Sharla Kostelyk

Winter Sensory Bins

It’s that time of year again. The snow is falling, temperatures are dropping, and kids are starting to go stir crazy! These winter sensory bins are a great way to bring the outdoors indoors without bringing the cold in with it.

Sensory play is an important part of development for all kids, particularly those who have sensory issues. The additional sensory input meets their needs and helps with emotional regulation and mood.

Winter Sensory Bins:

Winter Wonderland Sensory Bin from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Winter Sensory Tray from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Arctic Animals Sensory Bin at Teaching Mama

Snowman Sensory Bin at Every Star is Different

Snow Sensory Tub from Simple Fun for Kids

Animals Hibernating in Winter ~ Sensory Bins for Preschoolers from The Natural Homeschool

Winter Counting Sensory Table from The Imagination Tree

Arctic Sensory Bin from Adventures and Play

Frozen Oobleck Sensory Bin on Messy Little Monster

Pretend Snow Snowman Sensory Bin from Housing a Forest

Pretend Snow Sensory Bin from Mommy’s Bundle

Exploring Ice in the Sensory Table at Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Winter Diorama Ideas: Animals that Adapt in Winter from The Natural Homeschool

Mini Polar Sensory Bin from Mom Inspired Life

Figure Skating Sensory Bin from Every Star is Different

Pretend Snow Sensory Play with Trains from Play Trains

Winter Wonderland Small World Play from Buggy and Buddy

Snow Sensory Activity with Shaving Cream from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Snow Slope Imaginary Play over at Picklebums

Bring the snow inside with this Real Snow Sensory Bin from Messy Little Monster

Simple Snowman Sensory Bin from Living Life and Learning

Snowball Water Play Winter Activity at Fantastic Fun and Learning

Winter Preschool Treasure Hunt Bin from Brain Power Boy

Winter Sensory Bin from Paper and Glue

Penguin Sensory Bins:

Penguin Sensory Bin from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Penguin Sensory Bin from Adventures and Play

Make a Penguin Sensory Bin at Mama Smiles

Penguin Pretend Play from Nurture Store

Penguin Ice Play for Toddlers at Messy Little Monsters

Penguin Sensory Play from Fantastic Fun and Learning

As you can probably tell from these examples, sensory bins are simple to create. You likely have most of the supplies in your home today to make a sensory bin that your child would love. If you are looking for more in-depth information on creating sensory bins including filler ideas, sensory recipes, storage, and money saving ideas, you can find those in my ebook on Sensory Bins. Get 175 sensory activity ideas in convenient printable lists which are ideal for using in the home, classroom or in a therapeutic setting.

Free Christmas Printable Games for Kids

By Sharla Kostelyk

During the holidays, it’s nice for kids to be able to have some down time. There is so much hustle and bustle. It can help kids regulate their emotions to be able to have quiet time to reset. These Christmas printables games can provide that down time.

We’ve got some free Christmas printable games for kids to play. You can download them, print them off, and let your child enjoy.

This Christmas Cookie I Spy worksheet for is fun and festive but also helps kids practise their counting skills. You can download the printable holiday search here or entering your email below.

Continuing with the holiday baking theme, kids can do this Christmas Cookie Word Search. You can download the free printable word search by going here or by entering your email in the box below.

This simple word search is easy enough for even fairly young children to be able to complete. Download it to print by clicking here or putting your email in below.

These activities are also a great way to help kids maintain some of their learning over winter break. And they won’t even realize that they’re learning!

Check out these more active Christmas activities:

Christmas Minute to Win It Games

Christmas Games for Kids

On the Go Christmas Sensory Tub

Holiday Scented Christmas Tree Slime

By Sharla Kostelyk

When we made our original stretchy Christmas Tree Slime, the kids enjoyed it, but were wishing they could have slime that actually looked like a Christmas Tree and count be “decorated”. This holiday scented Christmas tree slime is just what they were looking for! This holiday scented Christmas tree slime allows kids to use their imaginations as they “decorate” the tree. It also provides tactile, visual, olfactory (scent), and proprioceptive sensory feedback.

