Finding the best sensory activities suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.

Best sensory activities

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Lil Gen Water Beads with Fine Motor Skills Toy Set, Non-Toxic Water Sensory Toy for Kids - 20,000 Beads with 2 Scoops and Tweezers for Early Skill Development Lil Gen Water Beads with Fine Motor Skills Toy Set, Non-Toxic Water Sensory Toy for Kids - 20,000 Beads with 2 Scoops and Tweezers for Early Skill Development
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SENSORY4U Dew Drops Water Beads Ocean Explorers Tactile Sensory Kit - 24 Sea Animal Creatures Included - Great Fine Motor Skills Toy for Kids SENSORY4U Dew Drops Water Beads Ocean Explorers Tactile Sensory Kit - 24 Sea Animal Creatures Included - Great Fine Motor Skills Toy for Kids
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20,000 Rainbow Water Beads for Kids Non Toxic - Water Table Toy - Sensory Toys for Toddlers 3-4 - Educational Therapy Toy - Colorful Gel Beads 20,000 Rainbow Water Beads for Kids Non Toxic - Water Table Toy - Sensory Toys for Toddlers 3-4 - Educational Therapy Toy - Colorful Gel Beads
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Play Sand - 2 LBS of Sand with Castle Molds and Tray (Purple) - A Kinetic Sensory Activity NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Play Sand - 2 LBS of Sand with Castle Molds and Tray (Purple) - A Kinetic Sensory Activity
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Educational Insights Shapes Beanbags Educational Insights Shapes Beanbags
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Edushape Easy Grip Soft Foam Sensory Puzzle Blocks, 18 Piece Edushape Easy Grip Soft Foam Sensory Puzzle Blocks, 18 Piece
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Special Needs Sensory Activity Apron (Adult Size) Special Needs Sensory Activity Apron (Adult Size)
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101 Games and Activities for Children With Autism, Aspergers and Sensory Processing Disorders 101 Games and Activities for Children With Autism, Aspergers and Sensory Processing Disorders
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MarvelBeads Water Beads Non-Toxic (Half Pound Refill) Rainbow Mix for Sensory Play, Spa Refill, Toys and Dcor, Marble Sized MarvelBeads Water Beads Non-Toxic (Half Pound Refill) Rainbow Mix for Sensory Play, Spa Refill, Toys and Dcor, Marble Sized
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1. Lil Gen Water Beads with Fine Motor Skills Toy Set, Non-Toxic Water Sensory Toy for Kids - 20,000 Beads with 2 Scoops and Tweezers for Early Skill Development

Feature

SORTING AND MATCHING: Allow your child to mix and match from the 8oz of water beads that include all bright and engaging colors of the rainbow.
HAND-EYE COORDINATION: The two scoopers and two tweezers enhance hand-eye coordination through motor skills. They can scoop, tweeze, and grab their way to a well-rounded development!
COMFORT AND RELAXATION: The soft texture of the water beads, along with their slippery nature, provides a sense of comfort and relaxation to children playing. Whether they're focusing on the feel of the beads between their fingers, or the light, weightless sensation in their palms, water beads provide a sense of lasting calm.
SAFE AND ECO-FRIENDLY: Each part of this kit, from the water beads to the interactive tools, are made with non-toxic, completely safe materials for both children and the environment.
SENSORY & FINE MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT: These sensory balls and tools are great for autism or autistic children and other kids and toddlers that need help with hand eye coordination, sensory and/or fine motor skills

Description

Li'l Gen Water Beads with Fine Motor Skills Toy Set, Non-Toxic Water Sensory Toy for Kids, Early Skill Development, Eco-Friendly 20,000 Beads with 2 Scoops and Tweezers,

At Li'l Gen, we not only value the importance of early childhood development; we think enjoyment is just as crucial! That's why we made it our mission to disguise learning and skill development tools beneath entertaining toys and interactive activities.

With our new sensory water beads set, we aim to engage kids with colors, textures, and imagination. Our scoopers and tweezers promote hand-eye coordination, while the attention-grabbing colors encourage matching, sorting, and mixing.

