Pirate Sensory Bin & Water Play Activity for Kids

Looking for pirate sensory activities for kids to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day? Then look no further than this pirate sensory bin! Your kids will love this simple pirate water play activity. 

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Water play is usually our go-to activity when we need to hit the reset button for the day. Which is exactly what we needed this one particular day.

See, the kids and I were at the bookstore and my boys were literally running around and hiding among the shelves. Things were hectic and I was getting worn out so we were about to leave when a staff member flagged us down. I think she sensed how exhausted I was or something because she asked it if was okay to give the boys something that was leftover from one of their weekly story times. Of course I said yes because, at this point, I needed something to help distract or settle the kids. 

The bag she game them was full of pirate loot such as foam pirates, gold coins, and lots of other goodies. They were happy. As for me? I was happy to know that I was mere minutes away from a much needed quiet car ride all because they had these little loot bags to play with on the way home.

When I got home, I whipped up a quick sensory soup, as I like to call them. That way we could really hit reset button for the day. I added all of their pirate goodies and some other items from around our house to put together this super simple pirate sensory bin for the kids.

Pirate Sensory Bin with Water: What You'll Need

Here's what we used for this particular pirate and treasure chest sensory bin:

• Water - We're making a water sensory bin so this was kind of obvious, right?

• Gold coins

• Acrylic gems/diamonds or whatever small colorful gems you can find

• Foam pirates or other pirate figurines (optional)

• Fine motor tools of some kind - We personally used things from our kitchen, including a whisk, ladle, large spoon, and a bowl. You could also use things like measuring cups, measuring spoons, and/or tongs.

Simply toss everything into a plastic sensory bin container and it's ready for play. Same idea as any of our other sensory soup activities really. Just dump and play.

Time to Go on Your Own Treasure Hunt with this Fun Sensory Activity!

This pirate themed sensory bin looks sort of like a treasure chest and a pirate ship exploded in the ocean or something. There's loot and pirates everywhere!

My boys spent lots of time scooping up the loot and adding it to the bowl. Then they mixed all of those items up with a good whisk. That's what I love about sensory soup activities like this. They're great for fine motor development. 

Sensory soups are also great for encouraging story telling and endless creativity. Obviously, these stories were pirate inspired today. We're using pirate themed toys and goodies here after all. 

Another reason why sensory soup activities like this are so awesome is that they encourage some math learning. Things like measuring, estimation, counting, patterning, reasoning, and more. For instance, my boys used the gold coins and gems to make patterns and count. 

My boys sure had a lot of fun with this pirate sensory bin. It kept them engaged for quite some time. And it would be a great activity for Talk Like a Pirate Day too!

Other Pirate Themed Activities for Kids You'll Love

Free Pirate Themed I Spy Game for Kids

Free Pirate Themed Speech Therapy Barrier Game

50 Heavy Work Activities for Kids {Free Printable}

Need to incorporate some heavy work into your child's sensory diet? Try this list of heavy work activities for kids as a starting point and be sure to grab the free printable list that's included!

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As part of our son's sensory diet, we incorporate a lot of heavy work activities into his day. These activities usually take the form of chores around the house or during play time using heavy objects. These heavy work activities help him focus and/or even calm him if he is headed for a sensory meltdown.

So I've compiled a list of 50 heavy work activities for kids that you can try at home and I've even included a free printable list so that you can keep it handy at all times.

These activities are great for all kids, even if they aren't autistic and/or have sensory processing issues.

What is Heavy Work?

If you have a child with autism and/or sensory processing disorder, then you are likely already familiar with the terms heavy work and proprioception. However, if you are unfamiliar with the term, then heavy work can be defined as:

"tasks that involve heavy resistance for the muscles and joints. It involves proprioceptive input, the awareness of posture, movement, and resistance relating to the body." - source: Heavy Work Fact Sheet

Basically, heavy work activities are used to calm kids, provide input to a child's muscles and joints, and help increase a child's focus and attention.

I also have a list of heavy work ideas for school and a list of heavy work ideas for home...you know, in case this list of 50 activities here doesn't do the trick for you.

