Category: Sensory Play

Play with a Pom-Pom

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I got crafty for Veronika today! This pom-pom was sort of a labor of love, but if that definition doesn’t fit our children, what does?

Trace a large circle (about 8 inches across) on paper. Add a smaller circle (about 2 to 4 inches across) in the middle. Cut out this template and trace onto two pieces of cardboard.

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A thin cardboard works best, like an empty cereal box or frozen pizza box.

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Place the two cardboard pieces together, and begin wrapping around with yarn.

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You can use only one color, but I liked a two-tone look, alternating layers of yellow and green. For a nice thick pom-pom, wrap in about four layers. Veronika couldn’t wait to get her hands on this thing!

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Insert scissors through the yarn to the gap between the two cardboard pieces, and begin snipping the yarn in half.

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Insert another piece of yarn right into the middle and pull tightly – you now have a ball! Tie that yarn securely.

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Before I talk about playtime, I want to mention how fun it was to make this next to Veronika. I worked for about an hour as she played with toys and cooed next to me.

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Especially if you are a first-time-parent, activities like this can help fill those hours or days with a baby that might otherwise seem endless. This one engages baby and caregvier both!

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Now it was playtime, and as you can see from Veronika’s face, the pom-pom is quite simply a delight!

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We tossed it in the air, or used it to hone her grasping skills.

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We tickled her toes with it.

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She played cheerleader as she watched big brother play.

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She basically just had a ball! Do supervise closely, since the homemade nature of this pom-pom means strands of yarn might come lose and pose a choking hazard.

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Take a Texture Trip

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The other day, Veronika and I took a listening trip around the house, giving her plenty of auditory sensory play. Today, it was time to take a texture trip!

As with sounds, this is one of those activities that might seem simplistic, but your baby will never know these words and sensations if you aren’t the teacher! So we paused at some obvious contrasts. Cold fridge and hard wood floor.

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Fluffy carpet:

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Smooth pillow:

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Soft towels:

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Don’t feel like your need to stick to your child’s hands, either; rubbing a fabric on a baby’s cheek or leg is a great new sensation. Here’s Veronika feeling mommy’s silky scarves.

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We also sought out toys today with lots of texture. She especially loves elephant’s crinkly ears!

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In sum, have fun with this, and be sure to use lots of descriptive language and find exciting contrasts around the house. What textures will you show your baby? Please share in the comments!

Snowstorm

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Here’s a fun and simple sensory jar for your baby: an instant snowstorm no matter the season!

Fill a small plastic water bottle about 2/3 of the way with rubbing alcohol. Drop in a few things to swirl in the snow; small buttons are fun, and I also added gold and silver sequins. Next add about 2 teaspoons white or silver glitter. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil.

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Note: you can also tint the alcohol blue with food coloring if you want, but I found that this makes it harder to see the “storm” and preferred a clear version.

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For security, duct tape on the lid. Now swirl for your baby!

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This works well if you roll it on the ground in front of him or her.

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Veronika also loved looking at it up in the air though.

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And wanted to snatch it from my hands!

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If you’re trying to encourage a first crawl, roll the bottle along the floor and see if your baby will go after it!

Jell-O Hands

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Gel desserts are the perfect food edible sensory play sessions with a baby. It’s squishy, it wobbles, and if little fingers get some of it into little mouths, it’s perfectly safe to eat. We love the vegan jel desserts from Simply Delish.

To make a fun mandarin orange version, drain one can of organic mandarin oranges (such as Native Forest) over a bowl. Place the orange slices in a large bowl and set aside. Reserve 1/3 cup of the juice and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Dissolve one sachet of jel dessert in the chilled juice. Add enough boiling water to equal 12 ounces and stir to combine. Pour the juice mixture over the orange slices. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and let set for 1 hour.

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I placed the jell-o on Veronika’s high chair tray.  She was quite skeptical at first!

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Once I demonstrated with a finger how it wiggled and wobbled, she was game!

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Little fists loved squishing and squashing through the jell-o.

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And she liked trying to hold on to slices of orange.

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Some of it made its way to her mouth, and a lot more ended up on the floor!

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The activity looked so fun that big brother Travis wanted to join in, too!

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Name Familiar Sounds

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Whenever I come across auditory activities for a baby, there’s a part of me that feels bored with the idea; I prefer activities that are craftier or cuter, I guess! But then I remember: if I don’t tell Veronika the name of a sound, who will? Everything at this age is new, including what might feel ho-hum to a grown-up.

So all that said, today Veronika and I focused on sounds. We started inside, finding familiar, noticeable noises. Some good candidates included: the tea kettle;

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The laundry machine;

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and running water.

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She was fascinated by my phone when I programmed it to make an old-fashioned telephone ring.

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Give your child time to absorb each sound, and name what it is, and some descriptive words about it.

Next, we headed outside for further exploration. The first thing we noticed was the wind rustling leaves. It was beautiful to pause and hear the whisper and whoosh together.

