10 Winter Christmas Holiday Sensory Play Ideas for Flisat Table

Winter is a magical time of the year, and Christmas holidays bring joy and excitement to both children and adults. Whether it's a snow-covered wonderland or a cozy indoors celebration, creating sensory play experiences can add an extra touch of fun and learning. The Flisat table from IKEA, with its sturdy design and detachable top, offers a perfect platform for engaging sensory activities for kids. In this blog post, we will explore 10 Winter Christmas holiday sensory play ideas that you can implement on your Flisat table.

1. Sparkling Winter Ice Skating Magic:
Prepare a batch of shimmering snow playdough using silver glitter and essential oils like peppermint or lavender. Provide various winter-themed cookie cutters, small figurines, and toys for children to mold, create snow scenes or make snowballs. Use the Inspire My Play tray to divide up sensory fillers like chickpeas, colored rice, and colored sand. Print the Ice Skating Dramatic Play kit to turn your Flisat table into a sparkly winter skating rink.

2. Festive Sensory Bins:
Fill colorful sensory bins with fake snow, festive pom-poms, jingle bells, plastic snowflakes, and small Christmas-themed objects. Allow children to scoop, pour, and explore the textures, colors, and sounds while stimulating their senses.

3. Arctic Ice Dig:
Freeze small toys, plastic animals, or buttons in water or ice cube trays. Place these frozen treasures on the Flisat table and provide children with salt, spray bottles, and droppers filled with warm water to melt the ice and excavate their goodies.

4. Scented Sensations:
Engage the sense of smell by providing fragrant materials such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peels, and evergreen branches on the Flisat table. Encourage children to touch, smell, and explore nature's enticing aromas while talking about their Christmas associations.

5. Snowy Writing Tray:
Fill a shallow tray with a thin layer of salt or sugar. Invite children to practice their writing or drawing skills by making marks in the "snowy" surface using their fingers or tools like paintbrushes or cotton swabs. This activity enhances fine motor skills and provides a tactile experience.

6. Hot Cocoa Sensory Play:
Set up a hot cocoa sensory bin by filling it with cocoa powder, mini marshmallows, spoons, and empty mugs. Let children scoop, pour, and mix the ingredients, stimulating their sense of touch and exploring concepts of measurement and cause and effect. If you want to opt for less mess, cocoa puff cereal, black beans, and coffee beans are great alternatives to cocoa powder. Or if you’re feeling risky, you can always try it with chocolate chips! This is one of my favorite activities because it’s great taste safe sensory play for toddlers but can be done with non-editable materials for older kiddos as well.

7. Winter Wonderland Sensory Bottles:
Create sensory bottles by filling clear plastic containers (make sure to get a wide enough mouth to fill with larger objects) with water, food coloring, and various glitter or confetti. Add small winter-themed objects like mini penguins, polar bears, snowflakes, or legos. Children can shake, twist, and observe the mesmerizing winter scenes. For filler, combine water and baby oil to allow the objects to fall slowly. Or as an alternative, use fake snow or white rice for a snowy winter scene.

8. Jingle Bell Counting:
Place jingle bells of different sizes and colors in an empty container on the Flisat table. Encourage children to sort, count, and match the bells. This activity enhances math skills, hand-eye coordination, and auditory discrimination.

9. Melting Snowman Experiment:
Build miniature snowmen using snow clay or playdough. Set up a tray for children to observe and record the melting process using a timer. Discuss the science behind melting snow, exposing children to scientific concepts in a fun and interactive manner.

10. Nutcracker Land Activity:
Create Nutcracker Themed Kids in Toyland setup using Christmas-themed sensory texture boards by gluing different materials like velvet, foil, felt, or sandpaper onto sturdy pieces of cardboard. Let children explore the textures and talk about the sensations they feel, fostering sensory awareness and vocabulary expansion. You can also allow older kids to paint a cute wooden Nutcracker ornament to match the theme.

The Flisat table is a versatile and practical tool that allows children to engage in sensory play experiences during the winter Christmas holiday. These ten ideas provide opportunities for children to explore various textures, smells, sounds, and sights associated with this magical time of the year. Incorporating sensory play into your child's winter routine not only fosters development but also creates memories that will last a lifetime. So, roll up your sleeves, gather some materials, and have fun embracing the wonders of winter on your Flisat table!

