17 Sensory Activities Using Household Items

You've seen the sensory bins on Pinterest. Rainbow rice. Themed setups. Supplies you don't own.

Meanwhile, the iPad is right there. Zero setup. Instant engagement.

We get it. But sensory play doesn't need a shopping trip. Your kitchen and bathroom are full of sensory materials for kids. Here are 17 sensory activities using what you already have.

Why Household Items Work for Sensory Play

Sensory isn't about buying special stuff. It's about different textures, temperatures, weights, and sounds.

Your house is full of these. Sensory activities toddlers love can happen with items you'd otherwise throw away or ignore.

1. Dried Pasta Bin

Pour dried pasta into a container. Add cups and spoons. They'll scoop and pour for ages. Toddler learning activities that cost pennies.

2. Ice Cube Exploration

Ice cubes in a bowl. Let them touch, hold, and watch them melt. Temperature play with zero prep.

3. Shaving Cream Smash

Squirt shaving cream on a tray or high chair. Let them smear, draw, and squish. Sensory crafts without the craft.

4. Cotton Ball Cloud Play

Bag of cotton balls. Let them pull them apart, squish them, glue them. Soft texture exploration.

5. Water and Dish Soap

Bowl of water plus a squirt of dish soap. Add whisks or spoons. Bubbles and texture combined.

6. Dry Rice Pouring

Container of rice. Cups, funnels, spoons. The sound and feel keep them focused.

7. Lotion Massage

Squirt lotion on their hands or feet. Let them rub it in. Smell, texture, and calm in one. Sensory bags preschool teachers recommend.

8. Crinkly Paper Bag Play

Paper bags crinkle, tear, and scrunch. Hand them a bag and let them explore the sound.

9. Tin Foil Tearing

Aluminum foil tears, crinkles, and reflects light. Different than paper. Interesting texture.

10. Flour or Cornstarch Drawing

Pour flour on a tray. Let them draw with fingers. Shake to erase. Draw again.

11. Frozen Peas or Corn

Frozen vegetables in a bowl. Cold, bumpy, scoopable. Snack when they're done.

12. Bubble Wrap Stomping

Tape bubble wrap to the floor. Let them stomp and pop. Sensory through their feet. Kids crafts can't compete with this.

13. Oatmeal Bin

Dry oatmeal in a container. Add scoops and small toys. Different texture than rice.

14. Cooked Spaghetti Squish

Cold cooked noodles in a bowl. Slimy, slippery, satisfying. Fall crafts for kids or just any day play.

15. Fabric Texture Hunt

Gather different fabrics from around the house. Smooth, rough, fuzzy, silky. Let them feel and compare.

16. Toilet Paper Unrolling

Give them a roll to unroll. Wasteful? A little. Sensory gold? Absolutely.

17. Pots and Wooden Spoons

Kitchen drum set. Different pots make different sounds. Loud but engaging.

The Bottom Line

You don't need to buy sensory materials. Your house is full of them.

Look around. Pick something with an interesting texture. Hand it over.

Focused Sensory Learning

When sensory time ends, the Smart Sketch Workbook offers tactile learning that continues the sensory experience.

The ScreenFree SkillGrooves give fingers something to feel as they trace. The EverWrite Surface provides satisfying feedback. Sensory activities toddlers can grow into.