30 Spring + Easter-themed Sensory Activities + Crafts

In this BLOG post I will show you how to create 30 fun, hands-on and engaging spring activities!

If you are looking for fun and festive activities, you have come to the right place! In this blog post I have shared our favorites: from sensory play to crafts to self-regulation.

They are the perfect way to keep your kids creating, playing and learning!

You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children.

Birds Nest Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Dry Spaghetti or Linguini
Brown food coloring
White vinegar
Ziploc bag
Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Small cups or bowls for the 'nest'
Pretend birds or chicks

How-To:

Open a bag of spaghetti and break it into small pieces. Place it in the Ziploc bag.
For every one cup of pasta (this can be an estimate) add 1 tbsp of white vinegar. Then add 5-10 drops of food coloring.
Seal the bag and shake/mix well until the spaghetti is fully covered. If you want a darker color, add more food coloring and mix again.
Pour the mix onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it dry. I like to mix it every 10 minutes or so to keep from sticking.
When it is completely dry, pour it into a sensory bin or tray and PLAY!

Store sensory base in an airtight container and it will last for years!

Cloud Dough:

Materials:

Cornstarch
Hair conditioner or lotion
Mixing cup
Bowl
Spoon
Sensory tray or bowl
Any tools or trinkets you'd like

How-To:

Measure and pour (1) cup of conditioner or lotion into the bowl.
If you are adding food coloring, mix it in to the conditioner now.
Pour in (2) cups of cornstarch.
Mix all of the ingredients until fully incorporated. After you mix your dough, it may still look a bit crumbly. Here's where your hands get a workout! Take the mixture out & knead it. The more you squish & squeeze & smoosh the dough, the softer it gets! As all of the ingredients blend together, the dough becomes silky soft, easy to mold & perfect for little hands.
Place it on your sensory tray or bowl, add in your favorite tools and trinkets and PLAY!

Fork Painting:

Materials:

Plastic fork
Washable paint
Contruction paper
Paintbrush

How-To:

Collect your materials. Since you are using paint, find a spot that is away from fancy rugs or new countertops and cover it with butcher paper, an old sheet or tablecloth.
Squirt out a few colors of paint on a paper dish or sensory tray.
Draw stems using your finger or a paintbrush.
Next, dip the back of your fork into the paint and rock it gently back and forth on top of each stem to create a flower!
Let it dry completely and hang up!

Dirt Planting Bin:

Materials:

2 cups Flour
1/4-1/2 cup Vegetable or coconut oil
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
Sensory tray or bowl
Spoon

How-To:

Pour all of the ingredients into a sensory tray or bowl.
Mix well. I like to go in with my hands to make sure that everything is really incorporated in. The consistency should be soft, but firm. You should be able to make a ball with the mixture but also crumble it up.

If it is too crumbly, add a bit more oil.

If it is too wet, add a bit more flour.

When you are happy with the consistency of the moon sand, dump it into a bowl or sensory tray.
You can add in flowers. scoops, bowls, mini shovels...anything you want!
You can also just go in & explore with your hands which is equally as fun!

Not into flowers? That’s ok! You can also add in:

Plastic bugs
Plastic animals
Wooden or plastic letters or numbers
Cookie cutters
Muffin tins
Cupcake liners

Frozen Pom Poms:

Materials:

Pom Poms
Ie cube tray or bunny mold
Water
Pipettes
Sensory tray or bowl
Cup/bowls

How-To:

Grab a bunny mold or ice cube trays
Fill them with craft pom poms.
Cover with water, pushing the pom poms into the tray.
Freeze for a few hours (or overnight) until solid.
Pop them out and place them in a sensory tray or bowl.
Fill a bowl with warm water and use pipettes to squirt it over the frozen treasure, helping it to melt.
You can also use a wooden mallet to smash the ice to free the pom poms.
When everything melts, you have a water sensory bin to explore!

Pom Poms + Easter Egg Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Plastic eggs
Water
Pom Poms
Sensory bin or bowl

How-To:

Fill a sensory bin or bowl with pom poms, water and plastic eggs.
PLAY!

There are so many opportunities for learning and play here! Kids can work on strengthening fine motor skills, sorting, making patterns, identifying colors and imaginative play!

DIY SLIME:

Materials:

5 ounces of clear, liquid glue
1/2 tablespoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of contact lenses solution
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
Mixing bowl
Mixing cup/spoon
Sensory tray or bowl

The type of contact lenses solution matters! This serves as your activator and what turns your slime into the stretchy, smooth texture that it is! Be sure to look at the ingredients; it needs to contain boric acid!

How-To:

Pour the glue into the bowl.
Add the baking soda, food coloring and glitter (if using) and mix well.
Slowly add the contact lenses solution and stir. As you continue to stir, you will see the slime begin to take shape. Once it is formed into a ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready!
Grab the slime and knead it well. This will assure that all of the materials are incorporated well.
Drop it on your sensory tray or bowl and PLAY!!!

Butterfly Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Bowtie pasta
Sensory bin or tray
Parchment lined baking sheet

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Easter Oobleck:

Materials:

(2) cups Cornstarch
(1) cup Water
Sensory bin or bowls
Spoon
Food coloring
Glitter (optional)
Plastic Easter eggs (optional)

How-To:

Pour corn starch and water into a tub or tray and mix well.
If you are adding food coloring, mix it directly into the water first. Make one batch per color.
Add in your favorite scoops or bowls and PLAY!!

Make observations as you play:

How does it smell?
How does it feel?
What happens when you add more water to the Oobleck bin?
What does it look like as it dries?

