↑

Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Disclosure Policy, Copyright Items, and Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • My Book
  • Shop
  • Music
  • Science
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Fine Motor

The Importance of Sensory Play

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links from Amazon or other programs are used on this website. See my disclosure policy here.

April 30, 2014 by Katie T. Christiansen 8 Comments

The Importance of Sensory Play by Preschool Inspirations

Don’t you just love how it feels to dip your fingers in a bin of rice?! My hands feel as though they are saying “ahhh.” While playing in rice and other sensory items feels great, it is also so important! Little ones especially need it, and it is incredibly beneficial for them to have daily sensory experiences. This doesn’t have to be fancy or involve 10-30 minutes to prepare. While colored rice or small world sensory play is fun and exciting, I have found that it’s the simple and often instantaneous activities that we love the most.

Today I’m sharing a rice challenge that I participated in with some other great bloggers. Here were the rules: no colored rice and all of the items had to be chosen by the kids. This is right up my alley because it was both simple and child led. Let’s take a look at what they added to the sensory bin:

A colander — They jumped right in to filling it up with rice and digging it back out. I love their excitement as the rice grew higher and higher. During this part they were naturally expanding their knowledge about quantity as well as cause and effect.

The Importance of Sensory Play ~ Preschool Inspirations-2

Next, they added some unifix cubes and Melissa and Doug animal magnets. The unifix cubes became containers to feed the animals. These playful moments showed their understanding of nature and their emerging ability to take care of it and respect it. Not to mention the awesome ingenuity of the colorful cubed feeding trouphs.

The Importance of Sensory Play ~ Preschool Inspirations-4

Lastly, they added some rocks. There was definitely some engineering and building going on with these as they figured out how to stack the rocks in the rice. I just loved that they even thought of the rocks because I’ve definitely never thought of adding rocks to a sensory table. These rocks were especially smooth, so it added an extra element to the entire sensory experience.

The Importance of Sensory Play ~ Preschool Inspirations-6

In case you were wondering, there were four kiddos playing in this sensory bin together. They all took turns with the different items, and it was a reasonably peaceful experience. I am always impressed when a group of little ones can figure out how to listen to one another and respect the ideas that each one has, especially in such a small space.

The Importance of Sensory Play ~ Preschool Inspirations-5

 

Despite my love/hate relationship with rice — love for the activity, hate for the mess –it is always a worthwhile experience. Actually, after this round of rice play, I’m going to save it exclusively for outside play!!! The little bit of rice that made it onto the floor felt as though it was a flood!

The Importance of Sensory Play ~ Preschool Inspirations

 

Here are the sensory bins of these great blogs that I encourage you to take a peek at:

Little Bins For Little Hands

A Mommy’s Adventures

Craftulate

Creative World of Varya

FSPDT

Gift of Curiosity

Glittering Muffins

Here Come the Girls

Kids Play Space

Lalymom

Life Over C’s

Life with Moore Babies

Minne-Mama

P is for Preschooler

Preschool Inspirations

School Time Snippets

Squiggles and Bubbles

Still Playing School

Suzy Homeschooler

Teach Beside Me

Teach me Mommy

The Chaos and The Clutter

 

 

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Katie T. Christiansen
Creator at Preschool Inspirations
Katie has spent 17 combined years in the Early Childhood field as a teacher, preschool owner, and educational writer. She has worked in profit and non-profit programs, high-risk schools, and started an in-home preschool and outdoor collaborative preschool program. She adores being a mom to three children, and her youngest is currently in preschool.
Latest posts by Katie T. Christiansen (see all)
  • 5 Online Trainings for Preschool Teachers - February 25, 2022
  • Christmas Ten Frame Counting Mats - December 10, 2021
  • 20 Animal Yoga Poses for Kids - December 7, 2021
0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Play Matters, Sensory Tagged With: child led play, sensory play, tactile play

Comments

  1. Hayley says

    April 30, 2014 at 7:23 pm

    The collander looks like a great rice play addition!! I will have to pull one out next time we play with rice. It looks like they had a lot of fun with the rice sensory bin challenge – we loved it too!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      May 1, 2014 at 7:21 pm

      It’s such a pleasure to have you visit, Hayley! The colander was such a blast — I hope your little guy loves it!! Isn’t rice play so great :).

      Reply
  2. Anna Meadows says

    May 1, 2014 at 2:15 am

    haha! me too re the outdoor play activity!!! what an eclectic mix of additions to the sensory bin! love it! Anna @ Kids Play Space

    Reply
    • Katie says

      May 1, 2014 at 7:23 pm

      You’re so sweet, Anna! Rice play should definitely be outdoors. I don’t know how I did it indoors for four days!!

      Reply
  3. Emma Craig says

    May 2, 2014 at 2:33 am

    Taking it outside is my preferred method of handling the messier sensory bins! 😉

    Reply
    • Katie says

      May 4, 2014 at 1:57 pm

      Yes!!! I just love the activities that I don’t have to clean up, haha. It’s great to have you visit, Emma!

      Reply
  4. School Time Snippets says

    May 3, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    Ha! I am saving future rice play for outside, too : )

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Monthly Child Led Sensory Bin Challenge: Explore, Observe & Play | Little Bins for Little Hands says:
    May 28, 2014 at 4:15 am

    […] Space, Lalymom, Life Over C’s, Life with Moore Babies, Minne-Mama, P is for Preschooler, Preschool Inspirations, School Time Snippets, Still Playing School, Suzy Homeschooler, Teach Beside Me, Teach me […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I'm Katie, and I'm a veteran preschool teacher, child development research junkie, and mom of three who lives on little sleep and turns my kitchen into an art and science laboratory.

Come on in! I'm sharing my best play recipes, teacher tips, & learning activities with a sprinkling of real life!

Peaceful Potty Training

cover image for potty training visual schedule

Graduation Certificates

cover image for graduation certificates

search

categories

archives

Copyright ©2022, Preschool Inspirations. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs
0 shares