As a parent, you probably know how beneficial sensory play is for your little one. Since it’s summertime, it’s the perfect time to take sensory play outside and let your infant or toddler experience the world through sensory activities that are fun and a little messy! Keep reading for some of our favorite summertime sensory activity ideas.

Sponge Water Transfer
For this activity, fill one bucket with water and set it up next to an empty bucket. Give your toddler a sponge and have them dip it in the water until it’s completely saturated. Then, have them hold the sponge over the empty bucket and encourage them to squeeze out the water until there’s nothing left. Repeat until the water is transferred from one bucket to the other.

Paint with Ice
For this activity, you’ll need:

  • Water
  • Food Coloring
  • Short Popsicle Sticks
  • An Ice Cube Tray

Start by filling your ice cube tray with the water. Then, add a tiny drop of food coloring to each pocket of water and mix well. Make sure to alternate colors! After that, place a popsicle stick into each cube mold and set in the freezer. Once frozen, it’s time to go outside! Give your toddler some paper and have them paint with the ice cube sticks. Make sure to lay down newspaper or a tray under the paper to make cleanup a bit easier.

Jell-O Pool
This activity is super fun and is perfect for infants and toddlers! To make it happen you’ll need a small kiddie pool and three boxes of Jell-O. All you need to do is make the Jell-O and put it in the pool. For toddlers, have them step into the pool with the Jell-O and give them large kitchen utensils and toys to play with. Don’t let the possible mess intimidate you because clean up is super easy – all you need to do is hose them in the yard when they’re done. For infants, have them sit in the pool with the Jell-O and play with it. The best part is it’s edible, so no need to worry about your little ones eating something they shouldn’t!

If this idea intrigues you but you don’t have a kiddie pool, it also works to fill small containers withe Jell-O and let your kids play with it with just their hands.

Wash the Animals Sensory Bin
This activity is also a little messy, but a bit more manageable if  you’re not a big fan of messy play. For this activity, you’ll need:

  • Two containers
  • Mud
  • Bubble Bath
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Plastic Animal Toys

Start by filling a container with mud. To do this, mix a few scoops of dirt from the backyard with a little bit of water. Fill the rest of the container with plastic animal toys to get them dirty. Next, fill the second container with water, bubble bath, and various cleaning supplies like a toothbrush, a washcloth, etc. Then, have your child clean every dirty animal that’s in the mud bin.

Floating Letters
This is a simple activity. All you need is large foam letters and a container full of water. Dump all of the foam letters into the container of water and give your little one a spatula to scoop up the letters with. This will keep them entertained for hours! If you have a kiddie pool, you could also fill the pool with water, place the letters in there, and have your kids sit and play in the pool. To make it even more fun, you could also add bubble bath to the water!

We hope you and your little one enjoy one of these activities this summer!