Life on the farm: Flisat table sensory play activities for early learners

Farm Animal SENSORY PLAY

I’m so excited to share our little farm with you! I created this setup so that Sofie could explore life on the farm and we could discuss the lifecycle of farm animals, harvesting food, and play in some fun sensory fillers. Sensory play is such an important way to learn and explore with hands-on play and I can’t wait for you to try out this theme.

Farm Animal Printable Decor Setup

For this printable play kit, you’ll get everything you need to turn your Flisat table into a farm. This kit includes a awning, print and cut farm animals, a tractor, a print and fold red barn, an “On the Farm” flag, an egg collection worksheet, a feed the bunnies worksheet, and a feed the farm animals worksheet.

Farm Animal Sensory Play Fillers

These great farm animal activities are a great way to learn about life on the farm. And a great way for your toddler to practice pouring, scooping, writing, matching, and digging skills. Let’s dive in!

Pig mud pit

For this activity, I used rolled oats oatmeal and chocolate pudding for the mud. After you mix and chill the chocolate pudding, simply dump it into the Trofast bin for sensory play. I paired this with my farm animal acrylic charms which are easy to dunk and dip and then wipe (or lick) clean. Pudding is a great sensory filler because it’s taste safe — it can be used for mud and dirt in all kinds of play like farm and construction.

Print and Fold Barn

For this activity, you’ll want to cut out the printable barn. Then I recommend scoring along the fold lines to make folding easier. I printed on 80lb cardstock. Once you’ve scored and folded along all of the lines, you can begin assembling from any point adding glue to the brown glue areas. Make sure you trim the top of the bar to fit before you start gluing. Cut the center line and top lives of the barn door if you want it to open and close. Once assembled, you can play with farm animal figurines. A print and fold barn is a great way to enjoy sensory play without investing in a lot of additional toys. If you use tape or velcro dots, you can easily unfold and store flat.

Corn Field

For this activity, we’ll use steel cut oatmeal and dried green peas. You can use this to make a field of grain and also a corn field using the print and cut corn. You can also use these cute little corn erasers if you want a physical corn object to burry and find in the peas. Steel cut outs turned out to be such a satisfying filler -- it’s so small and has a lovely texture. Sofie couldn’t put it down.

Feeding the farm animals

This printable activity is great for early writers who are still learning how to hold a pen. I printed and laminated this activity so that Sofie could do it over and over again. Challenge your kiddo to match each of the foods with each of the animals who eats them and use it as an opportunity to discuss what farm animals eat and how farms can be self-sustaining ecosystems.

Counting and collecting Eggs

Count the eggs that each chicken lays and write the number on the dotted line! This activity is great practice for more advanced learners who are ready to practice counting and writing. You can make this activity easier or harder by helping your little one with each part. You can also bring this activity to live by hiding some wooden eggs in a bin and having your child collect and count them.

Farm Pretend Play

Use the farm animal cut outs to play make believe farm! This is Sofie’s favorite part of play because she loves imaginative play. If you don’t have wooden farm animal figurines, you can use GoodnightFox acrylic farm animals as a great cost-effective alternative, or use GoodnightFox memory game cards. Or just use the cut out version included in the kit. You can laminate them for extra durability, plus they stay flat for easy storage. Here are some ideas for imaginative play if you need help getting started:

• Have the cows grazing on corn

• Pretend to shave the sheep for it’s wool

• Pretend to feed the chickens corn meal

• Pretend to collect the eggs from the hens

• Pretend to drive the tractor through the corn field and collect the corn

• Pretend to have the pigs roll around in the mud

• Have the farm animals interact with each other

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The Benefits of Farm Animal Themed Sensory Play for Toddlers

