Sensory play involves activities that stimulate the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. When children engage in sensory play, they are building connections in the brain and learning about the world around them. Take advantage of indoor winter days by offering the following sensory experiences:
Make ice art. Create an art invitation that brings in science. Fill a pan with water, and freeze overnight. Offer tempera or watercolor paints and painting tools to paint over the sheet of ice. Children can also use their fingers for an added tactile experience! After a while, invite children to sprinkle salt over the ice and watch what happens.
Cut confetti. Keep the children’s fingers busy with a cutting and sprinkling experience! Cutting with scissors is an important fine motor task that builds bilateral coordination, which is the ability to move both sides of the body in a coordinated way. Invite children to cut paper doilies into tiny bits. (Children who cannot yet use scissors can tear with their fingers.) Use the bits as confetti to sprinkle over glue.
Freeze fabric. Promote wonder and curiosity by suggesting an activity that is a little out of the norm. Have children dip doll clothes or socks into a tub of warm water, and then show how to ring them out. Have the children arrange the wet clothes on a tray, and set the tray in the freezer (or outside if it’s below freezing). Once the clothing has frozen, invite children to examine it. What happened to it? How does each item feel? Do the children know how to change the clothing back? Toss the items in the dryer or hang indoors to dry. Allow children to examine items once they are dry.
Play with cotton balls. Cotton balls are a great sensory material because they are inexpensive and naturally discourage mouthing because of their unique texture. They can also be used over and over again! Offer two or three bags of cotton balls. The children can line them up, try to stack them, drive through them with toy dump trucks and diggers, or toss them in the air.
Create mirror designs. Set the stage for wintery process art. Arrange shatterproof mirrors, dry erase markers, and an assortment of loose parts (Some examples could be beads, buttons, small bells, ribbon, etc.) for children to explore. Like an icy surface, the mirrors are shiny and reflective. Children can freely create and change designs directly on the surface of the mirrors with the dry erase markers and loose parts.
Explore light and color. Winter months are the darkest time of the year. Brighten the gloom with colorful, sensory play lights. Gather an assortment of colorful tissue paper and tape several layers of each color over push-button lights or flashlights. Dim the lights in your setting and drape light-colored fabric overhead to create a cozy den. Invite children to shine the colorful lights onto the fabric. They might explore how the lights appear on different textures and colors of fabric.
Touch and feel foam. Mix up a batch of thick foam for a textural sensory experience. Mix ½ cup of bubble bath soap, 1 cup of water, and a few drops of blue food coloring together using a hand mixer or blender until you have a very thick foam. Scoop the foam into a tray and set out small bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and cookie cutters. Invite children to freely explore. Does everything float on top of the foam, or do some of the items sink down? What happens to the designs created on the foam’s surface? How do they change?
Investigate pine trees. Pine trees are ubiquitous to winter months and provide enriching sensory experiences. If you don’t have access to pine trees in your center’s location, supplies may be found at your local craft store or ordered online. Allow children to explore pinecones, needles, and sticks. What do they notice about the texture? How do the items smell? (These items can be sharp and pokey, so provide gloves for the children to wear.) Children can also work together to create a group art project by arranging and gluing the pinecones, needles, and sticks to a piece of sticky contact paper.
Listen to winter sounds. Winter nature sounds are gentle and soothing, but can be difficult to appreciate in bustling urban settings. Search for winter nature sounds online to play for the children. (YouTube has many options available to choose from. Screen first.) Create a cozy environment by softening the lights, setting out blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. Invite children to make themselves comfortable as they enjoy the winter sounds. They might enjoy hearing a winter-themed read aloud as well.
Taste winter produce. Offer children a tasting of seasonal produce. You can find out what produce is in season in your location by exploring websites such as seasonalfoodguide.org. If you are in a colder, northern environment, you will find that seasonal options are limited. In this case, choose a variety of produce that are associated with winter, such as citrus fruits, apples, and pears. Offer children a sampling of each. Which is their favorite?
As a caregiver or teacher, you play an important role in the children’s sensory play. When you provide an environment or experience that supports wonder, investigation, problem-solving, and conversation, you are not only teaching children that they are valuable contributors, you are also showing them that they can be active participants in their learning.
Important Things to Remember
- Sensory play should be child-led. Your role is to ask open-ended questions to extend the children’s thinking and bring in additional materials to enhance play and learning.
- Provide enough time for thorough exploration. When children feel rushed, they may not have time to process and investigate beyond the initial examination. Allow opportunities for children to come back to an activity for additional exploration.
- Accept when a play invitation turns out differently than your initial expectations. Don’t be afraid to adjust and accept different outcomes.
- Many learning opportunities occur when the caregiver or teacher notices and responds to the children’s natural interests or an inquiry.
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