DIY Sensory Toys for Toddlers: Simple and Fun Activities to Stimulate Development

The toddler stage is a period of incredible growth and exploration, and stimulating a child’s senses plays a crucial role in their overall development. Sensory activities not only entertain but also enhance cognitive, motor, and social skills. 

In this blog, we will explore the world of DIY sensory toys for toddlers, offering simple and enjoyable activities that parents and caregivers can create at home to promote their little one’s development.

Sensory Bottles

Sensory bottles are an easy and versatile DIY project that captivates toddlers’ visual senses. To make a sensory bottle, fill a clear plastic bottle with a variety of items such as colored water, glitter, small beads, or buttons. Seal the bottle tightly, and voila! Your toddler now has a mesmerizing and safe toy to shake and observe.

Benefits:

• Visual Stimulation: The swirling colors and floating items inside the bottle provide a captivating visual experience.
• Focus and Concentration: Observing the movements inside the bottle encourages focus and concentration.
• Calming Effect: Sensory bottles can have a soothing effect on toddlers.

Texture Boards

Create a texture board by attaching different textured materials to a board or piece of cardboard. Use materials such as sandpaper, velvet, faux fur, bubble wrap, and more. Allow your toddler to touch and explore the various textures, fostering tactile awareness and fine motor skills.

Benefits:

• Tactile Development: Texture boards enhance tactile sensitivity and encourage exploration.
• Fine Motor Skills: Feeling different textures helps improve the development of fine motor skills.
• Vocabulary Building: Introducing your toddler to different textures supports language development as they describe what they feel.

Rice Bin

A rice bin is a simple yet effective DIY sensory toy that provides hours of mess-free sensory play. Fill a shallow container with uncooked rice and hide small toys or objects within it. Give your toddler cups, spoons, or small containers to scoop, pour, and discover the hidden treasures.

Benefits:

• Fine Motor Skills: Scooping and pouring rice with various tools improve fine motor skills.
• Tactile Exploration: The sensation of running hands through the rice stimulates tactile senses.
• Imagination and Creativity: Encourages imaginative play as toddlers uncover hidden items.

Sensory Balloon Bags

Sensory balloon bags are a fantastic way to engage your toddler’s sense of touch in a mess-free manner. Fill a strong ziplock bag with hair gel, colored water, or other squishy materials, and seal it tightly. Tape the bag to a table or window, and let your toddler explore the fascinating textures by pressing, squishing, and manipulating the bag.

Benefits:

• Tactile Stimulation: Pressing and manipulating the squishy bag provides tactile stimulation.
• Mess-Free: Ideal for mess-free sensory play, making it a convenient choice for parents.
• Calming Sensation: The squishy texture can have a calming effect on toddlers.

Sensory Playdough

Homemade sensory playdough is a versatile and easy-to-make sensory toy. You can add various scents, textures, or colors to the play dough to create a multi-sensory experience. Incorporate ingredients like cinnamon for smell, sand for texture, or natural dyes for color variation.

Benefits:

• Fine Motor Skills: Kneading and shaping playdough enhances fine motor skills.
• Scent Exploration: Adding scents introduces olfactory stimulation.
• Creativity: The versatility of playdough allows for endless creative possibilities.

DIY Texture Cards

Create texture cards by gluing various textured materials onto sturdy cardboard or cardstock. Include materials like felt, sandpaper, cotton balls, and more. These cards offer a hands-on experience as toddlers touch and explore the different textures presented.

Benefits:

• Visual and Tactile Exploration: Texture cards engage both visual and tactile senses.
• Sensory Discrimination: Toddlers can compare and contrast the textures, enhancing sensory discrimination.
• Educational: Introduce descriptive words as toddlers explore and discuss each texture.

Sensory Scarves

Sensory scarves provide a delightful way for toddlers to explore visual and tactile sensations. Attach colorful scarves to the ends of a child-friendly wand or simply let toddlers hold and wave the scarves themselves. The gentle, flowing motion of the scarves creates a captivating visual experience.

Benefits:

• Visual Stimulation: The flowing scarves create a visually stimulating experience.
• Gross Motor Skills: Waving and twirling scarves promote gross motor skill development.
• Imagination: Encourages imaginative play as toddlers incorporate the scarves into various activities.

Conclusion

Engaging in sensory play through DIY toys for toddlers is a rewarding and effective way to support their overall development. These simple yet engaging activities stimulate various senses, promoting cognitive, motor, and social skills. As parents and caregivers, creating a sensory-rich environment at home allows toddlers to explore, learn, and have fun in a safe and nurturing space. So, roll up your sleeves, gather some materials, and watch as your DIY sensory toys become cherished tools for your toddler’s growth and exploration.