sensory play

Easter Sensory Bottle

One of the simplest forms of sensory play for young children is a sensory bottle. And when you add holiday elements to your bottles, you have the perfect way to celebrate an occasion. This simple Easter sensory bottle features classic holiday elements, allowing your child to celebrate Easter and have a little bit of educational fun at the same time.

Easter Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

plastic water bottle (Voss bottles or craft store sensory bottle)
purple glitter
pastel baby chicks
mini coloured foam eggs
pastel sequins
clear dish soap (Dawn or LemiShine soap are good options because they have a thick consistency)
optional: Superglue or hot glue to seal the bottle cap

Instructions:

Pour the clear soap into the sensory bottle until it’s around 2/3 of the way full.
Add the glitter, baby chicks, foam eggs, and pastel sequins to the bottle.
Fill the rest of the container with water.
If you plan on gluing the lid to keep the bottle from reopening, add hot or Superglue glue to the inside of the lid, then replace the lid on the bottle. Otherwise, you can simply put the lid back on.

Easter Sensory Bottle Play and Learning Activities

This sensory bottle is perfect for encouraging interactive play with young children. But keep in mind that your child should always be supervised by an adult as they play. Even if the lid is glued to the top of the bottle, it could come off. And since the pieces inside could be a choking hazard, it’s important to keep an eye on your child as they’re playing with their bottle.

Try these play activities to give your kids a chance to use their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems as they learn:

Seek and find. Shake up the Easter sensory bottle and let your child search through the items as they float to find different elements inside. Ask your child what they see and let them point out the different pieces inside the bottle.
Count the eggs and chicks. As the eggs and chicks float around the bottle, let your child count each item to see how many eggs and chicks are inside.
Calm a busy mind. The Easter holiday can often cause sensory overload for young kids. Creating this Easter sensory bottle is the perfect way to calm your child when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Simply shake the bottle to mix up the elements inside, then let your child watch the pieces as they float around inside.

Some other Easter sensory activities:

Easter Oobleck Easter Fluffy Slime

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin

Eggs and Carrots Sensory Bin

Easy Easter Oobleck Recipe

By Sharla Kostelyk

Using just two common household ingredients, you can create a fun science experiment your kids will love. And when you mix in holiday elements, this cool activity becomes a great way to celebrate. Make this easy Easter oobleck recipe with your kids to have some messy fun as they learn during this holiday season.We love finding interactive ways to learn. And with the help of this quick and easy science experiment, your kids can explore and learn in unique ways. As your kids play with this squishy goo, they’ll learn all about the properties of matter and have a little messy fun, too!

Easter Oobleck Recipe

Supplies needed:

6 cups cornstarch
3 cups water
blue, pink, and yellow food dye
baking dish
Easter cookie cutters
stretchy or bendy bunnies
plastic eggs

Instructions:

Stir some pink food dye into 1 cup of water.
Mix the pink water with 2 cups of cornstarch to make pink oobleck.
Put the pink oobleck in one section of a baking dish.
Follow the same instructions to create blue oobleck and then again to create yellow.
Drop some Easter cookie cutters, stretchy bunnies, and plastic eggs in.
Invite your child to play!

The Science of Oobleck

After making and playing with oobleck, you may be wondering if it’s a liquid or a solid. The answer to that question is a little more complicated than simply picking one quality or the other. In fact, oobleck is what’s called a non-Newtonian fluid or a suspension. That means it can mimic the qualities of both a solid and a liquid.

All fluids have a state of viscosity, which describes how the fluid flows or how thick the fluid is. Since oobleck can change between a solid and liquid state, its viscosity is not constant. That means it’s a non-Newtonian fluid, which has an inconstant viscosity. And oobleck is just one example of this type of material. Other non-Newtonian fluids include silly putty and ketchup.

Since oobleck is made up of two ingredients, it’s the combination of those ingredients that creates a unique substance with its own unique properties. Since cornstarch particles are so much smaller than other substances, like sand or dirt, they are more susceptible to thermal forces. When the substance is sitting still, the granules of cornstarch are surrounded by the water molecules.

The surface tension of the molecules keeps it from flowing out of the cornstarch. And the lubrication from the water allows the cornstarch granules to move more freely and behave like a liquid. But when friction occurs, the particles move more like a solid.

Oobleck can also be made with other solids such as baby powder, tapioca flour, potato starch, and more. You can find those unique oobleck recipes here.

After explaining this cool scientific concept to your kids, they’ll probably be ready to start exploring! Use different tools and toys to experiment with the Easter oobleck for tons of educational fun. Try these experiments with your kids:

Place the oobleck inside a glass. Let the oobleck sit in the glass for a few hours and see what happens. As the goo sits in the cup, you’ll see the liquid and solid elements begin to separate.
Stir it with a spoon. Stirring the oobleck with a spoon will force the ingredients to mix, causing the oobleck to stiffen. See how long it takes before the spoon becomes “stuck” in the oobleck.
Hit the oobleck between your palms. When you apply pressure to the substance, it becomes less viscous. Notice how hard the substance becomes each time it is hit.
Squeeze and release. Watch the oobleck change states right before your eyes. As you squeeze the goo in your hand and apply pressure to the substance, it will become solid. But when you release the pressure and open your hand, it will turn into a liquid and flow between your fingers.
Use cookie cutters. Try using the cookie cutters while the substance is in different states. How do the cookie cutters work when the goo is in liquid form? How do they work when the oobleck is solid?
Compare oobleck to plain water or plain cornstarch. Compare the two ingredients in the recipe to the completed recipe and record the observations. How does oobleck differ from plain water and plain cornstarch? What happens when you slap each ingredient compared to slapping oobleck? What does each item do when held in your hand? See what you can discover.

