Summer offers a whole new range of sensory options as you can now move many activities outside and have easier cleanup and more room to move. Last year, I ran a series on simple Summer Sensory Activities and I am finding that now that the weather is nice, we are doing more of our sensory “work” outside again.
The kids had so much fun with this and they had no idea that they were actually doing really important sensory work! Setting this activity up could not be any simpler. All that is needed is a bucket full of water and some sponges. I bought two packs of six sponges each at the dollar store. For twelve sponges, I spent $2 and I am planning to turn them into two other sensory activities after this, so it was a very cost effective idea. If you already have sponges around the house, this can be a free activity.
Most kids love a good water fight, but there are two problems with a typical water fight at our house. One is that we live in the country and have to have our water trucked in so we can’t waste too much of it. The other is that in a water fight involving hoses or water guns, things tend to deteriorate quickly and an actual fight usually ensues. We had better luck with the sponges and I was clear to lay out the ground rules before they started. One of the ground rules was that mommy was not a target!
The kids not only got the sensory feedback of the water and the sponges, they also got the feedback from wringing out the sponges, particularly overtop of their siblings’ heads!!!
This easy activity can easily be turned into another sensory game using the same bucket of water and sponges. If the water fight disseminates into chaos or if the kids get bored, they can go over and wash your car or the side of the house. You can add soapy bubbles to the water for this if you want (don’t add the bubbles to the water fight portion of the activity lest someone get it in their eyes) and you’ve now created another simple summer sensory activity and possibly, created enough time for yourself to run and throw a load of laundry in the wash or read a few pages in a book!
If you are looking for other easy activities to do with your kids this summer, you may be interested in joining me for a free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get your Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.