Enjoy the fun of water play without the mess with an ocean sensory bag. They are easy to make and clean up.
Why Sensory Play is Important
Sensory play is a great way to build many components of your preschooler’s growing body (and mind) at once.
When children do sensory play, various parts of the brain are used. These different connections their brains are making get stronger. New words are learned, thus strengthening your little one’s vocabulary.
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Squishing, pouring, and picking up small ocean creatures all help build strong fine motor muscles. Your little one’s tiny hand muscles, which are needed to hold a pencil, gain strength by participating in sensory play.
Sensory play can have a calming effect on children. The sensory input of squishing or squeezing helps to relax and soothe anxious preschoolers.
Of course, imagination, curiosity, problem-solving, and self-directed play also come into play.
Ocean sensory bags are a great way to have preschoolers participate in sensory play without getting wet or sticky.
Items Needed
*one of the one-gallon (or two-gallon) size freezer zipper bags
*plastic ocean creatures
*blue food coloring
*water
How to Make an Ocean Sensory Bag
1. Place the plastic ocean creatures inside the empty zipper bag.
2. Using containers your preschooler can lift, have them pour the water into the zipper bag. Be prepared for a bit of a mess. It will be a pleasant surprise if at least some water doesn’t end up on the table. 😬
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring while holding open the zipper bag.
4. Fold over the top of the zipper bag so the fold is at the top of the water level. Slowly push down the empty part of the bag to get the air out.
5. Zip up the ocean sensory bag. Triple-check that the zipper is zipped completely before letting your preschooler play with it. Tape can be placed on the top of the zipper to help make it more secure.
6. Let your preschooler play with the ocean sensory bag. You may want to talk about being gentle with it.
Other Things to Add to the Ocean Sensory Bag
Use Rice Instead of Water
Fill the zipper bag with dry, uncooked rice instead of water. Your little one will like moving the rice around to find the hidden ocean creatures.
Add Letter Tiles
Grab some letter tiles like the ones from Scrabble or Bananagrams. Place them in the ocean sensory bag and let your little one find them.
Take it a step further by having a list for your little one to cross off with the letters they have found.
Make it Shimmer
If you are a glitter household, add a few shakes of glitter and watch as the water shimmers and sparkles.
Ocean Sensory Bag
Making an ocean sensory bag is a great way to create water play without (as much) mess. You are able to contain and control the mess a bit more than a water table. Plus, you can use these ocean sensory bags even when it’s not ideal to be outside.