Last Updated: September 2026
Sensory learning activities engage children’s senses through experiences involving sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, movement and body awareness.
They can turn everyday play into opportunities to explore, create, communicate and develop different skills. Simple activities such as painting with ice, making a sensory bottle, gardening or creating a textured collage can give children opportunities to experiment with different sights, sounds, textures and movements.
Sensory activities can be particularly useful for children who enjoy learning through hands-on experiences, although the right activity will vary from child to child. In this guide, we’ll explain what sensory learning is, how it can support children’s learning and development, and some easy sensory learning activities you can try at home.
What is Sensory Learning?
- Sensory learning refers to activities that stimulate and engage the senses.
- Children naturally learn through sensory experiences all the time.
- Sensory learning activities incorporate one or more of the five main senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and sound.
- We also have lesser-known senses:
- the vestibular system, which contributes to balance and movement;
- and proprioception, which helps us sense body position and movement.
- At Hope Tutoring, we specialise in helping kids learn in all kinds of ways that are natural to them, catered to each child’s individual learning style.
Sensory Learning Activities for Kids: Fun Ideas to Try at Home
Sensory learning activities are oodles of fun for kids; they’re all about getting your hands dirty and are full of bright colours, fun textures and interesting sounds. They’re also incredibly valuable for supporting the development of new connections in the brain, which, as we discussed in our blog on the multi-sensory learning theory, is how we learn.
Gardening, water play and outdoor sensory activities can work particularly well in Australia’s climate. We’re lucky to be able to take kids outdoors for more sensory learning, though we do need to remember sun protection!
Keep reading to delve into an overview of what constitutes sensory learning, why it is valuable, particularly for neurodivergent children, and a great list of our favourite sensory learning activities to do at home.
Why are Sensory Learning Activities Valuable?
Sensory learning activities are hugely beneficial for cognitive development in children. Sensory experiences give children opportunities to explore, practise skills, make connections between what they experience and what they learn, and develop coordination and problem-solving skills.
This can help kids’ brains create new neural connections, building new pathways and strengthening existing networks in the brain. Due to the significant tactile component, sensory activities are excellent for the development of gross and fine motor skills, something that children with learning difficulties can struggle with.
Sensory learning activities also improve communication, as they provide opportunities for children to explore and communicate how they feel, and the things they like and don’t like. This is also beneficial in cementing the idea that all feelings are valid, which is especially valuable for anxious children.
Why Can Sensory Activities Be Helpful for Neurodivergent Children?
Sensory preferences vary considerably between children. Some children may seek particular types of sensory input, while others may find certain sensations uncomfortable or overwhelming.
For neurodivergent children and kids with sensory processing issues, sensory learning activities can be particularly helpful aids. Sensory experiences can help to calm and centre them, and help their brains to reset. As children with altered sensory processing are extra sensitive to stimuli, sensory learning activities can be valuable tools to provide them with the stimulation they are seeking.
Neurodivergent kids are likely to be selective about the types of stimuli they interact with. A child might love messy textures but dislike sticky substances. Perhaps they enjoy movement but dislike loud sounds. It’s important to work alongside the child to make sure they aren’t overwhelmed, and help them understand why they may dislike certain stimuli.
What Is the Difference Between Sensory Play and Sensory Learning?
Sensory play focuses on exploration and engaging the senses, while sensory learning can intentionally incorporate those experiences into opportunities to develop skills or explore concepts. For example:
- ice painting → colours, temperature, cause and effect
- gardening → textures, observation and sequencing
- sensory collage → texture, colour, fine motor skills and creativity
- sensory bottles → visual observation and movement
Let’s not forget that sensory learning activities are also just plain fun! Oftentimes they are ways for kids to ‘let loose’ and explore their world completely freely. Unlocking this state of uninhibitedness creates the perfect environment for creativity and curiosity to be unleashed, with the added benefit of constant feedback from the sensory activity.
Four Sensory Learning Activities to Do at Home
1. DIY Sensory Bottle/ Jar
Sensory bottles are a wonderful and easy DIY project which can be used for months to come. For children who are easily overwhelmed, sensory jars can be great self-regulation tools as they are a peaceful object to focus on, and they provide proprioceptive input through the action of shaking.
The beauty of a sensory bottle is that you can really add anything you like to it! Glitter is a common favourite, as are sequins, but you can personalise this to your child’s interests very easily. Any small, light object can be added, such as shells, pom poms, ribbon or even animal-shaped plastic confetti.