Holiday Scented Christmas Tree Slime Recipe:

5 oz. clear glue
1/2 cup water
green candy colour (you can also use food colouring or paint if you prefer)
pine essential oil
green glitter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp contact solution
pom poms

Instructions:

In a bowl, pour 5 oz. of clear glue.
Add 1/2 cup of water. Mix until the glue has broken up and is incorporated into the water. I use warm water for this so that it mixes more easily.
Add a few drops of green candy color, mixing until you get the perfect Christmas tree colour.
Add a drop or two of pine essential oil.
Sprinkle in your glitter. I used a mix of chunky and fine glitter. Stir everything together.
Mix in 1/2 tsp. baking soda. The baking soda will help determine your slime’s thickness.
Mix in 1 Tbsp of contact solution. Be sure that your contact solution contains boric acid. Contact solution determines the stickiness of the slime. The slime will be ready to knead when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead the slime. At first, it will be sticky. Just keep kneading it! If you have to, you can add a little bit more contact solution, but be careful not to over-activate it by adding too much.
Add some multi-colour pompoms as the “ornaments” on the tree.
Be sure to store the slime in an airtight container.

During the holidays, it can be even more important to have sensory play activities around. When kids aren’t doing their regular routine, they can have a harder time self-regulating. Ensuring that they are receiving plenty of sensory input, particularly the type that provides proprioceptive feedback can help them to regulate.

With kids not only being out of routine, but also not receiving as much natural sensory input at school or out in the community, you will need to provide many opportunities for them. Holiday themed sensory play is an easy way to do that.

Here are some other holiday sensory play ideas:

Melted Snowman Sensory Bottle

O Holy Night Sensory Bin

Simple Christmas Sensory Bag

Stretchy Christmas Tree Slime

Christmas Gifts Sensory Bin

Peppermint Scented Christmas Playdough

How To Make Stretchy Slime

By Sharla Kostelyk

It’s always the time of year for cool slime. Christmas time is no exception. That’s why we love this stretchy slime recipe with a Christmas tree holiday theme. It’s a fun slime and easy to make.

Stretchy slime makes a great gift for your child to give their friends or for you to give your nieces and nephews. You can either give them the completed slime in an airtight container or print the recipe for them and gift them the supplies. Kids love things they can make themselves!

You can easily change out the Christmas trees for another type of festive confetti to create other versions of holiday slime. Consider using confetti shapes like candy canes, ornaments, snowflakes, reindeer, gingerbread, or stockings.

You can find some wonderful Christmas themed confetti at the dollar store.

Stretchy Slime Recipe

You Will Need:

1 cup of clear glue (I find that Elmer’s washable clear school glue works best)
2-3 Tbsp. contact lens saline solution*
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Christmas tree confetti
optional: other confetti such as red for added colour

*Be sure that you use a buffered contact lens saline solution.

How To Make Stretchy Slime

Pour the glue into a large mixing bowl and add the baking soda.
Begin to add the contact lens solution a few drops at a time as you stir.
When you find that the mixture begins to pull away from the bowl, knead by hand.
Add the confetti sprinkles in and fold them in. Continue kneading.

Stretchy Slime

The best stretchy slime is made more by feel than by recipe. If you find that your slime is too sticky, add a few more drops of the saline solution. If it’s not sticky enough, you can add a drop or two more of the glue. Play around with it until you get the consistency you’re going for.

Some people prefer their slime to be a bit more sticky and others hate the sticky feeling. Understanding that everyone has different sensory preferences, feel free to adjust the recipe to your preference.

This holiday slime recipe makes a super stretchy slime. Part of the fun for kids is seeing how far their slime can stretch.

Fun Slime

Making this Christmas tree stretchy slime is a perfect activity for that time in between the last day of school before the holidays and Christmas. Kids tend to be brimming with extra energy and excitement during that time.

Giving them good sensory play opportunities can help them regulate their emotions and remain more calm. The pulling and stretching and kneading of this stretchy slime gives kids what’s called proprioception feedback. Proprioception is excellent for helping kids self-regulate.

While the kids think that they are just trying out a cool slime recipe, you’ll be able to see the effects that the sensory play has on their mood and behaviour. The kids will be happy with their slime and their parents will be happy with more calm in the house. That’s what I can a win-win!