Play Time Heavy Work Activities for Kids

Heavy work activities can easily be incorporated into play time. In fact, a lot of the games and activities that your child is already doing at the park can be classified as heavy work. Here are some play time suggestions:

1. Climb a tree

2. Push someone on a swing

3. Play on a teeter totter or seesaw

4. Build a fort

5. Obstacle course

6. Animal walks: crab walk, lizard crawl (uses hands only) - grab the free Google Slides deck here

7. Pillow fight - You can find more gross motor pillow activities here

8. Pull a wagon or sled filled with objects or with a person riding in it

9. Play catch with bean bags

10. Play catch with a large ball

11. Climb up a slide

12. Monkey bars

13. Climb at the playground (ladders, rock walls, etc.)

14. Hang and/or swing on a bar at the park

15. Crawl backwards using hands

16. Carry bean bags

17. Climb a chair or couch

18. Carry a pile of books

19. Push a bobo doll or punching bag

20. Play statue (adult stands as straight as possible and child tries to push adult)

21. Carry a bucket of water or sand

22. Play tug of war - You can use a rope, blanket, scarf, or even our homemade sensory tunnel or homemade stretchy bands

23. Wheelbarrow walking

24. Resistance cycling (adult and child face each other, put feet together, and pedal)

25. Push a door (adult puts resistance on a door while child tries to push the door closed)

26. Army crawl (no knees allowed)

27. Hand pushing game (adult and child place hands together and push back and forth)

28. Dig in the dirt, garden, or sandbox

29. Do pushups

30. Squish, knead, and play with play dough or silly putty or theraputty

31. Ride a scooter board on your tummy and use hands to move

Heavy Work Activities for Kids: Chores Around the House or While Out & About

Involving your kids in chores around the house not only benefits the household and teaches them responsibility, but you are also providing them with the heavy work sensory input that they may need. Things like yard work, laundry, and grocery shopping are everyday activities that provide lots of great heavy work opportunities for kids.

1. Pull laundry out of the washer and/or dryer

2. Carry large bottles, boxes, etc. and/or sort recycling

3. Carry groceries and/or shopping bags and put away groceries

4. Shovel snow

5. Rake the leaves

6. Gather firewood

7. Mow the grass

8. Load or unload the dishwasher

9. Move garbage and/or recycling bins to the curb

10. Staple paper together

11. Use a paper punch or hole punch to make confetti out of paper

12. Rip paper or cardboard

13. Push, move, or carry large rocks

14. Push a shopping cart

15. Vacuum

16. Sweep or mop the floor

17. Push a wheelbarrow

18. Return library books

19. Push, move, or drag furniture

Download the Free Printable Cheat Sheet

To get a copy of this printable cheat sheet, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

Oral Motor Sensory Activities for Kids {Free Printable}

List of oral motor sensory activities for kids.

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Do you have a kid who chews on everything and/or has to put everything in their mouth? 

My oldest son does. He is constantly seeking oral sensory input. 

Meanwhile, I tire of hearing myself repeat, "Stop chewing that." 

Since he has a high oral motor needs, we have to incorporate a variety of oral motor activities into our day. Here are 24 oral motor activities to try with kids who love to chew.

I have also included a free printable list of these activities so that you can print them off and reference them throughout the day. 

And I've even included some great chewy toy suggestions for those kids who need constant oral sensory input, such as my son.

Snack Time Oral Motor Sensory Activities for Kids

The best way to give your oral sensory seeking kid the oral input they need is to provide a variety of textures and flavors at snack and meal times. Be sure to offer new foods on a regular basis. Here are some oral motor activities that can be done during snack time or meal time.

1. Eat hard foods (e.g., carrots, apple, radishes, etc.)

2. Eat chewy foods (e.g., celery, beef jerky, marshmallows, dried fruit, etc.)

3. Eat crunchy foods (e.g., nuts, crackers, dry cereal, toast, etc.)

4. Drink a frozen drink like a slush or slurpee

5. Drink through a narrow and/or twisty straw

6. Drink a thick liquid through a straw (e.g., milkshake, applesauce, pudding, etc.)

7. Make an edible necklace with cereal or candy

8. Chew gum

9. Eat foods with strong flavors

10. Suck on hard candies

11. Eat cold foods like popsicles or ice cream

Play Time Oral Motor Sensory Activities for Kids

There are lots of simple oral motor activities that you can do without specific toys. A lot of these suggestions work great for when you're in the car, waiting in line at the grocery store, in the classroom, etc.