Sensory play is an excellent way for toddlers to explore and learn about the world around them. It engages their senses, stimulates their brains, and promotes their overall development. One fantastic sensory play theme for toddlers is farm animal themed play. Introducing little ones to the wonders of farm animals through sensory play can offer a wide range of benefits that go beyond mere entertainment. Let's delve into some of these benefits.
1. Cognitive Development: Farm animal sensory play provides toddlers with opportunities to improve their cognitive skills. As they engage in hands-on activities involving farm animal toys, they learn to categorize, sort, and match animals based on their characteristics. This fosters early problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and the understanding of cause and effect relationships.
2. Language and Communication: Sensory play with farm animals also promotes language and communication skills in toddlers. As they play with different animals, parents and caregivers have countless opportunities to engage in conversations, teach new words, and help them develop their vocabulary. Describing the features, sounds, and actions of farm animals enhances their language acquisition and expressive abilities.
3. Sensory Exploration: Farm animal themed sensory play stimulates various sensory experiences for toddlers. The textures of straw, hay, feathers, and faux fur tickle their tactile sense and help develop fine motor skills as they manipulate objects. The sounds of animal noises and the rhythm of songs encourage auditory development. Visual exploration of colors, shapes, and patterns on the animals' bodies enhances visual perception.
4. Emotional Development: Interacting with farm animals during sensory play helps toddlers develop empathy and emotional intelligence. Through caring for and imitating the behaviors of the animals, toddlers learn to recognize and respond to the emotions of others. This fosters kindness, compassion, and an understanding of nurturing relationships.
5. Role-Playing and Pretend Play: Farm animal themed sensory play encourages imaginative and pretend play, which is crucial for a toddler's development. They can engage in role-playing by pretending to be farmers, veterinarians, or animal caretakers. This imaginative play allows them to understand different perspectives, practice social skills, and experiment with problem-solving in a safe and enjoyable way.
6. Connection to Nature: Sensory play with farm animals connects toddlers with nature, even if they don't live near a farm. It helps them develop an appreciation for the natural world and its creatures. Through farm animal-themed play, toddlers learn about the environment, seasons, and the importance of caring for living beings.
In conclusion, farm animal themed sensory play offers toddlers a multi-faceted learning experience that benefits their overall development. As they engage in cognitive tasks, language building, sensory exploration, emotional growth, imaginative play, and nature connection, little ones experience a holistic learning and developmental journey. So, next time you're planning sensory play activities for your toddler, consider the wonders of farm animal-themed play and watch their excitement and growth unfold.

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Farm Animal Vocabulary Words for Toddlers

1. Cow: A large domesticated mammal with a characteristic moo sound, often raised for milk and meat.
2. Horse: A four-legged animal that is used for riding, racing, or working on farms, known for its powerful galloping.
3. Pig: A stout mammal with a snout that enjoys rolling in the mud and is often farmed for its meat.
4. Sheep: A fluffy, woolly animal that is raised for its soft wool and often heard baa-ing.
5. Chicken: A small domesticated bird that lays eggs and is often raised for its meat.
6. Duck: A waterbird with flat webbed feet, a quacking sound, and the ability to swim gracefully.
7. Goat: A sure-footed mammal often found on farms, known for eating grass and sometimes kept for milking.
8. Dog: A loyal and friendly domesticated mammal that loves to bark and is often kept for companionship.
9. Cat: A small carnivorous mammal prized for being independent, purring, and engaging in playful antics.
10. Donkey: A sturdy domesticated mammal that resembles a horse but is smaller and usually used for work.
11. Rooster: A male chicken known for its cock-a-doodle-doo crowing in the early morning.
12. Hen: A female chicken that lays eggs and is often seen clucking around the farm.
13. Turkey: A large bird often consumed on special occasions, known for its gobbling sound.
14. Rabbit: A small animal that hops on its hind legs, with long ears and a fluffy tail.
15. Goose: A large waterbird, often raised for its meat, that hisses and honks.
16. Bee: A flying insect known for its buzzing sound, ability to produce honey, and pollination.
17. Piglet: A young pig who is smaller in size and usually found on a farm.
18. Lamb: The young offspring of a sheep known for its soft wool and cute appearance.
19. Chicks: The baby versions of chickens, covered with fluffy yellow feathers.
20. Calf: A young cow that is not yet fully grown, often seen on dairy farms.
21. Duckling: The cute and fluffy baby version of a duck.
22. Kitten: The young offspring of a cat, usually small and playful.
23. Pup: A term for the young of several different animals, but often used to refer to a young dog.
24. Gosling: The young offspring of a goose, often gray and fuzzy.
25. Foal: A baby horse that has not yet reached adulthood, usually found on horse farms.
These vocabulary words will help toddlers familiarize themselves with the farm animal world while engaging in sensory play.

