’s so easy to do I’m actually glad we found that little episode! There are all kinds of kits, including a Blip one, that has everything you need for this activity, but a big mixing bowl and activities from around the house work just as well. TJ loves finding new “fun objects” to use for this activity and he gets so excited guessing which will sink and which will float. This is great for kids who have texture aversions as well since they’ll inevitably get their hands and sleeves wet.
STEM Activities
Baking soda bubbles – You guys know how much I love science and sharing it with the people around me, and I love how much my boys love this easy activity! Add about a teaspoon of baking soda to each cup of a muffin tin and then use a medicine dropped or small spoon to add a few drops of white vinegar to the baking soda. The mixture will form small bubbles which fizz and fade pretty quickly so you can keep adding more vinegar to the same cups a few times. We also love to add food coloring to practice color mixing!
Kinetic Sand – Our love for kinetic sand is well documented, but this stuff is worth its weight in gold. TJ will play with his sand kits for longer than most other things, and he loves using all the little tools they come with to rake, shovel, and build. It’s such great fine motor practice and is helping him learn a bit about patience, too.
“Like Mama does” Activities
Cooking/baking – Both boys love helping me in the kitchen, especially TJ. He loves mixing and pouring, and it’s a great way to work in learning about numbers and measurements.
Yoga – We’re pretty new to Cosmic Kids Yoga, and we absolutely love it! It’s great way for TJ, and now Jacob, too, to get some energy out physically and it’s really helped TJ with body awareness. Teaching the boys about mindfulness and practicing and demonstrating calm is one of my biggest goals for 2021!
I love finding new activities that our boys enjoy and that help them learn. Stay tuned for more sensory activities through the winter and into the spring!
Happy playing and learning!
xo,
Stephanie
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