A sensory box is a container that you can put different items into for stimulating your child’s senses. Its similar to a sensory table, (like you may have seen in your child’s school or day care center). A sensory box can be any size that is convenient for your home, a shoe box works really well.   Follow these simple instructions to make a winter themed sensory box for your child!

Choose a variety of items around a theme  or color that unites all the objects . We chose silver because of all the snow and we felt it represented winter. Gather all your items together paying attention to the five senses.

• Choose a study container that’s large enough to play in.

• Grab a shower curtain or large sheet.

• Assemble all the objects inside the tub or box.

• Place on top of the shower curtain.

This is an open ended self directed activity. Toddlers love to explore. With the various textures, smells and sounds they are curious to touch, pour, stack, bury, push, smell, squeeze, stare, drop, line up,listen, pretend and play, just like any sandpit.

Toddlers do need to be supervised during this activity. During this busy time of year you both can be doing something  different but together in the same room. My toddler played for 45 minutes in the same room before inviting me to play.

For a quick clean up, gather all four corners of the sheet and pour back into the container.
For other box or basket activities for sitting babies  you may like the post on Treasure Baskets.

Have fun making your Winter Sensory box!