In addition to promoting skills, the texture and feeling of the water beads foster feelings of calm and relaxation amongst children.

Li'l Gen's Interactive Water Beads Tool Set promote:
*Sorting and Matching
*Imaginary and Representative Play
*Color Recognition
*Hand-Eye Coordination
*Comfort and Relaxation


In turn this makes it very popular and loved amongst special education students, teachers and therapists, autistic children, and children and toddlers suffering from SPD - sensory processing disorders.


Our L'il Gen Water Beads (compare to Orbeez) can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. Here are just some of the fun ways it can be used for:
*Use it to fill your kiddie pool
*Fill your bathtub for fun bath time
*Use it as a candle holder or vase filler
*Use with your water beads gun
*Fill a giant plastic bag with water beads to create a makeshift 'trampoline' 'bean bag chair' or bed
*Best of all, use your imagination and creativity for hours of fun. But be sure to let us know in what creative way you have used your water balls for a chance to be featured on our instagram, facebook or youtube channel!

2. SENSORY4U Dew Drops Water Beads Ocean Explorers Tactile Sensory Kit - 24 Sea Animal Creatures Included - Great Fine Motor Skills Toy for Kids

Feature

Dew Drops Ocean Explorer Set Includes 4 oz of Sea Colored Beads and 15 Ocean Animal Toys (See second picture for toys included)
Sensory play hours of fun, stress relief, decoration, great for projects! Approx 10,000 beads, sold by weight
Water beads are non-toxic & colorfast. Check out our other kits including: Ocean Explorers, Rain forest Excursion and Dinosaur Discovery.
Dew Drops Water Beads are the most amazing ocean color palette available! Great Orbeez Replacement.
Marble-sized when fully hydrated - shrinks to original size when dry! Add desired amount of beads to water.

Description

4 ounces of Dew Drops Ocean Colored Water Beads will provide thousands and thousands of marble-sized beads for decoration or play and sensory fun. These colors were specifically selected to provide an Ocean deep sea adventure! Can also be used as Stress balls, Sensory bins, Wedding decor, Vase fillers, Orbeez refiller, Special needs. Whatever you want! Enjoy! INSTRUCTIONS: Add 1 Tbsp dry beads to 1/2 gallon of water, this yields about 8 cups once fully hydrated. May take up to 8 hrs to reach full size. With one bag of beads there is enough to repeat this process about 8 times. Store indoors in room temperature. Avoid storing in extreme temps hot or cold this may reduce integrity of the beads.

3. 20,000 Rainbow Water Beads for Kids Non Toxic - Water Table Toy - Sensory Toys for Toddlers 3-4 - Educational Therapy Toy - Colorful Gel Beads

Feature

TACTILE TOY: Calming for a child who is autistic, special needs or has a sensory processing disorder
JUST ADD WATER: The beads arrive small but grow big once put in a jar of distilled water overnight
MAKES LEARNING FUN: Use the bead ball game to teach children colors, counting and fine motor skills
SAFE AND REUSABLE: Made of non-toxic polymer, beads can be dehydrated to return to the original size
ASSORTED COLORS: Our colorful magic water balls will capture children's attention and encourage play

Description

TACTILE TOY
Water beads are some of the best tactile sensory toys out there, and Sensory Jungle's water beads are manufactured and tested to be safer and more durable. The beads encourage tactile exploration and create a soothing sensory experience for children who are autistic, special needs or have a sensory processing disorder.

JUST ADD WATER
The beads come in a pack of 20,000. They start out as hard, tiny marbles, but when you're ready for the magic to happen, place in a jar of distilled water overnight or for at least 3 hours. The super absorbent beads will soon expand to 1,000x their original size and have a wonderfully soft and squishy feel.

MAKES LEARNING FUN
The clinically tested sensory table toys are a favorite developmental aid for parents, teachers and therapists. A bowl or tub full of water beads offers several fun yet educational activities. Use them for color recognition and developing counting, language and fine motor skills at home, school or in a clinical setting.

