Sensory Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers - Happy Hooligans

Shaving Cream Writing Tray for Preschoolers

Nicole Black — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 09:06:06 +0000

Here's a really fun way for kids to practice their writing skills.

Preschoolers can practice forming letters, numbers and writing their name, while older kids can work on strengthening their writing skills and practicing spelling and sight words.

It's super simple to set up, and what a wonderful sensory experience!

Click the link below to check it out!

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November Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 16:23:39 +0000

Happy Monday, Lovely!

I know it can be challenging to think of theme-based activities in November what with Halloween being behind us and Christmas still being so far ahead.

I wanted to share this idea with you. It's something I do every year here in November, and I leave it set up for weeks.

The kids LOVE it! There's loads of opportunity for learning and exploring, and you can pull it all together in a few minutes, with a few dollar store items or things you already have around the house.

Click on the link below to check it out. Your kids will love it!

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How to Make Oobleck for Sensory Play – an Easy 2 Ingredient Recipe

Jackie Currie — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:23:49 +0000

Is it a solid or a liquid? It's BOTH!

Have you made Oobleck with your kids yet?

You must! It's so simple to make and it's an absolutely fascinating substance to play with.

Squeeze it and it's a solid, let it go and it transforms into a liquid. It will keep your kids entertained and learning for ages, and all you need are two ingredients found right in your kitchen!

CLICK the link below for details!

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How to Make Goop with a Fun Nature Twist

Katie Joiner — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 03:51:09 +0000

Nature Goop puts a fun, outdoorsy twist on our traditional 2-ingredient Oobleck recipe. Kids can explore flowers and leaves from the garden while getting in a good dose of magical sensory play. It’s a wonderful simple science activity for toddlers and preschoolers, and all you need are two ingredients and your own backyard. The first time that...

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Glittery Kid-Safe Elmer’s Unicorn Slime Recipe

Jackie Currie — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 13:55:37 +0000

Oh my gosh, guys! I am so excited!

We finally made SLIME! And not just any slime! UNICORN slime!

It's gorgeous, stretchy, slippery, slimey fun, and because it doesn't contain Borax, it's totally kid-safe!

Excuse all the photos. I couldn't help myself! This stuff is just too beautiful for words!

Click the link below to check it out!

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How to Make the Best Sensory Bins: Everything You Need to Know

Jackie Currie — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 05:10:14 +0000

Let's talk sensory bins!

You've probably heard of them, but have you made one yet?

If you haven't, oh MY, you are missing out!

They're SO easy to make. You can literally create an amazing bin that will provide your child with hours of learning and entertainment, using items you already have around the house.

I've put together a bit of a SENSORY BIN 101 for you to help you get started.

Today, I'm talking about what a sensory bin is, and the benefits of sensory play (it's so GOOD for your child), and I'm providing you with all kinds of suggestions for containers to use, base materials, tools and instruments, and items to include in your sensory bins.

I'm also suggesting themes, and I've included loads of photos of our most popular sensory bins here in my daycare.

So, if you've never made a sensory bin before, you're in for a treat! You'll be making bins for all occasions in no time. Seriously. They're that easy and addictive to make.

And your child is going to be thrilled! We're talking hours and hours of engaged and focused play and learning here. You have to LOVE that!

Click the link below to find out how easy it is to make the BEST sensory bins your kids. I'm hoping you'll be so inspired that you'll get right to making one today!

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Colourful I Spy Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 06:00:38 +0000

An "I SPY" Sensory bin is one of my favourite back-to-school activities here in my daycare. After a long summer off, and with some new hooligans on board, this activity always gets the kids chatting together and working together as they explore and discover all the goodies in the bin. Bonus: I just use small odds and ends that I have on hand to put the bin together with. Great for fine-motor development, this activity will keep your kids entertained all week long as they settle back into their surroundings. Check it out!

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A Teeny-Tiny Ocean Activity Bin

Jackie Currie — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 14:04:16 +0000

Want a fun and inexpensive way to entertain your toddler or preschooler on a warm day? Check out our Teeny-Tiny Ocean Activity Bin! With a few dollar store supplies and a small baking dish, you can keep your little ones entertained, and using their imagination for ages!