1. Blow cheeks

2. Blow bubbles

3. Stick out your tongue

4. Blow bubbles in water using a straw

5. Play straw games (e.g., snowball oral motor games or use a straw to blow a pom pom across the table)

6. Blow a whistle, harmonica, or other instruments - Try the musical imitation oral motor game

7. Blow out candles

8. Vibrating toothbrush

9. Lick stamps

10. Roll tongue into a circle

11. Chew toys - See more oral motor toy suggestions here or make your own DIY chewelry

12. Whistle or hum a song

13. Blow up balloons

Download the Free Printable Cheat Sheet

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

Oral Motor Sensory Toy Suggestions

If your child is a big chewer like my son is, then you'll likely want to invest a good chew toy. I hate using that term simply because it always makes me think of dog toys, but that is essentially what these are: toys and tools to chew on. Here are some of our favorites:

Spry Natural Chewing Gum - We choose to use natural chewing gum for our kids. This gum has a great flavor and works great!

ARK Therapeutic Brick Stick Chew Necklace - I love that these come in Extra Extra Tough and can withstand more aggressive chewing.

Jellystone Robot Pendant Chewable Necklace - This robot pendant is super cute and not too clunky. I do not recommend it for excessive chewers, though, as the robot's feet can be chewed off in less than 24 hours (not that that happened or anything...)

Abilitations Integrations Chewlery Chewable Jewelry - Set of 7 Necklaces - These necklaces make great fidgets too! Highly recommend these. However, these may get caught in hair if your child has long hair.

Chewy Tubes P & Q - These are particularly great for hyperlexic kids simply because they are letters of the alphabet.

Chewy Tubes Knobby Super Chew - Love the texture on these!

Chewy Tubes - These offer lots of different textures to chew on.

Chewigem Dog Tags Chewable Necklace - Another cute chewable necklace to try.

If your kids love to chew on fabric, you could always let them chew on bandannas! Or this list of oral motor sensory toys and tools for ideas. Or if you prefer the DIY route, try these DIY chewelry options. Or if you are needing something extra tough, then you will want to check out our top picks for the toughest and most durable chew necklaces for kids.

Alphabet Soap Foam Painting Activity for Kids

This alphabet soap foam painting activity is a lot of fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

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Soap foam is a favorite go-to sensory activity around here. We have tried scented soap foam and tie dye soap foam in the past (as well as many other variations) and my kids just love it. Even I enjoy playing with it!

Recently, the boys have been playing with our giant box of cookie cutters. It's one of their favorite "toys." So I decided it might be fun to pair the cookie cutters with some soap foam and do a little writing and fine motor practice. 

The result is this alphabet soap foam painting activity, which my boys loved! I knew it would be a hit given that simply adding letters or numbers to anything will always grab my hyperlexic son's interest.

Soap Foam Painting Activity: What You'll Need

This activity is part sensory play, part process art activity, and part prewriting practice. It combines fine motor and sensory all into one fun activity. Here's what you'll need to recreate this activity at home:

• Liquid soap and water - To make the soap foam that will be the base of our sensory and soap foam painting activity. Instructions below if you've never made it before. You can use dish soap, castile soap, or similar.

• Blender, electric hand mixer, whisk, or stand mixer - To whip up the sensory soap foam. Although I do mention an alternative way to make soap foam using soap pumps.

• Liquid watercolor paints - It is a painting activity after all...

• Small cups or a muffin tin for the paints - We personally reuse little plastic applesauce or fruit cups for activities like this.

• Alphabet cookie cutters - We used the ones that are included in this Wilton 101 Cookie Cutters set. The alphabet cookie cutters will be the stencils for painting/writing letters in the soap foam.

