A list of 5 sensory play ideas to help your toddler’s development

It’s 10am. You’ve been up for five hours. Where once your little chunk used to sit on the floor with their fist in their mouth, now they’re climbing the walls, looking for ways to poison themselves or crawl out an open window. What are you supposed to do now?

Toddlers are creatures who crave new sensory experiences. By that, we mean that they want to experience new things all the time. For many toddlers, new equals good, even if the sensation itself might be less than comfortable. That’s why kids run into walls or eat mud. 

With that in mind, here are five fun sensory-heavy ideas for your newly minted toddler.

Taste test. 

Being mindful of potential allergies, cut up pieces of toddler-friend foods with different flavors. Something salty, like a peanut or a pretzel; something sweet, like berries or melon; something sour like a lemon (which might be a surprisingly big hit); something cool like a cucumber or tomato; and something umami like mushrooms. Go through them together and taste them, and then talk about which one you liked best. You might not get a response, but the exploration will be fun. Oh, and put them in little bowls that can be stacked. Extra win.

Pipe cleaners and a coffee can.

There is no greater joy for a toddler than putting pipe cleaners through a hole in a coffee can. The pressure resistance of the cloth on the outside against the hole in the can creates a satisfying level of sensory input that adults can enjoy too, if you can believe it. Go through the colors with your kiddo as you push each one in. Then you can shake it up for a while and dump everything out on the floor. Noise and mess; nothing better.

Water tables.

If you have a yard, you can do this outside, but you can also use a bathtub or a shower. Grab some sponges, a funnel, and a toy that has no hollow space inside (so no way for water to get trapped inside). Fill something with water, and let them go to town. Hold the funnel up in the air so they can see the water falling through it. Bring out some “sink or float” objects to test. They’ll LOVE it. You can add an extra element of fun with some drops of food coloring, but don’t use too much or you’ll both have blue hands for a week.

Tower building.

First things first: make sure you’re both wearing shoes. We know from experience. Then, pull out all the cans and boxes from your pantry and build a tower. Depending on your toddler’s age, they’ll either help you build it, or knock it down again and again. Often both.

Kitchen cabinet.

This one is for when you’re done playing and you need to lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling. Empty one of the lower cabinets in your kitchen, and fill it with plastic containers, wooden spoons, cardboard boxes, and (depending on your ability to stand it) some metal pots and pans. Leave one of the doors open. Don’t show them the cabinet. There’s no need for that. Let them discover it on their own. They’ll be busy for hours, but it will be too loud for you to fall asleep by mistake.