Sensory bags have all the benefits of sensory play minus the mess! You can put things inside the bag that you might not usually let your baby explore, like small beans, rice, liquids, and more. On top of that, sensory play is a great way to develop language, cognitive, and physical skills. First things first, you’ll need a water-tight bag that is safe for babies. You’ll also need interesting things to put inside. Here’s our list of favorite sensory materials to put inside the bag.
- 1. Shaving cream + beads/beans
While your child is playing with this sensory bag, you can encourage them to find the beads in the shaving cream.
- 2. Water (mixed with food coloring) + oil
A twist on the classic water and oil mixing - your baby will love looking at the liquids interact.
- 3. Chips/crackers
Crispy snacks such as chips, crackers, or whatever else is in your kitchen adds an element of auditory stimulation to the sensory bag. Your baby will enjoy breaking the chips as they explore concepts of cause and effect - lots of fun with zero mess!
- 4. Jell-O + plastic toys
Encourage your child to search for their toys by pushing the Jell-O aside. This will help develop your baby’s fine motor skills as they try to push and poke their way through the Jell-O.
- 5. Ice + glitter
The cold ice will be interesting for your baby to touch. They’ll also enjoy watching the ice slowly melt and mix with the glitter to make a cold, shimmery liquid.
- 6. Nature Bag
Nature always has something interesting for your baby to explore. Collect leaves, rocks, acorns, flowers, and even soil and put them into the sensory bag. Talk to your baby about what they see and feel.
In our opinion, sensory bags are one of the most underrated and easy-to-prepare toys for babies. There are so many ways to be creative in making a sensory bag, and so many things for your baby to explore. Better yet, you can do all this without leaving a huge mess on your living room carpet!