• Paint brushes - Again, it's a painting activity so you kind of need these.

• Large plastic container - To contain all that soap foam we're about to make...

To prep this activity, you'll first have to make soap foam (details below) and add it to a large plastic container. 

Next, you'll have to dilute some liquid watercolors with water in some small cups or a muffin tin. We personally like to reuse plastic applesauce cups for this purpose, but a muffin tin or small bowls work great too. We made rainbow colors because life is better with rainbows, but feel free to make whatever colors you want.

Finally, put the alphabet cookie cutters, paint brushes, and the containers of paint next to the container of soap foam. Then it's time to play!

Soap Foam Recipe: How to Make Sensory Soap Foam

To make soap foam, you'll need to mix some liquid soap with a splash or two of water. How much you'll need will depend on the size of the container, but a little goes a long way. We personally like to use castile soap for our soap foam and happened to use almond scented castile soap for this activity, which smells incredible. So our finished batch of soap foam happens to be scented.

Anyway, you're going to have to whip the soap and water until it's bubbly and foamy. You can mix it up using a blender, electric mixer, or even a stand mixer. Or you can simply whip it up using a whisk and some good old fashioned muscle power. It just takes a bit longer by hand. But any of these methods will produce the fluffy soap foam you need for this activity.

Another way to make soap foam is to use a foam soap dispenser. Fill an empty foaming soap bottle with approximately 2 tablespoons of castile soap, top it up with water, and then let the kids pump the soap into a large container. Most kids love to pump those soap pump containers! This method works best if you're only making a small amount.

Your Kids Will Love Painting Letters in Soap Foam

For this activity, you'll simply place an alphabet cookie cutter on the soap foam and paint the inside of it with some of the diluted liquid watercolor paint. That's it.

The kids can paint individual letters or even spell words and paint those. My boys opted to paint random letters versus full words into the bubble foam, as you can see below.

The painted cookie cutter letters look so pretty. I especially love the rainbow painted W that five year old J did.

When the cookie cutters are removed, you can sort of see the painted letters floating on the soap foam.

After painting for quite some time, my boys decided they were done painting letters. So they dumped the remaining liquid watercolor paints in, used their hands to mix up some really colorful soap foam, and turned it into a full fledged sensory activity. 

Overall, this soap foam painting activity was a hit! It was great for working on fine motor skills, a little sensory play, and some alphabet learning.

Other Preschool Painting Activities You'll Love

Painting to Music Process Art & Bumblebee Craft for Kids

Fun Summer Art Activity: Painting with Dandelions

Rainbow Chickpeas & Alphabet Cookie Cutters Sensory Activity

Looking for literacy sensory activities? Try this fun rainbow chickpeas and alphabet cookie cutters sensory play for kids.

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It has been awhile since we've played with our rainbow dyed chickpeas, which is hard to believe because they're my absolute favorite sensory bin filler ever.

So, the other day I paired the rainbow chickpeas with some alphabet cookie cutters to encourage some alphabet and literacy learning for my three year old. The end result is this gorgeous sensory activity!

Zero preparation is involved (unless you don't have rainbow chickpeas already on hand, but they only take 3-5 minutes to make), which makes this a quick and simple activity to pull out when the kids are bored.

Ready to try this rainbow chickpeas and alphabet cookie cutters sensory activity? Well, then let's dig in!

What You'll Need for this Rainbow Chickpea Sensory Activity

For this activity, you only need two items, which you can probably guess what they are based off the title of the post. You'll need:

• Rainbow dyed chickpeas - They are the easiest sensory bin filler to make ever and we've been playing with this same bag of chickpeas for almost a year already.

• Alphabet cookie cutters - Ours are from this 101 cookie cutter set, which, at this point, we've used for everything but making cookies.

Simply add the rainbow dyed chickpeas to a large sensory bin container. Then add the alphabet cookie cutters. You could set up the letters in a specific way or spell a word if you'd like, but it's not necessary.

Time to Play with Rainbow Chickpeas & Alphabet Cookie Cutters!

