Sensory bags for toddlers are an easy and fun way to engage your child in cognitive development by appealing to the senses.
People of all ages learn best when multiple senses are engaged, so it makes sense that sensory play experiences are critical to toddler development.
Sensory bins might seem scary to some parents (hello mess!), so sensory bags for toddlers are the perfect place to start!
Sensory bags are mess free, simple to make using household items, and engaging to babies, toddlers, and even older children.
So how do we make a sensory bag for toddlers?
How to Make a Sensory Bag for Toddlers
Adult supervision is required for all activities on this website. Some materials may pose a choking hazard. Use good judgement when selecting activities – nobody knows your child better than you!
DIY sensory bags are extremely simple to make. You’ll just need zip-lock bags, a filler, and little objects for your child to engage with inside the bag. Duct tape is also highly recommended to avoid opening the bag and ruining the no-mess part of this activity!
Possible Materials:
- hair gel
- glitter
- buttons
- paint
- google eyes
- items from nature (flowers, leaves, etc.)
- Sharpie markers
- beans
- beads
- rice
- water beads
- sequins
- coffee beans
As you can see, you can easily make a sensory bag for your baby or toddler using simple household items that you already have on hand.
Need some inspiration? Check out our favorite sensory bag ideas below!
Best Sensory Bags for Toddlers
Adult supervision is required for all activities on this website. Some materials may pose a choking hazard. Use good judgement when selecting activities – nobody knows your child better than you!
Squishy Color Sorting Sensory Bag
This simple sensory bag is great for toddlers who are working on color recognition. Discuss the colors as your toddler matches each button to its corresponding flower.
For babies and younger toddlers, skip the color matching and just allow your little one to enjoy the visual and tactile sensory play experience!
This sensory bag comes with a free flower printable to make set-up super easy – but if you don’t have a printer you could easily draw your own flowers using a sharpie!
Pom Pom Ice Cream Sensory Bag
Another free printable for the simple sensory bag win – and this one includes two activities in one!
You can use this fun sensory bag as a color awareness activity by having your toddler push pom-poms to the matching ice cream cone.
Or, if your toddler is a little older and able to work on counting, push the correct amount of pom-poms to the numbered ice cream cone!
Hair Gel Sensory Bags
This hair gel sensory bag activity is probably the easiest sensory bag on this list!
Taping the bags to the window makes this activity both relaxing and visually stimulating for your little one.
In addition to the sensory bag instructions in this post, you’ll also enjoy reading about how sensory play benefits behavior, and how this activity can benefit babies and toddlers alike!
Galaxy Sensory Bags
All you need is cotton balls and a few craft supplies to create these mesmerizing galaxy sensory bags for your toddler!
These sensory bags are a little bit thicker, so they can really be squished around – perfect for strengthening fine motor skills in little fingers.
Squishy sensory bags like this one are also great for calming down from intense toddler emotions. Easily create a little calm down station using this sensory bag, a soft pillow or blanket, and dim lighting.
Rainbow Colors Sensory Bag
This simple rainbow sensory bag is great for toddlers learning colors. If your little one is already confident in color identification, take it a step further and talk about how primary colors can be combined to make secondary colors!
Looking for a literary connection? Check out the full rainbow sensory bag post here for a fun book to read along with this activity!
Oil & Water Sensory Bag
Toddlers and mess go together like oil and water – or maybe it’s the other way around?!
No worries though, this oil & water sensory bag will keep the mess contained for you this time!
This tutorial explains how to tape your bag properly to avoid spillage, since this sensory bag is completely made up of liquids.
You’ll also find ways to adapt this activity by age from babies to preschoolers, so be sure to click through to read!
Shaving Cream Color Mixing Sensory Bag
Shaving cream makes a great addition to any sensory play experience. It can be super messy and not all kids like to touch it, so throw it in a coloring mixing sensory bag to keep parents & toddlers happy!
The BEST part of this sensory bag tutorial is the book recommendation that goes with it! The sweet story about mixing colors and acceptance is sure to be a hit.
Bubbles Sensory Bag
What toddler doesn’t love bubbles?!
This bubble sensory bag is 100% simple enough to do right now, as long as you have zip-lock baggies on hand – no supply shopping needed!
You can add food coloring if you want to incorporate colors, or just keep it simple with some good old bubbles.
Either way your toddler will love squishing the bag to create bubbles, and you’ll love how easy and mess-free the whole thing is!
Beach and Sea Squish Bags
Kick off your summer with these fun Beach Squish Bags!
If you’re heading to the beach, don’t forget to collect seashells to add to these awesome toddler sensory bags. But if not, hit up the dollar tree craft section to grab your supplies.
Your toddler will love squishing around this beachy sensory fun!
Share your favorite sensory bags for toddlers!
Which toddler sensory bags are you trying out? Tell us in the comments below!
Share your favorites on Instagram and tag @happytoddlerclub or use the hashtag #happytoddlerclub!
