Giving your kids sensory experiences doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be a big ordeal to plan and carry out. Sometimes the best sensory play ideas use things that are right in your home or yard.
This nature sensory play activity is so much fun for kids of all ages. It’s safe enough for older babies and still fun for older kids. And everything you need for this Flowery Sensory activity is right in your own backyard!
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Explore Nature with Flower Sensory Play for Kids (and Babies)
Sensory play engages one or all of the senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) and helps young kids learn and process their environments.
You can incorporate sensory play into all sorts of learning. This flower/nature sensory activity with stimulate your child’s sense of sight, touch, and smell. But most of all and help them connect them with the natural world around them.
All you really need for this activity is flowers. And lots of them.
Finding and picking the flowers is a big part of the fun. I mean who doesn’t remember picking their mom a bouquet of flowers from the yard when they were kids?!
The flowers you will find will depend on the season.
You can include tree flowers such as: dogwood, magnolia, fruit/nut trees, Bradford pear, etc
Or bushes like forsythia or azalea or roses.
Flowers from around the yard like buttercups, dandelions, violets, daffodils, tulips, etc.
Gather any and all flowers you can find. You could even make this part of the activity by creating a flower-based nature scavenger hunt to do before hand. The more color you can find the better!
Related Reading: 13 Colorful Flower Crafts for Kids
Once all of your flowers are gathered, let your child explore them.
For babies or young toddlers this just means let them touch and smell. Let them rip apart blossoms and leaves. Crush them in their hands.
For older toddlers and preschoolers this can mean giving them a vase of water to create a bouquet. Or handing them a magnify glass to get a closer look.
For all ages you can use the experience to talk and teach through experience.
Teach them the names of the plants. Talk about the colors of the flowers.
Explore different textures. Talk about how plant grow and how their stems and roots suck up water to survive.
Search for insects inside of the flower petals.
Allow your child to explore the flowers for as long as they wish. And just let them explore the sensory experience!
If you liked this free sensory play activity- try out my soap and water one as well for some good clean fun!
