Children’s Sensory Activities
Here is a collection of recipes to have some fun and interactive sensory play with your child. I got these from my mother who used to be a preschool teacher. One of the more popular recipes in her class was the “Flubber” recipe.
Have fun playing and learning with your kid!
Flubber
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 2 cups white glue
- 1.5 cups tepid water
- food coloring
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp borax
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the white glue, tepid water, and food coloring.
- In a seperate container, mix together the water and borax.
- Pour the borax-water solution into the glue mixture a third at a time.
- Mix with spoon after each addition.
- Remove any globs as the form.
- Knead on a table surface until all the excess water is absorbed into each blob
- Have fun poking, pinching, pulling apart, rolling, bouncing, folding, using with playdoh toys, melting over hands or objects, blowing bubbles with straws.
- Store in a plastic container.
Goop
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 box Cornstarch
- Water
- Food Coloring
- Objects to hide
Instructions
- Add the whole box of cornstarch to a bowl
- Slowly add a little over a cup of water.
- Stire the mixture to make it goopy but not runny.
- Add color to you goop.
- Hide objects in the goop for children to find.
Cooked Playdough
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour
- 3 cups Water
- 1.5 cups Salt
- 1 tbsp Cream of Tartar
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
- Food Coloring
- scents or additions see below
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a large pot.
- Additions: You can add delicious smells such as cinnamon or ground cloves. You can add glitter for sparkle.
- Cook over low heat until it becomes firm.
- Remove from heat and knead the mixture.
- Store in a plastic container.
Kool-Aid Playdough
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 cup Salt
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 3 cups Water, boiling
- 2 packages Kool-Aid, unsweetened
- 4 tbsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the boiling water and stir the mixture.
- Knead the mixture well until it is the consistency of playdough.
- Store it in a plastic container.
Oatmeal Playdough
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 part Flour
- 1 part Water
- 2 parts Oatmeal
- Food Coloring
Instructions
- Mix together the flour and oatmeal.
- Add the water slowly until the mixture is blended.
- Cornmeal can be used instead of oatmeal to vary the texture.
Cornstarch Clay
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 2 cups Baking Soda
- 1.5 cups Water
- food coloring
Instructions
- Mix together the cornstarch, baking soda, and water.
- Cook over medium heat stirring constantly.
- When the mixture reaches the consistency of soft mashed potatoes, remove to a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool.
- Knead until smooth
- Clay dries quickly and is quite durable when coated with acrylic spray. Great for hand prints!
Rainbow Mashed Potatoes
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 4 cups water
- food coloring
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar, corn starch, and water and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and turns transparent.
- Let it cool and transfer to ziplock bags.
- Choose a couple compatible colors and add several drops of food coloring to the bags.
- Seal the bags with wide duct tape.
- Encourage children to mix the colors as they play with the bags.
Cloud in a Bag
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- shaving cream
- food coloring
Instructions
- Fill a plastic baggie with shaving cream.
- Add food coloring
- Squeeze out all of the air and seal the bag
- Children mix color into that shaving cream as the squeeze the bag
Puffy Paint
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 cup Salt
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Water
- Food Coloring
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients.
- Put it into squeeze bottles.
- Drip the paint onto heavy paper or cardboard
Magic Milk
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- Dawn dishwashing liquid
- food coloring
Instructions
- Pour room temperature milk into a bowl
- Add a few drops of food coloring
- Add dishwashing liquid
- Watch the milk magically swirl
Gelly Bags
children's sensory activity
Ingredients
- 1 Zip lock bag
- tape
- hair gel
Instructions
- Fill a ziplock bag with hair gel and seal with tape.
- Children can write or draw on the bag