4 Easy Spring Sensory Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

1.   Planting and Gardening Sensory Bins

Gardening is one of the best hands-on sensory experiences for kids. The feel of soil between their fingers, the smell of fresh herbs, and the sight of tiny green shoots create a rich sensory experience.

What You’ll Need:

• A shallow bin or tray (or sensory bin) 

• Potting soil

• Small plastic pots 

• Small gardening tools (like a spade or trowel)

• Seeds (like beans, sunflowers, or herbs)

• Small flowers

• Watering Can

How to Do It:

1. Fill the bin with soil and let your child dig and explore.

2. Encourage them to plant seeds and cover them with soil.

3. Let them use a spray bottle to water the seeds.

4. Observe how the seeds begin to sprout over the next few days.

Learning Boost: Talk about what plants need to grow (sunlight, water, soil) and introduce simple science terms like “germination.”

2.   Flower Petal Sensory Soup

This colourful activity combines touch, sight, and smell for a multi-sensory experience.

What You’ll Need:

• A shallow bin, bowl or tray (or sensory bin) 

• Water

• Flower petals (real or fake)

• Spoons, ladles, and small cups

How to Do It:

1. Fill the bowl with water and add the flower petals.

2. Let your child stir, scoop, and pour the “soup.”

3. Encourage them to describe how the petals feel and smell.

Learning Boost: Introduce colour names and texture words like “soft,” “smooth,” and “fragrant.”

3.   Mud Kitchen

Let your child engage in messy play by creating a “mud kitchen” outdoors.

What You’ll Need:

• Dirt 

• Water

• Old pots, pans, and kitchen utensils

• Leaves, grass, and flowers

How to Do It:

1. Set up an outdoor play area with mud and kitchen tools.

2. Encourage your child to mix mud “recipes” using leaves and flowers.

3. Let them squish, mold, and pour the mud to create different textures.

Learning Boost: Discuss the difference between wet and dry mud and how adding water changes the texture.

4.   Birds Exploration

Spring is a busy time for birds as they make their nests! Encourage kids to observe and explore these creatures and then create a bird sensory exploration indoors.

What You’ll Need:

• Shredded paper (green and brown) 

• Bird’s nest and or bird house (you can make the nest or house as a craft activity with pieces of twigs or buy it from the dollar store) 

• Toy birds

• Small toy eggs (plastic)

• Feathers

• Wood pieces (twigs and small wood cutouts)

• Brown yarn cut in small pieces (worms)

• Tweezers

How to Do It:

1. Arrange a combination of green and brown paper on the bottom of the bin. Place the house and nest in the bin.

2. Scatter the yarn worms around the paper and hide some underneath the “grass”. 

3. Place the eggs in the nest as well as the birds. 

4. Encourage your child “feed” the birds by using the tweezers to pickup the worms and feed them to the birds. 

5. Encourage open-ended play with your bird habitat.

Learning Boost: Discuss how birds make nests and take care of their young.

Why Sensory Play Matters

Spring sensory play helps children develop:

✅ Fine motor skills (through digging, pouring, and stirring)

✅ Language skills (by describing textures and smells)

✅ Cognitive growth (by observing plant growth and understanding natural cycles)

✅ Emotional regulation (sensory play is calming and helps reduce stress)

Spring is the perfect time to encourage discovery and exploration through sensory play. These simple but meaningful activities will spark your child’s natural curiosity and help them connect with the world around them. 

For more ideas like this, visit www.youtube.com/susie-alphas.

Mud kitchens are simple setups with dirt, water, pots, pans, and utensils, where kids can mix, pour, and create all kinds of "meals" and "potions."

This open-ended play fosters language development, motor skills, and social interaction.