Sensory Walk

Sense of touch activities are GREAT for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids. With this Sensory Walk, kids will explore the sense of touch using their feet! We use our hands during sensory play as we explore different textures frequently, but this sensory activity is a little different. Children are encouraged to feel different surfaces and materials with their feet instead. Scroll down for step by step directions to help you setup your own sensory walk activity!

There are lots of benefits to sensory play as a whole and this sensory walk activity focuses on both physical and learning benefits. With a sensory walk, toddlers and preschoolers get to engage in a variety of sensory play, show awareness of their body, follow adult guidance in regards to safety, and demonstrate willingness to try new activities.

This sense of touch activity is also great for emotion control as it can help sensory seekers self-regulate.

Scroll down below to get started on this fun sensory walk activity!

We mention toddlers and preschoolers, but this sensory walk activity is a lot of fun for older kids too! My 5 and 8 year old loved it as much as my toddler.

Sensory walk supplies:

Large sensory containers
Selection of sensory materials (see below)

Sense of touch activity directions:

STEP 1: Gather your materials

First things first - get your materials! Round up all the supplies you plan to use. For the containers, make sure they are large and shallow enough to walk through. I advise to grab at least 3-5 bins.

You'll then need different textures for each one, such as:

Water (in various temps)
Sand
Flour
Grass
Sticks
Shaving cream
Water beads
Yarn
Leaves
Rocks
Bubble wrap

Note: I highly recommend doing this activity outside so you don't have to worry about the mess as children move between different containers. If you do choose to do this inside instead, you'll want to opt for less messy options like pom poms, shredded paper, etc.

STEP 2: Setup your sensory bins

To setup the bins, place all the containers in a line to create a "path" and start filling each one with a different sensory material. Add a towel at the end so toddlers can wipe their feet when they reach the end of the sensory walk.

STEP 3: Go for a sensory walk!

Once it's all setup, invite your toddler to go for a sensory walk through the containers. One by one, they step into the different containers and explore the texture with their feet. You may need to hold younger toddlers hands to keep them steady.

You can extend this activity by discussing the different textures and materials they step into as they walk. Ask if they feel hot, cold, soft, sharp, etc.

Feel free to repeat this with different textures, there's a lot of options for this sensory walk activity!

We hope your kids have lots of fun with this sense of touch activity. They are sure to enjoy exploring all the different textures using their feet as they take on this sensory walk. 5 senses activities are a great chance for kids to explore using different senses!

Sensory Walk - A fun sense of touch activity for kids!