The best sensory box ideas anyone can enjoy-Chicago Tribune

2021-12-14 08:51:34 By : Ms. Celia Wang

Traditionally, sensory boxes have been used to help children with sensory needs get used to the textures they might encounter in their daily lives. However, the sensory box is a fun form of play for any child, providing a lot of tactile stimulation.

If you have heard of the sensory box but are not sure where to start, you may be happy to know that it is relatively simple. Once you have the core items you need, you will find many sensory box ideas that anyone can enjoy.

The sensory box is just a container filled with filling materials, and children can reach into it and play. They provide hands-on sensory experiences that many children love-like playing in a sandbox or making mud cakes. Since they are housed in the trash can, you can easily place them indoors and help contain any debris.

The tactile games provided by the sensory box have many benefits for children. Simply experiencing a series of textures and allowing free play with them is important for the development of all children. However, it can provide a good source of sensory input for tactile-seeking children, stimulate the curiosity of tactile defensive children, and help them explore textures that might otherwise have been avoided.

More importantly, when children scoop, scoop and play with filling materials in various ways, the sensory box can help improve fine motor skills. When children come up with new ways to describe their play styles, they can also help improve language skills, and can help them learn cooperative games and other social skills when more than one child is playing in the trash can.

Now that you know more about the sensory box, you may want to know what you need. Fortunately, you don’t need so many things, and you may already have some of the core items you need at home.

Without some sort of trash can or storage container, you cannot make a sensory trash can. Transparent plastic boxes work well because they are transparent, and they are visually more exciting from the side. Ideally, look for a container with a capacity of about 20-30 quarts, but you can also use a smaller bin if you prefer. It should be relatively shallow-about 6-8 inches is a good depth-because a bin that is too deep will not provide enough surface area to play. IRIS USA 26.5 quart weatherproof plastic storage box and HOMZ Snaplock transparent storage box are both good choices. Although you don't need a lid while your child is playing, it will make storage easier when you want to reuse the filling.

Adding spoons and other accessories to the sensory box allows children to have more ways to play with filling materials and helps improve fine motor skills. You don't need any special kind of spoons-measuring cups, jars, plastic cups, serving spoons and spoons all fit well in the sensory box. Other interesting accessories include a funnel for children to pour finer filling materials and children’s large tweezers for grasping larger filling materials.

Hiding small toys in the filling material will add a certain degree of appeal and help children play longer. You can add all kinds of small toys that you may already have at home, including Lego or Duplo blocks, toy dinosaurs, big dice, and small vehicles.

You will find more information about fillings below, but these are the materials you fill the trash can with for your children to play with. There are many ideas about wet and dry textures, many of which are things you may already have around the house, such as pasta or dried beans.

Dry texture is the least messy option and is usually easier to use and reuse. You will find many sensory box ideas with a dry texture, including the following:

You can also use sensory box fillers with a wet texture. These are not always easy to scoop and play, but they are perfect for kids who like messy games or need more exposure to damp and muddy texture. Ideas for the wet texture sensory box include:

Some items that can be used as the filling of sensory trash cans are potentially choking hazards, or they are best not to be eaten. If your child is still in the stage of putting anything in his mouth, use edible fillings or items that are too large to swallow, such as plastic Easter eggs.

This is very important: never force your child's hands into the sensory box or force them to play in other ways, especially if they avoid certain textures. This is likely to cause your child to avoid different textures more in the future. Instead, make the sensory box look as interesting and engaging as possible, and let your children explore it in their own time.

The sensory box may eventually become a little messy, especially for young children. Place your sensory box on a bed sheet or large towel to help collect the filling that overflows the edge. When playing with wet textures, put a towel nearby for children to wipe their hands so they don't wipe their hands on your furniture. At the end of the game, encourage your child to help you remove any spilled fillings. You can use a dustpan and brush to brush fine fillings, or pick up larger fillings and put them back in the trash.

Lauren Corona is a contributor to BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company whose mission is to help simplify your buying decisions and save you time and money

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