What you’ll need
- A clean, clear jar or bottle with a lid
- Water
- Food colouring
- Glitter
- Hot glue or super glue
- Glycerine or corn syrup (optional)
How to make your sensory bottle
Take your jar or bottle and fill it one quarter to one third of the way with glycerine or corn syrup, if desired. The addition of glycerine or corn syrup is to make the objects inside fall or drift through the water more slowly, so if you don’t have it on hand, you can just leave it out. Next, add in a few drops of food colouring in your desired colour and top up the bottle with water until it’s about three quarters full. Now its time for the fun part; take your glitter, and whatever other additions you have and sprinkle them in. Once you’re satisfied with how your bottle looks, top it up with more water until it’s almost full and pop the lid on. To make sure it’s secure, adults may choose to carefully use hot glue around the lid.
Now you’re ready to enjoy your sensory jar. Shake it up and watch the contents slowly drift to the bottom. You might like to notice which things take the longest to drift down, or experiment with different shaking motions, like up and down or swirling in a circular motion.
2. Sensory Collage
A sensory collage is simply a collection of different shaped, sized, coloured and textured objects affixed to a backing, and can be made of almost anything you have around the home. Sensory collages are excellent for encouraging creativity and provide great tactile and visual input.
All you’ll need is a piece of cardboard or paper to affix your materials to, some glue or sticky tape and materials for your collage.
The options are limitless, so here are a few suggestions of materials you could include in your sensory collage:
- Coloured paper
- Cardboard
- Glitter
- Pom poms
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Scrunched newspaper
- Fabric scraps
- Sponge pieces
- Buttons
- Ribbon
- Cotton balls
- Paddle pop sticks
- Googly eyes
- Cellophane
- Aluminium foil
- Pipe cleaners
4. Ice cube painting
Ice cube painting is excellent for the temperature stimuli it provides, a factor that can be difficult to incorporate into sensory activities.
To make ice paint, take an ice cube tray and fill it with water. Then add just a drop of food colouring in different colours to each cube. If you’d like, you can add paddle pop sticks into the trays for handles, but you can also leave them as is. Now, place your tray in the freezer and wait for it to freeze.
Once frozen, pop out the cubes and use them to paint. The sensory input from sliding the cubes smoothly over paper and watching the colours mix makes this activity very popular.
3. Gardening
Gardening is a fantastic sensory learning activity. Firstly, being outside provides excellent sensory input in itself, along with touching dirt and plants, and observing the different sizes, shapes and colours we see outside in our Brisbane backyards.
A great gardening related sensory learning activity is to plant a seed. For a fun and easy method to make a seedling pot out of newspaper, have a look at this tutorial.
The act of making the newspaper pot is a great task, with the folding and scrunching of the paper. Children will also get tactile stimuli from adding the potting mix and making a hole for their seed, and will then get to enjoy the satisfaction of seeing it eventually grow.
How Can Sensory Activities Support School Learning?
Sensory play can directly link to school subjects. For example:
- Science: observing changes in ice, plants, water and materials.
- English: describing textures, sounds, colours and experiences.
- Maths: sorting, counting, measuring and comparing.
- Art: colour mixing, texture and creative expression.
- Early learning: developing vocabulary, coordination and exploration.
How Can Parents Turn Sensory Play Into Learning?
You don’t need to turn everything into a formal lesson. Instead, ask open-ended questions like:
- “What do you notice?”
- “How does that feel?”
- “What do you think will happen?”
- “Which one is heavier?”
- “Can you find something rough?”
- “What changed?”
- “Can you describe that sound?”
Let’s Keep Learning Together
We hope you’ve enjoyed this blog on sensory learning activities, and have learnt something new about their value for children, and how easy they can be to set up. Next time you have a blank spot in your home school day or are looking for a fun weekend activity, give one of these a try!
Sensory learning doesn’t need to involve elaborate equipment or complicated activities. Everyday experiences can give children opportunities to explore their senses, practise skills and become curious about the world around them.
If sensory learning is an avenue you’d like to explore for your child in Brisbane, make sure to get in touch with us at Hope Tutoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Some Mess-Free Sensory Activities for Kids?
Not all sensory play or learning ends with parents having to clean up glitter, paint and potting mix. You could try nature walks, texture matching, sound games, sorting objects, drawing, movement games, and much more.
Are Sensory Activities Suitable for All Ages?
Each activity should be adapted according to the child’s age, abilities and interests. For younger children, sensory exploration might be very simple. Older children could incorporate more advanced concepts like measurement, observation, prediction, writing, and categorisation.
Can Sensory Activities Help Children Who Struggle to Concentrate?
Sensory activities can provide a different way for children to engage with a task, particularly when learning through hands-on exploration suits their interests or learning preferences. However, sensory activities are not a universal solution for concentration difficulties, so it is important to consider what works for each individual child.
How Can I Tell if a Sensory Activity Is Too Much For My Child?
Watch how your child responds rather than assuming that a particular activity will be calming or enjoyable. Signs that an activity may be overwhelming can include avoiding the activity, becoming distressed, covering their ears, withdrawing or asking to stop. Give your child the option to take a break and adapt or change the activity if needed.