SAFE AND REUSABLE
Made of non-toxic polymer sodium polyacrylate, our water beads won't easily break or burst. There's no sliminess, stickiness or unpleasant odor, either. They're suitable for kids ages 3 and up and can be dehydrated to go back to their original size. Just add water again to watch them grow!

ASSORTED COLORS
We included a fun mix of colors for kids to enjoy. We suggest placing the beads in a sensory box or over a light table. You can also combine them with other materials for even more sensory exploration. If you're not satisfied with this product, contact us for a fast, no-hassle refund.

- Sensory Jungle Water Beads
- Sensory Friendly Toy
- Add Water to Grow 1,000x Their Original Size
- 20,000 Polymer Sodium Polyacrylate Beads

4. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Play Sand - 2 LBS of Sand with Castle Molds and Tray (Purple) - A Kinetic Sensory Activity

Feature

SENSORY SAND - This sand is kinetic, so it sticks only to itself and not to you! This perpetually "wet" sand is perfect to mold, shape, and squeeze
6 EXCITING MOLDS - Kids can build castles, pyramids, and more with the 6 different molds included
2 POUND SAND SET WITH TRAY- A special mixture of sand that doesn't dry out, allowing you to use it again and again
NON-TOXIC & MESS-FREE -This hypoallergenic sand is non-toxic and super easy to clean up!
RESPECTED QUALITY - Providing children with the best educational toys, this kit is backed by National Geographic's 100% satisfaction guarantee

Description

Your child will have a blast molding, slicing, and shaping this amazing play sand!
A special mixture of sand that doesn't dry out, this sand acts wet while leaving your hands completely dry; its also incredibly easy to clean up! So dont worry about a mess or dust our premium quality play sand is designed to provide all the fun and none of the hassle.

This kit includes: 6 sand molds, a sand tray and 2 lbs of red play sand

This amazing sand is great fun for children of all ages and even for adults. Get your play sand today and youll discover why everyone is raving about National Geographics play sand its really that fun!

National Geographic Toys is proud to provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee with all our products so that you can buy with confidence. Our promise to you is that youll love this kit, or your money back!

About the National Geographic Society
With a mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the 126-year-old National Geographic Society is one of the worlds largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations.

National Geographics net proceeds support vital exploration, conservation, research, and education programs.

5. Educational Insights Shapes Beanbags

Feature

Packaging may vary
Time to "shape up" with these toss and learn bean bags
Each is beautifully embroidered with its name
Perfect size for small hands
Each bean bag is a different color and shape

Description

Its time to shape up with these toss-and-learn beanbags. Each beanbag is a different color and shapecircle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, pentagon, hexagon, and starand is beautifully embroidered with its name. Washable, felt beanbags are lightweight and measure approximately 4 to 5 in sizejust perfect for small handsand come in a handy cloth drawstring bag. Includes an activity guide packed with fun activities that make learning shapes an exciting visual and kinesthetic experience.

6. Edushape Easy Grip Soft Foam Sensory Puzzle Blocks, 18 Piece

Feature

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT: Bright and Vibrant colors capture your child's imagination, stimulating their visual sensory development.
SENSORY DEVELOPMENT: Protruding pyramid shaped nubs on all sides of these blocks encourage gross and fine motor skill development.
Logic and Reasoning

Description

Once again Edushape has developed an incredible building toy for fun, learning, and a number of developmental skills. These brightly colored Sensory Puzzle Blocks come in many "right angle" variations, including "C", T", "L" and zigzag shapes. Much like hands-on Tetris these blocks can be played flat on a table. Each shape encourages their gross and fine motor skill development as they play. Children can copy 2D patterns that an adult sets up or they can build their own designs. Also, stack them as complex 3D structures. Watch your child's spacial, logic and reasoning skills progress as they maneuver the pieces into various shapes, patterns and puzzles. The bright and vibrant colors of these Edu-Foam blocks will capture your child's attention, stimulating their visual sensory development. Each piece features protruding pyramid shaped nubs on all sides, making them great tools for tactile sensory awareness. Young hands can easily grip the 1 inch size pieces. The size and overall texture, softness and shape adapts well for use with children with special needs. Each set comes with enough blocks for engaging 1 child or team play with others. Larger sets will allow fun play and social development in larger settings such as home play groups and daycare or preschool classroom settings. Watch as their skills progress from throwing and building to creative puzzle making.

