As I’ve mentioned before, Little Mister is a true tactile learner. He learns best when he’s moving around, holding onto things, and touching what he’s learning about. Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding onto something and he will focus better. So when I decided to make sensory bags with the kiddos, I knew it was going to be something that he would love.
There are tons of ideas on sensory items on Pinterest. If you search them, a million different ways to make them will come up. There are sensory bins, sensory bags, sensory books, and more! Last summer we tried making moon sand and making a sensory bin. Needless to say, that was a MESS. We relegated it to outside because Little Mister just wanted to move the sand outside of the bin and feel it on his feet.
When it comes to what to fill the bins or bags with, the possibilities are endless. Sand, water, gel, and other fillers are all great options. Especially with the season, you could find the raffeta grass and fill a bag or bin with that!
We chose, this time, to make bags filled with gel. I had seen suggestions for hair gel, but instead I used Aloe gel, like you use when you get a sunscreen, because of the price, the amount, and the smell. I think the smell of aloe is so much more calming than that of hair product.
For what we put in each other bags, I raided the dollar spot at Target. I love walking through those couple of items every time we go to Target, finding little treasures and trinkets. That section is also where I find great decorating options for my tiered baskets in the kitchen! During the school year, the section has some great learning tools – from flash cards to learning books, felt learning toys to puzzles. You can find so much from the section!
These bags are easy to make, your kiddos can help in the process, and they are fun for kids of all ages – from babies to preschoolers!
Supplies:
- Ziploc Freezer Bags, Gallon size – I like the freezer bags for kid activities because they are just a little thicker and sturdier when it comes to how kids play
- Aloe Vera Gel – I purchased the Up&Up Target brand. One bottle equaled one bag. I did a mix of green and clear, but both worked equally well. Bonus points – the bottles were easy to clean out and then recyclable!
- Trinkets – I found tiny dinos, marbles, small letters, and tiny legos in the dollar spot at Target that were the perfect size and amount.
- Packing Tape – I used this for sealing the bags shut. This way I knew they couldn’t just pop open.
How to Make the Bags:
1. Open the bag and pour in as much of the aloe vera gel as you can get out of the bottle. Little Mister loved helping squeeze the bottle. Giving it a few good shakes at the end helped get as much out as possible.
2. Fill the bag with the trinkets of choice.
3. Close the bag and seal with packing tape.
4. Play!
It really is that quick and easy! The kids love to smoosh the items around and feel the gel squish between the bag. With the sensory bag of letters, I could even have Little Mister practice his alphabet through search and find! He had an absolute blast!
Happy squishing!