10 Fun Sensory Play Ideas to Put on Your Summer Bucket List

This is a summer bucket list of 10 ways to engage in sensory play this summer. Have you wanted to test out a slime recipe? Heard of oobleck? Give it a go!

I love sensory play. Seriously. I LOVE it. I’m cool with the mess (most days) and even when I’m not, I see how much my kids crave this kind of learning and I can’t resist. Sensory play provides kids with the opportunity to engage all of their senses and learn through hands-on, experiential learning. After all, play is learning.

This is a list of 10 simple and fun ways to engage in sensory play this summer! Have you wanted to test out a new slime recipe? Ever heard of oobleck? Get outside (it’s summer!) and give it a go!

10 Fun Sensory Play Ideas to Put on Your Summer Bucket List

From slime, to play dough, to indoor sand – here are some really fun ways to engage with sensory play in your backyard!

Test out a new slime recipe. Patriotic slime, fluffy slime, glow in the dark slime, ocean slime and more! See which you like best.
Make play dough. This is my go-to recipe, it’s super soft and oh so fun to play with.
Dig in the sand. Sand is a wonderful sensory medium. If you live near an ocean, a beach day counts as sensory play! If not – grab a bag at your local hardware store and fill up a plastic bin.
Build sand castles with kinetic sand. Another fun way to play with sand, and so many different ways kids can play! Grab a pack and see what your kids can come up with!
Make indoor sensory sand. Because summer is synonymous with sand…here is another awesome way to play. All you need to do is mix these two ingredients and play.
Bake some pretend mud pies. Mud is another great natural sensory play medium. Mud is messy, but it’s also TONS of fun, and important to let kids play with! We like to collect kitchen utensils from the dollar store to play with in the mud.
Grow some water beads. Talk about magic! If you’ve never made these with kids, it’s so much fun (get them here). These tiny little beads expand in water in just a few hours. We like to add little toys and figurines to them, or some scooping tools and empty cups!
Make a big bin of soap foam. Blend dish soap, water, cornstarch and food coloring to make a soapy foamy concoction! Perfect in the back yard.
Assemble a sensory bin. Check out our collection of our favorite sensory bins. Grab a sensory base, some fun figurines or toys, and play!
Play with oobleck. This goopy concoction is part science part sensory, and all fun!

How many can you mark off this summer??

Print this summer bucket list for sensory play!

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