15 Easy Sensory Play Recipes for Messy Play Activities

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Have you ever wanted to try sensory recipes with your kids and engage in some messy play activities?

I can speak for a lot of parents when I say, where there is a mess, it’s a no-no, but we do need to let loose sometimes and let the children be children.

Here is a list of sensory play recipes that will help in your children’s young education within the realm of their five senses.

Each recipe gently blends touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound, helping children grow curious and confident. The pulsing of dough, the sparkle of colored rice, the squish of scented slime—these simple acts wake up wonder and joy.

What is Sensory Play

Sensory play is the type of play that introduces children to the natural world around them. It promotes sensory integration by using the five senses in the most fantastic ways.

Activities that open them up to smell, taste, see, touch, and hear, as they indulge in play.

Depending on tactile play, as some may refer to it, sensory play has its limitations, but could allow for multiple benefits, especially for toddlers engaging with sensory materials, such as

• Social-Emotional Development
• Creative Development
• Fine motor skills
• Independent Thinking
• Language Development
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Calming or Regulating Skills
• Memory Skills
• Observation Skills

Tactile Sensory Recipes for Textures like Slime

Let’s be honest here, before we dive in, a lot of the activities we partake in with our little ones bring back some of our best childhood memories.

Hence, it is so therapeutic and brings so much joy to us.

But enough about us, back to the sensory recipes.

1. Homemade Playdough

Playdough might be the easiest of them all, after all, we know how to make bread, or sort of.

All it takes is flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, oil, and food coloring. To start, I mix two cups of flour, one cup of salt, and two tablespoons of cream of tartar in a bowl.

In a pot, warm two cups of water with two tablespoons of oil and food coloring. Once warm to the touch (not boiling), add the dry mix and stir until it thickens. Turn it onto the counter and knead it for a few minutes until smooth.

The real magic is how it feels in your hand. It’s squishy, warm, and endlessly moldable.

It is great for molding, folding, making animals, and everything in between.

2. Slime with Glue and Borax Alternative

Slime is pure delight for children.

Use glue, baking soda, contact solution, water, and glitter for the shiny, attractive stuff. First, pour out half a cup of white glue and half a cup of water into a bowl and mix in the glitter.

Add a teaspoon of baking soda next. The final ingredient, two tablespoons of contact solution, quickly transforms the mix into stretchy, gooey slime.

The lack of borax in this safe DIY version of the classic recipe makes it gentler on the skin and less worrisome for the adults.

The end product is a cool and slippery texture, stretching long and snapping apart if pulled fast.

This article sensory play ideas for toddlers shows more ways to have fun in less time.

3. Oobleck Non-Newtonian Fluid

Oobleck is magic right out of a storybook.

All it takes is cornstarch, water, and food coloring if you want color. Take two cups of cornstarch and about one cup of water, pouring slowly, and stir until the mixture flows but still feels tough to squeeze.

Oobleck is famous for its both solid and liquid feeling. When you press or punch it, your hand bounces back as if from clay.

If you let it sit, it runs through your fingers like rain.

4. Sensory Sand with Flour and Oil

This two ingredient recipe allows you to bring home the beach with you if you don’t have sand—creating a form of moon sand.

Combine eight cups of flour with one cup of baby oil (other options are a little cocoa powder for color and scent). The flour and oil combine into a dry but moldable texture, much like damp sand at the ocean’s shore.

This sensory sand can be pressed into cups, squished into castles, or left loose for scooping and pouring.

The neat thing about this recipe is that it uses edible ingredients, so no need to be too cautious about children tasting a bit.

Related Post

• 11 Low Prep Sensory Activities for Kids in Under 10 Minutes

5. Cloud Dough with Flour and Baby Oil

This sensory texture is soft and fluffy to the touch.

Whip up eight cups of flour and one cup of baby oil, mixing until the dough feels as light and powdery as possible. If your heart desires, add a little more oil for extra softness.

The cloud dough texture is gentle and calming, perfect for scooping, piling, or shaping into soft hills and imagined clouds.

Children enjoy separating the cloud dough by color using pieces of colored chalk or simply running their hands through the soft piles.

Visual & Scented Sensory Recipes

Colors and scents are attractive magnets for children who want to be entertained, which also fills the air and makes the room feel alive.

These next five quick and easy sensory play recipes need nothing more than ingredients already located in your kitchen.

They invite kids to see color, smell spice and herbs, and hear the tap of a spoon or the rustle of containers.

6. Colored Rice for Sensory Bins

Welcome to the world of tiny hues- colored rice paints.

Simply start with white rice and a splash of vinegar to assist the color in setting.

Divided into separate bags, put a few drops of food coloring into each portion and shake until every grain wears a new coat. Then I spread the rice out to dry on a tray.

Prep tips:

• Use a small amount of vinegar to help colors stick without leaving a strong scent.
• Lay the rice on parchment to dry so it doesn’t stick.

Sensory engagement:

• Visual: vibrant colors that draw the eye.
• Auditory: the gentle rustle as rice shifts and slides.
• Tactile: grains move through fingers, building fine motor skills.

7. Lavender Playdough

Use a simple base recipe and knead in dried lavender after the playdough comes together, creating a unique sensory experience.

The purple hue is soothing, and the scent lingers when rolling and shaping commences. It’s almost like playtime becomes a chance to slow down and breathe.

Prep tips:

• Add a few drops of lavender or lavender essential oil if you prefer the scent stronger.
• If the dough starts to dry, rub in a tiny bit of oil to restore softness.

Sensory engagement:

• Visual: a gentle purple color that invites calm.
• Olfactory: a soft, herbaceous scent that grounds the room.
• Tactile: smooth dough perfect for kneading and rolling.

8. Fruit-Scented Finger Paint

One of the best homemade paint recipes, this simple concoction uses a cornstarch base with water, and fold in unsweetened Kool-Aid to create bright, fruity colors and scents.

The mixture thickens as it cooks, allowing a washable, edible paint that kids can safely venture into with their fingertips.

Prep tips:

• Use a small amount of Kool-Aid for color and aroma, not too much to avoid staining skin.
• Keep a damp cloth on standby to wipe hands and trays between colors.

Sensory engagement:

• Visual: bold, fruit-bright colors.
• Olfactory: cheerful fruit aromas that brighten spaces.
• Tactile: paint-on-paper texture with easy cleanup.

9. Glow-in-the-Dark Slime

Slime, who doesn’t like a bit of slime? This recipe glows in the dark, or specifically, in low light.

For the squishy and stretchy experience, combine clear glue, glow powder, and a simple activator to form slime. Enjoy in a dim room.

Prep tips:

• Mix in a well-lit area so kids can see how the slime changes as it glows.
• Use a non-toxic activator and supervise young children during play.

Sensory engagement:

• Visual: neon glow in the dark.
• Tactile: slippery, stretchy feel that invites experiment.
• Auditory: soft squelches with each squeeze and twist.

10. Herbal Sensory Bottles

Herbal sensory bottles swirl with sensory materials like water, herbs such as mint, glitter, and a touch of oil.

Adding different layering colors and scents calms the space as the bottle shakes.

When the liquid settles, a soft aroma lingers in the air as the colors drift, inviting slow watching and listening for the faint rustle of plants.

Prep tips:

• Add a few drops of essential oil to lift the scent without overpowering the bottle.
• Seal tightly to prevent leaks during shaking and handling.

Sensory engagement:

• Visual: swirling colors that move with each shake.
• Olfactory: herbs add a fresh, gentle scent.
• Tactile: smooth glass and the easy weight of a filled bottle.

Interested in safer family options, Beyond Slime – Safe Sensory Play Recipes For Children.

Auditory and Gustatory Sensory Recipes

Supervision here is loving but watchful.

Taste-safe options feel safest for toddlers and young children. Food recipes do invite curiosity, but let’s be sure to know that these should be monitored as well. For varied edible sensory play experiences, consider ideas like fizzy foaming potions or gelatin squish bags alongside non-edible but safe alternatives such as soap foam and fizzy ice cubes.

For more ideas on creating safe experiences, 27 Taste Safe Sensory Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers offers advice for parents who want peace of mind.

11. Jell-O Jigglers

Jell-O Jigglers bring that joyful, wobbly texture we all enjoyed as kids.

Store-bought Jell-O powder works well for this recipe, especially when adding water and flexible molds.

Mix the powder with boiling water as the box directs, pour the liquid into molds, and chill flat in the fridge until set.

When the molds flex lightly under your fingertips, you know it’s ready.

12. Rice Krispies Treat Sensory Mix

Rice Krispies treat sensory mix lets sound and taste fold into memory.

Put marshmallows and butter into a saucepan, but let the butter melt first, then stir in crispy rice cereal.

The mixture hugs the spoon, sticky and pliable, which makes it a bit harsher to press it onto the greased pan. Give it a few minutes to cool and get firm and you’re good to go.

This sensory activity starts with the preparation, the formation, and the exploration.

Here you can find a list of Taste Safe Sensory Play for Toddlers.

13. Popcorn Sensory Play

The popping of popcorn is sound in a single kernel. Heat a big pot with oil or butter(preferably butter, better taste) and add the popcorn kernels in.

The sound and the smell slowly intoxicate the air. Pour the popcorn into a shallow bin, and sprinkle some salt or cinnamon to your heart’s content.

Exploration begins as children bury “treasures” (little toys or dried fruit), then sift and dig until they find the hidden surprises.

14. Edible Dough with Peanut Butter

Stir together some creamy peanut butter, rolled oats, and just enough honey to bind them together (a tablespoon is plenty).

The result is a dough that’s sturdy enough to shape into cookies, balls, or little sculptures.

The scent is deep and nutty. If a child has allergies, sunflower butter replaces peanut butter, and maple syrup stands in for honey.

15. Bubble Wrap Popping with Snacks

This last but certainly not least might be the most wild one on this list, in my opinion.

Bubble wrap and snacks together to create a sensory experience that bursts with surprise. This concept relates to bubble wrap paint techniques for building textured surfaces, though here it’s an edible version.

Firstly, lay a food-safe sheet of bubble wrap flat, sprinkle a healthy layer of small dry snacks like Cheerios or puffed rice on top, and let the kids press and pop the bubbles.

The kids will discover the treats as they pop each bubble, rewarding their gentle hands with an edible surprise.

A twist to this is creating a simple game by sorting snacks by color or size. The popping is never too loud, and the small portion limits the after-cleanup duties.

If these moments help soothe your sorrow or bring new joy to your table, I hope you will share your stories in the comments below.

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