S’mores Sensory Activities for Preschoolers
This S’mores sensory bin combines number recognition, shape practice, counting, and early writing in one playful preschool activity.
Yield: 1 activity
Materials
- Cotton balls
- Printable marshmallow number cards
- Printable chocolate shape cards
- Shallow sensory bin or container
- Graham crackers or sand
- Resealable bag and rolling pin, if using graham crackers
- Shallow foil pan or tray
- Unsharpened pencil or finger
- Scissors
- Cardstock or printer paper
- Laminator and laminating sheets, optional
Instructions
- Print and cut apart the marshmallow number cards and chocolate shape cards.
- Fill a shallow sensory bin with cotton balls.
- Hide the printable cards among and underneath the cotton balls.
- If using graham crackers, place them in a resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Pour a thin layer of graham cracker crumbs or sand into a shallow foil pan or tray.
- Invite children to find and identify a number or shape in the sensory bin.
- Have them draw the corresponding number or shape in the writing tray.
- Gently shake the tray to smooth the surface before beginning another turn.
Notes
Use the numbers 0–10 and the shape cards for the core preschool activity. Add numbers 11–20 for children who are ready to recognize and sequence larger numbers.
A shallow foil pan contains the graham cracker crumbs better than a paper plate and makes it easier to smooth the writing surface between turns.
The graham cracker crumbs worked during testing, although larger crumbs sometimes fell back into the traced lines. I tested moon sand and did not like the result. Actual sand may be worth trying, but I did not personally test it with this activity.
Adult supervision is recommended. Cotton balls and printable pieces should not be placed in the mouth.