Sensory Play Ideas for Babies on the Move

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If you have a baby who is just learning to crawl, roll, or walk, then I'm sure you understand the importance of having safe and fun things around the house for them to play with and explore. Babies are naturally curious and on the move, so today I wanted to share some great sensory play ideas for babies that will keep them engaged and active in a positive way.

Why is sensory play important for babies and their development?

My littlest guy, Ben, is 4 weeks old and we are just starting to incorporate some sensory experiences for him. And honestly, it's not that hard at his age to do.

I like to strip Ben down to his diaper and put him on his back or tummy on a large, soft play mat. The one in the picture here was a gift from my grandma and is organic cotton that is washable.

Right now we are just focusing on tummy time and visual-motor skills, specifically eye tracking movements (being able to follow the sound of his rattle or other noise-related toys by moving his head towards the movement and also beginning to reach towards the object). I like using wooden toys as they provide even more sensory input than plastic ones.

Even your older babies can benefit from sensory experiences and exploration by stripping them down to their diapers and just letting them have at the activity, particularly messy play activities. For babies on the move like this, it's important to have a diaper that will keep up with all this moving and exploration without adding to the mess.

Here are some fun sensory play ideas for babies on the move.

I love this baby sensory board idea from Fun at Home with Kids. If you don't have the space for a wall like this though, this sensory cube from Teaching Mama is a great idea as well.

This rice play with cookie cutters idea is great to do outdoors on the porch or inside on a big tarp. For babies who are on the go and tugging this ribbon box is perfect for them.

When my daughter was just under a year old, I also did this cornmeal sensory bin with her. We did it inside on a black trash bag, but you could also do it in a tiled area, use a large kiddie pool indoors or just do it outside on the front porch or in the yard.