Need more sensory play ideas for calm kids?

Grab your copy of 25+ easy to make recipes. >>> SENSORY RECIPES

Includes cool slimes, ooblecks, playdoughs, cloud doughs, kinetic sand, and more, all in one handy guide.

Click here for more fun slime ideas:

Unique Types of Slime

Glow In The Dark Glitter Slime

Fill an Ornament Christmas Sensory Bag

By Sharla Kostelyk

Not only is this Christmas sensory bag a great sensory activity, it is also an excellent fine motor activity. Kids can push the sequins into the area to fill the ornament.

This cute activity can be taken with you for use as a busy bag. It can be taken in the vehicle or used in waiting rooms. If you’re going to take it out and about, it’s definitely best to seal the edges with duct tape. Using a holiday themed duct tape makes it extra cute.

Fill the Ornament Christmas Sensory Bag:

sandwich or medium sized resealable bag (I like the medium freezer bags)
clear hand sanitizer
sequins and/or mini ornaments
permanent marker
optional: duct tape (way more fun if you use holiday themed duct tape)

With a permanent marker, draw an ornament shape on a resealable bag.
Fill the bag slightly less than halfway with hand sanitizer. Add a healthy amount of sequins or mini ornaments in holiday colours to the bag.
Remove as much air as you can from the bag.
Seal.
If you’re going to be using this with younger children or are worried about a potential mess, fold duct tape over the edges of the bag. You can get all kinds of fun holiday printed tapes to use that will make this look even more festive.

Duct Tape, Holiday Bows Duct Tape, Frozen Inspired Olaf Duct Tape, Red Glitter

The child can now “fill” the ornament by moving the sequins with their finger on the outside of the bag.

You can make multiples of these Christmas sensory bags and use different colours of sequins or small ornaments. The kids can race to see how quickly they can fill the ornament.

Multicolor Mini Ornaments Multicolor Sequins Multicolor Sharpies

Check out some of our other Christmas themed sensory bags:

Nativity Sensory Bag

I-Spy Christmas sensory bag

Simple Christmas sensory bag

Christmas ornaments sensory bag

10 Things You Can Do to Make Each Day Easier for Your Sensory Kiddo

By Sharla Kostelyk

Being a child with sensory needs can make even the simplest things like combing your hair or getting dressed feel challenging. Sometimes making small adjustments can make the everyday struggles easier.As a parent, you can feel helpless as you watch your child struggle. Using the strategies below, you can make life easier for your child and cut back on sensory meltdowns and day-to-day battles.

Here are some tips that can help with those everyday battles:

Use a visual schedule. This allows the child to know exactly what to do and what’s coming next. It can ease the pain of transitions and lessen the chance of meltdowns. For some kids, they need the tasks broken up into smaller steps, so look for a visual schedule that breaks things down.
Give warnings for upcoming transitions and allow for extra time so that your child can adjust. Be sure to allot margins in your day to allow for this and to reduce stress on both you and your child.
Offer sensory breaks throughout the day. This gives your child the necessary sensory input. Sensory breaks also make good transition bridges.
Use a Sensory Triggers Log to help you identify your child’s sensory triggers. This will allow you to avoid them or make changes to your child’s environment to accommodate them.
Work on giving your child an emotional vocabulary so that they can express their feelings.
Teach your child calming breathing techniques.
Meet your child’s sensory needs during the day with sensory activities and heavy work opportunities. This will not only help them all day long, it will help them sleep better at night.
Don’t die on the clothing mountain. Let your child wear what’s comfortable to them. Be a sensory detective to discover why certain articles of clothing bother them. This will help you find solutions.
Have your child use a vibrating toothbrush. Not only will this add more sensory input to their day, it will decrease oral sensitivity and eventually lead to less battles over food.
Teach your child about sensory processing and the 8 sensory systems so that they can better identify their needs and voice them to you.

Bonus tip: Carry a pack of Post-It notes with you in your purse so that you can cover the automatic flush sensor on toilets in public bathrooms. No more surprise loud noise for your child to contend with!

I love this list so much because it has some actionable strategies that you can start using right away.