Barefoot sensory path – dig out some materials to explore with feet

What you need 

• Materials and flat objects with different textures, such as bubble wrap, towels, cardboard or fluffy blankets
• Containers large and safe enough for your toddler to stand in, filled with different textures, such as warm water, wet and dry sand or mud 

What to do 

• Create a sensory footpath, inside or outside, using materials from around your home.  
• Put out the items you’ve collected to make a trail for your toddler to follow while barefoot.  
• You might need to hold onto your toddler’s hand while they walk through the trail, especially if their feet get wet.  
• Give them lots of praise and encouragement, while trying to describe the textures their feet are experiencing. 
• If you’re using wet materials, don’t forget to have a towel ready for when they are finished. 

Good to know 

Not all toddlers like the feel of wet, slimy or slushy textures. If your toddler doesn’t like these, you can set the trail up with textures you know they enjoy instead. To help them get used to new textures try not to pressure them into standing on anything they’re not keen on. If they are happy to let you, some sensory input before a game can help, so you could brush a dry paintbrush along their feet, or if they find this too ticklish, rub their feet with fairly firm pressure before messy activities.