Sensory toys are an important part of early childhood development. They help children to explore their surroundings and become more comfortable with new experiences. But as a parent, it can be difficult to find the time and money to buy just the right kinds of toys for each developmental stage.
That’s why I love making sensory toys at home! Not only do they save you money (and landfill space), but you can customize them based on your child’s needs.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how easy it is to make your own homemade sensory toys using things around your house or local thrift store:
Top 10 DIY Sensory Toys for Kids
| Toy Name | Materials | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Play dough | Flour, salt, water, food coloring | Provides tactile and fine motor stimulation |
| Sensory bottles | Clear bottles, water, glitter, small toys | Encourages visual exploration and calming |
| Texture blocks | Wooden blocks, sandpaper, felt, foam | Enhances tactile discrimination and construction skills |
| Rainbow rice bin | Rice, food coloring, vinegar | Stimulates sensory integration and imaginative play |
| Fidget spinner | Ball bearings, cardboard, hot glue | Reduces anxiety and improves focus |
| Squishy balloons | Balloons, flour, funnel | Develops gross motor skills and sensory awareness |
| Sound eggs | Plastic eggs, small beads, rice | Promotes auditory discrimination and sensory integration |
| Sensory bag | Ziplock bag, hair gel, small toys | Provides tactile and visual stimulation |
| Bubble wrap hopscotch | Bubble wrap, markers, tape | Improves gross motor skills and sensory processing |
| Scented play dough | Flour, salt, water, essential oils | Enhances olfactory awareness and sensory exploration |
DIY Sensory Bottles
If you’ve ever seen a baby bottle, that’s essentially what sensory bottles are. They’re containers filled with interesting objects and liquids that can be shaken, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
These toys help stimulate the senses, encourage motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination and fine motor control in children.
Sensory bottles are also useful for people with ADD/ADHD and autism because they help them focus on one thing at a time instead of the constant stimulation from all their senses around them (or lack thereof). You may have seen some celebrities using them to calm down their kids before bedtime too!
When it comes to making sensory bottles yourself there are lots of options available depending on what kind of experience you’d like your child or loved one to have using this toy:
For babies under six months old use clear plastic bottles without lids so they can see everything inside clearly without needing additional light sources such as lamps which could cause eye strain later on down the road when they start getting older.
If possible use amber colored sunlight filtering glass jars too since blue light doesn’t reach our eyes very well after dark hours due its short-wavelength spectrum being filtered out by our retinas’ pigmented epithelial cells while red/orange colors do (and thus doesn’t cause us any harm).
This isn’t necessary though so don’t worry about spending money on materials just yet!
Sensory play is a vital aspect of a toddler’s learning and development, and can have a positive impact on their cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Our article on how sensory play can enhance learning and development provides helpful tips and ideas to incorporate sensory play in your child’s daily routine.
DIY Calming Glitter Jars
Glitter jars are a great way to relax and calm down, especially if you have sensory issues. These jars are easy to make at home and can be used with various sensory materials like glitter, rice or beans.
Here’s how it works: Put some small items in a jar (the smaller the better). Then shake it up! The weight of the items will push against each other as they move around inside the jar, creating vibrations that stimulate your senses.
If you need some extra help staying organized, try using labels with pictures on them so that you can easily see what’s inside each jar!
You can also make your own calming kit by putting different kinds of materials together in one baggie then shaking them up before using them as needed.
Many people use these kits when they get overwhelmed during social situations or when they’re having trouble sleeping – because who doesn’t love feeling relaxed?
DIY Sensory Balls
Materials:
- Standard size bouncy ball (example)
- Glue
- Beads or other small objects to be placed inside the ball (optional)
To make your own sensory balls at home, simply place the glue in a bowl. Then roll the ball around in it until all sides are covered with glue. Take care not to get too much on one side or you will make your ball lopsided.
Let dry for 24 hours before using! While drying, you can fill them with any small objects like beads or shells if desired. Once dry, they’re ready for playtime!
These sensory balls are great for those days when kids need something extra calming and soothing they’re perfect for when kids are feeling overwhelmed by their senses, like when they’re under pressure from crowds of people at Target during back-to-school shopping season (which happens every day).
Sensory toys are not just fun, but they can also improve a toddler’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity. Our list of 15 sensory toys every toddler should have in their toy box offers a range of ideas and inspiration to keep your little ones engaged and learning through play.
DIY Fidget Spinners
You might be the type of person who finds themselves fidgeting with their fingers often. If that’s a problem, perhaps it’s time to try something new. Did you know there are many different types of fidget spinners? You can make one yourself, using just cardboard and string!
If you’re feeling ambitious, try making a clothespin spinner instead. It’ll take a bit longer since you have to cut out the pieces from cardboard or another sturdy material first but it will be worth it when you hold your very own DIY fidget spinner in your hands—and at such an affordable price!
You’ll need:
- A pair of scissors
- Cardboard (or whatever sturdy material works for you)
DIY Slippery Slime
To make this slime, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of glue (you can also use school glue or white craft glue)
- 2 tablespoons of Borax laundry detergent (or borax substitute)
- Food coloring in your choice of color(s)
In a bowl, mix together the water and the glue until it forms a thick mixture. Slowly add in your borax powder while stirring constantly until it has completely dissolved into the mixture. If you want to color your slime, add food coloring now!
Mix everything together until it’s one smooth consistency about two minutes should do it!
As a beginner, it can be overwhelming to choose the right sensory toys for your toddler. Our guide on the importance of sensory toys for toddlers can help you understand the benefits of sensory play and how to select the appropriate toys for your child’s age and development.
DIY Kinetic Sand
Kinetic sand is a great way to get your little ones more engaged in their play. It’s similar to regular sand, but it can be molded into different shapes without falling apart. The best part? You can make kinetic sand at home with ingredients you probably already have around the house!
