Sensory Fall Activities for Toddlers

The changing of the seasons from summer to fall is always an exciting and interesting time for toddlers because the transition from season to season encompasses so many of their senses. They see the leaves change color, feel the air get colder, hear the crunch of the dried leaves under their feet, and smell the difference in the air as fall takes hold.

As parents, we can take advantage of this time by planning sensory activities for our kids, centered around the differences brought on by the fall. Fall-themed activities give kids a chance to learn about the changing seasons, enjoy all the sensory experiences available, and learn along the way!

Why Sensory Activities are Important for Toddlers' Development

Making sense of the senses (pun intended) is a critical part of the development of your children’s brains because it is how they interpret the world. Their 5 senses are tied to their cognitive functions, are crucial for their physical development, and are key to their understanding of their emotional state, which are all affected by what they see, hear, taste, feel, and smell.

Sensory activities help to develop their motor skills because they engage with the world by moving and playing, all of which work their fine motor muscles. They also help with their language development by giving you and your kids something to discuss as you work through the activities and finally, help develop their problem-solving skills.

Around the world, organizations focused on child development have known this for years. In Australia, experts at the childcare organization Only About Children stated, 

“Sensory play encourages learning through exploration, curiosity, problem solving, and creativity. It helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development of language and motor skills. There are many benefits that may go unnoticed, such as the development of abilities to focus and block out distractions.”

Healthline, the American health organization, also believes that sensory play is critical for development. They write, 

“Sensory play offers children a unique opportunity to engage with the world in a way that helps them grow and develop. This kind of active play helps to create connections in the brain that allow for increasingly complex thoughts and tasks.” 

Safety Considerations

As with any playtime activity, always make sure that your kids are being safe. Ensure that they are kept away from danger by doing age-appropriate activities and keeping an eye on them as they are enjoying themselves. Do not let them eat or drink while engaging in sensory play because they will likely be using their hands, which could contaminate their food and drinks. Also, make sure that they avoid putting anything in their mouths that they might be playing with. 

Fall-Themed Sensory Activities

Since fall-themed activities are a favorite in our household, we wanted to put together a list to share with you so that you can enjoy them as much as we do, whenever you would like. Here are over 20 of the most fun and exciting sensory activities for toddlers this fall.

Flour and Water Dough

• Materials Needed: Flour, water, mixing bowl.
• Instructions: Mix flour and water to create a soft, moldable dough. Allow toddlers to shape and mold the dough.

This activity allows kids to engage their senses of touch, smell, and sight but more importantly, they get to use their imagination in conjunction with these senses, making connections that they will continue to use as they grow up.

Popcorn Exploration

• Materials Needed: Popped and unpopped popcorn.
• Instructions: Let toddlers feel, smell, and taste both popped and unpopped popcorn. Discuss textures and sounds.

By having both types of popcorn present and having them touch, smell, and taste them all, you are helping them understand that the state of an object can change while teaching them about their senses. You can even season the popcorn for additional effect, or have them watch and listen to the popcorn transforming from seed to popped kernel.

Sandbox Play

• Materials Needed: Sandbox, sand toys.
• Instructions: Create a small sandbox for digging, scooping, and building. Use various tools to explore the sand.

Sand is a sensory experience that can take some kids years to get used to, although most kids love to play in the sand. Add a glass or jug of water to the mix for even more sensory fun as they engage their sense of sight, smell, feel, and (if your kids are anything like mine) a little bit of their sense of taste.

Wave Bottle

• Materials Needed: Clear plastic bottle, water, oil, glitter.
• Instructions: Fill the bottle with water, oil, and glitter. Seal tightly and let toddlers shake and observe the wave effects.

It could be tempting to think this is a mostly visual sensory experience but it is almost as much an exploration of the sense of feel as the sense of sight. Shaking these bottles allows kids to feel the difference in the viscosity of the liquids, as well as see the difference, which helps them to understand that these liquids are very different from each other.

