20+ Fun Spring Sensory Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

ByHeather Greutman Hours
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Spring brings warmer weather, outdoor activities, and fun changes to see and do. Kids of all ages can explore the world around them through these sensory activities.

I am absolutely in love with the amazing spring sensory activities I found for toddlers and preschoolers. I know your kids are going to love playing with these too. What a fun way to celebrate the coming of spring and warmer weather.

Picture of child sitting on the grass pouring colorful water beads out of a water bottle into a white plastic bin. Green text overlay at the top says "20+ fun spring sensory play activities for toddlers and preschoolers."

Spring sensory play table of contents

20+ Fun Spring Sensory Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Here are some fun spring-themed sensory play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers. 

Sensory Bins are a great way to encourage sensory exploration and play, here are some of my favorites for spring. 

Spring Sensory Bin from Teaching Mama

Spring Sensory Tub from Time for Flashcards

Gardening Sensory Bin from Fantastic Fun and Learning

Spring garden sensory bin from Mess for Less

Spring Sensory Tub with Carrots from Nurture Store

Ladybug life-cycle sensor play from Natural Beach Living 

Spring Bug Sensory Bin – Happy Toddler Playtime

Spring Soup: Sensory Bin – The Moments at Home

Water tables are a great spring sensory play activity since you can set them up outside to help avoid the watery mess. Here are a few fun water-based ideas. 

Spring-Scented Water Bin Play Date Idea from The OT Toolbox

Spring Sensory Water Table from The Pleasant Things

Spring Colored Sand Play from Buggy and Buddy

Spring-Scented Water Sensory Bin from Fun A Day

Spring flower sensory play from Natural Beach Living 

Sensory bottles are a great way to set up sensory play and emotional regulation stations in your home or classroom. There are so many fun-themed ones, here are a few of my favorite spring ones. 

Spring flower sensory bottle from My Little 3 and Me

Butterfly life-cycle sensory bottles from Fun-A-Day 

Insect sensory bottles from The Chaos and the Clutter 

Spring sensory bottles from The Chaos and the Clutter

Sensory bags are a great way for children to explore while avoiding some of the mess. It's a great first activity for children who may not want to get messy. It can also be a great idea for younger toddlers so they don't put things in their mouths. 

Here are some fun spring-themed sensory bags. 

Spring sensory bag from Artsy Momma 

Spring flower sensory squish bag from Fantastic Fun and Learning 

Spring sensory seek and find from The OT Toolbox

Rainbow sensory bag for toddlers from Messy Little Monster

What are the benefits of sensory play?

Sensory play has many benefits, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. This includes: 

  • Physical development through exploring the 8 senses 
  • Language development 
  • Cognitive skills like problem-solving and STEM exploration 
  • Social and emotional skills to help with self-regulation and playing with others 
  • Creative development 
  • Sensory input through the 8 senses to help with sensory challenges or self-regulation skills 
  • Fine motor skill development 
  • Visual-motor skill development
  • Plus, sensory play is so much fun! 

You can read more details on the benefits of sensory play and messy play in my blog post here.

What are sensory activity examples?

Sensory activities are any type of activity that engages the 8 senses. Yes, there are 8! You probably think of sensory activities as messy play, but it can be so much more than that. 

The 8 senses include: 

You can read more about all 8 of the sensory systems here.

  • Tactile (touch) 
  • Vision (sight) 
  • Gustatory (taste) 
  • Auditory (hearing) 
  • Olfactory (smell) 
  • Proprioception (body awareness and input from the muscles and joints) 
  • Vestibular (sense of balance) 
  • Interoception (internal sensations such as hunger, thirst, and bathroom needs) 

Sensory play activities can target one or more of each of the sensory systems. Many of these activities can have a regulating effect on children, particularly if they need help with attention and focus throughout the day. All children benefit from sensory play though, as we discussed above. 

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Heather Greutman, COTA

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.

One Comment

  1. I just saw on playconnect.org a cute sensory flower activity – actually three that I loved! It involves drying some flower petals!

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CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
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All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.

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