I first discovered the term “sensory play” when my dear friend told me about something called rainbow rice. I made a big batch in Valentine’s colors, threw it in my thrifted ikea flisat, and let my then newly 3 year old go crazy. He explored it with his hands for a while before climbing his entire body into the bin to feel the rice.
What I didn’t know as a first time mom was that we had been doing “sensory play” every day of his life without knowing that term. Playing in the dirt. Playing with our food. Taking baths. Playing in the rain. Eating. Hiking. ALL of that is sensory play!!
Engaging children’s senses is easy. They are so curious about the world around, ready to learn and experience anything we can offer them.
If sensory play is everywhere - why bother setting up sensory trays? Why purchase all of these materials, make room for them in your closet, take the time to set them up each day, etc? Well, as much as I would personally love it - it’s not practical to have a big sensory adventure every day. There are days it’s too hot or too cold to play outside. We don’t all live close enough to nature preserves, beaches, or lakes. Not everyone has a backyard or a water table. And sometimes - we need our children safely occupied while we do other things! Making sensory play part of your everyday routine will benefit the whole family. Sensory play can be part of your at-home learning, a morning invitation, can help with transitions, and don’t forget - it is just fun!
The benefits of sensory play are endless and priceless. Exploring beautiful materials lets children explore the world in a safe way - see and learn about things they might never get to experience in real life - expand their world through play! Sensory play supports brain development, physical motor development, emotional regulation, social skills, visual perception, and self-control. It allows children a safe place to explore and express themselves freely. It is a place for them to learn boundaries, a place for them to experiment with cause and effect, a place for them to have full control over the outcome.
Sensory play invitations are easy to set up, especially when you have beautiful materials from Hippie Hooray. Any filler from my shop can simply be poured into a bin and is ready for play. You don’t need any other accessories to create an invitation. My fillers are so much more than just a bag of plain beans like you may have seen on Pinterest. My fillers are designed to be a play invitation themselves - the shapes, textures, scents and colors are purposefully chosen to engage you and your children right away.
Everything in my shop emulates nature. I am inspired by the colors, shapes, patterns, textures, and scents of nature. Nature-inspired sensory play allows your children to draw connects to the real world, to make sense of their environment, to become a noticer, to fall in love with nature. Not only that, but my sensory play materials - the ones I make as well as the ones I choose to sell from other makers - are high quality, long-lasting, and purposeful materials. Dry sensory play fillers can last YEARS. I have many customers who have been with me since 2021 and have 4+ kids that have used the materials.
It really is so easy to get started. Head to the Four Season Fillers page and choose the one that calls to you. They are organized by popularity so our best-selling fillers are at the top. Then head to the Play Idea Library or find me on Instagram for endless play inspiration and community support. Happy playing!