4 Fall Sensory Bags for Babies and Toddlers

These fall sensory bags contain leaves, acorns and pony beads to create visual stimulation and fine motor play for kids. Great for babies and toddlers.

Sensory bags provide so many fun learning opportunities for kids.

They use fine motor skills to move the contents about while stimulating their visual sense.

What you need for your fall sensory bags:

• clear hair gel
• quart-sized plastic bags
• fall leaf confetti
• plastic acorns
• fabric/plastic leaves
• yellow, orange and brown pony beads
• black permanent marker
• duct tape (optional)

To make the fall sensory bags

Add hair gel to each bag, about a quarter of the way up.

To the gel add the various fall items and draw a scene on the front of the bag.

We chose to use fall leaf confetti, plastic acorns, fabric leaves and some calico or "Indian" corn-colored pony beads. These items were found at the dollar store for all four bags for less than $10.

Duct tape the top and sides of the bag if you are worried that children might pop open the bags and potentially choke on the contents.

1. Falling-leaves sensory bag

Draw a basic tree with branches on the front of the bag and add the leaf confetti to the hair gel.

Children can move the leaves about the tree, helping the leaves fall to the ground or going back on the tree.

When playing with the leaf bag, discuss the shape of the leaves, and any other details. The confetti might be shiny or metallic, these are great details to discuss with your little ones!

2. Calico-corn sensory bag

Draw a rough picture of a corn cob on the front of the bag. Children can place the corn kernels inside the cob by sliding the beads with their fingers. Older children might be able to line them up in rows or even create patterns with the colors.

3. Feed-the-squirrel sensory bag

Draw a squirrel shape on the front of the bag and add acorns to the gel. Now children can feed the squirrel its acorns!

The acorn bag provides a great opportunity to discuss these nuts, which trees they grow on and which animals like to eat them, all while minimizing the choking hazard of playing with them for babies and toddlers.

4. Raking-leaves sensory bag

Draw a bin and a rake on the front of the bag. Add the fabric leaves to the gel in the bag.

Children can use their fingers to rake the leaves into the bin. Then, ‘spill’ the bin out, and do it again!

Tape the sensory bags to a window to see how the sun shines through them. There are so many ways to play and learn with these, the opportunities are endless. Have so much fun making your fall sensory bags for babies and toddlers! Psst…older kids love playing with these too.

Katie Chiavarone holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from NYU and is a mom to three young children. She co-authored the book The Undeniable Power of Play. This post is adapted from her blog, Views From a Step Stool.