When you push the cookie cutter down, it will fill with chickpeas, like below:

But three year old K found other ways to play, including scooping up a handful of chickpeas and cookie cutters at once.

Then he wanted to spell words. He started with "E-X" and asked me how to finish spelling EXIT, which you can see in action below.

Then he spelled the words IN and OUT all by himself. I really do think he could be hyperlexic himself, but certainly not to the same extent as his older brother. I love how he initially spelled the word IN in the chickpeas and then OUT outside the chickpeas. PS: How gorgeous is that last photo?! I am in love with it!

All in all, my son had a lot of fun with this rainbow chickpeas and alphabet cookie cutters sensory activity. It was a colorful way to explore letters and words. Will you be giving it a try?

Painting with Dandelions Process Art for Kids

Looking for preschool dandelion art projects? Try this painting with dandelions process art idea!

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There are two things found in abundance in my backyard so far this spring: dandelions and caterpillars (we're having an outbreak of caterpillars).

My boys love picking dandelions (or sunflowers, as they call them) and handing me little bouquets. But recently, we used those freshly picked dandelions for a simple process art project, as you will see shortly.

The idea came about because I asked my husband to help me brainstorm some ideas for the kids. He suggested stamping with dandelions because (a) they're everywhere, and (b) "Everyone has dandelions!" (direct quote). And I thought it was a great idea!

The result is this fun painting with dandelions process art for kids.

A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.

What You'll Need for this Nature Process Art

For this art project, you will need:

• Washable paint - We used tempera paint in red, yellow, green, and blue.

• A handful of fresh dandelions - We picked these from our backyard.

• Paper - You could opt for a blank canvas instead, if you'd prefer.

Simply set out your materials for your child on an easy to wash surface, such as a table. We always use an old shower curtain as a drop cloth to protect our surfaces. Since I have two kids, I set up this art activity like so.

Painting with Dandelions

For this activity, you simply use the dandelions like paint brushes by dipping them into the paint and stamping them onto the paper (or canvas, if you're going that route).

There's also the opportunity to explore color mixing with this project. For example, my boys (ages 3 and 5) would dip their dandelion paint brushes into two or more paint containers to mix the colors together. Then they would stamp the dandelions to see what color it made.

My boys also experimented with different painting techniques besides stamping, though. For instance, they dragged the whole flower and stem through the wet paint versus stamping with just the top of the dandelion. Things got a bit messier here as paint now covered their "handle" of their paint brushes.

Overall, my boys had fun with this dandelion art. It was cheap and easy to set up, which is nice. And it gave the kids a chance to explore materials in new ways.

Will you be giving this painting with dandelions process art for kids a try?

Traffic Light Suncatcher & Light Table Play

The theme for this month's Light & Reflections series is transportation. We've played with cars on the light table before, which was a lot of fun, but I wanted to think outside of the box a little. So, inspired by traffic lights, I set up this color matching light table activity. As a bonus, the finished product turned into a lovely suncatcher craft for kids.

This post contains affiliate links.

Traffic Light Inspired Light Table Activity & Suncatcher Craft for Kids

For this light table activity and craft, we used:

• Translucent counters in red, yellow, and green
• Contact paper - I use clear vinyl book protector from the dollar store. It works great! 
• Sharpies permanent markers in red, yellow, and green
• Tape
• Round bowl or container (optional)

On the non-sticky side of the contact paper, I drew three circles (one in red, one in yellow, and one in green) using the permanent markers. Since I am terrible at free-handing circles, I used a large yogurt container to trace the circles. Then I taped the contact paper, sticky side up, onto the light table and set out the translucent counters.

The idea is simple: just place the translucent counters into the corresponding circles by matching the colors. The counters will stick to the sticky side of the contact paper.

Once the boys felt that they had placed enough counters onto the contact paper, I removed it from the light table and hanged it on our window. And just like that, we ended up with a pretty traffic light suncatcher craft.

Other Ideas You'll Love

Traffic Light Sensory Soup

Airplane Color Sorting on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Busy City on the Light Table from Frog in a Pocket

Window Race Track from Happily Ever Mom