When you have a toddler or baby who learns to read on their own (it's called hyperlexia, if you're not already familiar with the term) and are looking for sensory activities to keep them busy, you'll quickly find that if it doesn't include their passion for letters in some way, then they'll likely not be interested.
But if you're new to sensory play and your kids are still babies or toddlers, you might not be ready to dive into one of these alphabet sensory bins.
Or maybe you have a toddler that is tactile avoidant and hates the feel of certain materials. Learn more about patterns of sensory processing here.
Well, that's where sensory bags enter the picture. They're a great way to introduce sensory play to the littlest of sensory explorers and to kids who avoid touching certain materials.
And making them ABC themed is the perfect way to get your hyperlexic kids interested in sensory play. So that's why I've put together this list of awesome alphabet sensory bags for kids. Let's take a closer look at some of these fun ideas!
This post was updated on May 29, 2024. New ideas were added and descriptions were included to make it even easier for you to find the perfect letter themed sensory bag.
Alphabet Sensory Bags Your Kids Will Love!
The thing I really like about sensory bags is that they are mess free and great for even the littlest of hands, like babies.You can even tape them to the floor, a table, or a window so that they don't move around or get put into mouths and chewed on (a genuine concern around here since my oldest chews on everything).
Some sensory bags look fantastic on a light table too. In case you're looking to amp up the sensory factor a bit.
Anyway, here are some fun letter, sight word, letter writing, and name recognition sensory bags to get you inspired to create one of your own:
1. Mess Free Painting & Alphabet Sensory Bag from Happy Toddler Playtime (pictured) - I like how this activity gives kids a mess free way to paint different letters. I also like that it is rainbow colored.
2. Alphabet Beads Sensory Bag from Fun Learning for Kids (pictured) - This one is so colorful with the rainbow alphabet beads!
3. Alphabet Sensory Bag from Preschool Inspirations - This sensory bag would look amazing on a light table since it uses transparent letters. I also like that this bag uses something other than hair gel.
4. I Spy Sensory Bag for Sight Words & Letters by Hands On As We Grow - I like how engaging this idea is. The kids have to search and read the words or letters that they find hidden behind the rice.
5. Swimming Letters with Dory Sensory Bag from The Educators' Spin On It (pictured) - Here's a fun twist on a letter tracing sensory bag using Finding Dory as the inspiration. Simply make the fish swim along and trace the letters.
6. Name Recognition Sensory Bag from School Time Snippets - Working on name recognition? Here's a cute idea to try. I like the Batman themed duct tape they used!
7. Letter Hunt Sensory Bag from My Mundane & Miraculous Life - This idea should keep kids busy for awhile given how small and how many alphabet beads are in this bag!
8. Ocean Name Recognition Sensory Bag from Modern Preschool - Here's another fishy themed sensory bag that incorporates letters. This one works on name recognition and you have to put the little fishies in the correct order.
9. Alphabet Magnet Sensory Bag from Active Littles - If you have a hyperlexic learner, then here's a great way to use those alphabet magnets you likely have on hand.
10. Alphabet Search & Find Sensory Bag from Sharing Kindergarten - I like how this blog post shows different ways they tried the activity and which materials worked best. Includes a free printable.
11. Letter Writing Sensory Bag from Pocket of Preschool - Practice writing letters with this beautiful sensory bag. Don't forget to grab the free printable cards to go with it!
12. Alphabet Matching Sensory Bag Activity from The Best Ideas for Kids - Here's another bag that uses plastic letter magnets. I really like the colors of this sensory bag - they remind me of the colors of my website's logo!
13. Easy Alphabet Sensory Bag with Foam Letters from Active Littles - Another thing most hyperlexic families have on hand is a set of foam letters. Simply toss them into a bag with some water for a fun new experience.
14. Literacy Sensory Bag Ideas from Pocket of Preschool - There are a couple of fun ideas here to work on sight words, name recognition, letter tracing, and more.
15. Super Simple Sensory Name Recognition Bag from The Preschool Toolbox - Help your child learn to spell their name with this simple idea.
16. Alphabet Sensory Bags Pre-Writing Activity from Home with Hollie - I like how this bag uses paint as its base.
17. Soap & Alphabet Confetti Sensory Bag from Downtown Montessori - This one looks like fun. There isn't much information about how it was made other than it uses soap and alphabet confetti.
18. Rainbow Sprinkle Letter Writing Sensory Bag from Active Littles - Well, here's a fun filler for a sensory bag! You can use it to practice writing letters.
19. Gel & Rice Sensory Bags for Letter Writing from Fashion Craze Learning Days - Here are two simple ideas that can be used for practicing letter writing.
20. I Spy Letters in the Sky Sensory Bag from Teach Me Mommy - Here's a cute idea that uses rainbow foam letters and shaving cream.
21. Letter Squish Bags from @the.playful.home on Instagram - I love this simple idea where you squish and move pom poms to form different letters.
22. Goo Sensory Letters Bag from ABC See, Hear, Do - This one was done as part of a letter G themed unit and uses "good" and the color green.
That should be more than enough ideas to keep your little one busy, especially those hyperlexic learners! Which ones of these alphabet sensory bags will you be trying out first?
