Sensory Obstacle Course
Your child will crawl or walk barefoot on a variety of surfaces and feel different textures.
Learning Area(s): Physical Development; Sensory and Art
MATERIALS
- squares of a variety of textured materials (e.g., bubble wrap, carpet, floor tile, cork board, laminate tile, inflatable baby water mat, or other child-safe textured materials)
- tape to secure the textured materials to the floor if they would otherwise slide around
LET'S PLAY
Prepare a sensory “obstacle course” by placing materials on the floor to make a path where your child can crawl or walk. Encourage your child to follow you as you crawl or step on the textured squares. Also encourage your child to touch the various textures and notice their differences. These multisensory experiences help your child’s brain integrate information through seeing, hearing, and touching all at the same time.
Describe the textures for your child using words such as soft, hard, rough, smooth, shiny, squishy, and bumpy. Include names for actions and objects, such as: pop, crawl, touch, feel, toes, feet, fingers, hand, etc. This will help your child learn the vocabulary words that describe their experiences.
TIPS
- Try different kinds of bubble wrap—small bubbles feel different than large bubbles and provide different effects when crawling or walking.
- Demonstrate how the bubble wrap will pop and make a sound when they crawl over it or poke it with their fingers, if your child does not discover this on their own.
- If your child is hesitant to touch the textures, guide them by placing your hand over their hand.
- Look for floor tape or carpet-safe tape so it doesn’t leave sticky residue. You can also try painter’s tape or masking tape.
