Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (2024)

Babies love sensory play, but it can certainly get messy 🙃 Sensory bags are a great compromise: they allow your baby to explore without the mess that can come with open containers. Here’s how:

Fill a resealable plastic bag with tactile materials like hair gel, pumpkin seeds, shaving cream, or marbles. Reinforce the seal with strong tape, then use painter’s or washi tape to secure the edges of the bag to the floor or a table where your baby can play.

As they squish the bag and move its contents around, your baby absorbs new information about the world through their fingers, eyes, and ears—maybe even their mouth. This is perfectly okay, but do be sure to closely supervise your baby when they’re playing with a sensory bag ❤️

You can introduce sensory bags like the blue food coloring and cooking oil version pictured above when your baby is about 6 months old and can reach and use their hands. It’s a fun activity to continue throughout their first year 🙂

Here are a few more sensory bag ideas:

Robot sensory bag

Colored water and oil

Seascape bag

Frozen peas

Pumpkin seeds

Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (1)

Pom poms and hair gel

Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (2)

Buttons and hair gel

Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (3)

Ice

Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (4)

Straws

Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (5)
Endless fun with a sensory bag | Lovevery (2024)

FAQs

What liquid goes in a sensory bag? ›

You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or baby oil. It really doesn't matter. Next stir several drops of food coloring into a half cup of water. Pour the water and food coloring into the bag.

How do you use a sensory bag? ›

How to play with a sensory bag
  1. Show your baby the sensory bag. Let your baby take items out to explore. ...
  2. Talk to your baby as they explore the objects. Describe what your baby is feeling and ask questions even though your baby can't answer you. ...
  3. Use the sensory bag as often as your baby wants to.
Apr 2, 2024

How do you make a strong sensory bag? ›

Fill your plastic bag with hair gel or hand sanitiser, leave a little space for the gel to move around when squeezed Add in small crafty bits such as pompoms, sequins or beads. Seal the bag tightly and use strong tape to secure all the edges. Bring your sensory bag with you to show the person who you will be meeting!

What is the best fillers for sensory bags? ›

Fill a resealable plastic bag with tactile materials like hair gel, pumpkin seeds, shaving cream, or marbles. Reinforce the seal with strong tape, then use painter's or washi tape to secure the edges of the bag to the floor or a table where your baby can play.

What can you use instead of hair gel in sensory bags? ›

About the question what fluid goes in sensory bags, there are some options. You can certainly use liquid soup or hair gel or even gel detergent. I prefer however to use tap water for two good reasons. First and foremost, it's safer.

How often should sensory bags be cleaned? ›

individuals and/or families visiting a venue. Items included in KultureCity Sensory Bags are cleaned after every use with alcohol free sanitization wipes and allowed to completely dry before being rebagged. What is the sensory inclusion initiative?

What do babies get out of sensory play? ›

Supporting brain development, enhancing memory, complex tasks and problem solving. Developing fine motor skills through tactile play (useful when children want to hold a pen or use scissors for example). Supporting language development, communication and social skills. Enhancing memory and observational skills.

What age is baby sensory good for? ›

Baby Sensory helps provide parents with lots of information on how to enhance your baby's development using a wide variety of researched activities. Baby Sensory is designed for babies' birth to 13 months and the youngest baby to come along to the Chelmsford District classes has been 3 days old!

What are the learning outcomes of sensory bags? ›

Sensory bags also encourage children to use the small muscles in their hands and fingers, developing important fine motor skills. As children talk about the materials and use different descriptive words, they are building conversation skills, vocabulary skills, and other language skills.

Are sensory bags Montessori? ›

As a sensory activity that stimulates various spheres of child development, sensory bags fit perfectly with the Montessori philosophy. Our sensory bags are made with solid plastic bags to contain food.

How to make sensory bags with baby oil? ›

All you need to do is squirt some water-based (washable) paint into a gallon bag, add about half a bottle of baby oil, and close the bag. It is best to tape the bag closed and tape the bag to the floor. Make sure to supervise! The paint will eventually mix and become brown, but it will still float!

What is the purpose of a sensory bag? ›

Sensory bags help young children to develop their sense of touch and fine motor skills as they manipulate the small objects around the bags. The types of sensory bags you can make is endless!

How to seal a sensory bag? ›

Simply fill your bag with roughly one cup of small sensory objects (some hard, some soft but none with shape edges. Add the Gel and carefully seal the zip lock bag. Place that bag inside a second bag and fold the inside zip part down so you can properly seal the outer bag.

What liquid is used for sensory bottles? ›

Dish Soap & Oil – Fill it half way with dish soap then the other half with oil. Water, Oil & Food Coloring – Fill half way with water, then fill the rest up with oil and added a few drops of food coloring. Water & Beads – Add a few beads to your bottle, we used all different colors, then fill with water.

Can you use water for sensory bags? ›

Children make sensory bags with oil, water, and food coloring for an engaging visual experience. Children make sensory bags with oil, water, and food coloring for an engaging visual experience.

What can I put in water for sensory play? ›

Water Sensory Play Bathtub Activities
  1. Oobleck in the Bathtub. Try some oobleck in the bathtub! ...
  2. Bath Crayons. Bath crayons will let your littles draw on the walls of the shower or bath in fun colors! ...
  3. Bath Spray Bottle Painting. ...
  4. A Bath Bomb. ...
  5. Water Toys. ...
  6. Water Painting. ...
  7. Ice Painting. ...
  8. Water Sensory Bin.
Sep 2, 2023

Can you use soap for sensory bags? ›

Materials needed to make Toddler Activity: Sensory Bag Using Glitter Glue and Body Wash: Gallon size zip lock plastic bag. Glitter Glue – you can get a pack of 10 for $1 at the Dollar Tree. Body Wash (or dish soap or shampoo – whatever liquid soap you have on hand)

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