Nursery World - Learning & Development: Sensory play

In the bag

- Gather together a range of small bags, pockets and sacks of different textures, patterns and colours; and multiple small items, such as shuttlecocks, air-flow balls, feathers, strings of beads, chalks, pencils, crayons and small notepads.

- Put around 15 of the same item in each of the bags and place them in an area for the children to discover and explore.

- Allow the children to select and explore the bags, and when appropriate, talk to them a little about what they are doing. Remember not to interrupt their engagement with idle chatter.

- Vary the activity by placing a selection of items in the same sack. You could, for example, provide a 'nature' bag containing a twig, leaf, grasses, moss and herbs. Or, link the contents to the senses - perhaps provide a 'noise' bag with wrist bells, animal noise pots, scrunchy paper, squeakers and bead bracelets.

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