Ideas for sensory play for older children

While there is a lot floating around the internet about sensory play for toddlers and preschoolers, when it comes to sensory play for older children it’s pretty much tumbleweed out there in terms of information and resources. Yet sensory play for older children has a host of benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Sensory play – or stimulation – is really beneficial for the wellbeing of older children. It can help create positive experiences and be therapeutic in that it reduces feelings of worry and anxiety and promote a feeling of calm and a sense of focus. It is also a great thing to do on a rainy day.

Here we wanted to share some of our favourite ideas for sensory play for older children, plus we’ve teamed up with So DIY for a chance to win a So Sand DIY Tool Case – more on that below!

Baking

The sense of touch, smell and taste, as well as the happy memories and positive feelings involved in baking are incredibly comforting.

Sand

There’s a reason we all love the feeling of sand beneath our feet! Beyond a bucket and spade down at the beech or a sandpit, for a more grown-up take on sand play, we recently discovered So Sand’s DIY – Tool Case which includes 30 unique satisfying sensory experiences using magic sand and various tools for shaping, slicing and crushing it! Our daughter has been religiously using this every day and has been relishing all the fun sensory experiences it offers.

Clay modelling

Clay modelling is not only a chance to get super creative but it also a great medium for sensory play for older children. Clay offers various sensory stimuli, including touch, temperature and smell.

Gardening

Gardening has so many benefits including sensory stimulation, reducing feelings of anxiety and aggression, and allowing time for reflection and calm. As well as taking on various age-appropriate gardening projects, you could also get them involved in creating a sensory garden of your own.

Slime

The slime trend is going nowhere, and there’s a reason for that. Kids of every age love playing with slime – even teens! Slime provides the perfect base for your child’s imagination to run wild and develop their creativity as well as being ludicrously tactile. During this era of extreme hand sanitising, we have been loving this new anti-bacterial slime from Canal Toys – the first of its type in the market – which is a child-safe, anti-bacterial slime that kills 99.9% of germs! You can use it over and over, and the anti-bacterial properties last up to 1 month! If your kids LOVE slime then you can pick up a 4 pack from Amazon here.

Music

Did you know that music has an especially important effect on our brains? Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. Even better than listening – play some! If your child is not musical, even using percussion instruments like drums and symbols has sensory benefits.

Yoga

I am a big fan of yoga. What is especially useful about yoga from a sensory point of view is that as the body moves through the different poses, it experiences sensory stimulation through the muscles, joints; and the proprioceptive, vestibular and tactile receptors

Water play

Water play is an excellent sensory experience, playing with water just feels good doesn’t it? From water balloons to sponge bombs, to ice cube relay, and mucking about in a swimming pool – water play doesn’t just have to be the remit of younger kids with a water table.

We hope you enjoyed and found these ideas for sensory play for older children useful. Now for our….

***Giveaway***

Here’s your chance to win a So Sand DIY Tool Case for some very satisfying sensory stimulation!

Enter on our giveaways page here

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