Engage in more sensory play this season with a DIY sensory camp. Grab this free guide below to get started today! Make a list, open the cupboards, and hit the grocery store for everything you need to create budget-friendly sensory activities for your kids or campers.
Sensory Play Camp Tips
Setting Up the Environment
Safe and Accessible Space: Ensure the play area is safe, clean, and easily accessible for all children. Consider any mobility or sensory sensitivities.
Sensory Stations: Set up different sensory stations, each focusing on a specific type of sensory input (e.g., tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory).
Outdoor Activities: Use outdoor spaces for nature-based sensory play, such as sandpits, water tables, and gardening activities.
Tips for Parents and Teachers
Observe and Adapt: Pay attention to each child’s responses and be ready to adapt activities to suit their needs and interests.
Encourage Exploration: Allow children to explore materials and activities at their own pace without specific instructions or expectations.
Promote Social Interaction: Design activities that encourage cooperation and communication among children, fostering social skills and teamwork.
Safety and Hygiene
Allergies and Sensitivities: Be aware of allergies and choose materials accordingly.
Hygiene: Ensure that materials are cleaned and sanitized regularly, especially those that are shared or can become dirty.
Supervision: Always supervise children during sensory play to ensure safety and intervene when necessary.
Favorite Sensory Activities
💡 You will also want to check out our Kids Sensory Play Guide, which includes more types of sensory play, including sensory bottles, sensory recipes, slime, and more.
MAGIC MUD
Make this Magic Mud recipe to have all the fun of mud inside in a controlled environment. Kids will explore this activity at their own pace and can even learn about what makes this magic mud so magic!
KOOLAID PLAYDOUGH
Did you know you can make playdough with Koolaid? This activity engages a lot of senses! Kids will explore smell, touch, sight with this summer sensory activity!
CASTLE ICE MELT
Cool off and have some sensory fun with this castle ice-melt activity! It’s so fun for kids to discover the treasure inside!
FAIRY DOUGH
A super soft playdough made with only two ingredients and a pinch of fairy magic! If you’ve never made Fairy Dough with your kids, they’re going to love it! The texture is soft and smooth and oh-so-fun to squeeze!
SOAP FOAM
This soap foam stays nice and bubbly for a long time! This is perfect for kids to squeeze, and submerge their hands and even manipulatives into.
SAND FOAM
Sand foam adds a whole new element to the soap foam listed above! Not only will kids experience the bubbles, but will also have the texture of the sand too. This always reminds me of the ocean!
COLORED RICE
Colored rice is always one of our favorite sensory bin fillers, and so we had to include it in our week of Sensory Summer Camp! Use this to make sensory bins, as a base for sensory play areas, or even for art projects!
COLORED KINETIC SAND
Colored Kinetic Sand is so much fun to make and play with! Kids love all the bright colors and creating with this magic substance for hours!
STRAWBERRY PLAYDOUGH
Why make ordinary play dough when you can make strawberry play dough! This smells amazing, and the texture is so soft! This is the perfect cookie cutter play dough recipe!
Free Printable Sensory Camp Guide
Click below for your FREE Sensory Camp Guide, or click [here] for a complete sensory camp pack with instructions and bonus activities.
Additional Sensory Activities to Try
Process Art: Incorporate process art activities into a sensory-focused week. Allow kids to focus on exploring the materials and creating unique artwork that appeals to their senses! Even make spice paint!
More Fun STEAM Camp Guides
- Art Summer Camp
- Bricks Summer Camp
- Chemistry Summer Camp
- Cooking Summer Camp
- Dinosaur Summer Camp
- Nature Summer Camp
- Ocean Summer Camp
- Physics Summer Camp
- Slime Summer Camp
- STEM Summer Camp
- Water Science Summer Camp
Want a Fully Prepped Camp Experience?
Plus, the science camp bundle includes all 12 quick theme weeks (instructions), as seen above! Snacks, Games, Experiments, Challenges, and so much MORE!
