Build a Robot Sensory Tray
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This simple, hands-on invitation to create will spark imagination and exploration for your robot-loving child.
This Build a Robot Sensory Tray perfectly blends tactile fun and open-ended play. Using a collection of everyday craft materials, kids can design their very own robots—no instructions or rules required. From twisting pipe cleaners into arms to layering craft foam into sturdy robot bodies, every choice is theirs to make. It’s a playful way to sneak in fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and even early STEM learning—all while having a blast!
Supplies for Build a Robot Sensory Tray
- Craft foam rectangles in a variety of sizes and colors
- Paper clips
- Aluminum foil (small sheets)
- Popsicle sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Pom poms
- Googly eyes
- Toy nuts, bolts, and brackets
- Activity tray
How to Set Up
Gather all your supplies and place them on the activity tray. You can show your child the tray, or just leave it out for them to discover and explore.
How Kids Play
Kids can explore the mix of textures and materials, using their imagination to design and build their own unique robots. They might layer foam rectangles to create robot bodies, twist pipe cleaners into antennae, and attach different parts for silly expressions. Paper clips and foil pieces become shiny robot parts, and toy nuts and bolts add a fun, mechanical feel.
There's no right or wrong way to build. It’s all about creative construction!
Key Benefits:
- Fine motor skills: Pinching pom poms, twisting pipe cleaners, and connecting nuts and bolts all strengthen little fingers.
- Creativity and imagination: Kids design robots however they like, encouraging open-ended play.
- Sensory exploration: Different textures (soft, smooth, bumpy, metallic) stimulate tactile senses.
- STEM thinking: Kids experiment with how parts connect, balance, and function, which is a foundation for engineering concepts.
- Language development: As they build, children love to talk about their creations—what their robot does, its name, or its powers!
Why This Activity Works for Everyone
- For Therapists: This tray is a ready-made fine motor station that doubles as a tactile/sensory play activity. It promotes bilateral coordination, grasp development, and imaginative play—all within one adaptable setup.
- For Educators: Use it as a creative center integrating art, STEM, and language. It encourages collaboration, turn-taking, and problem-solving in a fun, low-prep way.
- For Parents: It’s an easy-to-set-up, screen-free activity that keeps kids engaged and learning through play. Bonus—it uses materials you likely already have at home!
Whether in the classroom, therapy room, or kitchen table, this Build a Robot Sensory Tray is a hands-on hit for kids of all ages!
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Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.