DIY Sensory Board
I will admit, I am a Pinterest mom through and through. I enjoy all things DIY, especially home decor or anything kid related. I especially use Pinterest to search for dinner ideas, kid activity ideas, and cleaning hacks. I use Pinterest as a search engine more than google! But seriously, how did my parents raise me without Pinterest?
Well when I first saw sensory boards for babies I couldn’t wait. I thought it was such an amazing idea for introducing different textures to little ones for sensory development, not to mention how long it will entertain them while I get stuff done nearby. My little one wasn’t even old enough to crawl but I knew in the future I was going to make him his own sensory board. So I waited and waited until finally I felt like he was old enough (in the crawling and standing stage) for a simple sensory board. Up until that point I spent hours of scrolling and pinning and gathering ideas for his board and I finally had it pictured in my mind! The main item I wanted on his board was wipe lids upcycled from the numerous packs of wipes we had used. I also saved up the screw-on tops from the baby food pouches. Collecting the wipe lids and food tops didn’t take near as long as I expected. In fact I had some leftover that I didn’t use. The best part was the wipe lids even kept their stickiness on the back the whole time. I gathered all my other supplies from the dollar store. I walked all around the store, not just the toy isle, gathering items with different textures. Listed below are the supplies I used:
Well when I first saw sensory boards for babies I couldn’t wait. I thought it was such an amazing idea for introducing different textures to little ones for sensory development, not to mention how long it will entertain them while I get stuff done nearby. My little one wasn’t even old enough to crawl but I knew in the future I was going to make him his own sensory board. So I waited and waited until finally I felt like he was old enough (in the crawling and standing stage) for a simple sensory board. Up until that point I spent hours of scrolling and pinning and gathering ideas for his board and I finally had it pictured in my mind! The main item I wanted on his board was wipe lids upcycled from the numerous packs of wipes we had used. I also saved up the screw-on tops from the baby food pouches. Collecting the wipe lids and food tops didn’t take near as long as I expected. In fact I had some leftover that I didn’t use. The best part was the wipe lids even kept their stickiness on the back the whole time. I gathered all my other supplies from the dollar store. I walked all around the store, not just the toy isle, gathering items with different textures. Listed below are the supplies I used:
- Sturdy foam poster board
- Pom poms
- Sticker numbers
- Fun 3-D Stickers
- Felt sheet
- Feathers
- Bead necklace (Mardi Gras Beads)
- Jingle bells
- Pipe cleaners
- Gel-Bead ice packs
- Fuzzy duster
- Glitter glue pens
- Hot glue gun
- Wipe lids
- Pouch tops
When it comes to picking out the fun textures for the board, think safety first. Don’t use things that will break off into small pieces that your child might put in their mouth. I felt all the textures first when considering whether or not to buy them. The cleaning isle has dusters, scrub brushes, sponges. This is where the creativity comes out. You can find so many different textures!
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| I removed the handles and cut the duster down to the right size to fit inside the wipe lid. |
Originally I wanted all the textures to fit inside the wipe lids but after I started constructing it I realized that wasn’t possible. I cut some of them to fit perfectly, others I just glued directly to the board, like the Gel-Beaded Ice pack. Inside the lids I put the bead necklace, felt sheet, Pom poms, feathers, and the fuzzy duster. I arranged everything exactly how I wanted before using the hot glue gun to permanently glue it on. I cut all the stickers out before peeling them and I visualized where I wanted to use the glitter glue. Side note: the glitter glue was just to make it pretty but it also has a cool texture when it dries.
Once I had it all in place, and while my son was taking a nap, I meticulously glued everything into place. Gluing every Pom-Pom, each wipe lid and their respective texture, all the pouch tops in various locations. I used the glitter glue to spell out my sons name. I placed the sticker numbers in opposing spots as the wipe lids. I manufactured the jingle bells to hang from the pipe cleaners and used a lot of glue to get it to stay. In retrospect I would’ve used a ribbon or just skipped the jingle bells in general. It made me so nervous that one might fall off and my son might swallow it. But I made it work. They ended up staying on even though it wasn’t the most attractive part of the board with the dried glue all over the pipe cleaner.
When all the glue was dry and all the stickers were stuck I couldn’t wait to let me son play with it. The board contained so many different textures and it was colorful and vibrant. He enjoyed the gel beaded ice pack and the fuzzy duster. Even the adults who passed by couldn’t help but touch it. He liked swiping the jingle bells because of their noise and he learned how to close the lids. For around $10 at the dollar store I was proud of the result. It provided sensory stimulation for my little one and kept him busy while I get little things done.
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| My son playing with his sensory board months after I made it. (Don't mind the cute pup in the way) |
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