Sensory learning is a hot topic these days, but it doesn't have to be difficult to incorporate at home! In this post, I'll be sharing one of my favourite sensory activities for little learners that requires only a few simple materials!

Gather These Items:

• White paper (watercolour paper works best, but cardstock, construction paper, or copy paper work fine too!)

• Paintbrush

• Cup of water

• Plate or surface to pour spices

• Spices for painting

  • Note: You'll want fragrant spices that also have colour. Take a look through your spices at home and pick a few that are fragrant and/or have bright colours. We used cloves, paprika, sage, and turmeric.

Paint:

1. Prep: Start by pouring out a small amount of spice onto a plate or other surface. You really don't need much, about 1/2 tsp is enough to get started, and you can add more as needed. Let your little one help you measure and pour for practice!

2. Observe: Ask your child what they notice about the spice. What does it look like? What does it smell like? Let them know what the spice is called.

3. Paint: Dip paintbrush into water until wet. Mix the spice into a "paint" using the wet brush. Then, go ahead and paint! Encourage your little one to paint whatever they'd like, noticing what colour the spice makes as they paint and what it smells like. Mix more "paint" as needed by adding more water to the spice.

4. Repeat: Add more colours by trying out another spice. Ask your little one what they notice about the difference in how the new spice looks and smells compared to the other spice. Continue painting with different spices.

In the photo above, we used paprika (orange sun), turmeric (yellow flowers), sage (green stems), and cloves (brown soil).

5. Dry: When finished, allow painting to dry and wash brush thoroughly to remove spice. Enjoy your new sensory painting!

Looking for more preschool craft ideas? Our A-Z Learning Letters bundle includes a fun craft idea for each letter of the alphabet, plus a variety of themed activities to go with the letter! Click below to get started.