Engaging your child’s senses can greatly contribute to their learning process. The reason is that various sensory activities for 1 to 2-year-olds revolve around discovery and exploration. Most of these activities also allow kids to play while learning at the same time.
Moreover, these can provide babies, preschoolers, and toddlers with hands-on experiences that will be of help in their overall growth and development. This article will give you a few easy and fun sensory activities that your toddler will surely be fond of doing.
Sensory Play Activities Defined
Sensory play involves expressing and acquiring skills and knowledge through discovery and exploration. In a more deliberate and simple sense, sensory activities focus more on making your child use and engage their senses, which can contribute a lot to the learning process.
The best sensory play activities for one to two-year-old kids are those that can stimulate them, thereby promoting healthy development. They are also effective in keeping a young toddler entertained the entire day.
Top 10 Sensory Play Activities for 1 to 2-year-olds
To start engaging and activating your child’s senses, here are your top choices if you are in search of the best sensory play activities that cater to the needs of your 1- to 2-year-olds. All these sensory activities can help improve your child’s fine motor skills, help them learn through play, and express their creative side.
#1 – Water bead play
If you were uninterested in water beads before, now is the time to carve your interest in them because they are among the items you can use to give your kids a nice sensory experience. Most children also love these items, so it is highly likely that these will be a hit among your kids.
Of course, you will have to buy the beads that you may find dry and small at first. Note, though, that if you add water to them, they will turn out to be the most interesting items that your toddler (around one to two years old), and even a preschooler, can play with.
Just get a bin then fill it with the beads. You can then watch joyously as your child starts to play.
#2 – Chocolate cereal play
You can also let your child play with chocolate cereals, giving them an incredible taste-safe activity that will engage their senses. What you should do is gather chocolate cereals and then add them to a container or bin.
If possible, put some plastic dinosaur toys in the bin, so your kids will get the chance to explore it, which they can consider a new land. You may also put in some toy trucks that your toddler can use in bulldozing dirt until they get tired.
#3 – Shaving cream building
Most one- to two-year-old kids find blocks genuinely fun and exciting. They will feel that way despite the fact that playing with blocks means you will have to help build towers while there is a risk for your toddler to knock them all down.
Note, though, that there is something you can do to integrate a new and unique element into it that will further bring out your child’s excitement – that is by using a shaving cream. It can create a bit of a mess, though, but you can rest assured that your child will be happy with it.
What you should do is to get a bin where you can squirt some cans of shaving cream. Once done, you can put in the blocks. Ask your child to search through and find the blocks within the shaving cream. It is also a great idea to build towers using shaving cream that acts as a mortar.
#4 – Ocean discovery and exploration
In this sensory activity for 1- to 2-year-olds, you will be required to prepare and get a pack of blue Jell-O. However, prior to letting the liquid harden in your fridge, you can put seashells and/or plastic sea creatures in a container or pan known as child-safe.
Once you notice the Jell-O hardening, you will notice it trapping your child’s toys inside. This is what will add more fun and excitement to the game. Let your child dig through it so they can uncover the hidden toys there.
After that, you can witness your child’s happiness and excitement as they play with their gathered toys.
#5 – DIY ball pit
Note that it’s possible to create your own ball pit at home and it’s one of the best sensory activities for 1- to 2-year-olds that your child will definitely love. To create this DIY ball pit, you need a large cardboard box or baby pool then put some colorful plastic balls into it.
Your child will enjoy playing with it whether you put it indoors or outdoors. It can give them so much fun and enjoyment. What’s even great about this activity is that it is open-ended, meaning, your toddler can engage with it in so many different ways.
You can even make the ball pit even more unique and interesting during the summer. All it takes is to put bubble and water solution to the brightly colored balls so your one-year-old will have a fun jacuzzi experience.
#6 – Plastic egg play
In this activity, you will realize that plastic eggs are not only designed for use during Easter. It is possible for your child to enjoy it anytime they want. For instance, you can use each half of the plastic egg to form egg towers.
They also have the option to use kitchen utensils to scoop up what’s inside the egg. You can also hide toys inside each plastic egg, making this activity more entertaining for your child. You can also get a plastic container and put the plastic eggs there to create a rattle.
Your child can even use it to learn how to sort things by color. If your child is only around a year old, you can also create rattles out of the plastic eggs. All it takes is to fill them up with dry pasta or rice.
#7 – Tissue paper ripping
An activity as simple as ripping a tissue paper can also be very engaging for your child’s senses. All you have to do is give your toddler some tissue paper in a wide range of colors. They can then explore the tissue papers given to them and rip them up.
This activity can provide an incredible tactile experience to your child. It also lets them use three of their basic senses, namely sight, sound, and touch. It works not only for young toddlers around one to two years but also for babies.
#8 – Mirror play
Another great idea to give your child a nice sensory experience is to give them a Montessori mirror or soft infant mirror that they can use during tummy time. With these items, your 1- or 2-year-old will get the opportunity to explore and discover their unique physical features.
They will also get to learn about the shiny mirror’s texture. It is also possible to make this type of sensory play even more extensive and artistic. All it takes is to put some drops of paint into the mirror.
Your toddler can then use their fingers to mix colors, scribble, and experiment. Transfer their work of art by getting a piece of paper and pressing their work into it.
#9 – Touch and feel books
You can also let your toddler enjoy what we call the touch-and-feel books that will give them an opportunity to enjoy a kind of sensory exploration even if they are on the go. With the help of these touch-and-feel books, your child will be introduced to various textures without worrying about them creating a mess.
#10 – Glitter calm-down bottle
Creating a glitter bottle is easy and quick. All it takes is to add water to the bottle, a few drops of food color, and glitter. Further increase the interest of your child in this activity by putting a few small toys into it including small toys, such as beads, craft gems, and sequins.
What about if you wish to slow down the way the materials in the bottle move? In that case, you can put some glue, gel hand soap, glycerin, or more glitter into it to increase the liquid’s viscosity.
Conclusion
There are indeed a lot of sensory activities for 1- to 2-year-olds that are also appropriate for your child’s age and unique personality. The good news is that most of the things needed for this activity can be found at home.
Check out your kitchen cupboard as you may find the required things there, like kitchen utensils, cooked or dried pasta, uncooked rice, food coloring, silicon tools, and tubs of different sizes. With these items, you can prepare an entertaining sensory activity for your toddler that will be of help as they try to learn and grasp the world around them.