Fall Leaf Exploration

• Materials Needed: Various fall leaves.
• Instructions: Collect different types of fall leaves. Encourage toddlers to touch, smell, and observe the colors and textures.

One of the most classic and timeless fall activities is the collecting of the leaves! Kids use their sight, the sense of touch, their hearing, and their sense of smell as they collect, sort, inspect and inevitably crush these leaves.

“5 Little Ducks” Sensory Play

• Materials Needed: Rubber ducks, water.
• Instructions: Use rubber ducks and water for a playful reenactment of the "5 Little Ducks" song. 

Rubber ducks are a universally loved child's toy and singing the song “5 Little Ducks” is a great way to help them engage with the song. Even better, the “5 Little Ducks” sound book can be used to work on their sense of sight and sound.

Ice Cube Transfer

• Materials Needed: Ice cubes, tongs, bowls.
• Instructions: Use tongs to move ice cubes from one bowl to another. Discuss the cold sensation and melting process.

The concept of matter transforming from one state to another could be difficult to understand but by experience through their senses, kids can easily make sense of a complicated subject. For extra fun, use dye when making the ice cubes.

Water Painting

• Materials Needed: Brushes, water.
• Instructions: Use brushes and water to paint on sidewalks or driveways. Observe the drying process.

This is similar to watching ice melt but instead of solid to liquid, your kids are watching liquid turn to gas and it can be easily detected with their eyes and with their fingertips as the water dries away. Get your kids to draw their favorite animals to keep them excited about this activity.

Scented Jars

• Materials Needed: Jars, scents (cinnamon, vanilla, etc.).
• Instructions: Fill jars with different scents. Let toddlers smell and identify the scents.

To truly engage the sense of smell, use jars of individual scents to showcase to your kids how powerful their noses are. To make it even more intense, use a blindfold to remove any other distractions.

Food Play

• Materials Needed: Safe, edible foods.
• Instructions: Use foods like mashed potatoes, cooked pasta, or yogurt for sensory exploration and play.

Who doesn't love to eat and play at the same time? By playing with different textures of food, you are leveraging all the senses simultaneously, stimulating the learning center of the brain. In addition to that, your kids get to eat their snacks. It's a win-win for everybody!

Gardening Basics

• Materials Needed: Soil, seeds, water.
• Instructions: Discuss and demonstrate how plants need sun, water, and soil to grow. Let toddlers help with planting.

To feel the dirt under your fingers and smell the fresh earth as you turn it over while placing seeds in the ground to grow is an experience that humans have had as a species for millennia. Explain to your kids the exciting process of how plants grow and why it is important to everyone around the globe.

Pumpkin Sensory Bin

• Materials Needed: Pumpkin guts, seeds, bin.
• Instructions: Fill a bin with pumpkin guts and seeds for squishy exploration.

Fall and pumpkins seem to fit together like a hand in a glove. When you do this activity with your kids, you are running them through the whole array of senses (especially if you cook the pumpkin seeds as a snack) which gives them plenty of opportunity to learn and ask questions about what they are experiencing.

Bubble Wrap Stomp

• Materials Needed: Bubble wrap.
• Instructions: Lay out bubble wrap for toddlers to stomp on and pop.

Another classically simple yet amazingly fun game for kids. Bubble wrap is everywhere in today’s delivery culture so make the most of it by popping them with your kids. Explain to them what makes the noise, how it would be difficult to do with other types of materials, and show them how they can do it themselves.

Cornmeal Sandbox

• Materials Needed: Cornmeal, sandbox toys.
• Instructions: Use cornmeal instead of sand for a different texture. Allow digging and scooping.

Now, I wouldn't suggest trying to fill an entire sandbox with cornmeal but a tub on the table would suffice for this activity. Your kids get all the benefits of sandbox play but with a different texture. This changes the sounds, smells, sights, and the entire feel of the activity. As an added benefit, they can taste this one too!