Unleash Superhero Adventures with Our Printable Dramatic Play Kit

Calling all young superheroes and their imaginative minds! Our printable superhero dramatic play kit is here to transform your playtime into thrilling adventures filled with action-packed fun. Designed to ignite creativity and learning, this kit is the perfect catalyst for heroic play experiences.

Setting the Super Hero Scene with Dramatic Play Decor

Your play area becomes a bustling superhero hub with vibrant decorative elements. The awning banner, featuring eye-catching colors and superhero-themed designs, instantly sets the stage for epic missions. Pow and bang signs add excitement, turning an ordinary play table into a dynamic crime-fighting headquarters.

Decor setup includes:

• Two colored awnings

• Splat, zap, crash and pow signs

• City scape cut outs for the back of the Flisat Skadis pegboard

• Cut out and assemble super hero masks

• Pattern matching activity

• Decorative super hero pennant flags

• Cut out super power cards

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Super hero sensory bin ideas

1.Engaging Sensory Exploration with Teal, Coral, and Yellow Chickpeas

Enhance sensory play with our specially colored chickpeas! Teal, coral, and yellow chickpeas provide a textured and visually stimulating sensory filler. Imagine scooping, pouring, and exploring these colorful chickpeas while uncovering hidden superpowers using the bib hide-and-uncover cards. It’s sensory fun with a superhero twist! Use the super power cards provided in the kit and burry them underneath the chickpeas. Match the colors to the colored chickpeas for an even more challenging adventure. Once you’ve selected a super power…

2. Dawn a mask and role play your super power

Fight crime in the city, save a person from a burning building, stop an impending disaster. Let your imagination run wild as you use this kit to inspire pretend play. Sofia’s favorite super power is invisibility and she loves to pretend like I can’t see her. Whatever your child chooses, they’re sure to have so much fun with this role play activity.

Dive into character with included cutout masks, allowing young heroes to embody their favorite superheroes. The nighttime cityscape backdrop adds depth to the play experience, setting the scene for daring missions and heroic deeds.

3. PATTERN MATCHING ACTIVITY

This kit also includes a printable pattern matching activity. In this activity, kiddos will take the cut outs and match them to the next zap, bow, band, crash or splat in the sequence. They can place the next item in the empty box on the right. Pattern recognition is a critical cognitive skill which is why you see so many pattern matching questions on cognitive tests like IQ tests. Using these pattern recognition activities is a great way to have fun while developing this skill.

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Learning Benefits of Dramatic Play

Dramatic play isn’t just fun; it’s a treasure trove of learning opportunities! Through imaginative play, children develop crucial social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Concepts like teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and empathy blossom as they take on superhero roles and navigate thrilling scenarios.

Cognitive Development with Pattern Sequencing

Our kit incorporates a pattern sequence page, a valuable resource for enhancing cognitive abilities. As children engage in sorting and recognizing patterns, they sharpen their cognitive skills, paving the way for improved problem-solving and logical thinking.

Why Choose Our Superhero Dramatic Play Kit?

• Encourages imaginative play and creativity.

• Fosters sensory exploration with specially colored chickpeas.

• Develops social and cognitive skills through role-playing.

• Enhances cognitive abilities through pattern sequencing activities.

Transform ordinary playtime into an extraordinary adventure with our printable superhero dramatic play kit. Unleash the power of imagination and watch your child's superhero dreams come to life!

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25 Vocabulary Words to Learn

It’s important to use sensory and dramatic play to learn new words and concepts in context. The combination of sensory and dramatic play can help children retain new words faster because they have concrete examples to pair with the words. For this activity, we practice the following words and their meanings.