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Zen Garden Sensory Play

Jackie Currie — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:30:40 +0000

If you’ve ever trailed your fingers through a miniature Zen Garden, you know just how soothing and relaxing it can be. Our tiny zen garden sensory bin provides kids with a calming and relaxing way to explore natural materials through play. Take the following link over to CBC Parents to see the hooligans assembling and...

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Frozen Clean Mud

Jackie Currie — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 04:59:43 +0000

Here’s another cool activity that Elsa and Anna fans will love! We’ve made an ooey-gooey, beautifully scented batch of Frozen Clean Mud! The kid will love this Disney inspired activity, and you’ll hard time keeping your hands out of it too! The hooligans are just crazy about the latest Disney Movie. They sing the Frozen...

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Toddler-Safe Cloud Dough Recipe (No Baby Oil)

Jackie Currie — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 01:43:57 +0000

There’s no doubt about it, our regular 2 ingredient cloud dough is amazing for sensory play. Recently however, we figured out how to colour our Cloud Dough, and even more recently, we tweaked that coloured cloud dough recipe to make it toddler-safe. This is great news because I often hear from parents who are concerned...

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Frozen Sensory Bin

Jackie Currie — Sat, 24 May 2014 04:36:06 +0000

How to make a Disney’s FROZEN sensory bin using Polly Pockets, white rice and small, household items for play and learning. If you have Elsa and Anna fans at your house, you have to check out our Frozen activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Today, I’m sharing our Frozen sensory bin! It’s so easy to pull together...

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Fall Sensory Table

Jackie Currie — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 06:55:17 +0000

Fall Sensory Table Ideas – set up an autumn tablescape for toddlers and preschoolers to explore the textures, colours and wonders of fall. With October on the horizon, I’ll be sharing all the Fall activities we’ve been doing. To start, we combined mirror play with our Fall Sensory Table this week. The hooligans have really enjoyed exploring...

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Shaving Cream Art on a Mirror: Painting Clouds

Jackie Currie — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 13:30:04 +0000

Painting shaving cream clouds on a mirror is a beautiful way for kids to enjoy some sensory art and fun way to use a mirror for play and learning. Okay! I have another really cool shaving cream art activity for you, and it involves one of my new favourite items for play! A mirror! I’ve been...

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Sensory Play on a Mirror – a fun way for preschoolers to explore and discover

Jackie Currie — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 04:19:16 +0000

Using a mirrored surface for sensory play is a fun and exciting way for toddlers and preschoolers to explore and examine small items in a way that they haven’t before. You can see all of our mirror play activities here. Earlier this week, I did something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now....

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Sensory Art with Shaving Cream and Food Colouring

Jackie Currie — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 13:24:02 +0000

Kids will love this sensory art activity. All you need is shaving cream, food colouring and popsicle sticks. We enjoyed another wonderful art technique the other day, creating sensory art with shaving cream and food colouring. You may have seen our Giant Shaving Cream Magna-Doodle a couple of weeks ago when we covered our 6 dollar, thrift-shop table in...

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Shaving Cream “Magna Doodle” Activity

Jackie Currie — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 05:00:02 +0000

Create a giant shaving cream “Magna Doodle” for fun and learning with 2 simple items: a table-top and a can of shaving cream. My kids love playing with shaving cream. It’s such a great sensory substance. My daycare toddlers and preschoolers love it when we squirt it right onto a table top so they can create...

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Outdoor Sensory Play – Exploring Fresh Herbs

Jackie Currie — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:57:06 +0000

Outdoor sensory play idea: Toddlers and preschoolers will love exploring fresh herbs and plants with this fun backyard sensory activity! This is such a fun way for kids to work on their cutting skills. It’s also one of our favourite water play activities for engaging all the senses. The smell of fresh cut herbs, the beautiful...

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Polar Sensory Bin for Preschoolers Bin

Jackie Currie — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:22:30 +0000

Looking for a great activity to keep your hooligans entertained during the deep-freeze we’re having? Set up a polar sensory bin for the kids to play with and explore. It’s a great addition to a preschool winter unit. You can make this polar sensory bin with just a few odds and ends from the craft...