What is Oobleck?

Now that you know the science behind this fun substance, why not learn about its history? The concept of oobleck was dreamt up by Dr. Seuss in his book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. In the story, the oobleck is a mysterious substance that falls from the sky when the king becomes bored with normal weather.

With this recipe, you can mimic the goo found in this fun kid’s book, making it a great activity to do with your kids when studying Dr. Seuss. But when you add in toys and seasonal elements, you can use this cool science experiment for any holiday you choose.

Here are some of our other oobleck recipes and activities:

Chocolate Oobleck Lemonade Oobleck

Candy Cane Oobleck

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin

By Sharla Kostelyk

Using nature as inspiration for your sensory bin is a great way to provide your toddler or preschooler with educational interactive fun. And since spring is right around the corner, Easter is the perfect time to create a nature activity for your kids. With this nature inspired Easter sensory bin, your little ones can have some educational fun while exploring nature at home. Nature provides your kids with tons of opportunities to explore and meet their sensory needs. From smelling the flowers to touching the soft grass, there are several ways your child can use their senses while playing outside. And that’s why nature is the perfect inspiration for an Easter sensory bin.

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

plastic tub
plush Easter bunny
rocks
gold gems
stones
artificial grass
Spanish moss
artificial flowers and plants
mini birch logs
artificial insects like butterflies/dragonflies

Instructions:

Add the Spanish moss to the tray. Add the artificial grass on top. Spread out evenly.
Place the artificial plants, flowers, and mini birch logs around the bin.
Add the stones, rocks, and gems to the bin.
Add the butterflies and dragonflies to the bin.
Set the bunny near the bin.

Nature Inspired Sensory Bin Activities

Once you have your sensory bin put together, it’s time to let your kids explore.

If you’re looking for ways to encourage your kids to play, try these fun activity suggestions:

Play with the bunny in the bin. Encourage pretend play by asking your child to play with the bunny in the bin. They can make the bunny interact with the different elements of the bin and use their imagination as they play.
Touch the different elements and compare the textures. Explore their sense of touch by touching each item to see what it feels like. Then, compare the different textures to see which ones are similar, like the rocks and gems, and which ones are different, like the logs and moss.

Listen to nature sounds. In addition to invoking your kids’ sense of touch, this nature inspired sensory bin can also let your child use their ears to hear. Figure out what sounds the elements make when rubbed together or moved from spot to spot.
Encourage imaginative play. After child plays with the bunny, your child can also use the butterflies and dragonflies for play. Show them how the insects interact with the different elements in the bin, then let them use their imagination to play with the toys.
Sort and organize. Practice sorting and organizing the elements in the bin into different categories, like colour, shape, or size.
Compare to nature. Take a look at each element in the bin and compare it to items found in nature. Ask your child what each item looks like and then let them guess what it is and where in nature you can find it.

Check out some of our other Easter sensory activities for kids:

Easter Fluffy Slime

Eggs and Carrots Easter Sensory Bin

Sensory Sound Eggs

St. Patrick’s Clear Slime

By Sharla Kostelyk

Finding fun and educational activities for the holidays is a great way to incorporate the celebration into your learning. And when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, there’s no better way to learn and play than with clear slime! This quick and easy slime recipe allows you to add in fun holiday-themed elements, making it a great STEAM activity your kids will love. What’s so great about making clear slime is how easily it can be adapted to the holiday season. Use the basic recipe to make the slime, then mix in different elements based on your celebration. To make your own St. Patrick’s Day slime, grab some gold glitter, shamrock confetti, and plastic coins for your kids to incorporate into their homemade recipe.

St. Patrick’s Day Clear Slime Recipe:

Supplies Needed:

1 cup Elmer’s Clear School glue
2-3 Tbsp. contact lens saline solution
1/2 tsp. baking soda
gold glitter
shamrock confetti
plastic gold shamrock coins

Instructions:

Pour the glue into a large mixing bowl and stir the baking soda into it.
Begin to add the contact lens solution a few drops at a time as you stir.
When you find that the mixture begins to pull away from the bowl, it’s time to begin kneading.
Add the glitter and confetti. Continue kneading.
Fold in some of the gold coins or offer them to your child as they begin to play.
If the slime is still too sticky to play with, add one or two more drops of contact solution and knead.

How to Make Perfect Slime

Making great slime doesn’t have to be difficult! And since it’s a messy project anyway, there really isn’t one way particular way to make a batch of slime. But with these simple tips, you and your kids can make perfect clear slime every time you mix up the ingredients, no matter what holiday you’re celebrating:

You must use your hands.

