Sensory Mats

I'm really excited about my latest sensory center edition - and the kids are too, which is what really matters!  I saw the idea on my favorite blog - preschool play, and had to make it for myself.

I took twenty dollars to the dollar store to gather supplies, though I only spent $10, so you can say it was a bargain center with big pay off.  A few days after I took these pictures, I found some faux fur at Walmart, and added an extra mat, but still came in under budget.

When the Christmas decor comes out in August (because it usually does), I'm thinking of getting some tinsel and adding that mat to the collection.

The idea behind the mats is to allow the children a sensory experience that involves their feet, instead of just their hands.

The other part I love about the experience is the opportunity it gives them to practice their skills with removing and replacing their socks.  Even the littlest ones are gung-ho to rip the socks off and get their feet into the experience.

Most of the mats were made with those 12x12 floor tiles with sticky backs.  I added the fur to one, some corrugated cardboard/feathers/felt to another for a mosaic of texture, artificial grass, thick foam (like in pool noodles), and I hot glued makeup sponges to another.  The last of the mats are actually placemats that had some cool textures to explore.

The big kids were all over this activity, though the littlest ones were hesitant at first.

It didn't take long to see the others having fun and jump in with both feet.

Pun intended!