Explore color theory: what happens when you mix pink and yellow together?

APFL TIP: If you let Oobleck completely dry out and harden, you can store it in an airtight container. The next time you want to use it, simply add water to reactivate!

Festive Fizzy Fun:

Materials:

Baking soda
Food coloring
White vinegar
Pipette or medicine dropper
Sensory tray or bin
Bowls
Measuring spoons/cups

How-To:

Mix one cup of baking soda with 5-8 drops of food coloring. Mix well: I find using the back of a spoon and pushing down helps to incorporate the colors.
Repeat for each color you want to make.
Pour the mixtures into a sensory bin or tray.
Fill a bowl/cup with white vinegar.
Use a pipette or medicine dropper to squirt the vinegar into the bin. Watch as it bubbles and fizzes!

Black Beans Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Black beans
Sensory bin or tray/bowl
Plastic easter eggs (these carrot ones are from the Dollar Tree)
Scoops, bowls or spoons

How-To:

Pour the dry black beans into your tray.
Add the easter eggs and PLAY!

Homemade Play Dough:

Materials:

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5-10 drops food coloring (optional)
5-8 drops essential oil (optional)

How-To:

Pour all ingredients (except essential oil, if using) into a pan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

When it forms a ball, remove from pan.

After it cools, knead well (add essential oils now, if using).

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months!

Dot Sticker Easter Egg:

Materials:

Butcher paper or construction paper
Dot Stickers
Marker or crayon

How-To:

Draw an Egg shape on your paper.
Draw a variety of lines on the inside of the egg. You can color-code these for older toddlers/kids or keep them all one color.
Peel off the dot stickers and place them on the paper, tracing the lines.

You can match colors or just use any color dot stickers.

You can add in extra learning opportunities by writing numbers, shapes or letters on the dot stickers.

SNOW-Bunny Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Baking soda
Water
Food coloring
Sensory bin or tray
Plastic easter eggs or your favorite scoops/bowls

How-To:

Pour (2) cups baking soda into a bowl.
Measure out (2) tablespoons of water and add 5 drops of food coloring into it. Mix.
Pour water mixture into the baking soda and stir.
Add in your favorite scoops or bowls and PLAY!!

If it feels too crumbly, add more water. If it feels too wet, add more baking soda. The texture should be soft but moldable!

Non-Food Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Easter grass
Plastic Easter eggs
Tongs
Sensory bin or bowl

How-To:

Place all of the materials in a sensory bin or bowl. Practice picking up the eggs, scooping them and moving them to a different bin!

Grass + Flowers Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Orzo pasta
Flower pasta (or flower sprinkles)
Sensory bin or bowl
Scoops

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Pastel Rice Bin:

Materials:

Uncooked rice
Plastic eggs
Sensory bin or bowl
White paint
Pink, green, blue and yellow paint
Ziploc bag or container with lid
Parchment paper or Foil
Baking sheet

How-To:

The key to the pastel colors is adding the white paint!
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
Pour the sensory base into the Ziploc bag or container.
Add your color to the base:
- Acrylic Paint Method: For every 1 cup of base filler, add 4-5 squirts of paint. In addition, add 1-2 squirts of white paint!
Shake and squish until the color is fully incorporated.
If you want the color to be darker, add more food coloring or paint. Shake and squish again!
Pour dyed filler onto the lined baking sheet and spread out.
Let dry for 30 minutes to an hour. Lay out in the sun if possible & it will dry even quicker!

CousCous Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Uncooked couscous pearls
Sensory bin or bowl
Ziploc bag or container with lid
Parchment paper or Foil
Baking sheet

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Crayon-Resist Painting:

Materials:

White crayon
Washable paints
Construction paper

How-To:

Use a white crayon to draw an Easter egg (or design of your choice).
Wet the washable paints and paint on the paper to reveal the magical design!

Fine Motor Fun:

Materials:

Play Dough
Pretend carrots
Tongs or tweezers
Sensory tray or baking dish

How-To:

Flatten play dough onto the tray.
Push the carrots into the dough.
Use the tongs/tweezers to pull them out!

This is so fun and an excellent way to strengthen fine motor skills, work on hand-eye-coordination, counting and more!

Spring Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Uncooked pasta of choice
Sensory bin or bowl
Ziploc bag or container with lid
Parchment paper or Foil
Baking sheet

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Anellini Pasta Spring Bin:

Materials:

Uncooked anellini pasta
Sensory bin or bowl
Ziploc bag or container with lid
Parchment paper or Foil
Baking sheet

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Spring Flowers Sensory Bin:

Materials:

Uncooked flower pasta (or pasta of choice)
Sensory bin or bowl
Ziploc bag or container with lid
Parchment paper or Foil
Baking sheet

How-To:

Check out our full BLOG post HERE, showing the three different ways to dye a dry sensory base!

Spring Moon Sand:

Materials:

2 cups Flour
1/4-1/2 cup Vegetable or coconut oil
Sensory tray or bowl
Spoon
Plastic Easter eggs

How-To:

Pour all of the ingredients into a sensory tray or bowl.
Mix well. I like to go in with my hands to make sure that everything is really incorporated in. The consistency should be soft, but firm. You should be able to make a ball with the mixture but also crumble it up.

If it is too crumbly, add a bit more oil.

If it is too wet, add a bit more flour.

When you are happy with the consistency of the moon sand, dump it into a bowl or sensory tray.
You can add in flowers. scoops, bowls, mini shovels...anything you want!
You can also just go in & explore with your hands which is equally as fun!

Bean Sensory Bin: