Baby Sensory Activities: Ideas for Newborn to 14 Months Old

Why Do Babies Need Sensory Play?

Sensory play is an essential part of development for babies. You can read more about the benefits of sensory play for babies here.

Young children need to experience the world through the senses to develop their motor skills, sensory processing, and cognition skills. For babies, sensory activities are an introduction to emergent science skills.

At What Age Should You Start Sensory Play?

Sensory play activities can start when a baby is born.

For newborns and very young infants, sensory play activities are very simple, such as touching the fabric of their clothing or listening to a parent sing. Babies will seek the sensory experience of being held and gently rocked.

Mouthing toys is a sensory activity for babies. Babies love to put things in their mouths because while they do not have great control of their hands and fingers to explore, they can use all the nerves in their mouths.

Sensory activities will become more complex as a baby gets older.

How to Do Sensory Play with Babies?

Sensory play for babies is honestly super simple. Start with a developmentally-appropriate activity (hint: it isn’t screen time).

Next, think about how that activity could stimulate one or more senses.

Here is where I need to mention that there are two more senses: vestibular and proprioceptive, in addition to the 5 senses of smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight. I still love to geek out on that.

Then consider the individual interests and skills of your baby. Adjust the experience to meet your baby’s interests or connect to their current learning.

• Are they starting to roll over?

• Do they love to shake toys or crinkle paper?

• Do they dislike getting wet? 

• Have they started trying new foods?

Find a sensory activity that your baby adores. You can feel confident in doing that activity over and over again. As your baby develops new skills, you can modify the activity. If your baby is engaged, they will keep learning each time.

Sensory Toys For Babies

• Textured Sensory Cube

• Adorable Wood Sensory Tumble Set

• Sensory Block Set

• Wood Stacking Rings

• Solar Jar Nightlight

• Stacking cups

• Tree Blocks

• Color Contrast Latex-coated Wood Blocks

• Loose Parts Set: Wooden Peg People

• Sensory Books

For babies, almost everything is sensory play. That’s because, at this stage of play development, they constantly learn about their bodies and environment through the senses.

Small changes to tummy time or an extra few minutes at a meal can turn into sensory play. You don’t need to spend too much time planning or setting up sensory experiences. In fact, most of these sensory activities are no mess, no fuss.

Always, always supervise babies during sensory play. Babies are constantly learning and developing new skills. You might not be able to anticipate how a baby will engage with a particular material.

Table of Contents

Sensory Activities for 0 to 8 Months Old

These sensory activities are great for younger babies who are not rolling, starting to roll, and starting to sit up.

Shadow & Light Tummy Time

Changing the location or lighting during tummy time creates a new play environment for babies. Show your baby how toys light up or how shadows move. Just avoid anything that flashes.

• Tummy time in sun rays

• Adjust window blinds

• Turn off lights and explore shadows

• Plug in nightlights

• Place scarves over lamps

You may even discover some lighting combinations that are calming for your baby.

Senses: sight, vestibular

Mirrors

Mirrors are a tool for helping early learners develop social-emotional skills. Babies can use mirrors to learn more about their bodies and expressions. Mirrors are also a way for babies to explore reflections.

You can prop a mirror up for your baby to look at during play or set a mirror on the floor to explore during tummy time. Choose a shatterproof mirror if you have access to one.

Senses: sight, proprioceptive, vestibular

Water Play

Water play is a safe sensory activity for babies as long as they are being supervised. Even just a couple of tablespoons of water can be fun for babies to explore. Try one of these ideas:

• Water directly on the highchair tray

• Water on a cookie sheet on the floor

• Water sealed in ziplock bags and taped to the floor for tummy time

Senses: touch, taste, hearing, vestibular, proprioceptive

Tummy Time Outdoors

Taking tummy time outdoors introduces babies to outdoor play. They can experience different types of weather and safely explore nature while working on gross motor skills.

Senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell, vestibular, proprioceptive

Hang Loofahs For Kicking, Pulling, Swiping, Swinging

Hang loofahs of different sizes and colors from a baby play gym. Your baby can reach out to touch the unique textures. They can also use their legs to kick the loofahs and watch them swing.

Senses: sight, touch, vestibular, proprioceptive

Sticky, Tacky Contact Paper

Use masking tape to tape squares of contact paper to the floor, wall, or highchair tray. Let your baby explore the stickiness with their hands or with toys, pieces of fabric, felt, or ribbons.

Senses: sight, touch, hearing, vestibular, proprioceptive

Lumpy, Bumpy Blankets

Create a tummy-time space on the floor with layers of blankets and pillows. Babies can explore each item’s different colors, textures, and weight. Babies who are rolling or starting to crawl can work around the lumps of pillows. Adjust the space if your baby seems overly frustrated or tired trying to move around.

Senses: touch, sight, vestibular, proprioceptive

Exploring Weather

Experiencing different types of weather is part of the human experience. Simply step outdoors with your baby for even a few minutes. Talk about the wind, rain, snow, humidity, or fog. Check out our favorite weather books for help discussing the weather.

Senses: touch, smell, hearing, sight

Bubbles

There is something magical about watching bubbles. Even babies will be mesmerized. Talk to your baby about how the bubbles pop, float, bounce, and burst. Avoid getting lightheaded or out of breath by investing in a bubble machine.

Senses: sight, touch

Wet + Dry Sponges

Offer your baby two or more sponges, some wet and some dry. They can explore the different sensations of wet versus dry. You can also put a small amount of water on a tray and offer your baby a dry sponge that will slowly soak up the water. 

Senses: sight, touch, taste, proprioceptive

Explore more sensory and learning activities for 3-month-old babies and activities for 8-month-old babies.

Sensory Activities for 8 to 14 Months Old

These activities are great for babies who are sitting, crawling, cruising, or starting to walk.

Exploring Temperatures

• Touching cold windows

• 2 sensory bottles – one with ice water and one with warm water

• Chilling teething toys or ice packs in the fridge

• Water play with two trays of different water temperatures

• Offer your baby a cup of cool water to pour while they are in the bathtub  

Senses: touch, taste, sight, proprioceptive, vestibular

Contact Paper + Bubble Wrap Walk

Cut out 12″ by 12″ squares of contact paper and bubble wrap. Tape each square to the floor with masking tape. Encourage your baby to crawl or walk across the different materials. For a sensory bonus, do the activity barefoot.

Senses: touch, sight, hearing, vestibular, proprioceptive

Exploring Food Flavors + Textures

When your baby is ready, introduce foods of different flavors and textures for them to explore.

• Citrus fruits

• Chia seed pudding

• Multiple colors of bell peppers

• Variety of crackers 

Senses: taste, touch, smell

Push & Pull Play

Babies love to push, slide, drag, roll, lift, and pull large or heavy (for them) objects. Look for safe ways to create this activity.

• Cushions

• Buckets

• Baskets

• Walkers

• Crates

• Ride-On Toys

• Boxes

• Totes

• Large Balls

Add weight and/or ropes so your baby can use muscles pushing and pulling large or heavier objects.

Senses: touch, vestibular, proprioceptive

Nature Walks (Or Sits, Or Cruises)

Time in nature is an incredible sensory activity for babies. And it takes almost no prep work for parents and educators. If you want ideas and inspiration for outdoor play, check out our nature play posts.

Senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing, vestibular, proprioceptive

Music

Music is a sensory play experience. You can introduce babies to finger plays, rattles and toy instruments, or your favorite music. Musical instruments, singing voices, dancing, clapping, and exploring how to make sounds all stimulate sensory systems.

• Clapping

• Singing

• Dancing

• Toy instruments

• DIY Rattles

• Banging pots and pans

Senses: hearing, touch, vestibular, proprioceptive

Drinking from an Open Cup

Once your baby can sit up, it’s safe to slowly introduce drinking from an open cup. This is a great learning experience and a sensory activity all in one. For more sensory play, give your baby a dry washcloth that they can use to start wiping up spills.

Senses: taste, touch, proprioceptive

Exploring Light & Shadow

Lights and shadows activities are fun for babies and don’t have a messy cleanup. As babies get older, they can take part in exploring light.

• Rope lights or string lights

• Children’s flashlights

• Cover lamps with scarves

• Translucent objects

• Reflective objects

• Explore shadows outdoors during dusk or nighttime

Senses: sight, touch

Goofy Moves

Encourage your baby to roll, dance, or turn upside down. Or you can gently perform these moves with your baby.

• Spinning

• Upside down

• Rocking

• Swinging

• Rolling

Senses: vestibular, proprioceptive

Under + Through

When babies crawl through tunnels or under tables, they are learning about how to move their bodies through obstacles. If you don’t have a pop-up tunnel, you can create your own with chairs or by draping blankets.

Senses: touch, vestibular, proprioceptive

Explore more learning activities for 8-month-olds and activities 18-month-olds.

Loose Parts Play For Babies

Using loose parts is a great way to incorporate sensory play into your home. Exploring objects is an engaging, developmentally appropriate sensory activity during a baby’s first year. You can learn more in our ultimate loose parts materials guide.

Loose parts are items that babies can safely manipulate, mouth, and explore. Objects with various textures, colors, weights, and sounds create a sensory experience.

I want to highlight some of my favorite loose parts materials for babies.

1. Themed Treasure Baskets (find ideas in the ultimate guide linked below)

2. Fabric: scarves, felt pieces, fabric squares

3. Shaker Bottles: made with plastic bottles or empty spice bottles

4. Bangle Bracelets

5. Cardboard + Felt Cutouts

6. Lids + Containers

7. Cookie Cutters

8. Cooking Utensils

9. Sponges + Loofahs

10. Coasters

Turning Household Items into Play since 1992(ish)

My FREE list of Household Items you can turn into LOOSE PARTS PLAY for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Turn that muffin tin in the back of your cabinet into a play prop.

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Nature Play-Ultimate Guide to Water Play for Babies & Toddlers:

15 Kiddie Pool Activities for Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers
play & learning

From water games to sensory activities, there are so many ways to extend the fun of the kiddie pool! This blog post will share 15 different kiddie pool activities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

The kiddie pool is a summertime staple. The perfect hot day activity to stay cool. If you’ve ever wondered, “how can I make my kiddie pool more fun?” then this one is for you

Table of Contents

Top Reasons To Use A Kiddie Pool

• They’re affordable and can cost as little as $12.

• You have a range of options.Inflatable kiddie pools come in a wide variety of sizes and multiple shapes.Hard plastic pools come in different sizes and can even include built-in slides.

• Inflatable pools do not take up much storage space.

• They are versatile for indoor and outdoor use.

Kiddie Pool Activities For Babies

Indoor Activities

• Sensory MatCreate a full-body sensory play activity for your baby by turning a kiddie pool into a sensory mat. Tape down contact paper, bubble wrap, felt, drawer liners, or paper for your baby to roll, sit, or crawl on. Layer different fabrics and pillows for your baby to explore.

• Gross Motor Ball PitUsing plastic balls, you can turn a kiddie pool into a tiny ball pit. Support your baby’s gross motor skills by stacking pillows up and over the sides of the kiddie pool. Then your baby can crawl in and out of the pool. You can also add a bucket in the ball pit for filling and dumping.

Outdoor Activities

• Splash + PourTurn a kiddie pool into an immersive pouring station that your baby can sit inside.Add a couple of drops of food dye or liquid watercolor to add an extra sensory element.Find more sensory play activities for babies here.

• Pool in the RainIf you’re already going to get wet, why not explore and enjoy a rain shower.Start with an empty kiddie pool and let your baby experience how the water level slowly increases.Start with a kiddie pool with an inch or less of water so your baby can watch the raindrops hit the water.

Bonus Activities

• Exploring Wet TexturesBabies can explore the different sensations of varying levels of wet and dry.Start in a dry kiddie pool with dry sponges, washcloths, and loofahs.Slowly add a little bit of water, so your baby can use the sponges to wipe and soak up the water.Once the sponges are soaked, your baby can explore squeezing the wet sponges and feeling the water steam out.

Explore more baby sensory activities and learning ideas for 3-month-olds and 8-month-olds.

Kiddie Pool Activities For Toddlers

Indoor Activities

• Ball PitInstead of plastic balls, use cut-up pool noodles or stuffed animals.Add blankets and pillows to make a softer landing.Add a step stool for climbing and jumping.Add pails, shovels, or ladles for scooping and pouring.

• Full-Body ArtCover the bottom of the empty pool with a sheet or large pieces of paper.Set out markers, crayons, or paints.Invite your toddler to create art in new ways using their entire body, their feet, or lying down.

Outdoor Activities

• Suds + BubblesTurn a kiddie pool into a bubble bath.Use only a couple of inches of water and add bubble bath.Add whisks, sponges, and loofahs to help create the suds.

• Life-size Sensory TableOption 1: Use an empty kiddie pool as a large sensory table, one big enough to climb inside.Find sensory play ideas here and loose parts ideas here.Option 2: Set a hard plastic pool on crates to make it child-height. Children can stand around the edges of the pool to explore.

Bonus Activities

• Paint PrintsCreate art in a dry pool. Put paints into squirt bottles or squeeze bottles.Or offer flyswatters or plungers and paint on trays.Let your toddler paint the bottom of the dry pool.Before the paint dries, place sheets of paper on the art. Then gently peel them up, creating paint prints.

Kiddie Pool Activities For Preschoolers

Indoor Activities

• Build a FortOption 1: Use a dry kiddie pool as the room of a fort, propped up on crates or chairs.Option 2: Create a blanket fort overtop the kiddie pool. Set a chair in the center of the pool or drape blankets across the sides of the pool.

• Cozy Reading NookYou can turn the fort into a reading nook.Or add cushions, blankets, and a basket of favorite stories inside the kiddie pool for a cozy reading space.

Outdoor Activities

• Obstacle CourseUse a kiddie pool as part of a water-themed obstacle course. Children can slide into or crawl through it. Other ideas for the obstacle course could be sprinklers and slip + slides.

• Immersive StargazingFloat in the pool at night and look at the stars.Make it an immersive experience by adding glow sticks in the water.

Bonus Activity

• Plastic Egg Scavenger HuntHide prizes treasures inside plastic eggs (they float!), and kids can scoop out eggs with nets to find the treasure.

100+ Ice Play Ideas for Toddlers + Preschoolers

READ MORE

Inflatable Kiddie Pool Vs. Hard Plastic Kiddie Pool

Inflatable (Or Foldable)

Pros:

• Can fold up and store in a closet or small space

• Easier to travel with

• Soft sides provide a softer landing

Cons:

• Often more expensive than hard plastic pools

• Blowing up and disassembling take more time

• Can get punctured or rip

Hard Plastic

Pros:

• Durable and can last multiple summers with proper care and storage

• Easier to clean when used as a sensory bin

Cons:

• If not properly stored, can crack

• Hard sides and bottom could be a painful landing

Safety + Care For Kiddie Pools

No matter which type of kiddie pool you choose, always be sure to follow these safety and care tips:

• Never leave children unsupervised near standing water, even if it is just a few inches deep.

• If reasonable, pour water out of kiddie pools after use. If not, cover for extra security.

• Inflatable kiddie pools need to be completely dry before deflating and storing away.

• Hard plastic kiddie pools should be stored in a shed or garage to prevent cracking during the winter months.

• Check out Nicole’s pool & beach hacks on Organized Chaos Blog.

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15+ Water Activities   

nature play

Water play is a fantastic way for toddlers to explore and learn about their world. These sensory-rich experiences help support toddler development. Water play activities are also open-ended, so there is plenty of time for creativity and imagination!

In this blog post, I am sharing unique water play ideas for toddlers to help you start preparing for a spring and summer filled with play.

Table of Contents

#1 Sponge Squish + Squash

Offer your toddler different types of sponges to explore. Each sponge will have a unique texture and hold water in different ways.

Different sponges you could use:

• Soft foam sponges

• Plastic kitchen sponges

• Scratchpads

• Plastic loofahs

• Natural loofahs

• Painting sponges

#2 What’s the Water Temp?

Water play is a safe way for toddlers to explore different temperatures.

Here are a few different ways to set up a temperature exploration water activity:

Water Temp. Pouring Station: 

1. Set up a pouring station outdoors or in a sensory bin.

2. The station will have multiple empty containers like cups, bowls, or plastic containers.

3. Fill several small pitchers with different water temperatures, including warm water, cool water, and ice water.

4. Encourage your toddler to pour the pitchers into containers. Talk about how the water temperature feels when the water mixes.

Ice Melt:

1. Add ice cubes and a small amount of cool water into a sensory bin.

2. Offer pitchers or cups of warm water to pour over the ice.

3. Encourage your toddler to explore the water as the temperature changes.

Floating Bottles: 

1. Fill a sensory bin with cool/cold water.

2. Offer sealed water bottles filled with hot water for your toddler to place into the bin. 

You can also do this activity in reverse. Fill the sensory bin with warm water and the sealed bottles with cold or ice water.

#3 Mixing Colors

Toddlers can explore mixing colors during water play. Start by adding drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor to water containers. 

Possible materials for color mixing play:

• Eyedroppers

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Empty ice cube tray

• Small pitchers

• Clear water bottles

#4 Icy Investigations

Fill a tray with water and let it freeze overnight. In the morning, offer your toddler different tools to explore the ice. They can use their hands, hammers, or eyedroppers of warm water.

Alternatives:

• Add food color or liquid watercolors to the water before freezing to turn this ice activity into a color mixing one.

• Freeze water in different molds such as pie pans, ice cube molds with different shapes, or cylindrical ice cube trays

• Freeze tiny treasures or toys inside the ice cubs

Discover over 100 ice play ideas!

#5 Monochrome Water Bins

This is a water play twist on a treasure basket. 

1. Collect 5 to 10 objects, all of the same color.

2. Add water to a sensory bin or plastic tote.

3. Set out the objects.

4. Set out tongs or a serving spoon for your toddler to use.

5. Invite your toddler to explore the items.

#6 Water + Glowstick Sensory Bin

This water play activity can be standalone or used to enhance any sensory bin play.

Lower the lights or close the curtains during this water play activity. Fill a sensory bin with water and add glowsticks to the bin.

#7 Water Taste Test

Turn a snack or meal into a water play activity.

• Serve wedges of oranges, lime, or lemon to squeeze into their water cup

• Serve frozen berries to stir into the water

• Serve crushed ice or ice chips in a bowl with a spoon

Take time to discuss the flavors and textures your toddler is experiencing during this activity.

#8 Sidewalk Chalk + Spray Bottles

1. Set up sidewalk chalk for your toddler to draw on a sidewalk or driveway. 

2. Give your toddler spray water over the chalk to watch the colors run.

3. Once the surface is wet, your toddler can keep drawing with chalk and investigate how bright and vivid the colors are.

#9 Water Bucket Relay

This outdoor activity is perfect for toddlers with boundless energy.

1. Fill a large bucket or tote with water.

2. Line up bowls, containers, or small pails, extending out from the water bin. Put as much or as little space between each container as you choose.

3. Offer your toddler a cup or a pail.

4. Encourage your toddler to scoop water from the large bin.

5. Then your toddler will walk or run to each container to pour the water out.

6. Continue the activity until all the containers are full.

Alternative: Add a floating toy to each container. Your toddler can help “save” each toy as it floats to the top of the containers.

#10 Sponge Walk

This sensory-rich water play activity is a perfect way to work on balance and coordination!

1. Collect 5 to 10 sponges of different varieties

2. Dunk the sponges in water

3. Line up the sponges up outside on a hard surface

4. Encourage your toddler to walk across the sponges, squeezing the water out with their feet.

#11 Spray + Squeeze Bottles

This outdoor water play activity will test your toddler’s fine motor and investigation skills.

1. Fill small spray bottles and cleaned-out squeeze bottles (ketchup, shampoo, lotion) with water.

2. Offer the containers to your toddler. 

3. Encourage your toddler to spray or squeeze the bottles to soak the sidewalk, outdoor toys, or outdoor furniture with water.

#12 Water Paint with Rollers

Materials:

• Paint rollers

• Paintbrushes

• Tray of water

• Hard surface outdoors such as a porch, sidewalk, or driveway

Your toddler can use the paint rollers and brushes to “paint” with water. This water play activity encourages creativity and imagination via process art, but your toddler can also explore the characterics of water too. Talk about what your toddler is observing as the water dries.

#13 Splash Patterns

This activity could also be called “splashing with purpose.”

Materials:

• Container filled with water

• Paintbrushes of various sizes

• A large surface such as a sidewalk or driveway to splash water on

Model how to dip a paintbrush into water and then use a flinging motion to cause water to spray across the sidewalk or driveway.

Encourage your toddler to explore different-sized paintbrushes and talk about how the splashes look for each brush.

#14 Water the Flowers

Your toddler can fill a watering can and take a stroll, watering the various plants (or rocks!). This is a golden opportunity for your toddler to explore nature. The activity also inspires your toddler to nurture and care for flowers, trees, and plants. 

#15 Kiddie Pool Activities

Find all my kiddie pool ideas here.

Popular Questions about Water Play for Toddlers

What Is A Water Play Activity?

Let’s start with the basics.

A water play activity is any activity that allows toddlers to explore and learn about water. Activities can range from splashing in a kiddie pool to exploring how ice melts. 

Why Is Water Play Good For Toddlers?

Water play has many benefits for toddler learning and development. Through water play, toddlers investigate and begin to make sense of the world around them.

Water play is a sensory-rich activity that can stimulate multiple sensory systems. The activities I share in this post are play-based and open-ended. This lets toddlers explore their creativity and imagination while they play.

Some benefits of water play include:

• building cognitive skills like problem-solving, curiosity, and memory

• improving fine motor and gross motor skills

• sensory play can help children regulate their emotions

• open-ended play encourages social and language development among peers

How Do You Make Water Fun For Toddlers?

Water play doesn’t have to be complicated! Each toddler will have their own comfort level with water play. Use the list of activities in this post to find the perfect activity to meet the needs and interests of your toddler.

Some toddlers will love the full-body experience of being soaked head-to-toe. Other toddlers will be happy staying dry while stirring or scooping water with tools.

What Materials Do You Need For Water Play

Honestly, the only material you need is water. But here are some ideas to inspire more water play for toddlers.

• Water balloons

• Sprinkler

• Splash pads

• Slip + Slides

• Kiddie pool

• Water table

• Water guns

• Splash balls

• Toy boats

• Floating toys

• Jumbo eyedroppers

• Food coloring or liquid watercolor

• Child-safe soap for suds and bubbles

Loose Parts for Water Play 

Here are some water play materials from the loose parts material guide.

• Funnels

• Strainers + Sieves

• Kitchen utensils

• Pitchers

• Scoops or shovels

• Small buckets

• Cups

• Spray bottles

• Squeeze bottles

• Tongs

• Basters

• Paintbrushes

• Silicone cupcake liners

• Reusable ice cubes

• Plastic straws

• Sponges

• Tubing

• Plastic lids + bottle caps

• Seashells

• Stones

• Leaves + flowers

• Twigs

• Corks

Tips for Less Messy Water Play

• Smocks

• Do activities in the bathtub

• Offer only a little water at a time into buckets or sensory bins

• Spreads towels or a table cloth under sensory bins

• Keep an easy-to-grab stack of dry towels nearby

• Take water play outdoors

Sensory Skills & Water Play

Is Playing With Water Sensory Play?

Water play is definitely a sensory-rich activity! Toddlers will love exploring the different properties of water through their senses. 

Taste

Not every water play activity is taste-safe, but I include activities on this list that encourage taste exploration.

Touch

Here is where the sensory goodness of water play truly shines. Think of all the different ways toddlers can explore how water feels or makes other objects feel.

• Different temperatures

• Frozen

• Melting

• Saturated vs. damp vs. dry

• Pruned fingers

• Slippery toys

• Buoyancy

• Sensations of splashing, swishing, pouring

Hearing

Toddlers can explore the sounds of water gurgling, bubbling, swishing, pouring, splashing, and more.

Smell

Let’s think of some typical smells associated with water play like sunscreen, soap, bubble solutions, rubber floating toys, and other outdoor scents. Caregivers can also naturally enhance water play by adding drops of citrus juices or flower petals to the water.

Sight

Typical sights that toddlers will be able to observe through water play:

• Wet vs. dry

• Damp vs. saturated

• Deep vs. shallow

• Shadows created by light

• Reflections in the water

• Sinking vs. floating

• Foam and bubbles

Vestibular

The vestibular system helps us balance and to understand how fast we are moving.

Water play activities that stimulate this system include:

• Floating in a kiddie pool

• Squatting to play

• Leaning over sensory bin

• Running through sprinkler

• Moving while carrying objects

Proprioceptive

The proprioceptive system lets us know where our bodies are in space. It is also responsible for letting us know our own strength.

Water play activities that stimulate this system include:

• Squeezing spongers

• Pouring water

• Running hands through water

• Splashing

Learn more about the vestibular and proprioceptive senses and activities.

Thank you for reading! I hope this list has plenty of ideas to get you started with water play for toddlers. Use these ideas for inspiration to keep extending water play as your toddler’s interest and skill levels grow. You’ll be impressed to see how water play can become part of more complex play for preschoolers and beyond.

Be sure to comment and let me know how these ideas worked for you and your toddler.

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18+ of the Best Sensory Learning Activities for 18-Month-Olds

play & learning

Toddlers learn best by exploring and experimenting. Sensory activities stimulate the senses and help toddlers learn about the world. Look for ideas to capture your 18-month-old’s interest and spark curiosity. These sensory learning ideas are great for at home or in a toddler classroom!

Table of Contents

Indoor Sensory Learning Activities

Felt Boards

Create a felt board by removing glass from a large picture frame and replacing it with felt.

Skills: fine motor skills, creative skills, stimulates the tactile and proprioceptive senses

Pillow Obstacle Course

Place cushions, pillows, blankets, or comforters on the floor for your toddler to move across. Move by stepping, rolling, crawling, or hopping on the uneven, lumpy surfaces.

Skills: gross motor skills, vestibular and proprioceptive stimulation, tactile stimulation

Play Dough

You can make natural, non-toxic dough at home. That’s a sensory experience in itself.

Skills: fine motor skills, cognitive skills, creative skills, sensory stimulation

Light Play

• Flashlights

• Rope Lights or String Lights

• Electric Tea Lights

• Light Tables

You can create a light table at home using a medium-sized, shallow, clear tote. Cut a small hole in one side to slide rope lights or string lights through. Once the tote is upside down with lights under it, it becomes a light table. 

Add translucent objects, reflective/metallic objects, or any objects that would create an interesting light/shadow pattern. The pipe cleaner/colander activity is especially interesting on top of a light table.

Bonus: If you don’t go crazy with your hole-cutting, you can use the tote to store sensory play items when not in use.

Skills: fine motor skills, sensory stimulation

Treasure Baskets

Treasure baskets are a collection of loose parts that have a theme.

THEMES SUCH AS:

• Sounds

• Scents

• Metallic objects

• Natural objects

• Translucent objects

• Household Items

• Balls of various shapes, sizes, textures

• Measuring cups and spoons

Skills: Cognitive skills, fine motor skills, sensory stimulation

Stick & Peel Activities

1. Contact Paper Collages

Tape contact paper on a table or wall, sticky side out. Stick and peel with tissue paper, yarn, felt, or ribbons.

2. Masking (Or Washi) Tape Peel

Place masking tape (bonus if it is different colors) on the floor, windows, tabletop, or a foam board for your toddler to peel up.

Skills: Fine motor skills, cognitive skills, tactile and proprioceptive senses

DIY “Ball” Pit

Turn a kiddie pool into a ball pit by filling it with 6-inch pieces of pool noodles.

Skills: Gross motor skills, stimulates the tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive senses

More Ideas

• Art with paint, glue, markers, crayons, or chalk

• Touching and tasting new foods

• Sensory Books

Outdoor Sensory Learning Activities

Texture Scavenger Hunt

Go on a walk outdoors and explore different textures. Find things that are smooth, rough, lumpy, cold, warm, dusty, prickly, and more. Take time to talk about each texture.

Skills: Gross and fine motor skills, language skills, cognitive skills, sensory stimulation

Exploring Textures With Bare Feet

Similar to a texture scavenger hunt, but with feet! Walk barefoot through grass, sand, mud, and puddles. Feel the difference between hard sidewalks and cool grass.

Skills: Gross and fine motor skills, language skills, cognitive skills, sensory stimulation

Water Pouring Station

Set out medium to large-sized, shallow tote (like the one for the light table). Add cups, measuring cups, funnels, and pitchers. Fill with water and invite your toddler to scoop and pour. Add a touch for food dye or liquid watercolor for extra sensory fun.

Skills: Gross and fine motor skills, cognitive skills, sensory stimulation

Ultimate Guide to Water Play for Toddlers

READ MORE

Kitchen Band

(also can happen indoors, but…loud)

Take pots, cookie sheets, and metal bowls outdoors. Explore sounds by banging, tapping, and stirring them with utensils. Explore the different sounds made by wood, metal, or rubber utensils.

Skills: Gross and fine motor skills, creative skills, sensory stimulation, cognitive skills

Painting With Water

A little self-explanatory but let me share some inspiration. Take a pail of water, paint trays, paint brushes, and paint rollers outdoors. Dip brushes and rollers into the water to paint sidewalks, porches, trees, bikes, or walls.

Skills: Gross and fine motor skills, creative skills, cognitive skills, sensory stimulation

More Ideas

• Scooping, Filling, and Dumping Stones, Sand, or Water

• Sandbox Play with added water

• Bubbles and Suds Play

• Outdoor Learning Activities

Sensory Table Activities

Usually, sensory tables or water tables are filled with, you got it, water and sand. They give toddlers an immersive opportunity to develop physical and cognitive skills while stimulating the senses.

You can purchase a water table or easily create a sensory bin with a plastic tote box with a lid. I prefer a bin because it can sit on the floor or easily be taken outdoors.

And with that, here are some alternative sensory table activity ideas.

• Pinecones

• Leaves

• Shaped ice cubes or crushed ice

• Flowers – dissect the parts of the flower

• Snow

• Sponge Pieces, slowly add small amounts of water during play to gradually change the texture of the sponges

• Spray bottles and, well, something to spray such as stones or toy cars

• Paper shreds and strands

• Yarn

• Shaving Cream

• Cut Up Straws – these make the coolest sound!

• Stones and sand

The next section is food products for sensory play. I’m always a little wary of using food, but they can make lovely sensory play experiences.

• Dry beans

• Corn Kernels

• Pasta – dry or cooked

• Rice

• Oats

• Crushed/Blended Stale Cereal or Chips (but also, just eat it before it goes stale maybe?) Why does everyone on Pinterest have so much food going stale? 

Children should be closely supervised during these experiences. Always consider what is safe and appropriate for your child.

Sensory Learning Toys

• Wood or Tree Blocks

• Magnet Toys

• Fabric Books

• Loose Parts Sets

• Sensory Books

• Water Tables or Sensory Bins

• Light Tables

• Light Table Materials

• Textured Balls

FAQs: Sensory Activities for 18-Month-Olds

What Activities Should An 18-Month-Old Be Doing?

Toddlers do best when they are exploring the environment so caregivers need to provide them with lots of different play materials to do this. Activities should have objects that are simple, everyday, household items.

18-month-olds should do activities that stimulate all their senses. Toddlers learn best when they do activities that meet multiple learning domains at once (cognitive, physical, emotional, and social).

Toddler activities should be open-ended where the child has plenty of power in how long to play. 18-month-olds instinctually want to return to the same activity over and over again. This lets them dig deeper into learning and master skills.

Sensory play benefits toddlers because it provides tactile experiences that are less intimidating than structured, adult-led activities.

What Skills 18-Month-Olds Are Learning

Toddlers are learning about objects, their purposes, and how to use them. 18-month-olds are learning how they can influence their environment. They are becoming more aware of themselves as people.

Through sensory learning activities, toddlers are developing physical skills, cognitive skills, language skills, and social/emotional skills. All of this while also stimulating the senses. Sensory experiences help build the mind-body connection.

If you have concerns about your toddler’s development, you can:

• Talk to your child’s pediatrician

• Use the CDC Milestone Tracker App or PDFs

• Reach out to your local early intervention agency for an evaluation

What Are Sensory Learning Activities?

Sensory learning activities are activities that stimulate at least one of the senses. Often caregivers do not realize that there are more than 5 senses. In addition to sound, touch (tactile), smell, hearing, and taste, humans have vestibular and proprioceptive senses.

Tips For Caregivers

• I already shared that toddlers need to be closely monitored during sensory play. Keep an eye on choking hazards and strangulation hazards.

• Water Play Tip: You only need a very small amount of water for your child to get a sensory experience. Do more if you want to do scooping and pouring.

• Use Open-Ended Questions to build language and cognitive skills.

• Don’t re-invent the wheel every day! Use the same activity over and over. If your toddler starts to lose interest, add new materials or make the activity more challenging. This is better for your child’s development.

• If you provide sensory materials for your child, be patient with them during experimentation and exploration!

Risk-Taking Play And Sensory Learning

Toddlers need to be encouraged to take risks and try new things. Sensory play is a safe way for your child to experience different textures, sounds, tastes, smells, etc.

Risk-taking play like climbing, jumping, spinning, and swinging all stimulate the proprioceptive and vestibular senses.

These experiences can help children develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving and planning ahead.

Sensory learning activities for 18-month-olds build science, math, physical, and cognitive skills. Toddlers are learning about objects and how they work by exploring them in different ways. These sensory learning activities are perfect for 18-month-olds to do at home or in a toddler classroom!

Nature-Based Early Childhood Education: Learning in the Natural World

nature play

Let’s discover the magic and power of nature-based early childhood education. Explore how learning in the natural world benefits young children. Find answers to popular questions, nature-based learning activities, and ideas to add more nature-based education to your early childhood classroom or program.

What Are Outdoor Learning Activities?

Outdoor learning activities usually fall into gross motor play or nature play but can include sensory and creative play.

Outdoor learning is a piece of a holistic approach to toddler learning and development. Outdoor learning activities can easily promote each developmental domain, including social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

What Are The Benefits Of Outdoor Learning Activities For 18-Month-Olds?

There are multiple benefits to outdoor learning activities for 18-month-olds (and children of any age).

Some benefits include:

• Developing gross motor skills, including balance and coordination

• Stimulating the senses, including the vestibular and proprioceptive senses

• Promoting creativity and imagination

• Encouraging exploration of the environment around them

• Developing language and social skills while playing with others

Outdoor learning activities also boost a child’s physical and mental health.

Outdoor learning activities are open-ended and stimulating, which helps toddlers connect with nature and fosters early interest in environmentalism.

What Should I Be Teaching An 18-Month-Old?

18-month-olds should be learning about the world around them. They should be moving, exploring, and developing through hands-on, child-led play. Learn more about stages of play theories.

As a caregiver, your role in your child’s learning is connecting them to the world around them in developmentally appropriate ways.

If you have concerns about your toddler’s development, you can:

• Talk to your child’s pediatrician

• Use the CDC Milestone Tracker App or PDFs

• Reach out to your local early intervention agency for an evaluation

How Do I Teach My Toddler About Nature?

In early childhood education, nature refers to anything in the physical world, including plants, animals, the landscape, or naturally-occurring materials.

Nature play (indoors and especially outdoors) is a great learning opportunity for toddlers. Toddlers connect with nature through outdoor learning activities. These are opportunities to experience the outdoors in a hands-on, sensory-stimulating way.

Young children also learn to love nature when caregivers instill an appreciation of the outdoors early. Caregivers should prioritize time outside and model how to connect with nature. Your toddler will observe and assume your attitude towards nature and time outdoors.

What is Nature-based Early Childhood Education?

Nature-based early childhood education incorporates the natural environment and outdoor experiences to support learning, development, and exploration in children 0 to 8 years old. 

Nature play and nature-based education are both approaches to engage children in natural environments. However, they have distinct differences. 

Nature play focuses on unstructured, child-led exploration in outdoor spaces. Nature-based education curriculum incorporates planned nature-based learning activities alongside nature play. Educators use nature to meet specific developmental and educational goals. 

Categories of Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

According to Samara Early Learning, nature-based early learning programs fall into four categories. The programs vary based on children’s and how much time is spent outdoors.

1. Nature-based early childhood education programs focus on nature activities and outdoor time and serve children from 0 to 8.

2. Nature-based preschools, or nature preschools, are licensed programs for 3-5-year-olds. About 1/3 of the daily schedule is spent outdoors, and nature is infused into all aspects of the program. 

3. In forest preschools, children spend 70-100% of the day outdoors, with the indoor space primarily serving as a shelter.

4. Nature-based kindergarten includes daily outdoor time and incorporates nature into classroom learning. Students will learn using nature-based studies and materials.

Benefits of Nature-Based Learning

Physical Development

During nature play, children run, jump, climb, balance, and cross diverse terrains while building strength, coordination, and balance. Playing in big, open spaces also helps children develop body awareness and spatial orientation. 

Unstructured time outside gives children a chance to test their abilities without the pressure of achieving any specific goal. Fresh air and sunshine support overall well-being. And a childhood filled with outdoor play builds a foundation for a lifelong active lifestyle.

Language Development

Nature play nurtures language and communication in a sensory-rich environment. Children can use language to describe what they observe and experience while playing. Time outdoors is the perfect opportunity for adults to introduce new vocabulary (along with exciting nature facts!)

Unstructured time outside also fosters imagination and storytelling. These activities help children develop essential language skills in order to collaborate with others and act out their ideas. 

Social-Emotional Development

Playing outside in nature offers a unique opportunity for children to develop social-emotional skills. Children can interact, collaborate, and develop social skills through unstructured outdoor play. 

Time in nature supports self-regulation and mental well-being. Children learn to be resilient and build self-confidence as they test their abilities. Nature play promotes empathy as kids develop, observe, and interact with living creatures and the natural world.

Cognitive Development

Nature play is a catalyst for cognitive development in children! While exploring outdoors, children observe patterns in nature, develop problem-solving and reasoning skills, and uncover interconnections between living and non-living things. Nature play also inspires imaginative play while encouraging creativity and cognitive flexibility. 

Nature-Based Learning Environments

Nature-based learning environments greatly enhance children’s play and learning. Use the following ideas to foster a deeper connection to nature even indoors:

• Incorporate Natural Elements: Bring natural elements into the classroom, such as plants, flowers, stones, seashells, and branches. Use natural materials for furniture, flooring, and decorations whenever possible.

• Create Nature Centers: Designate a dedicated area in the classroom for nature exploration. Include books, field guides, magnifying glasses, nature-inspired art materials, and artifacts like feathers, pinecones, or cicada shells.

• Use Natural Lighting: Optimize natural lighting by positioning furniture and play areas near windows. Sunlight creates a warm and inviting atmosphere and a connection to the outdoors.

• Incorporate Nature-Based Activities: Include nature-based activities in the daily lesson plans, such as nature walks, scavenger hunts, nature-themed process art, outdoor storytelling, nature sensory bins, or gardening projects. Discover more nature-based learning activities later in this article. 

• Create a Nature Library: Curate a collection of children’s nature-themed books, magazines, and reference materials. Refer to these books during play and place them around the classroom to extend learning. 

• “You’re right; it is raining. I know there is a great rainy weather book in our library that we can read.”

• “That’s a good question. I wonder if we can look at our nature guide and find the answer.”

• Collaborate with Families and the Community: Get parents and the community involved with nature events, guest speakers, and nature-based field trips. Create partnerships to promote nature-based learning throughout the community and find ways that families can bring nature-based learning into their homes with nature play and activities.

• Professional Development: Look for training opportunities for your early childhood program to deepen your knowledge and skills in nature-based education. 

Outdoor Learning Environments

Of course, a quality nature-based learning environment extends outdoors too. Here are ideas to foster a deeper connection to nature while playing outside:

1. Design Outdoor Spaces: Create an inviting, child-focused outdoor space with natural elements like sand, water, mud, and trees. Children and adults should work together to care for these outdoor spaces and remove trash or broken materials.

2. Outdoor Learning Centers: Set up playground learning centers for gardening, sensory play, imaginative play, bug observation, nature art, and nature loose parts.

3. Learning and Exploration Materials: Take nature books, magnifying glasses, flashlights, and other materials outdoors during outside time. Have extra rain boots, ponchos, and gloves so kids can play outside in all weather. Find inspiration to play outside, even in “bad” weather, with these inspiring nature play quotes.

Any childcare classroom can be an enriching and immersive nature-based learning environment. Use these ideas to inspire children’s curiosity and nurture their connection with the natural world.

Incorporating Nature-Based Activities

Nature-based activities should be interactive and encourage curiosity, exploration, and appreciation of nature. Early childhood educators can include interactive nature-based activities in classroom schedules and lesson plans. 

Nature Loose Parts Center: Encourage open-ended play with a dedicated space for children to explore and manipulate natural objects like leaves, pinecones, shells, and rocks. Learn more in our ultimate loose parts guide.

Plant Studies: Set up plant observation stations for children to learn about plant life cycles, parts of a plant, and different types of plants. Children can learn about planting seeds and caring for plants. Check out even more hands-on plant activities for early learners.

Insect Studies: Provide children with magnifying glasses, bug catchers, and insect identification guides. Children can observe and learn about insects’ characteristics, habitats, and life cycles. 

Litter Cleanup: Organize classroom or school-wide litter cleanup activities to teach children about keeping the environment clean and how litter impacts nature.

Cloud Watching: Take children outside to observe and identify different types of clouds. Discuss weather patterns, cloud formations, and their relationship to weather conditions. These fiction and nonfiction cloud books for kids can extend this activity too.

Weather Studies: Set up a “weather station” near a classroom window. Take time each day to talk about the weather and even record daily observations on a chart. Along with weather books, this is a great way to introduce children to seasons, weather patterns, and weather phenomena. 

Nature Sensory Bins: Create an outdoor or indoor space where children can engage in sensory play with mud, water, and sand. Rotate other natural materials such as pine cones, sticks, seashells, stones, and leaves that children can explore.

Plant a Pollinator Garden: Involve children in planning, planting, and caring for a garden with plants that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. 

Nature Object Art: Add nature objects, such as leaves, twigs, and flowers to your art center. Children can create nature-inspired collages, leaf rubbings, or play dough sculptures.

Outdoor Activities for 1-Year-Olds: Learn and Play in Nature

nature play

Toddlers are just starting to learn about their world. Outdoor activities for 1-year-olds allow them to explore, learn, and play in nature. These activities help toddlers develop skills in every learning domain. Outdoor play is a full-sensory experience that helps build a love of nature early on. This blog post will share excellent, inspirational outdoor activities for 1-year-olds.

Table of Contents

How Do I Entertain My 1-Year-Old Outside?

I talked about this topic in my very first post on this blog (cringing at myself but also proud that I made that first entry). Unlike older toddlers, 1-year-olds are better entertained by open-ended activities that give them to chance to explore engaging objects or test their own skills.

Extra support from adults helps build up your toddler’s confidence and motivation to keep exploring outside. These outdoor activities support the developmental stage of play that 1-year-olds are in. But they still encourage caregiver participation.

What Kind Of Activities Can You Do With A 1-Year-Old?

1-year-old toddlers relish active, sensory-rich activities. They are also naturally curious and want to better understand the world. 

Outdoor activities offer toddlers the perfect balance of wonder, action, and sensory stimulation.

How Long Should A 1-Year-Old Spend Outside?

There is no set amount of time that a 1-year-old should spend outside. Outdoor activities for toddlers can happen throughout the day, as long as there is supervision and appropriate weather. And I use the term “appropriate” to describe almost all weather. Extra layers or shorter chunks of playtime can make nearly any weather worth enjoying.

In general, it’s more critical for 1-year-olds to get plenty of physical activity. Outdoor play is a great way to help toddlers meet their daily activity needs.

When Is The Best Time Of Day To Take A One-Year-Old Outside?

As you’ll find in this activity, I believe outdoor play for a 1-year-old can be pretty flexible.

The best time of day to take a 1-year-old outside depends on the weather and the child’s schedule. For hot days, aim for mornings or closer to the end of the day to avoid the heat.

Mid-day may be the best time to take advantage of the warmer temperatures if it is cool out.

Planning around naps and meals is always a good idea. Toddlers thrive with consistent routines, so if possible, try to make outdoor time part of a regular schedule. 

Outdoor Activities for 1-Year-Olds

Outdoor Meals

Food is still a rich sensory learning experience for 1-year-olds. Taking a snack or meal outside gives them a chance to enjoy nature while eating. Plus, the clean-up can be a lot easier, and spilled drinks aren’t a crisis.

Skills + Senses: Taste, Touch, Smell, Fine Motor, Social, Language

Treasure Hunt

This activity takes a little extra preparation. Think of this as an Easter egg hunt, but with whatever toys or curiosity-inducing objects you’d like to use. If you hide a collection of things that your toddler can collect, they will have everything they need to keep playing at the end of their treasure hunt.

Some ideas might be:

• Loose Parts Materials

• Dinosaur/animal/insect toys

• Puzzle pieces

• Board books

• Toy cars

• Action figures

Skills + Senses: Sight, Gross Motor, Cognitive

Outdoor Art

Outdoor art is a great way to encourage creativity and imagination. Outdoor space allows for messier play and larger canvases. This is perfect since 1-year-olds are still learning how to manipulate art materials. Outdoor art gives toddlers the freedom to turn an art activity into a full-body experience

• Spread out a large sheet for painting (with hands or feet)

• Use paintbrushes to paint walls or buildings with water

• Turn driveways or porches into sidewalk chalk murals

• Dip branches or pinecones into paints

Skills + Senses: Touch, Creativity, Cognitive, Fine Motor, Gross Motor

Toddler-Friendly Outdoor Toys

Each of the toys I’m sharing is developmentally appropriate for toddlers. Because 1-year-olds are still learning how to use and manipulate objects, many popular outdoor toys might be too advanced for right now. Still, caregivers should be comfortable that their 1-year-old might have some unique ideas on how to play with them.

• Sidewalk chalk (wet the sidewalk first for an extra element)

• Balls (large and small because they each have unique uses)

• Bubbles

• Small hula hoops

• Push toys

• Bean bags

• Pinwheels

• Water tables

• Sandboxes

• Pop-up tents (or DIY a blanket fort!)

• Kiddie pool (check out my complete list of Kiddie Pool Activities)

Skills + Senses: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Cognitive, Language

Flower Picking

Flower picking is a great activity for toddlers just starting to walk. It is also a great way to talk about characteristics like colors, shapes, and sizes.

Bringing flowers indoors adds a touch of nature to your home or classroom. These flowers can also spark conversations about the play experience your toddler had.

Alternative: Bring a jar your toddler can fill with nature objects such as stones, twigs, flowers, leaves, or nuts.

Skills + Senses: Smell, Cognitive, Fine Motor, Gross Motor

40 Flower Facts for Kids: Fascinating Facts to Share | Free PDF

Risk-Taking Play

1-year-olds are starting to explore their world and test their limits. Outdoor activities for 1-year-olds should include some opportunity for risk-taking play. This type of play helps toddlers develop a sense of self, build confidence, and learn about cause and effect.

Some great examples of risk-taking play for 1-year-olds include climbing on playground equipment, running, climbing hills, or jumping. 

Check out my post on risk-taking play for toddlers to learn more about its benefits and find more ideas.

Skills + Senses: Gross Motor, Vestibular, Proprioceptive, Emotional

Visit a Nature Park

Nature parks are rising in popularity. It’s hard to nail down exactly how to describe them because each is so different. Generally, these parks are designed to highlight the terrain and natural features of the area. 

Children can learn about plants, insects, and animals. They have the chance to explore rocks, sand, water, and more.

Instead of plastic and metal playground equipment, these parks encourage active play with hills, tunnels, rock climbing, small streams, bridges, etc. Some have no equipment, others have equipment made from natural materials.

Unfortunately, not every community has access to a nature park. But I highly recommend looking into what might be available in your area. This can be a great learning experience for toddlers.

Skills + Senses: Gross Motor, Vestibular, Proprioceptive

Outdoor Dramatic Play

Outdoor dramatic play is a great way to encourage imagination and creativity. This activity can be as simple as setting up a pretend picnic or tea party. 

Take your toddler’s favorite dolls, toy toolset, or costumes outside. Even toy kitchens become an exciting new activity when moved outdoors.

Find more imagination games for toddlers here.

Skills + Senses: Cognitive, Creativity, Social, Emotional, Language

Reading Outside

Bring your toddler’s favorite nature story to life by taking reading outdoors. You can plan to sit and read with your toddler. Or you can lay out a cozy blanket and set their favorite books in a basket. This is a perfect invitation to rest for a bit and read during outdoor play.

Skills + Senses: Language, Literacy, Social, Emotional, Cognitive

Exploring During Early Morning or Dusk

Sunrises and sunsets are a unique part of nature that children often do not experience. The colors, shadows, unusual sounds, temperature changes, frost, fog, or slow appearance of stars are all sensory-rich experiences toddlers can engage with.

These times are the perfect opportunity to offer your toddler a flashlight to investigate the shadows.

Skills + Senses: Sight, Cognitive, Emotional

Scavenger Hunts

I don’t just mean any scavenger hunt because I have shared somewhat out-of-the-box ideas about scavenger hunts outdoors.

6 Free Nature Scavenger Hunt PDFs here (I don’t even ask for your email.)

Skills + Senses: Sight, Gross Motor, Cognitive

Outdoor activities for 1-year-olds are a great way to help toddlers explore, learn, and play in nature. These activities can be done throughout the day and encourage creativity, exploration, problem-solving, and physical activity.

8 Types of Outdoor Learning Activities for an 18-Month-Old

nature play

Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. I’ve only linked to products because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.

Outdoor learning activities help develop all domains of learning. Playing outside allows toddlers to explore the natural world through hands-on play.

For early 2022, get the Springtime Nature Bucket List.

Outdoor play also allows for risk-taking play, an essential piece of toddler development. Outdoor learning stimulates all the senses, including the proprioceptive and vestibular senses.

Already feel like you know about toddler sensory development? Go straight to the list of Outdoor Learning Activities for 18-Month-Olds.

List Of Outdoor Learning Activities For 18-Month-Olds

#1 Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a classic way to move and explore. For 18-month-olds, a scavenger hunt needs to be less about the search and more about making a discovery. Here are some hands-on scavenger hunt ideas.

1. Texture – Seek out different textures and take time to touch them. Think about rough tree bark, fluffy dandelions, sharp rocks, pointy pine needles, goopy mud, or wet sand.

2. Colors – Search for an item of every color or see how many things you can find that are the same color. Take time to touch, smell, or listen to what you find.

3. Sounds – Search for different sounds, even better if you can make the sounds yourself. Ideas for sounds could be rocks splashing, bird songs, buzzing bugs, crunching gravel, scratching sticks, or blowing wind.

Skills Developed: Language skills, gross and fine motor skills, sensory stimulation

Get more Creative Scavenger Hunt Ideas and Free Quick-Download PDFs.

#2 Painting Trees

Toddlers use a whole different set of muscles when they can paint on surfaces besides flat paper on tables.

Out of respect for the trees and nature, please use natural, non-toxic paints for this activity. Or skip the paint altogether and dip paintbrushes into water.

1. Paint on logs, branches, pinecones, or pieces of tree bark.

2. Paint directly on trees. Encourage your toddler to reach up high and down low to paint.

3. Use painter’s tape to hang large sheets of paper on trees. The bark creates exciting textures in their artwork.

Skills Developed: Sensory stimulation, gross and fine motor skills, creative skills

#3 Water And Sidewalk Chalk Art

Outdoor learning activity #3 involves many different ways to use sidewalk chalk. I love adding water to any sidewalk chalk activity because the chalk colors are more vibrant, and the water adds a richer sensory experience. Like painting on trees, sidewalk chalk encourages toddlers to use their muscles and creative skills in new ways.

1. Use sidewalk chalk on wet surfaces. You can go out after a rain (or during a rainshower) or wet down the sidewalks before drawing.

2. Offer your toddler a spray bottle to use while they draw with chalk.

3. Dip chalk into a small pan of water before drawing.

4. Create a paint out of sidewalk chalk. Save the last tiny bits of chalk sticks, crush them into a powder, and whisk with water.

Skills Developed: Cognitive skills, creative skills, gross and fine motor skills, sensory stimulation

#4 Exploring With Balls

1. The classic kicking, throwing, bouncing, or catching balls. At 18 months, toddlers learn to catch large balls against their bodies with both arms.

2. Rolling balls down (and up) slides.

3. Chase and Steal. Toddlers love a giggly, goofy game of chase. The game is even more fun when you can take turns stealing the ball back and forth. Just keep an eye on their expressions because toddlers’ feelings can get hurt if they are not consenting participants. 

Skills Developed: Gross motor skills, social skills, cognitive skills

#4 Push, Pull, & Drag

Toddlers enjoy feeling strong when they move large or heavy objects. They get the benefits of physical activity and feel proud of accomplishing something. This activity also targets the proprioceptive sensory system. 

You can simply set these items out as invitations to play. Another option is to create obstacles for your child to move around or draw chalk lines for them to follow. Or you can actively encourage children to transfer stuffed animals, toys, pinecones, or sticks using one of the following methods.

1. Wagons

2. Wheelbarrows

3. Push Toys

4. Branches

5. Buckets

Skills Developed: Gross motor skills, cognitive skills, emotional development, sensory stimulation 

#5 Painting With Water

Water play is so nice, I’ve added it twice. Or actually three times? Depending on which activities you do, you can target various developmental skills.

1. Painting on Ice – fill a tray or bin with ice cubes and invite your toddler to paint.

2. Painting on Snow – self-explanatory, I think. If you check stores during wintertime, you can buy paint sticks for Snow. You can also put water with food coloring into squeeze bottles or spray bottles to paint the Snow.

3. Painting with Paint Rollers and Paintbrushes – put water into pails and paint trays (instead of paint). Use brushes and rollers to paint the sidewalks and walls with water.

Skills Developed: Cognitive learning, creative play, physical skills

#6 Take Books Outdoors

I stand by the idea. Reading outside is a pretty straightforward outdoor learning activity. You ake a beloved indoor activity for 18-month-olds and bring it outside. Toddlers get the benefits of both reading and nature all at once.

And to help you out even more. Here are 15 diverse board books for toddlers and the cozy home library checklist.

Skills Developed: Language skills, literacy skills, cognitive skills

#7 Spraying Water

Toddlers love water play: the more splashing and spilling they can do, the better. You can do a lovely pouring station, pull out a kiddie pool, or hook up a sprinkler. However, I wanted to share some other options for exploring water (aka making a giant soaking mess).

1. Spray Bottles

2. Sponges

3. Pump Bottles (empty soap or lotion bottles)

4. Squeeze Bottles (empty shampoo or body wash)

5. Bulb Basters

Skills Developed: Gross and fine motor, sensory stimulation

#8 Sensory Table Activities

Usually, sensory tables or water tables are filled with, you got it, water and sand. Sensory play gives toddlers an immersive opportunity to develop physical and cognitive skills while stimulating the senses.

You can purchase a water table or easily create a sensory bin with a plastic tote box with a lid. I prefer a bin because it can sit on the floor or quickly go with me outdoors.

Nature-based sensory table activity ideas:

• Pinecones

• Leaves

• Flowers – dissect the parts of the flower

• Snow

• Pesticide-Free Soil

• Bird Seed

• Wet Sand

• Dry beans

• Corn Kernels

• Pasta – dry or cooked

• Rice

• Oats

You should closely supervise children during these experiences. 

Skills Developed: Honestly, sensory play has it all. 10/10 recommend.

Safety During Outdoor Learning Activities

• Always consider what is safe and appropriate for your child.

• Ensure all materials are safe for children to handle, such as paints without harmful chemicals and sharp tools are safe.

• Learn how to create reasonable boundaries for risk-taking play.

Extend outdoor learning activities even further using open-ended questions:

The Resource You'll Use Over + Over

Access a FREE list of OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS for children. Build language, critical thinking, and engagement (at home + in the classroom).

• 10 Benefits of Block Play: Unlock the Power of Blocks

• The Best Block Play Activities & Environments for Young Children

• The Ultimate Introduction to Block Play in Early Childhood

• Nature-Based Early Childhood Education: Learning in the Natural World

• What is Nature Play? Learn from an Early Childhood Expert

Ultimate List: 110 Fun Things for Do in Your Own Backyard

nature play

Looking for fun things to do outside in your backyard? I’m sharing 110 ideas for interactive outdoor play for kids of all ages. From playing with ice to exploring nature, there are endless possibilities for fun. And the best part is, you don’t even have to leave home.

Table of Contents

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Classic Outdoor Activities

• Cloud Watching

• Stargazing

• Climbing Trees

• Digging Holes

• Picking Flowers

• Jumping in Leaf Piles

• Making Snow Angels

• Having a Picnic

Scavenger Hunt Activities

• Nature Scavenger Hunt – find templates here

• Sound Scavenger Hunt – buzzing bees, singing birds, splashing water, driving cars

• Mushroom Scavenger Hunt

• Nighttime Shadow Hunt – Take flashlights outdoors and explore shadows.

• Texture Scavenger Hunt

• Monochrome Scavenger Hunt – How many blue (or green, or brown, or white) things can you find?

• Bug Scavenger Hunt – Look for bugs plus their tracks, homes, and sounds.

• Bird Scavenger Hunt – Look for birds plus their homes, feathers, tracks, and sounds.

• Rainbow Scavenger Hunt – Find an object for each color of the rainbow.

• Missing Toy Hunt – Hide some toys and encourage your child to search and find them.

Creative Scavenger Hunt Ideas

READ MORE

Loose Parts Activities

• Milk Crates

• Cardboard boxes

• Buckets

• Pinecones

• Nuts + Seeds

• Stacking Stones

Ultimate Loose Parts Material List

READ MORE

Kiddie Pool Activities

• Giant Sensory Table – Prop a kiddie pool up on crates or cinderblocks for a sensory table children can stand at.

• Bubble Bath – Add bubble bath to your kiddie pool.

• Paint Prints – Place a sheet of paper in bottom of an empty pool for larger than life painting.

• Glowstick Stargaze – Add glowsticks to a kiddie pool during a dusk or evening swim.

• Plastic Egg Surprises – Plastic eggs float in water. Hide small treasures inside and add them to the pool with scoops.

• Obstacle Course – Make an obstacle course with a kiddie pool station.

• Pool Noodle Ball Pit – Cut up foam pool noodles for a DIY ball pit.

Unexpected Kiddie Pool Ideas

READ MORE

Water Play Activities

• Spray + Squeeze Bottles – Give empty spray and squeeze bottles (hair spray, non-toxic cleaners, sauce bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.) a second life.

• Water Bucket Relay – Try to quickly carry cups of water from one bucket to fill a line of buckets.

• Sponge Walk – Line up soaking wet sponges, loofahs, and washcloths for a balance-testing walk.

• Water Paint with Rollers – Use paint trays and paint rollers to paint the sidewalks, fences, playhouses, and more with water.

• Splash Patterns – Dip sponges, splash falls, and washcloths into water and toss them to the ground. Explore the different patterns they make. Explore the splash patterns made by squeezing, dripping, and smashing them.

• Water the Flowers – Using watering cans or spray bottles, walk around the yard to water flowers, bushes, and trees.

• Puddle Walk – Head outside after (or during!) a rainstorm to take a stroll through the puddles.

• Pour Station – Place a variety of bottles, cups, bowls, funnels, tubes, and scoops into a large, low bin or an empty kiddie pool.

Ultimate Water Play Guide

READ MORE

Ice Play Activities

• Hot + Cold Sensory Bins – Explore water temperatures with a warm water bin and an icy cold bin.

• Nature Ice Cubes – Collect items from the backyard in an ice cube tray, then freeze. Add to a sensory bin later.

• Fizzy Ice Cubes – Freeze baking soda in water. Explore what happens when you spray or brush the cubes with a white vinegar/water mixture.

• Melting Ice Drawings – Draw on the sidewalks with melting ice.

• Frozen Nature Collages – In colder weather, freeze nature objects in colorful pans of water.

• Shaved Ice Sensory Bin

• Snow Cone Pretend Play – Create a snow cone prop box using ice cream scoops, paper cups, and squeeze bottles of colored water. Make some shaved ice and pretend to run a snow cone stand

• Frozen Sponges – Explore the textures of frozen sponges as they slowly melt.

• Ice Cube Building Blocks – Freeze ice in blocks to build with.

• Frozen Nature Soup – Add nature items from the backyard to a bucket of icy water. Make sure you have a large spoon to stir with.

100 Ice Play Activities

READ MORE

Book Activities

• Book Seek + Find – Hide books around the yard to find and read.

• Nature Books – Read your favorite nature books and connect the stories to backyard play.

• Bug + Insect Books – Inspire a bug scavenger hunt or pretend play using this list of favorite bug and insect books.Bee BooksSpider BooksDragonfly BooksAnt BooksButterfly Books

• DIY Book with Outdoor Photos – Take photos of your favorite backyard adventures or discoveries and put them in a photo album.

Imaginative Activities

• Block Play – Take blocks outdoors

• Forts – Build forts with sheets, tarps, or even use a pop-up tent.

• Pot + Pan Band

• Chalk Lines (or cities) + Toy Cars – Use chalk to create a landscape for toy cars to zoom through.

• Pretend Play as Explorer – Get your map, flashlight, binoculars, and walking stick to explore through the yard.

• Pretend Play as Scientist – Gather your magnifying glass, specimen jars, and tweezers to collect samples.

Our Favorite Imaginative Games

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Art Activities

• Painting Nature – Paint on branches, rocks, large leaves, or pinecones.

• Squirt Gun Painting

• Bead + Stick Sculptures – Place sticks into the ground and stack beads on the small branches.

• Play Dough + Nature Sculptures – Decorate play dough sculptures with seeds, stones, twigs, leaves, and more.

• Nature Weaving – Wrap rubber bands around pieces of cardboard. Collect leaves, twigs, and flowers to weave through the bands.

• Mud Art – Use mud to paint or create mud sculptures

• Yarn + Ribbon Wrapping – Wrap branches or even tree trunks with layers of colorful yarn and ribbons.

• Paint with Nature – Make all-natural paint using berries, dandelions, or chlorophyll from leaves.

• Nature Photos – Use a camera or a phone to take photos of interesting discoveries in your backyard.

• Paint on Snow – Use paintbrushes or even spray bottles to paint on the snow.

• Sidewalk Chalk + Water – Enhance normal sidewalk chalk art with water. Your child will be delighted to see how bright the colors are. They can either dip the chalk into water or wet the sidewalk before drawing.

• Fly Swatter Painting – Set out paint on trays and hang a sheet up for your child to explore. Don’t want the mess of paint? Hang up a bright, solid color sheet and use water.

Sensory Activities

• Mud Kitchen

• Barefoot Walk – Talk about the different textures you feel while you walk.

• Nature Sensory Jars

• Explore with Binoculars & Magnifying Glasses

• No Sandbox? – Make a wet + dry sand sensory table with a plastic bin.

Plant Activities

• Flower Dissection

• Flowers + Play Dough

• Mud Pie Decorating

• Seed or Dry Bean Sorting

• Pinecone Painting

• Bark Rubbings

• Gardening Pretend Play – Use faux flowers if you don’t have real ones!

• Plant for Pollinators – Check out this resource to find what plants are tastiest for your local pollinators.

• Name Your Favorite Plant or Tree – Get inspired with tree facts and flower facts.

• Wildflower Garden – Pick up packets of wildflower seeds to plant. Take a couple moments (or more!) each week to talk about the differences between the plants as they grow.

• Bee Feeder – We have to protect our favorite buzzing pollinators. You can fill a low pie pan with marbles and a small amount of water. Bees and other bugs can land on the marbles and have a drink.

Dozens of Hands-On Plant Activities

READ MORE

Gross Motor Activities

• Cardboard Box Chariot – Attach cord or rope to a cardboard box and create a chariot for your child’s favorite stuffed animals or dolls.

• Balloon Swatters – Use fly swatters and balloons to create a fun game. Keep the balloons in the air or use the swatters to knock balloons into goals or from point A to point B.

• Stick Obstacle Course – Place sticks in a line or a ladder shape for a challenging obstacle.

• Bean Bag Dodgeball – Don’t hurt each other, but a little danger/challenge is fun. You can absolutely swap for lightweight balls.

• DIY Paper Kites – Decorate a sheet of printer paper (the kite) and staple on ribbon or party streamers. Take them outdoors and run until they catch some air and lift. Pair this activity with the book Kite Flying from the spring book list.

• Have a Race

• The Ground is Lava – Use lawn furniture, placemats, paper plates, or kickball bases to set up an obstacle course. Can you get from the porch to the playset without touching the ground?

• Bedsheet Parachute – Use a bedsheet to make a parachute. Add balls, balloons, or stuffed animals on top for an extra challenge. Hot day? Make those balloons water balloons.

• Hopscotch

• Laundry Basket Bean Bag Toss

• Tug-of-War

• Giant Dice – Use a square cardboard box to create a movement game. Each side can have a different dance move or activity to do when that side lands up.

• Car Watching Game – Keep an eye on the cars that pass and make a rule for each type of vehicle. Run a lap when you see a blue car, honk when a truck passes, or say a silly word when there is a delivery vehicle.

• Sidewalk Walk, No Cracks – It’s a pretty chill activity, but don’t you dare step on the cracks.

Low-Cost Outdoor Toys

• Bubbles

• Sprinkler

• Squirt Guns for water battles, target shooting, and painting

• Frisbees

• Hula Hoops for tossing, spinning, and obstacles courses

• Sidewalk Chalk

• Beach Ball

• Splash Balls

• Water Balloons

Want to venture outside the backyard? Explore A Marvelous Family’s 20 Inexpensive Kids Outing Ideas.

The Best Outdoor Cognitive Activities for Toddlers

nature play

Outdoor cognitive activities for toddlers are engaging, sensory-stimulating ways to build essential thinking skills. Here are dozens of outdoor cognitive activities based on the cognitive skills:

TYPES OF OUTDOOR COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES:

• Exploration + Discovery

• Imagination + Creativity

• Emergent Math

• Memory

• Reasoning + Problem Solving

Outdoor play has a significant impact on cognitive development for early learners. Toddlers begin learning about the relationship between themselves and the natural world.

Parents and educators can create opportunities for toddlers to explore and engage in sensory-rich play. These activities build executive function skills and establish a foundation for more complex learning in preschool and beyond.

Jump to outdoor cognitive activities for toddlers.

What Is An Example Of A Cognitive Development Activity?

For toddlers, most play and activities have a cognitive development component. Toddlers are constantly learning about their environment and the objects in it.

Here are some examples of easy cognitive development activities for toddlers:

• Drawing

• Reading books

• Throwing a ball over and over again

• Pouring water from a cup in the bath

Jump to outdoor cognitive activities for toddlers.

How Can I Help My Toddler Develop Cognitive Skills?

1. Plenty of open-ended play.

2. Developmentally appropriate toys and activities that are fun and a little challenging.

3. Sensory learning activities.

4. Reading daily.

5. Process art activities.

6. Use open-ended questions.

7. Outdoor play.

8. Risk-taking play.

9. Counting.

Outdoor Cognitive Activities For Exploration And Discovery

Cognitive skills:

• Exploring and investigating to understand self, others, and objects.

• Using knowledge of cause and effect to influence social and physical environments.

Water Play

|Water Pouring Station

|Toss + Splash with Wet Sponges

|Sprinklers

|Water Soup: Stir leaves, stones, twigs, flowers, and even a couple of drops of food dye or liquid watercolor into a bucket and stir.

|Kiddie Pool Activities

|More sensory activities for toddlers

Exploring Outdoors

|Spend time outdoors in various weather conditions like wind, rain, or fog. Take time to talk about the weather and what you are experiencing.

• “I can hear the rain and my arm is getting wet.”

• “Our cheeks are red because the air is so cold.”

• “The tree branches are shaking in the wind.”

• “The air feels warmer in the sun than under the tree.”

|Take an evening walk with flashlights and explore shadows.

|Try some creative nature scavenger hunt ideas.

• Free Nature Scavenger Hunt PDFs

Loose Parts Play

This open-ended play experience helps toddlers learn everything about objects, both new and familiar.

Nature-themed loose parts:

• Stones

• Shells

• Flowers

• Leaves

• Twigs

• Pinecones

• Acorns

Find more in the ultimate guide to loose parts materials.

Outdoor Cognitive Activities For Imagination And Creativity

Cognitive skills:

• Observing and imitating sounds, words, gestures, actions, and behaviors.

• Using objects or symbols to represent something else.

• Using pretend play to learn about culture, environment, and experiences.

Outdoor Forts

|Blanket or tarp forts

|Pop-up tents

|Cardboard boxes

“House” Outdoors

Take all your toddler’s favorite dramatic play toys outside.

• Baby dolls and accessories

• Stuffed animals

• Kitchen

• Pots and Pans

• Play food

• Table and chairs

• Picnic supplies

• Toolset

• Broom and dustpan

Mud Kitchens

There are some beautiful, elaborate mud kitchen ideas. However, you can make a simple mud kitchen. Try just a couple of these materials at a time (or create a crate of mud kitchen supplies to keep outside):

• Pie pans

• Muffin tins

• Silicone cupcake liners

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Plates + bowls

• Ladles

• Whisks

• Strainers/colanders

• Butter knives

• Rolling pins

WANT MORE IDEAS?

100 Ice Play Activities

Frosty & frozen art, nature, pretend play, and more!

OH ABSOLUTELY!

Toy Animals Or Cars

|Add new toys to a sandbox or sensory bin

|Use sidewalk chalk to create lines for roads or shapes for animal homes

|Toy animals can climb rock mountains, explore twig forests, or burrow into holes

|Construction vehicles can scoop and dig in sand, gravel, or mud

|Cars can roll down hills and slides

Outdoor Art

Toddlers are still building fine motor skills to create more detailed art. So they need more space for big, sweeping arm movements and giant scribbles. In fact, the recommendation is: the younger the artist, the bigger the paper.

Taking art outside is perfect for toddlers. You can create giant art canvases by spreading out large pieces of paper, bedsheets, or cardboard. Toddlers can paint with water or use chalk to create masterpieces on driveways or sidewalks.

Outdoor Cognitive Activities For Emergent Math

Cognitive skills:

• Developing a sense of numbers and quantity.

• Learning about how objects move through space.

• Matching and sorting to learn about similarities and differences.

Throw + Toss

Toddlers learn about trajectory and gravity by exploring throwing, tossing, and even catching.

|Jumbo-size ball

|Beach balls

|Different sports balls

|Bouncy balls

|Balloons

|Bean bags

|Frisbees

Block Play

|Stacking stones

|Construct with sticks in the mud

|Bring blocks outdoors

Sorting Loose Parts

Before toddlers can learn to sort and classify, they need to be familiar with all the characteristics of objects. Through repeated exploration using all seven senses, toddlers figure out that some objects are similar and some seem similar but are different.

|Themed Treasure Baskets

• Heavy + Light using feathers, leaves, and rocks

• Smooth + Bumpy using textured sensory balls

• Throw + Toss using balls with scarves, balls, and beanbags

• Sink + Float using toy boats, sponges, sticks, and stones

• Discover more treasure basket themes

|Invite older toddlers to sort loose parts using:

• Muffin tins

• Small buckets

• Hula hoops

• Draw squares with chalk to sort objects into

Exploring Hills

Toddlers can learn how their bodies move through space by running, crawling, scooting, and rolling up and down hills.

Outdoor Cognitive Activities For Memory

Cognitive skills:

• Recognizing differences between familiar and unfamiliar people, objects, actions, or events.

• Recognizing the stability/permanence of people and objects in the environment.

• Using memories to create more complex actions and thoughts.

Taking Walks

|Follow a familiar path on walks or bike rides and point out landmarks for your toddler to learn

|Let your toddler try to lead the way home (you might be surprised how well they do!)

|Explore a nature trail

|Walk or bike down a new street and investigate new sights or sounds

I Spy

Playing I Spy outside will help your toddler become familiar with their environment. They will also use their memory to search for objects or places.

Books

|Take books outdoors for a sensory-rich reading experience

|Take photos outside to use in a DIY toddler book

|Set out a basket of books for your toddler to look at when they need to rest

|Read nature books outdoors and make connections between the stories and the environment

Stories About Outdoor Play

Later in the evening, talk with your toddler about what they did earlier while playing outside. They can share their memories and listen to yours.

Book List: 30 Favorite Bug & Insect Books for Kids

OH ABSOLUTELY!

Outdoor Cognitive Activities For Reasoning And Problem Solving

Cognitive skills:

• Learning to use a variety of strategies in solving problems.

• Using logic and planning to solve problems.

Risk-Taking Play

Along with all the incredible benefits of risk-taking play, toddlers learn to use their minds and bodies together. Even a task like climbing the ladder of a playset takes problem solving, logic, trial and error, and building muscle memory.

|Climbing stumps, playsets, stairs

|Climbing up the slide

|Balancing on balance beams, sidewalk edges, low retaining walls, parking blocks

|Carrying large or heavy objects like branches, rocks, crates, buckets

|Running, jumping, spinning, swinging, hanging

|Chase or rough-and-tumble play

Learn more about the benefits of risk-taking play for toddlers.

Gather, Fill, And Spill

Toddlers naturally love gathering, filling, and spilling. They learn the best ways to gather, scoop, rake, dig, pour, and lift through this activity. Here are some different fill + dump materials:

• Buckets and cups of water

• Leaves

• Sand, mud, potting soil

• Pine needles

• Pinecones

• Nuts and seeds

• Dandelions

• Shovels and pails

• Toy construction and farm vehicles

*Cognitive skills based on the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.

Looking for more ideas? 8 Engaging Types of Cognitive Activities for Toddlers.

What Are The Signs Of Cognitive Developmental Delays In Toddlers?

Talk to your pediatrician if your toddler is:

• Not pointing at items

• Losing skills once had

• Not searching for items they saw you hide

• Not learning familiar items

• Not mimicking others

• Not able to follow simple instructions

This is not a comprehensive list of potential delays. While checklists like the CDC Milestone Tracker help, there is no replacement for intuition. Always reach out to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your child’s development. 

For those in the United States, you can also contact your local early intervention services for an evaluation. 

Closing Thoughts on Outdoor Cognitive Activities for Toddlers

Outdoor play is essential for toddlers’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. The activities suggested in this blog post will help your toddler build creativity, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, be sure to talk to your pediatrician.

100+ Ice Activities: The Best Playing with Ice Ideas

nature play

Playing with ice is a low-cost, sensory-rich, and open-ended learning activity. Plus, playing with ice is a wonderful way to support development in learning areas like fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and language development.

This blog post will share over 100 different ways to play with ice. I’m also sharing instructions for making different types of ice, ways to color dye ice cubes, and tips for making ice play safe.

Why Ice Play is Good for Kids

There are many reasons why playing with ice is great. Playing with ice:

• Stimulates the senses. Early learners can explore the different, changing textures of ice. You can check out my Exceptionally Sensory-Rich Ice Play ideas for ways to add more smells, tastes, and interesting visuals to ice play.

• Develops fine motor skills. Young kids need to use their fingers and hands to scoop, pour, and manipulate the ice.

• Improves cognitive skills. Toddlers and preschoolers learn about cause and effect while investigating ice. They learn about melting, sorting, problem-solving, temperatures, and so much more through ice play.

• Boosts imaginative play. Ice cubes are engaging loose parts on their own. You can also create small world sensory bins or process art activities using ice cubes.

• Develop language skills. Keep reading to get some ideas about what to talk about during ice play.

Things to Talk While Playing with Ice

You can support language development while playing with ice. Here are a few ideas:

• Introduce new vocabulary such as “frozen,” “freezing,” “icy,” “chilly,” and “frosty.”

• Compare what your child observes to something familiar.“See how that spoon is so cold it has water on it. That’s condensation like what’s on your drink cup.”

• Narrate what you are doing or what your child is doing.“I saw you scoop the ice with the spoon. I’m going to try picking it up with these tongs.”

• Use open-ended questions.

Ice Play Open-Ended Questions

1. What will happen if we add more ice cubes to the water?

2. What shape is your ice cube?

3. How does it feel to hold an ice cube?

4. Why do you think the ice is melting?

5. What do you think will happen if we put the water in the freezer?

6. How can we get this ice to melt?

7. What else do you need to play with?

8. How could we do this differently?

The Resource You'll Use Over + Over

Access a FREE list of OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS for children. Build language, critical thinking, and engagement (at home + in the classroom).

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Tips for Playing with Ice

• Make sure your child is safe and supervised at all times.

• Offer your child mittens or a bowl of warm water with a washcloth to help them keep their hands warm.

• Keep trays of colorful ice cubes or frozen treasure cubes in the freezer to grab when you need a quick activity.

I hope this post inspires some incredible play and learning. Playing with ice is an excellent way to give kids fun and stimulating sensory experience. This type of play supports development in key learning areas like fine motor skills, cognitive skills, emergent science, and language development. Ice play activities are also a unique way to approach art and loose parts play.

How to Color Dye Ice Cubes

3 Ways to Dye Ice Cubes

• Add a few drops of liquid watercolor to the water before freezing

• Add a few drops of food coloring to the water before freezing

• Add a tablespoon or more of fruit juice to the water before freezing

For deeper colors, experiment with adding more coloring. Warning: deeper colors may mean stained hands.

How to Make Shaved Ice

With A Food Processor:

Process 2 cups of ice cubes in a food processor. Process until the ice cubes stop rattling, and you’re left with a snow consistency with few lumps. Add more

With A Blender: 

Use the “crush” setting on your blender to blend 2 cups of ice cubes for 1 minute.

Troubleshooting Consistency

After blending or processing, you may need to correct the consistency of your shaved ice. If shaved ice is too thin, add more ice. You may need to break the ice into smaller pieces before adding. If the shaved ice is too thick, add cold water.

How to Make an Ice Sheet

Many of these ice play activities require a sheet of ice to melt, paint on, or use as ice floats.

To make an ice sheet, freeze water on a shallow cookie sheet or in a metal pie pan.

Our Favorite Winter & Snow Children’s Books

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100+ Ice Play Activities

Dozens of Ice Cube Shape Ideas

Sometimes just a uniquely-shaped ice cube is enough to inspire play. You can use these mold and shape ideas on their own, or they can be used in any of the other ice play activities I share. I will note when I have an ice shape I suggest for an activity.

• Traditional ice cube tray

• Water bottle ice cube trays

• Pie pans

• Muffin tins

• Silicone cupcake liners

• Popsicle molds

• Cookie sheets

• Ice globesfreeze filled water balloons overnight + cut off the balloon

• Silicone baking or gelatin molds:heartsflowersnumbersalphabet letterspaw printsstarsshellsgummy bearsbagelbread loafdome + mini domedinosaursbutterfliesjungle animals

TIP: Let molds thaw for a few minutes before releasing ice.

Melting Ice Activities

• Salt + ice sheet + measuring spoon

• Color dyed salt + ice sheet + paintbrush

• Warm water spray bottle + ice sheet or ice cubes

• Warm paint water + ice sheet or ice cubes

• Ice cubes + warm water pour station

• Squeezing sponges + ice

• Scrub brush in color dyed salt on an ice sheet

• Salt water + ice sheetEyedroppers to melt iceSyringes to melt iceBasters to melt iceMarinade brush to melt ice

Exploring Hot + Cold

• Bin of warm water + scoop + bowl of ice

• Bin of ice cubes + scoops or eyedroppers + bowl of warm water

• Investigating Temperature1 bin of ice cubes1 bowl of cold water1 bowl of room temperature water1 bowl of warm waterScoop or tongs to drop ice in bowls

• Freezing Temps ExperimentSet out empty ice cube trayChoose 3 colors for dyeing ice cubes (I used red, orange, and blue)Add cold water to 1/3 of the slots in an ice cube tray + dye it blueAdd warm water to 1/3 of the slots in an ice cube tray + dye it orangeAdd hot water to 1/3 of the slots in an ice cube tray + dye it redSet a time for 15-30 minute increments to check ice cubesHave your child “test” ice cubes with a toothpick + investigate which freezes first

• Hot + Cold Sensory BottlesMake 2 sensory bottles with your child. One with warm water and one with ice and cold water.Add coloring, glitter, ribbons, beads, and water beads in a hot + cold theme

Exceptionally Sensory-Rich Ice Cubes

• Herb ice cubes – rosemary, mint, basil, parsley, or other toddler-safe herbs + spices

• Glitter ice cubes

• Sequin ice cubes

• Frozen lemonade or juice snack

• Frozen flavored water – lime juice, lemon juice

• Fizzy baking soda ice cubes + vinegar sprayStir 2 tablespoons of baking soda into water before freezing in an ice cube trayMix 1 part white vinegar, 1 part water in a spray bottlePut frozen baking soda cubes on the sidewalk or in a sensory binSpray with vinegar

• Color dyed ice cube color mixing

• Ice globes + ramps/slides

• Frozen coffee (dilute with water before freezing)

• Coffee ground ice cubes

• Ombre ice cubesDye ice cubes in an ice cube tray, using decreasing amounts of color

Ice + Process Art

• Painting with watercolor ice cubes

• Drawing with melting ice cubes on construction paper

• Drawing on sidewalks with melting ice

• Frozen chalk paintMix 1 part water, 1 part cornstarch, drops of food dye, then freeze in cubesOR 1 part water, 1 part cornstarch, shavings of sidewalk chalk, then freeze in cubes

• Paint on ice cubes

• Paint on ice sheet

• Large ice ornament collagesFill a doughnut or bagel pan with water.Offer your kid twigs, flower petals, berries, or seeds to put into the water.Freeze the water.Release ornament from the pan and hang it outdoors on a branch.

• Mini ice ornament collagesFill a muffin tin with water.Fill a doughnut or bagel pan with water.Offer your child twigs, flower petals, berries, or seeds to put into the water.Place a loop of ribbon or yarn with the ends in the water. This will be the “hook” for your ornament.Freeze the water.Release ornament from the pan and hang it outdoors on a branch.

• Color dyed salt on an ice sheet

Color Dyed Salt Recipe

1. Pour your desired amount of salt into ziplock bag

2. Add drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor

3. Squeeze the air out of bag then zip closed

4. Knead the bag until all the color has been absorbed

Ice + Imaginative Play

• Ice cubes in water + arctic animal toys

• Ice sheet floats + water + arctic animal toys

• Shaved ice + construction vehicles

• Ice cubes + gemstones + animal toys/action figures

• Ice gummy bears from gelatin mold

• Shaved ice + flower pots + fake flowers/leaves

• Snow Cone Booth Pretend PlayShaved iceLiquid coloring (can go the edible route or not)Small cups or bowlsScoopApron + gloves

• Shaved ice sculpturesMold shaved ice with handsAdd pipe cleaners, toothpicks, twigs

Nature Play + Ice

These nature-based ice play activities are open-ended invitations for your child to explore the materials you set out. You can put these items in a sensory bin or on a tray. Making the activity visually appealing helps capture your toddler’s imagination.

• Seashell-shaped ice cubes + real ice cubes

• Freeze flowers/flower petals in ice cubes

• Stones in ice globes

• Frozen nature objects + magnifying glasses

• Freeze sticks + twigs in ice cubes (freeze so they stick out)

• Shaved ice and pebbles

• Frozen sand ice cubes

• Ice cubes + sand

• Frozen mud cubes

• Shaved ice + animal paw print ice cubes + toys with distinct paw prints

• Flower ice cubes + real flowers + water

Frozen Sensory Bins

You can easily DIY a sensory bin using a large, shallow plastic storage container. You may need containers/bowls to place in or next to the sensory bin for some of these activities.

When setting up a sensory bin, you can make it visually appealing to capture your child’s curiosity. Include different colors of ice, shapes of ice, utensils, or icy items to make the sensory bin more engaging. If you don’t have time, I promise your kid will still be interested in exploring ice + water.

• Ice cube scooping, no water

• Ice cube scooping with water

• Ice cubes + tongs

• Ice cubes + strainers with water

• Ice cubes + gemstones

• Ice cubes + reusable ice cubes

• Shaved ice scooping + strainers

• Colored ice + shaving cream

• Frozen water beads

• Fit the CubesOffer bottles with different-sized openingsOffer different-sized ice cubes

• Cubes + TubesExplore ice cubes + tubes (cardboard, plastic tubing, funnels)

• Color dyed ice + eyedropper + vegetable oil

Icy Items

Add these items to an icy sensory bin or explore on their own.

• Reusable ice cubes

• Reusable ice tubes for water bottles

• Frozen sponges

• Frozen citrus wedges

• Freeze small toys inside ice cubes

• Freeze ribbons or yarn in ice sheets

• Frozen water beads

• Icy magnets + magnet wandsFreeze small magnet toys in ice cubesExplore with magnet wand toys

• Ice cube building blocks from square/cube ice molds

• Freeze water in different-sized plastic lids

FIND MORE IDEAS

Loose Parts Material List

The ultimate guide to loose parts play for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

OH ABSOLUTELY

Ice Play Perfectly Pairs With:

• 50 Interesting Facts about Winter

• 35 Fun Snow Facts for Kids

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