Sensory Play Tools
Buckle up, I'm spilling all my best secrets here in this blog post!
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I have linked below some of my favorite tools for use in sensory play. These tools are great for fine motor development and hand-eye-coordination. I’ve listed the more natural and neutral items first because I personally believe children need more of these types of products in their lives that are inundated with plastics and bright colors. However, I do list some brightly-colored plastic items below because I believe in their ability to improve kids’ hand strength, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
These little 4” wooden scoops are great for small hands practicing their fine motor skills by scooping and dumping.
Okay so, these wooden scoops, pictured in the dino bin, might look just like the ones above, BUT they’re even cuter and tinier! (3”) I love these for small sensory bin setups.
As all parents know, you can introduce kids to all the toys in the world and yet they’ll still be interested in things like a cardboard box or a kitchen spoon. Give them their own kitchen items to utilize with this bamboo utensil set.
Speaking of kitchen supplies, I love these big pitchers for play. Kids can scoop up and dump all kinds of things. I specifically like this type because the lid snaps on snugly and they can work on opening and closing the spout and the lid, which will strengthen the muscles needed for writing later on.
Silicone cupcake liners can be used for multiple purposes in sensory play. This set is my favorite because they come in different colors AND shapes! One of my favorite uses is for sorting, but kids also love to use them for pretend play and so much more.
This funnel set includes 4 different sizes of funnels. It’s so fun to watch while kids experiment and grow their knowledge using funnels! These are especially good for small fillers like sand or rice.
Saving the best for last... these are my FAVORITE! These rainbow tongs function like scissors, which is great for problem-solving and pre-scissor skills! Each one has a transparent side so the kids can peek at the contents inside. I haven’t personally tried this feature, but the description says the clear side makes them good for bug catching and observing, too.