1. Hero: Someone who helps others and does good things.

   2. Villain: A bad person who tries to cause trouble.

   3. Cape: A special cloth you wear like a big, flowing blanket.

   4. Mask: Something you wear over your eyes to hide your face.

   5. Powers: Special abilities that make someone strong or fast.

   6. Superhuman: Someone who is stronger or faster than most people.

   7. Rescue: Saving someone from danger or harm.

   8. Sidekick: A friend who helps the main hero.

   9. Secret identity: A hidden name or who you really are.

   10. Super strength: Being really, really strong.

   11. Invisibility: Being able to disappear and not be seen.

   12. Flight: Flying up in the sky like a bird.

   13. Super speed: Running really, really fast.

   14. Super hearing: Hearing things from really far away.

   15. X-ray vision: Seeing through things like a superhero.

   16. Costume: Special clothes heroes wear to look special.

   17. Fortress: A big, strong, secret place where heroes stay.

   18. Shield: Something strong that protects you from harm.

   19. Lair: A secret hiding place, like a hero's home.

   20. Bat-signal: A special light that calls a superhero for help.

   21. Super suit: A costume that gives you special powers.

   22. Alter ego: Another name or identity that a hero has.

   23. Gadgets: Cool tools and devices that help heroes.

   24. Team-up: Working together with other heroes.

   25. Justice: Making things fair and right for everyone.

Exploring the Rainbow: Color Wheel Sensory Activity for Kids

Colors are an essential part of our world, and introducing them to young children can be an exciting and educational experience. One creative way to engage kids in learning about colors is through a Color Wheel Sensory Activity. This hands-on, colorful adventure can be made even more engaging by using a matching bin full of loose, colorful rainbow parts. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of color activities for kids and the advantages of incorporating sensory play using the FLISAT play table, while drawing insights from reputable sources in kids' education.

The Power of Color Activities for Kids

Color activities are a wonderful way to stimulate a child's cognitive and sensory development. Here are some key benefits:

1. Color Recognition: Learning to identify and differentiate between colors is an essential early skill. Color activities help children recognize and name different colors, laying the foundation for more advanced learning.

2. Language Development: These activities encourage kids to express themselves verbally as they describe the colors they see and engage in discussions about their creations.

3. Fine Motor Skills: Activities like sorting and manipulating colorful objects in the sensory bin promote fine motor skill development, aiding in hand-eye coordination.

4. Creativity and Imagination: Exploring colors in a fun and unstructured manner allows kids to use their imagination and creativity, fostering artistic expression.

5. Conceptual Understanding: By combining colors in various ways, children can grasp fundamental concepts like color mixing, patterns, and more.

1.Shapes Matching Sensory Play

For our first activity, we used our amazing resin shapes from Creating Adventures Co (get 10% off). They match perfectly with our Colors & Shapes Match game and our Shapes Placemat. We filled the bin with these awesome resin shapes along with our cards and Sofie set about organizing them all along the edges of the play table. After that, we began practicing matching each of the shapes to the cards and matching them by color. This is great practice for early learners especially in the 12mo-16mo range.

2.Color sand slime

If you haven’t tried sand slime, you’re missing out. This is one of my all time favorite sensory textures. It’s not as crumbly as kinetic sand, but it’s also not sticky like slime. It’s the perfect sanding/smooth texture for molding and playing. We used one of each color from this amazing set SlimyGoop Set — which is also perfect for classroom gifts or birthday favors since it’s a large pack of 48. We started by keeping the colors separated and matching them with other elements of the table. And then Sofie could help herself by to mix and combine all of the colors.

3.Color Object Matching

For our 3rd bin, we used our Lovevery texture panels, wool balls from Wonder Years Play Shop, and these adorable little candy kisses from Creating Adventures Co. We mixed them all up in a bin and then used our Color Wheel Spinner Poster to choose a color and find the matching object. Sofie gets so much joy each time we use the spinner to land on a color. And then she set about gathering all of the objects in that color. Including a bin of colored popsicle sticks!

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More Color themed sensory bins

1.Color Matching

For our littlest learnings, practicing the names of colors and matching objects of the same color is a great way to build a foundation of what color is and what color means. For this activity, I recommend assembling the Color Wheel activity spinner. Sofia absolutely loves playing with these spinners and it’s a great way to make matching more engaging. Challenge your little one to spin the spinner. Then, with a sensory bin full of colorful toys like these silicon blocks from Bannor Toys, resin letters & fruits from @BusyLittles, poms from Amazon, wooden blocks from Lovevery, task your kiddo with finding something from the bin that matches the selected color.

