Sensory activities are vital for toddlers, according to research, since these activities aid in their growth and development. They will be able to improve their motor skills, cognitive thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creativity from an early age. Sensory plays also help in your kids’ memory development. And no, sensory activities do not always mean letting them out and play in the mud or anything messy.
In fact, I’ve compiled a list of the 15 DIY educational sensory toys for kids that you can make at home!
15. Homemade Sensory Development Toys for Babies
Kids love toys and they do not care about the brand or the pricing of the toy. Therefore, it is always good to make some creative sensory toys at home. If you don’t know what kind of toys you should develop for your kid, then keep reading to get some great ideas for homemade sensory development toys for babies.
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14. Seaside Seek & Find Bottle
Make this fun Seaside Seek and Find Bottle with just a few dollar store supplies. If you love this sensory activity, Pin-It to share! Then check out more crafts and activities in our Kids Corner.
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13. How to Make Stress Balls
We have a super fun craft for you today – DIY Stress Balls!!! We have made a variation of this a couple of times already – in the past we filled them with RICE and turned them into Superhero Juggling Balls.
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12. Easy Fidget Spinner DIY (Free Template)
We now have a set of Printable DIY Fidget Spinner Instructions – step by step photos and how to! Great for the classroom, summer camps, library schemes and other youth programs.
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11. This Sushi Sensory Bin is So Fun and Silly – I Want to Play With It!
When the kiddo asked for chopstick practice, I made this awesome sushi sensory bin and decided it was just too fun not to share!
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10. Fall Sensory Bins for Seasonal Sensory Fun
These Fall sensory bins will inspire you to set up seasonal fun to be enjoyed by all ages. Let’s get started with the scents, colors, and themes of Fall.
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9. $1 Entertainment: Silly Spaghetti Sensory Bin
A few days ago I saw a colorful spaghetti sensory tub from One Perfect Day, and I thought that Simon (20 months) would love squishing his hands around in it and “cooking” for me. I picked up an inexpensive pack of store brand spaghetti and cooked it for 6 minutes (the recommended cooking time was 9 minutes) so that it was soft but still firm. Next, I divided the cooked spaghetti into two bowls and added a splash of water and a bunch of food coloring into each pile and let it sit for about 5 minutes to absorb the color. I was worried that any excess food coloring was going to come off on my kids’ hands, so I gave the pasta a final rinse in the sink in cool water. Worked like a charm!
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8. Sensory Play Time: Water Beads & Light
Have you introduced water beads into your play time yet? If not, I highly recommend that you do so. Soon! These squishy little balls start out as hard pinhead sized orbs, but after a few hours in a tub of water they turn into soft beads that deliver an almost silky sort of texture as you run your hands through them. I truly believe they are one of the greatest sensory experiences you can give your child…not to mention that they bounce, which is always a big hit around here!
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7. Christmas Sensory Bottle
This fun Christmas craft is part science experiment and part holiday magic, It’s a next-level take on snow globes that is really fantastic at capturing a child’s imagination. This Christmas sensory bottle is very simple and easy to make so children can have fun for hours.
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6. How to Make a Galaxy Sensory Bottle
Calm down bottle, sensory bottle, call them what you want. They’re just plain awesome. My daughter and I came across these super cool bottles a few months ago and have been dying to make a galaxy sensory bottle ever since. In case you’re not familiar with sensory bottles, here’s the rundown.
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5. How to Make Silver Snow Sensory Bottles
Remember my post about Galaxy Sensory Bottles? Well while we were at it, we made some Silver Snow Sensory bottles, too! The ingredients are slightly different, but the process is the same.
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4. Build an Olaf Sensory Bag!
Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn’t have to be a snowman! Every small child as well as adult knows the words to that song. It’s one of my favorites from the movie, Frozen. My native Floridian children have sadly never built a snowman. This Olaf sensory bag is as close as they have ever gotten to building anything remotely close to a snowman. No worries! We will have fun regardless!
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3. How to Make Amazing Sensory Bins Simply and Inexpensively
Toddlers and preschoolers love learning through play with sensory bins. Learn how to easily create sensory activities for your children that will also help them learn.
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2. Playdough Snail Sensory Activity for Kids
This sensory activity for kids is just too much fun! Let them play with playdough while learning and feeling their way along as well. And who doesn’t love snails? They get to travel around with their homes on their back!
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1. Make: A DIY Thin Ice Game
Did you play thin ice when you were little?? It was such a simple game, but so much fun! We’re celebrating 90s Week and when looking for some game inspiration, I ran across a picture and thought, “I could make that!” Amazingly, I already had everything I needed to make my own version of a thin ice game, and you probably do too…
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