The most fun part of this project is getting messy, which means your kids can’t be afraid to get their hands dirty. After adding the contact solution to the glue mixture, you’ll see the slime begin to form. At this point, the only way to properly mix the ingredients is to use your hands.

Pick the right glue.

The key to getting a good slime consistency is to use the right glue in your recipe. Most slime makers recommend Elmer’s glue as their glue of choice. But any washable school glue will work for this recipe. The key to getting the best slime is to use a glue that contains Polyvinyl Acetate or PVA, which is a nontoxic additive found in most washable glues.

No Borax needed.

When slime making first became popular, many recipes included Borax. But that ingredient isn’t exactly safe around kids. With this easy St. Patrick’s Day slime recipe, you don’t need Borax to make amazing slime! Instead, you need just three nontoxic ingredients – clear glue, saline solution, and baking soda.

Customize with mix-ins.

Once you have your clear slime made, your kids can have some fun personalizing their holiday creation. There are a variety of mix-ins you could use to create holiday slime, including food colouring, glitter, confetti, sequins, small beads, essential oils, puff balls, foam balls, faux snow, glow in the dark pigments, buttons, and rock salt. Experiment with different mix-ins to have some fun with this basic clear slime recipe.

Check out our other St. Patrick’s Day sensory activities:

St. Patrick’s Day Fluffy Slime St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bag St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bottle

I Spy Birds Sensory Bottle

By Sharla Kostelyk

Kids can work on their visual perception while playing with this I Spy Birds Sensory Bottle. It is simple to create at home or for the classroom. This sensory bottle creates opportunity for kids to use their tactile, visual, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Sensory input is an important part of child development and emotional regulation.

I Spy Birds Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

- 16.9 oz. bottle (you can use a sensory bottle or Voss type water bottle)
- white rice
- funnel
- bird buttons
- optional: hot glue

Directions:

Using a funnel, add a small amount of rice to the bottom of the bottle.
Place a bird button inside the bottle.
Repeat the above steps until all the birds are placed inside the bottle. By layering the rice and birds, you can ensure they won’t all be in the same place.
Fill the remainder of the bottle with rice, but leave some space for the rice to move around. You can empty out rice if you feel the rice doesn’t move enough to allow the animals to be seen.
Replace the lid on the bottle.
If you want to secure the bottle, you can secure the lid with a hot glue gun.
Give the sensory bottle to your child or students to explore.
If you want, you can write a list of the birds for them to find.

Allow the child to move and shake the rice around until they find all of the birds. They can even expand the activity by researching what type of birds they are.

This activity would go well with a unit study on birds.

Expanding your study on birds:

Go for a nature walk to observe birds and listen to their songs.
Create bird notebooking pages.
Set out books on birds.
Make a bird feeder and watch as birds come to eat.
Complete some bird worksheets.
Play the Birds of North America game.

As with all sensory play activities, adult supervision should be used at all times. Even if you have secured the lid with glue, it is still possible to get it open and the bottle contains small parts which are choking hazards for children.

Are you looking for more easy sensory play ideas to make for your child or students? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other sensory bottles:

Dinosaur Sensory Bottle

Bugs Sensory Bottle

Van Gogh Starry Night Inspired Sensory Bottle

Chocolate Oobleck or Fake Mud for Sensory Play

By Sharla Kostelyk

In case you’re not familiar with it, oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid. That means its viscosity can change from liquid to solid depending on the pressure it’s under. So this chocolate oobleck is both a sensory play material and a science experiment!This recipe makes great messy fun for kids. It can be used at home or in the classroom for a fun sensory activity. Because it’s taste safe, it can even be used with toddlers or preschoolers.

We’ve made regular oobleck, candy cane (scented) oobleck, and lemonade oobleck. I had the idea of doing a chocolate version because I thought it would be fun with Valentine’s Day coming up. The chocolate smell really brings in the Valentine’s theme.

Once I saw it, I realized that it would make a really great fake mud for sensory play. When my boys were younger, they would have had so much fun driving toy trucks and construction vehicles through this stuff!

So regardless if you use this in a sensory bin with toy vehicles as a safe fake mud or in a Valentine’s theme bin with a heart mould to pretend to make chocolates with, this recipe is where you start!

Chocolate Oobleck Recipe:

Supplies needed:

1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together.
Get to playing.

Important notes: Make your oobleck on the day you want to play with it as it doesn’t keep longer than a day or two. NEVER dispose of oobleck down the drain as it will clog your drain. Allow it to dry uncovered and then scoop it into the garbage.

When kids squish or squeeze the oobleck, it will act like a solid but when they allow it to fall through their fingers, it acts like a liquid.

Playing with this oobleck engages the tactile, visual, proprioceptive, and olfactory (smell) sensory systems. It is also taste safe, so technically, it could engage the gustatory system but I wouldn’t recommend eating it as with all that cornstarch, it won’t taste great.

Enjoy the messy, sensory, science fun!

Are you looking for other fun sensory play recipes to make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out our other oobleck recipes:

Lemonade Oobleck

Candy Cane Oobleck