3 Sensory Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers are world explorers. They are fascinated by everything that they can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. It is imperative to encourage their fascination with their world, and thus encourage learning, by providing toddlers with sensory experiences. Here you will find three sensory activities appropriate for toddlers. Each of these sensory activities will be messy. Encourage the messiness! Encourage your toddler to dig into life and savor it!

Pudding Painting

Let your toddler help you prepare a box of instant pudding. He will see the pudding mix in the box, in the mixing bowl and finally as pudding. Your toddler will hear the beaters stirring the pudding mix and milk together. He will smell the yummy pudding. Let your toddler finger paint with the pudding. He will feel the coolness and smooth texture of the pudding. Let him taste the pudding as he paints. Mmmmmm!

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Ingredients:

- 18 ounces of peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups of powdered milk
- 6 tablespoons of honey

Mix all ingredients together well.

Your toddler will see the peanut butter, powdered milk and honey individually and then mixed together into a play dough. You toddler will hear the wooden spoon hit the sides of the mixing bowl as you mix the dough. He will smell the peanut butter and honey as they are being mixed together. Set the peanut butter play dough on a table. Let your toddler touch it. Let him play with it as he would regular play dough. But better than regular play dough...this dough can be eaten! Let him taste the peanut butter play dough.

Note: Never let a child under one year of age eat honey.

Kool Aid Painting

Let your toddler help you mix a pitcher of Kool Aid. He will see the water change color as the Kool Aid powder is mixed in. He will hear the water being poured into the pitcher and the spoon hitting the sides of the pitcher as you stir the Kool Aid. Your toddler will smell the yummy scent of the Kool Aid both in the open package and in the drink itself. Before he paints with the Kool Aid, let your toddler have a drink of it. Now set out a coloring page, a small cup of the Kool Aid and a paint brush. Encourage your toddler to touch the Kool Aid. Ask him how it feels. Is it cold or hot? Now let him paint!