2.CUPCAKE Color Sort

For this activity, fill one bin with rainbow colored silicone cupcake holders. Fill another bin with matching rainbow color wool or felt balls. Challenge your little one with a set of pinchers to grasp the colored balls and fill the holders on the other side. If this is too easy, challenge them further by setting a timer and seeing how quickly they can do it. After one try, they can try to beat their previous score!

3. WOODEN PEG DOLL COLOR SHADE SORTING

For this activity, fill one bin with rainbow colored silicone cupcake holders. Fill another bin with matching rainbow color wool or felt balls. Challenge your little one with a set of pinchers to grasp the colored balls and fill the holders on the other side. If this is too easy, challenge them further by setting a timer and seeing how quickly they can do it. After one try, they can try to beat their previous score!

4. WOOL BALL PATTERN MATCH

For this activity, use the 12 frame and ball pattern matching cards to practice creating colorful patterns with wool balls. This is a great activity for the 3-4 year old age range because it’s a bit more challenge and requires more visual concentration. With this flashcard kit, you get 10 different patterns to challenge your kiddo.

5. Rainbow activity insert board

For this activity, you’ll need this fabulous rainbow Trofast insert from Wonder Years Play. This board features three different activities in one. Your toddler can use colored popsicle sticks to match the colors of the rainbow. They can use Q-Tips to fill in the whites of the clouds and finally they can use wool colored balls to pop into each raindrop shaped hole. This activity also pairs well with the Weather Station setup!

6. Rainbow Spaghetti PLay

For this activity, you’ll want to use food coloring and cooked pasta to create a fabulous sensory play experience. Start by putting the colored noodles into a separated tray. This will help aid in practicing color recognition before digging in and making a sensory mess! This one is a great taste safe alternative and it’s just so much fun. For all of the instructions check out this Spaghetti Play Blog Post.

7. Rainbow NOODLE SHAPES

To combine texture and shape with color matching, check out this awesome noodle shapes color matching activity. If you have extra pasta on hand, this is super simple and a great taste safe option for younger kiddos. Simply cook the pasta and separate by shape. Then dye with food coloring and toss into a Trofast bin. Using the color placemat, challenge your toddler to pick out one noodle at a time and place it on the associated color. For more details, check out this Rainbow Noodles Blog Post.

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Engaging kids in a Color Wheel Sensory Activity with a matching bin full of loose, colorful rainbow parts is a fantastic way to introduce them to the world of colors and stimulate their cognitive and sensory development. Using the FLISAT play table enhances the experience by providing a practical and versatile platform for these activities. By referencing reliable sources in kids' education, we can confidently say that such activities not only bring joy but also promote learning and growth in young minds. So, go ahead and explore the rainbow with your little one; the benefits are as colorful as the activity itself!

For more great lessons in color, check out this blog post on Basic Color Theory for Kids.

Easter Sensory Flisat Table Setup Play for Toddlers: An Egg-citing Adventure!

Looking for a fun and engaging Easter activity for your little ones? Look no further than an Easter sensory Flisat table setup play! Ideal for toddlers, this sensory play offers a stimulating and interactive experience, incorporating elements like green rocks, miniature bunny figurines, matching games with farm animal memory cards, as well as Easter-themed printable flags, awnings, and signs for an outdoor egg hunt. In this blog post, we'll guide you through the setup and provide tips to make this Easter playtime truly egg-ceptional!

Materials for this play setup:

• Pastel mini foam Easter eggs

• Pastel large fidget tubes

• Adorable little bunnies on Amazon

Sensory Table Easter Decor

This printable kit includes everything you need to turn your Flisat table into a magical Easter wonderland. The kit includes an awning, printable egg hunt signs, little Easter gnomes, Easter egg filler cards, flags and banners and more.

3 SEnsory Bins for Easter

1. Easter bunny Small World Play

To start this Easter adventure, create a sensory experience by filling a large container, such as a Flisat table, with green rocks. The texture of the rocks adds a unique sensory element and brings the outdoors indoors. Toddlers will love exploring the rocks and feeling their rigid surfaces. This is a great low-mess unique sensory play filler idea. It looks like green grass, and is the perfect background for our mini bunny figurines.