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We also paused to hear the splash of a fountain.

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My girl was listening intently!

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Other sounds included barking dogs, footsteps, and chirping birds. She got to hear several modes of transportation, including cars and a train roaring by.

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There was even a helicopter making noise overhead.

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What else did you hear on your exploration? Please share in the comments!

Exploring Taste & Texture

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Your five month old may have just begun solids, or tasted a few purees by this point – and even if he or she is still only drinking milk, babies this age love mouthing everything. Taste is such an important way in which little ones learn about the world, and this game lets them explore with the mouth safely!

I sat Veronika comfortably in her high chair and placed a few curated objects in front of her: a wooden spoon, a rubber spatula, a frozen teether, and a few toys.

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She got to pick what came first. Hmm, the wooden spoon looked so interesting…

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…but it was hard and probably not very nice in the mouth.

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The rubber spatula came next. Aah, this was a bit softer. I talked about the texture as she gnawed, as well as its bright bold color.

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She always loves her frozen teether, and that got picked up next. This time I talked about its cold temperature, the soft nubby texture.

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If you’re supervising closely, let your baby have a piece of banana to explore. Veronika loved holding this. It smelled good too!

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She seemed very surprised when she put it in her mouth and found that it was really food. Be careful, since you don’t want a five month old biting off chunks. I did then smoosh some onto her tray for her to play with.

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Any other small toys work great for this game, too. Talk about the different textures of each as you play, and help your baby learn so much about the world!

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Tickly Toes

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Ok, spring has only just begun, but today I tantalized Veronika with a hint of the summer to come… With sand, that is! No matter what time of year you play this game, sand is a fantastic tactile and sensory play ingredient.

Since you don’t want sand anywhere near a baby’s hands or mouth, this is strictly a foot game for a five month old.

I poured some sand into a shallow baking tray, and sat with Veronika on my lap. I dipped her toes into the sand for a little feel. She seemed intrigued, although also confused.

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Swirl baby’s toes around or press gently into the sand. You can also pick up a little handful of sand and trickle it down over the toes – this will both feel good and look exciting!

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Once she tired of her toes in the sand, I took some time to pour sand from a cup for her, so she could further enjoy watching the sand sparkle. It won’t be long before this girl is at the beach!

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Messy Play

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Veronika’s old enough now for her first messy sensory play, and this little game is a baby’s first introduction to ooblek!

As a reminder, “ooblek” is a fantastic substance that acts like a liquid in some circumstances, and a solid in others.

To make a very basic version, combine 1 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Add just a few drops of natural food coloring.

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I sat Veronika down in her high chair – with sleeves rolled up and bib on! – and got ready for the mess.

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Drip some of the mixture onto the highchair tray. It will drip like a liquid, but solidify once on the tray. You can run your finger through it, and leave neat designs.

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She seemed hesitant at first, which surprised me; this is a girl who loves to get her hands in her food. But soon, her little fingers were squishing through the mixture.

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I very gently spooned some right into her fist. She squished and squeezed!

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Ooblek is fun!

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What sensory play does your baby like? Please share in the comments!

Bubble Bottle

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This little sensory bottle is the infant version of a soapy bottle I made for Travis as a toddler, incidentally one of the very first posts on this blog!

For a baby version, fill a small water bottle halfway with water. Add just a few drops of liquid dish soap and a couple drops of food coloring. Don’t shake it together yet!

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Screw the lid on very tightly. If you’re worried about it coming off (especially if your little one tends to put things in his or her mouth) you could even glue it on and let dry completely.

I sat down with Veronika and tilted the bottle so the color dispersed and the bubbles bubbled up. She loved looking right away!

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You can roll it on the ground for your little one.

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Or shake it overhead while they are lying down.

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Veronika immediately wanted to grab hold!

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As a bonus, the bottle will make plastic crinkling sounds as your little one grabs hold.

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It also works during tummy time, where Veronika reached out and tried rolling it back and forth by herself. Easy to put together, and I liked that it engaged multiple senses!

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Baby Sensory Sound Activity

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This easy little activity is great for sensory play – auditory sensory play that is! You can either play during baby’s tummy time or just when he or she is lying down comfortably on a soft blanket.

Big brother Travis helped me set up the game. We needed two tupperware containers, dried rice, dried beans, a wooden block, and a spoon.

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We filled one tupperware with rice, and the other with beans. It was fun to shake them and see the different sounds they made. Her eyes lit up at the rice, a fast, curious favorite. Beans were louder, and didn’t interest her as much.

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For a different tone completely, Travis and I took turns tapping on the block with a metal spoon. This makes a nice drumming sound that isn’t too loud for a newborn’s hearing.

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I also encouraged her to wrap her fingers around the spoon and helped her tap the block, which involved her in the process of making noise.

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We’ll definitely return to this game; as she gets older, Veronika can shake the containers all by herself!