At home sensory group – some ideas to get you started

Your child’s senses are stimulated by everyday life, whether that’s feeling rain on their cheek, recognising the smell of their favourite meal, or simply watching light shining through a curtain. The activities at sensory groups often focus on a specific sense or two and give you time playing together, so our ideas will help you do this at home when classes are closed for summer!   

See if any of your friends from your group want to join you for some summer play – you could take it in turns to suggest an idea, and make sure you include time to catch up too!  

Clear a space or find somewhere to meet – your sensory group could be under a tree in the local park, it doesn’t have to be at home!  

Put your phone out of reach, get anything you need for the activity and have it close by, so you can focus on your child.  

Have a loose plan 

This might simply be an idea of a couple of things you want to try – it doesn’t need to be a detailed plan.  

If you usually go to a group that starts the session with a ‘hello’ song, then use that song to start your own sensory session.  

Have the things you're going to play with close by, and also think about how you’ll end the play.  

Sometimes sensory activities can be stimulating, so to help ensure there is a smooth way to end think about something your child finds calming and do this when it’s time to finish. This could be some gentle massage, simple yoga, or quiet music, whatever is calming for you and your child.  

Think about all the senses (not necessarily at the same time!)  

When you’re thinking about which activities to choose, think about the senses they stimulate. Give your child things to touch, interesting sounds, patterns or colours to look at, new smells, time to move and things to push and pull, as well as time to be calm and aware of their body.  

Set the mood 

Get a playlist ready – find a variety of music and sounds, you could use these at the start of the activity or for some calming time at the end.  

Some ideas for sensory play 

Check anything you give your child and make sure there are no small parts or broken bits - always supervise them during sensory play.  

Listen 

Make some noise 

What you need 

• Containers - Baking trays, pans, tubs and boxes 
• Objects to make a noise - Wooden spoon, blocks, balls and toys 

What to do 

• Show your child how to use the objects to make a noise – hit a pan with a spoon, or drop a block onto a tray.  
• Give them one of the objects and let them have a turn.  
• If you’re playing with a baby make quiet sounds as you chat or sing to them, an older child could do this for the baby too (if you do talk to them about how they can see which sounds the baby likes).  

Look 

Mirror, mirror 

There are lots of ways you can use a mirror – here's just a few you can pick from according to your child’s skills, so get a child-safe mirror and have a go!

• Place the mirror on the floor and lie together looking and chatting about your reflections.  
• Place a few toys or interesting objects in front of the mirror and talk about what you can see, get your child to move the objects and watch how they disappear from the reflection.  
• Get a large piece of paper and put it on the floor with the mirror next to it – draw together and chat about how the pictures appear in the mirror.  
• Place the mirror flat on the floor – put a basket of blocks, toys and other object next to it. Put the objects on the mirror together and talk about what you can see. 
• Take the mirror outside – place it under a tree or plant. Look at what you can see, try a few places (remember to be careful to place the mirror in shady places if the sun is out).  

Smell 

• For younger babies, find some suitable oil or lotion, play some gentle music and use the lotion as you give them a gentle massage.  
• We have a simple way to get started with massage in this activity. 

Include some scents in a treasure basket 

A treasure basket can be a great way to stimulate your child’s senses, you could collect objects based on a theme – this could simply be a basket of items that are the same colour, or a theme like the seaside (include blue fabric, a clean shell or pebble, a plastic spade, a straw hat etc.)  

Whatever theme you choose think about smells too – you could include an orange or lemon or a sealed pouch of lavender.  

Remember your baby will put everything in their mouth, so only include things that are safe for them to explore in this way and supervise them at all times.  

Touch 

If you love messy play – there are a couple of ideas below. If you aren’t keen on messy play at home, we’ve got the perfect article for you here. 

Ideas for mixtures for your child to explore 

You don’t need an expensive tray for these mixtures – you could use something like an underbed storage box, a washing up bowl, or even a baking tray.

Gloop (sometimes called Ooblik!)  

What you need 

• Cornflour 
• Water 

What to do 

• Put cornflour and water in the tray (about ½ as much water as cornflour).  
• Show your child how they can mix it with a finger, or a spoon.  
• Try squeezing some into a ball, then letting it drip through your fingers. How many shapes can you and your child make before the gloop turns from solid to liquid in your hands? 

Taste safe paint 

What you need 

• Aquafaba (chickpea water)  
• Food colouring 
• Paper or cardboard 
• Chunky paintbrush (but fingers will do just as well!)  
• A whisk 

What to do 

• Keep the liquid from drained chickpeas and put it in a bowl. 
• Whisk until it’s white and fluffy – then add food colouring.  
• Use fingers or a brush to paint on the paper or card.  

Taste and oral activities  

Babies explore everything with their mouths so simply giving them a variety of safe objects to play with is perfect for them.  

Smoothie 

If your child is slightly older why not make a smoothie together – sucking a thick smoothie through a straw is a great sensory activity and can help your child to focus!  

What you need 

• Fruit – bananas and berries are great 
• Milk 
• Ice 
• A blender or smoothie maker 

What to do 

• Cut up the fruit. 
• Put the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. 
• Pour into a cup and give your child a straw to drink through. 

Balance 

For younger babies a simple change of position or gentle rocking will stimulate their balance. You could hold them upright and sing or gently rock along to your favourite tune!  

Row row row your boat  

For older babies and children, this is a really simple way to stimulate your child’s balance and proprioception (sense of their body) 

What to do  

• Sit facing your child. 
• Hold their hands and gently move backwards and forwards as you sing, “Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream.”  
• Try moving faster or slower as you sing the song again.  

Movement 

Barefoot walk (or crawl) 

What you need 

• A few different things to walk on – for example, a cardboard box, a fluffy rug or piece of fabric, a piece of bubble wrap, a tray of water, a towel.  

What to do 

• Lay the different things on the floor.  
• Take off your child’s shoes and socks. 
• Hold their hand and encourage them to walk along the different things.  
• If they don’t like one texture help them step to the side and try the next one.  
• If your child isn’t walking yet, try tummy time on a different surface – or place a new texture just in front of them so they can reach and touch it. 

Check any items you use for loose parts or threads, supervise your child closely at all times.  

We’ve given just a few ideas to get you started, check out all the activities linked to sensory skills in your child’s journey for play ideas that are just right for their skills.