Why do children play with sand and water in preschool? Sensory play stimulates a child’s senses and facilitate exploration and naturally allow children to use scientific processes while they play, create and learn through investigation and exploration. Sensory play doesn’t have to be just sand or water – it is any activities that stimulate the child’s sense of touch, taste, smell, sight or hearing. The benefits of sensory play extend to motor skills, social skills, language development, cognitive skills as well as problem-solving.
Recommended Supplies for Sensory Play
Here’s a list of some of my favorite sensory bin materials:
- Ice cube trays – all sizes and shapes. Great for one-to-one correspondence, filling, patterning
- Jumbo tweezers – safe and develops hand strength, hand- eye coordination, fine motor skills
- Scoops & Tongs – fun for grabbing small objects, fine motor skill development
- Bear Counters – colorful, useable in sand or water. Sort, count, collect
- Plastic long handled spoons
- Kinetic Sand – hours of fun!
- Play sand – a basic. Add tools and containers.
- Water beads – colorful fun!
- Any kind of Toob Toys
- Pom poms – for a little softness and color
- Pipettes – for water play
- Gold Coins – St. Patrick’s Day or treasure sand
- Measuring Set – incorporate some math
- Sand Sieves – sift sand or strain water
- Bug Counters – add to sand, water, shredded paper
- Mini Porcupine Balls – colorful and wonderful texture
- Colorful Wood Beads – sounds so neat!
- Sponges – put in the water table for children to squeeze and develop hand strength
Sensory Activities for Preschoolers
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Butterfly Matching Sensory Tray
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Dinosaur Eggs Preschool Activities
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Valentine Rice Sensory Bin
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Sensory Bin + Puzzle
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Cracking Nuts in Preschool
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Healthy Teeth Lessons
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Noodle Brain STEAM Station
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Tadpole Sensory Bin
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Candy Cane Play Dough Gift Jars
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Pokey Like a Hedgehog
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Button Towers
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Play Dough Factory
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Play Dough Hair Styles
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Nature Play Mud Pies
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Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream
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Y is for Yellow Dandelion Play Dough
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Cutting Herbs Sensory Activity
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Rainbow Sugar Cube Pyramids
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Desert Small World Play
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Exploring Grains Preschool Activities
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Elephant Digging Tusks Sensory & Math
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Safari Habitat Sensory Bin
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Winter Ice
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The Sound of Drums
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Super Soft Pumpkin Play Dough
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Learning About Responsibilities
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Gardening Sensory Bin
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Pink Bubble Gum Slime
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Ocean Commotion Sand Foam Sensory Experience
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Coral Collages and STEAM Station
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Create an Ocean Creature Sensory Bin
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Easter Sensory Play Ideas
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Dinosaur Sensory Bins
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Dinosaur Fossil Clay Recipe
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Gingerbread Man Play Dough
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All Kinds of Weather
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Noodle Brain Sensory Play
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DIY Sand Play Dough
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Straws & Play Dough
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Sing a Song of Sixpence
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What’s Inside a Pumpkin?
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Starry Night Sensory Play
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Treasure Sand Sensory Play
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Hang It Out To Dry
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Soapy Bubbles Water Play
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Black And White Panda Bear Sensory Bin
Our Black And White Panda Bear Sensory Bin has been a hit the last few weeks!…
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Discover the Desert: Lasso
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Fizzy Ice Sensory & Science Experiment
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Play Dough Ideas for Halloween
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Nature Play Dough
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Growing Gardens: Planting the Garden
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Chinese New Year Preschool Sensory Play
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Dinosaur Egg Sensory Play
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Holiday Wrap Cutting Activity Bin
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4th of July Sparkler Wands
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4th of July Sparkle Bottles
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Valentine Water Sensory Play
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J is for Junk Jar ~ Preschool Alphabet Activities
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Waiter, Waiter! Preschool Restaurant Dramatic Play
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Snowflake Play Dough
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Alphabet Ice Painting
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Winter Snow Bin Sensory Play
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Outdoor Art: Autumn Leaf Collage
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Preschool Community Helpers Construction Worker
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Spooky Googly Eye Glitter Water Play
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Little People Car Wash Water Play
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Animal Wash Soapy Sensory Play
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Easter Egg Water Sensory Play
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Ocean Sand Sensory Bin
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Scented Kool-Aid Paint
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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Play
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Mini Volcanoes
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Flyswatter Bubbles
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Space Sensory Discovery Box
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Homemade Bubbles and Refill Station
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Sticky Table Sensory Play
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Sensory Balloons & Painting {Rainbows}
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Rainbow Stew
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Rainbow I Spy Bottles
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Rainbow Rice & Garden Sensory Play
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Rainbow Ice Cube Painting
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Ponds and Muck
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Moving Water Sensory Play
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Sensory Bottles
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