Enhance your sensory setup by incorporating adorable miniature bunny figurines. These little creatures will bring the Easter spirit to life in your toddler's playtime. Encourage imaginative play as your little ones can interact with the bunnies, creating stories and scenarios during their sensory exploration. I found these adorable little bunnies on Amazon and they really bring the scene to life. Each bunny has a unique pose and emotional expression making it the perfect way to learn about different body positions like sitting down, standing up, laying down, etc.

2. Easter Egg chutes

For this activity, you’ll need these awesome sensory fidget tubes and some mini foam Easter eggs. To make the chutes, stretch out the fidget tubes and tape them to the Flisat table peg board. You’ll need the large ones in order for the eggs to fit down the chutes. Don’t make them too windy or gravity won’t be enough to get them down. If they do get stuck, your kiddo will love trying to blow them out. You can also make it a challenge by having them stretch and bend the tubes to get the eggs out.

3. Easter Egg HUNT

For this activity, you’ll just need some plastic Easter eggs (or you can reuse your mini foam Easter eggs. You can hide them around your kid’s room or play space and offer a basket to collect them in. The printable signs will help your toddler navigate the course and find all of the eggs. You can also make filling the plastic eggs an activity itself!

4. Jello Easter Eggs

This one is a messy activity but it’s a lot of fun. We used rainbow colored Jello powder mix and followed the instructions on the box. We also added a tablespoon of yogurt to each bowl to make the colors more pastel and also less translucent. Then we scooped the pudding into each half of the eggs filling them to just below the top. Then we popped them into the fridge to set — once partially set, you can close two colors together and let them set completely for a few hours. When you open them up, squeeze the sides of the egg to get them loose and pop them into the bin. Your kiddo will love squishing them between their fingers and blending the colors.

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4. EASTER BUNNY BAIT (TASTE SAFE)

You can make this Easter bunny bait as a fun and edible bin filler or you can package it up into little bags and gift it to preschool classmate friends. It’s surprisingly simple to make and all you need is popcorn and candy melts (in various pastel colors). You simply pop the popcorn and warm the candy melts. You can melt them in the microwave or create a double boiler with some ramekins in a pan of water on the stove. Simply pour the popcorn into a large bowl and pour the candy coating over it mixing it and turning it as you go. This can be a little bit sticky and messy until the candy coating dries and hardens. If you want a mess free but equally tasty alternative, you can use bunny grahams or M&Ms or both!

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The Benefits of Sensory Play for Toddlers

Sensory play is not only fun for toddlers, but it also offers numerous benefits for their development. By engaging in activities that stimulate their senses, children can enhance their cognitive, emotional, and physical skills. With Easter just around the corner, it's the perfect time to explore some sensory play ideas that can make this holiday even more delightful for your little ones.

Cognitive Development

Sensory play helps toddlers develop their cognitive skills in various ways. When they explore different textures, colors, and shapes, they're not only using their senses but also building neural connections. Easter-themed sensory activities can further enhance their cognitive abilities by encouraging problem-solving and critical thinking. For example, setting up an Easter egg hunt where they need to follow clues and solve puzzles can stimulate their minds and promote cognitive growth.

Emotional Development

Sensory play provides toddlers with a chance to explore and express their emotions freely. By engaging in activities such as finger painting or squishing playdough, children can express themselves while experiencing different sensations. This type of play can also contribute to emotional regulation, as it allows them to relax, reduce stress, and find comfort. For Easter, you can create an Easter sensory bin filled with fake grass and small plastic eggs to give your toddler an opportunity to explore different textures and colors, fostering their emotional development.

Physical Development

Sensory play is excellent for promoting fine and gross motor skills in toddlers. Activities that involve pouring, scooping, or manipulating objects help strengthen their hand-eye coordination and improve their finger dexterity. Setting up a sensory table with colorful rice, plastic eggs, and spoons can offer a great Easter-themed sensory experience while enhancing their physical development.

Language and Social Skills

Engaging in sensory play also supports the development of language and social skills. Through verbal and non-verbal communication during pretend play or group activities, toddlers learn to express themselves, share ideas, and cooperate with others. Easter-themed activities such as role-playing a bunny family or creating a sensory garden filled with flowers and Easter-themed toys are excellent ways to encourage language development and social interaction among toddlers.