Nature Walk

• Materials Needed: None.
• Instructions: Go on a nature walk to collect pine cones, acorns, and sticks. Discuss the different textures.

There is nothing quite as cute as a kid, dressed in their autumn attire, running through the leaves in the fall sun. Taking a nature walk gets kids fresh air, helps them burn off steam, and engages all of their senses. They have the sun in their eyes, the wind on their face, and the sound of the leaves at their feet, all of which help them make sense of their world.

Texture Balloons

• Materials Needed: Balloons, beans, etc.
• Instructions: Fill balloons with different materials for tactile exploration. Let toddlers feel and identify the textures.

Balloons are great for these types of activities because of how tactile and multi-functional they are. By filling balloons with different materials, you are showcasing to kids the different sizes, textures, and shapes of those materials, all while keeping them contained and (relatively) mess-free.

Foam Play 

• Materials Needed: Water, dish soap.
• Instructions: Mix water and dish soap to create a bin of bubbles and foam. Let toddlers explore the texture.

Any parent who's had a kid in a bubble bath knows how the love of bubbles seems to be a universal childhood trait. When kids explore bubbles, they get to experience them through their sense of smell, sight, and their sense of touch. Try to avoid tasting them, though sometimes that also happens. Food dyes can make this activity even more interesting for kids.

Spaghetti Sensory Play

• Materials Needed: Cooked spaghetti, food coloring.
• Instructions: Cook and color spaghetti for a fun, squishy activity. Allow toddlers to explore the texture.

Cooked spaghetti, especially spaghetti cooked to different textures, shows kids another example of the physical transformation of an item from hard (raw) to soft and squishy (fully cooked). This is an intriguing activity for kids and they get to taste, smell, feel, and see what they are playing with, which always makes playtime even more fun.

Sound Exploration

• Materials Needed: Pots, pans, wooden spoons.
• Instructions: Use pots, pans, and wooden spoons to explore different sounds. Let toddlers create their own music.

For the acoustically brave, giving your kids impromptu drums will be a world of fun as they explore how different materials make different sounds. They will also feel the difference as they tap on wood, plastic, and steel containers, eventually learning the difference between them and finding their preferred noises.

Feather Play

• Materials Needed: Soft feathers.
• Instructions: Use soft feathers for gentle tactile exploration. Allow toddlers to feel and describe the texture.

Feathers offer a fun activity because of their interesting and unique design. They are extremely light and very soft, (which makes them fun to play with) but also strong enough to allow a bird to fly. Discuss these properties with your kids as they enjoy the feel and look of the feathers they are playing with.

Glow Stick Bath

• Materials Needed: Glow sticks.
• Instructions: Add glow sticks to a dark bath for a glowing sensory experience. Supervise closely.

Ever since my kids discovered the joy of the glow stick bath, it has been a staple in our home. The refraction of the light underwater, the mixing of colors to create other colors, and the joy of a special bath time all combine to make this an epic sensory experience. Always make sure to be present and watch if your kids are in the bath for this activity.

Exploring Sounds with Cali's Sound Books

•     Materials Needed: Cali's sound books.
•     Instructions: Use Cali's sound books to explore different sounds. Let toddlers press buttons and dance to the songs.

Cali’s Books has a range of books, with songs of all types, to encourage and facilitate this exact style of play. These wonderful books engage with kids' senses on every level and are designed to be educational, entertaining, and fun, helping your kids grow and learn while having a blast.

Conclusion

In the end, learning to be in tune with your senses allows you to better interpret the world around you and as parents, it is our duty to develop these skills in our children. Using the changing seasons as your backdrop, you can help your kids do this by planning sensory activities for toddlers at home that work all of their senses and keep them stimulated, all while having a great time Make sure to use the wide array of ideas and resources here to help you find the best sensory fall activities for toddlers this season.