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Halloween Sensory Bin

Jackie Currie — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:03:14 +0000

Put together a spooky Halloween Sensory Bin for hours of exploratory play! My toddlers and preschoolers have been exploring all kinds of ghostly goodies in this Halloween Sensory Bin this week. This fun and easy sensory bin was very easy to put together, using items that I had tucked away from last year’s Halloween bin, as...

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Ghost Mud Sensory Dough with Toilet Paper, Soap and Water

Jackie Currie — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:52:35 +0000

Ghost Mud (also known as Clean Mud) is the most fun you can have with a bar of Ivory soap and a roll of toilet paper. This incredible homemade sensory dough is easy to make and it’s a wonderful sensory activity preschoolers. Ghost mud smells fantastic, and it’s delightfully ooey and gooey when you squeeze it...

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Sensory Play with Corn Cobs and Sunflowers

Jackie Currie — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:27:23 +0000

I am blessed to have a couple of good friends who always think of us as they’re harvesting their crops and gardens in the fall and they drop by with a load of fall goodies for the hooligans to explore and play with. The hooligans love discovering all that nature has to offer in the...

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Fall Sensory Bin

Jackie Currie — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:50:34 +0000

This fall sensory bin is easy to put together using items you may already have around your home and yard. We LOVE sensory bins. You can see all of ours here, along with tips for making them for all seasons and occasions. I love all of the interesting and colourful fall crafts and activities we get...

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Construction Site Activity Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:56:58 +0000

With a few simple supplies and a handful of toys, you can create a construction site sensory bin that toddlers and preschoolers will play with for hours. We’ve been having a field day with our sensory bins lately. We’ve made a dinosaur bin, an ocean bin and and yesterday I set up this construction site...

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A Vibrant Coloured Rice Activity Bin for Sensory Play

Jackie Currie — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:05:08 +0000

Kids will enjoy hours of sensory play with a coloured rice activity bin! Grab the recipe for my rainbow rice, and let’s put together a coloured rice sensory bin for your kids! We earn a commission from sales made via product links in this post. To make our coloured rice activity bin: After making our rice and letting...

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Rainbow Rice – How to Dye Rice For Sensory Play (without Rubbing Alcohol)

Jackie Currie — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:03:04 +0000

Rainbow Rice! How to dye rice for sensory bins in three easy steps. This easy process for dying rice is mess-free and doesn’t require rubbing alcohol. The weather is dull and dreary here today, so I thought I’d make some coloured rice for our sensory bins to brighten things up a bit. You’ve probably seen...

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Shaving Cream Car Wash For Car-lovin’ Kids!

Jackie Currie — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:58:58 +0000

This shaving cream car wash is a terrific activity for kids who love cars and trucks and who love messy play and love playing with cars. It’s a great sensory activity that will keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained for ages! It’s been absolutely gorgeous here this week! Hot and summer-like and it’s only March! We’ve been...

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Playing with Corn Cobs in the Fall – Sensory Activity for Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:27:47 +0000

Playing with corn cobs – a fun fall activity t0 entertain toddlers and and preschoolers all month long. The toddlers and preschoolers in my daycare love playing with cobs of corn in the fall. I have a friend who has a huge cornfield and every autumn, she brings us a big bucketful of corn cobs...

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Autumn Sensory Bin

Jackie Currie — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:19:39 +0000

An Autumn Sensory Bin provides hours of sensory play and exploration for toddlers and preschoolers. I guess it’s time to accept it… summer is on its way out. I’ve started getting really pumped about fall crafting and all the fun fall activities we can do in the yard though. There are so many colours and textures for...

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Cardboard Box Sensory Bin for Small World Play

Jackie Currie — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:27:30 +0000

Turn a cardboard box into small world construction site for hours of imaginative play. It’s an easy, inexpensive way to set up an engaging activity that will keep toddlers and preschoolers busy for hours. I love making sensory bins for the hooligans, and I often make them without spending a dime. I have a new little...

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Messy Play with Shaving Cream and Food Colouring

Jackie Currie — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:30:01 +0000

Playing with shaving cream and food colouring is a wonderful form of messy play for toddlers and preschoolers. This activity offers a wonderful sensory experience, and the opportunity for kids to get really messy without getting really dirty. We’re all about shaving cream activities this week! Shaving cream is such an amazing sensory substance, and you...

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