Sensory Activities for 5 Year Olds

Sensory Activities are a fantastic way to support your 5 year olds’s development. Children aged 5-6 years are naturally drawn to activities that encourage reading readiness and writing letters and numbers, and well-designed sensory activities deliver exactly that.

Sensory Activities Ideas for 5 Year Olds

Here are our top picks, adapted for the detailed with smaller areas level appropriate for this age group:

Musical Shakers

Fill containers with different materials to explore sounds. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Scented Exploration

Sniff and identify spices, flowers, and extracts in jars. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Water Play Station

Set up cups, funnels, and sponges for pouring and splashing fun. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Finger Painting

Explore colors and textures through mess-free or traditional finger paint. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Playdough Creations

Mold, squish, and shape homemade or store-bought playdough. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Sensory Bin Exploration

Fill bins with rice, pasta, beans, or water beads for scooping and pouring. For 5 year olds, keep the complexity detailed with smaller areas and expect about 25-30 minutes of focused engagement.

Tips for Parents of 5 Year Olds

• Keep sessions to about 25-30 minutes to match their natural attention span.
• Have all materials ready before starting to maintain engagement.
• Adjust difficulty based on your child’s mood and energy level.
• Follow your child’s lead and let them choose which activities interest them most.
• Rotate activities regularly to prevent boredom and stimulate new skills.

How to Get Started

1. Choose an activity from the ideas above that matches your child’s interests.
2. Gather materials listed in the activity description.
3. Set up a workspace that’s comfortable and easy to clean.
4. Guide your child through the activity, offering help when needed.
5. Display or save their work to encourage pride in their accomplishments.