I love when new activities quickly become favorites with my kindergarten children. One of my favorites are sensory walks. My students can’t get enough of these sensory walks for kids! They love being able to take their shoes and socks off and feel familiar, and new, materials with their feet and toes. These activities are easy to set up and inexpensive. They’re a great addition to center time in a classroom, or even at a party.
Hands-on play and various sensory experiences for kids are a great way for them to learn. Plus kids tend to love these activities so they’re happy and having fun.
Below I’m sharing my four favorite seasonal activities, for spring, summer, winter and fall. Each sensory walk includes at least five bins that are each filled with some of the greatest things about that season. From pumpkin seeds and hot chocolate to water balloons and flowers, come take a walk through the seasons with me.
For more hands-on play ideas and activities, check out Play Learn Inspires 20 Best Sensory Tray Ideas.
Creating Your Sensory Walk
Each of the sensory walk ideas shared below require several of the same basic materials. You will need at least five bins to do the walks. You can choose any type of bin that you have on hand and can use more than five if you have extra ideas to fill the bins.
When you set up your sensory walk make sure that you place the bins beside a shelf, chairs or something that children can hold as they walk through the bins. Avoid adding anything that is slippery that children may fall as they step from one bin to another. Make sure that there is nothing sharp in your bins that could hurt a child when stepped on.
Bins can be placed in a line, as shown below, or you can place them in a circle for children to repeat the bins as they walk over and over. The contents of the bins below are suggestions. You can use anything you can think of, or anything you have on hand to fill each bin.
Although the order of the bins don’t typically matter, if you have a bin with water it is best to not have a bin filled with materials that shouldn’t get wet next. The bins with water work best at then end of the line and follow it with a towel for kids to step on.
Spring Sensory Walk
Start with a walk through spring with this colorful spring sensory walk. For this walk you will need:
- A pond – water, food coloring, foam leaves, rubber ducks,
- Flowers – fake flowers, or things like dandelions if they’re in season,
- Shredded paper
- Grass sheet
- Lamb wool – cotton batting
Click the image, or link below for a full activity description.
My students loved walking through the warm water and soft materials. If you’re looking for another calming sensory walk, check out a DIY Sensory Path made from an old yoga mat.
Summer Sensory Walk
Take a walk through summer with this unique sensory walk. I used this sensory path during a play day outside with over 100 kindergarten children. This center always had a line and many kids walked through dozens of times. For this sensory walk, you will need:
- Water + food coloring
- Water beads
- Water balloons
- Ice
- Sponges
- Wooden cubes
This sensory walk for kids is one of my favorites. The walk includes a wide variety of sensory experiences for children to explore as they step from one bin to the next.
Fall Sensory Walks for Kids
Fall is filled with many beautiful items and changes in nature. This sensory walk includes slimy pumpkin seeds and pumpkin guts, but if you want to keep the walk cleaner, you can omit this bin. Keep in mind this is usually the favorite bin! You will need:
- Pumpkin guts
- Twigs
- Leaves
- Small pebbles
- Grass
Each of the bins have a very different feel to them, so encourage children to talk and think about what they are feeling.
Another sensory walk that is always a hit with kids in the fall is this Halloween Sensory Walk. There are lots of gross, but exciting things for kids to feel as they walk through each bin.
Winter Sensory Walks for Kids
Winter is filled with lots of wonderful things. The variety in these bins will keep kids wanting to walk through over and over. For the winter sensory walk for kids, you will need:
- Mittens
- Water, marshmallows, brown food coloring (for hot chocolate)
- Water, blue food coloring, ice
- Snow
- Pine needles
The contrast between the warm hot chocolate and the ice cold water is fun to watch children experience. Encourage them to tell you what they feel as they explore their senses.
In the winter, another popular sensory walk is a Christmas Sensory Walk this walk is also filled with many of the wonderful things about Christmas, but experienced in a whole new way.
If you are interested in another sensory walk, my very first walk that started this trend for me was the Going on a Bear Hunt Sensory Walk. Children take their shoes and socks off and walk through each of the locations explored in the book. It’s a memorable experience for a classic story.