Easter brings a joyful energy during Autumn, filled with colour, discovery and excitement of new beginnings. This season, families can bring a little Easter inspiration into at-home sensory play activities, which support children in exploring textures, practising fine-motor skills and engaging their imaginations in meaningful ways.
Here are some Easter-themed sensory ideas you can try at home with everyday items to create playful learning moments in the comfort of your home.
*All these ideas are customisable
Easter Egg Sensory Bin
What you will need:
- Plastic Easter eggs
- Rice/dried pasta/shredded paper or dried chickpeas (for your base)
- Scoops, cups and small containers
How to assemble:
- Fill each tub with your chosen base
- Hide your eggs inside
Let your child scoop, pour, shake and search to build their hand-eye coordination while enjoying the satisfying textures. For added enjoyment add other small toys you may have like letters, numbers or figurines inside the plastic eggs for an extra layer of discovery.
Pastel Playdough Creations
What you will need:
- Homemade or bought playdough in a variety of colours
- Cookie cutters in shapes like bunnies, eggs and flowers
- Press in natural materials like leaves and/or flowers
How to assemble:
- Place your playdough and cookie cutters out on a space for your child to easily access and engage with
Encourage your child to choose their dough and use the cookie cutters to create patterns and shapes of their choosing. They will be engaging their creativity, curiosity, imagination and strengthening their fine-motor skills.
Bunny Tail Sorting
What you will need:
- Cotton balls and pom-poms
- Small bowls or a muffin trays
- Tongs
How to assemble:
- Place the items out on a surface for your child to easily access and use.
Encourage your child to sort the different cotton balls and pom poms into the small bowls or muffin tray using the tongs by colour or size. This activity promotes pincer grip development and early learning maths skills. It’s a calming and focused activity that works well for mixed-age play.
Chickpea Sensory Tray
How to assemble:
- Dye some dried chickpeas in child friendly food colouring
- Once completely dry, arrange them in a shallow baking tray with a selection of cups, spoons and small Easter figurines
Encourage your child to feel the texture of the chickpeas with their hands and listen to the sounds as they move them around using the utensils and their hands. It’s a great way to encourage listening and fine-motor development.
Bring the magic of Easter into your home
However you celebrate the season of Easter, these sensory play ideas are simple and perfect to engage your child’s natural inquisitive nature using simple materials and little bit of thought. These experiences create enriching learning moments that echo the curiosity, wonder and love of learning fostered at St Nicholas Early Education.
Reach out to your child’s educators for further ideas and support.
