While browsing through the net in search of of ideas for activities I can construct to keep my two year old busy during this very rainy week, I stumbled upon this little gem of an idea, which I thought would be perfect for teachers of kindergartners or even younger toddlers. 

The idea is very simple. You can either sew a bag using thick plastic material or you can use a Ziplock bag (which might not be as durable and you would need to watch the kids more closely with it, since this thinner plastic can be hazardous). You then fill it up with uncooked rice and other small objects you can find around the house or classroom. Ideas of small objects include:

• Small rubber/toy insects
• Marbles
• Buttons
• Pom poms
• Sea shells
• Stickers

You then need to securely seal the bag off, so that the tiny objects can be viewed and felt by the little ones, bit not swallowed! This is a lovely sensory activity to keep little minds busy, and the bags can be stored on the shelf forever, making them permanent toys!

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Find a step for step guide on how to make your own bags HERE.

What I like about this idea is that you can mix it up a little and make different bags using different texture fillings, for example: instead of rice you can use uncooked beans, couscous, popcorn kernels, flour, slime, bubble bath etc. etc.

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For the kindergartners you could also turn it into an eye-spy game of sorts, where you challenge them to find certain objects/items in the bag.

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Halloween Themed Sensory Bags

And to keep with the theme of Halloween activities that I will be posting about during the month of October, why not make a few spooky, ooey and gooey bags to! You could fill them with creepy things like pumpkin "guts", glass eye balls, plastic spiders, skeleton "bones", you name it! As a base filling you could color your rice orange, or you could use cooked and colored spaghetti for a really squishy feel.

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These sensory bags are a wonderful and imaginative way for babies who are in the mouthing stage too, since the can see, touch and feel them while the objects are prevented from being swallowed. Depending on what you use inside, they can last a life time too.

Why Is Sensory Play Important?

By stimulating your child’s senses you are helping their brain develop because when a sense is engaged neural pathways are being created to assist with further learning in later years.  By stimulating your child’s senses, you are helping them develop creatively, socially and emotionally, cognitively, linguistically and physically through simply playing with them. - https://www.parentingforbrain.com/sensory-activities-importance-sensory-play/

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Any, I think this is a lovely and inexpensive item to have around the classroom or play area, especially since you can make a huge variety of these bags or put them together according to current themes, festivals and holidays.

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Much love - @sweetpea

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