Many kids like to touch stuff \u2026 a lot. Sensory play allows them to dig into open-ended materials by pouring, scooping, splashing, squeezing, and experiencing all the resulting sensations. Sensory play is fantastic on its own, with no direction needed. But linking books and sensory experiences can be an excellent strategy for making it even more engaging. Thumbing through a treasured book when your kid is elbow-deep in a tub of shaving cream or wet sand may seem weird, but it\u2019s very effective. Here are four fun and easy ways to link books and sensory play at home or in the classroom.<\/p>\n
Keep little hands busy during a read-aloud<\/strong> Retell a story<\/strong> Raid your collection of figurines for characters, but don\u2019t sweat it if you don\u2019t have exact matches to a book. You can buy a cheap set of plain wooden peg people at a craft store and proclaim them to be anyone you\u2019d like. Alternatively, kids think it\u2019s hilarious to sub in the figurines you have and pretend they are the book\u2019s characters.<\/p>\n Make up new stories with book characters<\/strong> A popular twist on making up new stories is the \u201cice rescue.\u201d Freeze a collection of animals or figurines that fit a book\u2019s theme in a container of water. (A set of plastic woodland animals and a stack of Jan Brett winter books<\/a> go a long way.) Put the ice block on a tray or in a container and give kids tools to melt the ice and \u201crescue\u201d the characters. A spoon or dropper and a cup of warm water do the trick.<\/p>\n Explore a STEM Concept<\/strong> Snow books<\/a> are also fun to extend with sensory materials. You can use real snow, shaving cream, cotton balls, or flour, if you don\u2019t mind the extra mess. Kids love to act out animals buried in snow, like in So Much Snow<\/i><\/a>!<\/p>\n Many books lend themselves to sensory play. Don\u2019t worry about Instagram-worthy setups or perfectly matched supplies. Use what you already have to get kids exploring book ideas with their hands.<\/p>\n Here are the books mentioned in this post to get you started:<\/p>\n no yes 9780593115459 The Three Little Pigs<\/i> illustrated by Carly Gledhill 9780399252488 Otis<\/i> by Loren Long 9780593643600 Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?<\/i> by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade 9780763680060 Get Out of My Bath!<\/i> illustrated by Britta Teckentrup 9780593480106 The Sandcastle That Lola Built<\/i> by Megan Maynor, illustrated by Kate Berube 9780593308202 So Much Snow<\/i> by Kristen Schroeder, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Don\u2019t worry about Instagram-worthy setups or perfectly matched supplies. Use what you already have to get kids exploring book ideas with their hands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":99079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[122,301],"coauthors":[1053],"class_list":["post-98780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-advice","tag-reading-activities","tag-read-aloud","ages_stages-pre-k"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIf you have a kiddo who struggles to sit still during storytime<\/a>, you don\u2019t have to give up on reading aloud. Try setting up your child with a (relatively non-messy) sensory play opportunity, like a ball of play dough and a rolling pin or a few toy cars in a pan filled with gravel. Then, sit nearby and crack open a favorite title. When kids\u2019 hands are occupied, their ears and brains are often more available to listen.<\/p>\n
\nActing out a book\u2019s story is fun for kids and supports their growing comprehension skills. A sensory table or bin (e.g., a low plastic storage container or a baking pan with sides) is great for containing simple supplies to do this on repeat. Scatter some dried beans for the \u201cground,\u201d add some straw, sticks, and LEGO bricks, and kids can happily build and knock down the Three Little Pigs<\/a>\u2019 houses.<\/p>\n
\nRetelling a story as it appears in the book is just the beginning. Sensory materials are perfect for encouraging kids to invent spinoff stories. After reading a book, gather small toys that (sort of) match the book\u2019s characters and add them to a sensory base, like sand, water, shaving cream, oats, beans, or rice. Let kids\u2019 imaginations do the rest. Using plastic farm animals and a tiny tractor, they might dream up fresh adventures inspired by the story of Otis<\/i><\/a>. Or, you can explore riffs on Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?<\/i><\/a> with some small vehicles and fabric scraps for blankets.<\/p>\n
\nSome books introduce scenarios that beg further investigation through sensory play. For example, plastic animals and a turkey baster are perfect for acting out how Elephant sucks up all the water in Get Out of My Bath!<\/i><\/a> Ditto for books about sand castles; building a mini sand castle, like the one in The Sandcastle That Lola Built<\/i><\/a>, and knocking it down with a wave of bath water brings the story to life.<\/p>\n