7. Special Needs Sensory Activity Apron (Adult Size)

Feature

Child & Adult Sizes are different prices. Click on "New" to view sizes & prices.
Helps in improving dressing skills (Zipper and Buttons). Multiple textures and surfaces for tactile stimulation.
Multiple hand activities for improved finger dexterity and improved eye-hand coordination
Variety of activities reduces boredom and attention span,
Excellent for Alzheimer's Patients.

Description

Multiple textures and surfaces for tactile stimulation. Multiple hand activities for improved finger dexterity and improved eye-hand coordination. Variety of activities reduces boredom and increases attention span. Helps in improving dressing skills (Zipper and Buttons).

8. 101 Games and Activities for Children With Autism, Aspergers and Sensory Processing Disorders

Feature

McGraw-Hill

Description

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

One of the best ways for children with autism, Asperger's, and sensory processing disorders to learn is through play. Children improve their motor skills, language skills, and social skills by moving their bodies and interacting with their environment. Yet the biggest challenges parents, teachers, and loved ones face with children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing disorders is how to successfully engage them in play.

Pediatric occupational therapist Tara Delaney provides the answer. In 101 Games and Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger's, and Sensory Processing Disorders, she shows you how to teach your children by moving their bodies through play. These interactive games are quick to learn but will provide hours of fun and learning for your child. And many of the games can be played indoors or outdoors, so your child can enjoy them at home, outside, or on field trips.

More than one hundred games that help your child:

  • make eye-contact, stay focused, and strengthen his or her motor skills
  • associate words with objects and improve language and numerical skills
  • learn how to interact with others, how to take turns, and other social skills needed for attending preschool and school

9. MarvelBeads Water Beads Non-Toxic (Half Pound Refill) Rainbow Mix for Sensory Play, Spa Refill, Toys and Dcor, Marble Sized

Feature

Encourages Sensory Exploration: Fully expanded, these smooth, squishy beads create a soothing tactile experience. Ideal for children with sensory processing disorder & a
100% Money-Back Guarantee: We know you and your kids or students will LOVE these water beads. But if you're not positively thrilled, let us know and receive a fast, no hassle refund.
Promotes Learning: Helps kids with color recognition, counting & fine motor skill and language development. Parents, teachers, and therapists love these beads for home & clinical use.
Great for Wedding, Home, and general decorations.
Ideal for candle, silk & cut flower arrangements, centerpieces and more.

Description

New 2016 Enhanced Color Edition! BRIGHT. COLORFUL. COLORFAST. Introducing our new enhanced color edition! The new MarvelBeads 2016 water beads are filled with better and brighter colors. Whether you use them for playtime, or for decorations, the beads will create a colorful display that is sure to be memorable. Best of all: you can reuse the beads as many times as you want, and not have to worry about them losing their color. Sensory Water Beads Sensory play is what water beads are best for. Kids of all ages will love them. They are so enticing! Colorful, smooth, squishy... what more could you ask for to have an enjoyable time. Water beads seem like magic to kids because the beads start out so tiny and grow within a few hours. Just watching the beads grow is an experience in itself. So go ahead, and fill up a bowl to plunge your hands in. Or maybe fill up a bucket to soak your feet in. The possibilities are endless! Uses General Decorations Makes a great toy for children. Wedding decorations Irrigating and Watering House Plants Can be used to complement center pieces and or flower vases How to use 1.) Add 3 cups of water for every teaspoon of dry beads. 2.) Allow for the beads to soak in water for 4-6 hours 3.) After 4-6 hours, the beads will have absorbed most of the water. Drain the excess water and use them as you wish

Conclusion

All above are our suggestions for sensory activities. This might not suit you, so we prefer that you read all detail information also customer reviews to choose yours. Please also help to share your experience when using sensory activities with us by comment in this post. Thank you!
Jill Rose