You will need:
- A container (the container should be at least 1/3 full of water)
- Cornstarch or baby powder (fingerprint resistant)
DIY Water Beads
These colorful little balls of water are a fun sensory toy you can make at home. They’re inexpensive, easy to make, and they can be used in many different ways. Making water beads is as simple as mixing sodium polyacrylate and water together in a container.
After that, all you have to do is let them dry out over night—and voila! You’ve got homemade water beads!
Water beads are great for use with toddlers, preschoolers and young elementary school children because they’re soft on their skin and provide a good tactile experience.
They also help develop fine motor skills when kids play with them because they need to squeeze the balls around or toss them into bowls or cups without breaking them (which can get tricky).
They’re also an excellent option if your child has sensory issues such as autism or Asperger’s syndrome because they don’t create loud noises like marbles do when dropped onto hard surfaces like tile floors; instead these little spheres will just bounce around gently after hitting something hard like woodwork instead of making loud clanking sounds like metal objects would make if dropped onto similar surfaces (like glass tables).
These characteristics make these tiny round orbs ideal toys for children who might have issues with being startled easily while playing with things like balls made out of metal (such as tennis balls) or plastic ones too big/heavy which could hurt younger kids if accidentally dropped on their heads by older siblings during roughhousing playtime sessions!
Interested in making your own sensory toys at home? Our DIY sensory toys: a beginner’s guide offers step-by-step instructions and easy-to-find materials to create fun and interactive toys for your child while saving money and promoting creativity.
DIY Squishy Bag
If you have a small child who enjoys squishiness, this is the toy for them. All you need is a sandwich bag and some small objects (think rice, beans, and similar items).
Fill the bag with your chosen substance, seal it shut, then let your little one work out their frustrations on squishing it between their hands.
The best part? You can switch out what’s inside the bag as often as you want! We recommend giving different textures or colors of rice or beans every week, but if they’re feeling creative they could also put all sorts of other things in there undoubtedly resulting in some new sensory experiences.
In addition to being fun and easy to make at home with common household supplies like plastic bags and dried food items from Costco (or whatever grocery store stocks bulk goods), this sensory toy has endless possibilities for customization based on input from your child.
DIY Crunchy Bags
Crunchy bags are a great toy to keep in your purse or car. They’re easy, inexpensive, and can be made with things you already have at home.
What You’ll Need:
- Rice (or other dry cereal)
- Plastic bag or container with airtight seal (like a ziplock or tupperware container)
- Tape to seal the bag/container
DIY Soothing Shaker Cups
I’ve seen a lot of people make DIY sensory toys out of empty jars, and they are great! But I love that this one can be made with recycled materials and uses no glue or adhesives.
To make your own soothing shaker cups, you will need:
- two empty plastic bottles (I like to use milk jugs because they’re thick enough to hold up to vigorous shaking)
- some kindling (I like using pine cones or sticks from the yard)
Sensory toys can be especially helpful for children with special needs, and can promote their sensory, physical, and emotional development. Our article on sensory toys 101: how they can help children with special needs explains the benefits of sensory toys for children with different abilities and provides ideas on how to incorporate them in therapy or daily activities.
Many Things Around Your House Can Double As Sensory Toys!
You don’t need to be a professional or expert to make your own sensory toys. In fact, there are many things around the house that can double as sensory toys! Here are some simple examples:
- A variety of colorful jars or bottles filled with beans, rice, or plastic beads
- A stack of cardboard paper towels and toilet paper tubes tied together with twine (perfect for baby and toddler hands)
- An old pair of pantyhose filled with fun stuff like dried pasta or small balls (my kids love this one!)
Benefits of Sensory Play for Different Age Groups
| Age Group | Benefits of Sensory Play |
|---|---|
| Infants | Encourages exploration, cognitive development, and sensory integration |
| Toddlers | Enhances fine motor skills, language, social interaction, and imaginative play |
| Preschoolers | Promotes problem-solving, creativity, emotional regulation, and self-confidence |
| School-age children | Fosters curiosity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork |
| Adolescents | Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, and improves mood and self-esteem |
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that not all children are the same, and they may not respond to the same sensory toys in the same way.
Keep this in mind as you go through these tutorials try lots of different ones until you find something that works best for your child
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about sensory toys and activities, check out these helpful resources:
DIY Sensory Toys for Kids with Autism: This blog post offers simple and creative ideas for making sensory toys at home, specifically for children with autism.
10 Sensory Toys You Can Make at Home: This article provides step-by-step instructions for 10 different sensory toys that can be made with common household items.
30 DIY Sensory Toys and Games to Stimulate Your Child’s Creative Growth: This list includes 30 different DIY sensory toys and games that can be used to encourage your child’s creativity and growth.
FAQs
What are sensory toys?
Sensory toys are designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) and promote sensory exploration, development, and integration in children.
What are the benefits of sensory play?
Sensory play can help improve cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development in children, including language, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and self-regulation.
What are some examples of sensory toys?
Examples of sensory toys include play dough, sensory bins, fidget toys, weighted blankets, textured balls, light-up toys, musical instruments, and scented objects.
How can I make sensory toys at home?
You can make sensory toys at home using materials such as balloons, rice, beans, slime, feathers, pom-poms, and various textures and colors.
Are sensory toys only for children with special needs?
No, sensory toys can be beneficial for all children, as they promote sensory exploration, learning, and creativity. However, they may be particularly helpful for children with sensory processing disorder, autism, ADHD, or other special needs.
Meet Hellen James, the multi-talented writer and nurturing mother who takes young readers on a thrilling journey through her sensory-infused blog. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a parent.