Sensory play is a powerful tool that facilitates holistic development for toddlers. Engaging in Easter-themed sensory activities not only makes this holiday more exciting but also enhances their cognitive, emotional, physical, and social skills. So go ahead and create a sensory play experience that will keep your little ones engaged, happy, and learning throughout this Easter season.

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25 Easter Vocabulary Words for Preschoolers

1. Easter: A Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. Bunny: A small mammal with long ears and a fluffy tail that is often associated with Easter.
3. Egg: A hard-shelled object that comes from birds and is often decorated and hidden during Easter celebrations.
4. Basket: A container used to collect and carry Easter eggs and other goodies.
5. Chick: A baby bird, commonly associated with Easter due to its symbolism of new life.
6. Lily: A fragrant flower often seen during Easter, representing purity and rebirth.
7. Cross: A symbol of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, commonly associated with Easter.
8. Bonnet: A hat traditionally worn by girls on Easter, often decorated with flowers, ribbons, or bows.
9. Spring: The season when Easter falls, characterized by new growth, blooming flowers, and warmer temperatures.
10. Pastel: Soft and light colors, commonly seen during Easter, such as pink, yellow, mint green, and baby blue.
11. Hunt: To search for something, like Easter eggs hidden outdoors or indoors.
12. Candy: Sweet treats, often given as gifts or found inside Easter eggs.
13. Carrot: A crunchy vegetable often associated with bunnies and Easter.
14. Jelly beans: Small, colorful candies that are shaped like beans and enjoyed during Easter.
15. Tulip: A vibrant flower that blooms in the spring and is associated with Easter.
16. Springtime: The season of new beginnings and growth, often associated with Easter.
17. Parade: A festive procession, sometimes including floats and costumes, held during Easter.
18. Celebrate: To enjoy and show joy or excitement for a special occasion, like Easter.
19. Family: The people we are related to and love, often spending Easter together.
20. Blossom: The process of flowers opening up and showing their full beauty, often seen in spring and Easter.
21. Sunday: The day of the week Easter is traditionally celebrated on.
22. Hop: To jump lightly, as bunnies do, often associated with Easter.
23. Outfit: The clothes we wear, often chosen with care for special occasions like Easter.
24. Church: A place of worship for Christians, where Easter services are often held.
25. Feast: A large and festive meal enjoyed with family and friends during Easter celebrations.

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Other easter activities

Take your Easter sensory play to the next level with farm animal memory game cards. Toddlers will exercise their cognitive skills while having fun matching the cards together. The combination of sensory play and memory games makes this activity not only enjoyable but also educational. Each card is printed on durable card stock with a matte laminate coating for durable with tiny fingers. The illustrations are simple and reenforce the names of each animal while kiddos learn letters and spelling with matching.

Easter Printable Flags, Awning, and Signs

Extend the Easter-themed excitement beyond the table setup with printable flags, awning, and signs for an outdoor egg hunt. These printables can be easily decorated and placed throughout your house or yard to create a festive atmosphere. Your little ones will be thrilled to follow the signs and discover hidden treasures during their Easter egg hunt adventure.

LIfecycle of a chicken cards

Easter is the perfect season to practice advance toddler concepts like animal lifecycles. Our favorite lifecycle to practice is chickens because each stage of the lifecycle is a part of our everyday lives. We start by discussing eggs, why we eat them for breakfast, their protein and nutrition. Then we discuss how when incubated, eggs will transform into baby chicks. From there, they grow into chickens. We’re lucky enough to live down the street from a high school which raises chickens and Sofie gets the opportunity to feed them regularly. This lifecycle of a chicken card set is the perfect bonus for you Easter setup. You can also check out my blog post with an entire section about eggs.

Planning an Easter sensory Flisat table setup play for toddlers can be a rewarding experience. By incorporating elements like the sensory big fill with green rocks, miniature bunny figurines, matching games with farm animal memory cards, and Easter-themed printables for an outdoor egg hunt, you'll create a fun-filled and educational activity for your little ones. Spark their imagination, stimulate their senses, and let the Easter festivities begin! Have a hoppy Easter!