10 Play Activities for Nannies to Develop Children’s Sensory and Motor Skills

Dive into the magic of learning through play!

Play isn’t just about having fun; it’s a crucial part of a child’s development. It helps them build essential skills while exploring the world around them. In this post, we’ll explore 10 hands-on activities that combine fun with educational value. Perfect if you are a nanny, governess or considering a job in childcare and looking to enrich your skillset!

 1. Sensory Exploration with Homemade PlaydoughObjective: Enhance fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory development.

Instructions:

• Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
• Add Colour: If using food colouring, add a few drops to the water before mixing.
• Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the water (and colouring) to the dry ingredients, stirring continuously until a dough forms.
• Knead: Once combined, knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and pliable. Add essential oil if desired for an extra sensory experience.
• Play: Provide various tools like rolling pins, cookie cutters, and plastic utensils for shaping and moulding. Encourage children to create shapes, letters, or even simple sculptures.

How It Helps: This activity strengthens hand muscles and coordination, stimulates creativity, and provides sensory feedback through touch and smell.

2. Nature Scavenger HuntObjective: Develop observation skills, cognitive abilities, and appreciation for nature.

Materials:

1. Scavenger hunt list (can be homemade or printed)
2. Small bags or containers for collecting items
3. Optional: magnifying glasses

Instructions:

• Prepare the List: Create a list of items commonly found in your outdoor environment, such as a leaf, a rock, a feather, or a flower.
• Set Up: Take the children to a garden, park, or playground.
• Hunt and Collect: Give each child a list and a collection bag. Let them explore and collect items from the list.
• Discuss Findings: After the hunt, gather and discuss the collected items. Talk about their colours, textures, and the role they play in nature.

How It Helps: This activity fosters observational skills, teaches about the natural world, and promotes problem-solving as children identify and collect items.

3. Homemade Puzzle CreationObjective: Build problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination.

Materials:

1. Cardboard or thick paper
2. Markers or paints
3. Scissors
4. Glue (optional for assembly)

Instructions:

• Design the Puzzle: Draw or paint a picture on a piece of cardboard or thick paper.
• Cut Out Pieces: After the design is complete and dry, cut the picture into puzzle pieces. For younger children, use fewer and larger pieces.
• Assemble: Mix up the pieces and ask the children to put the puzzle back together.

How It Helps: This activity enhances cognitive skills and spatial reasoning, encouraging children to solve problems and improve fine motor skills as they manipulate puzzle pieces.

4. DIY Sensory BottlesObjective: Promote visual and auditory stimulation, focus, and relaxation.

Materials:

1. Empty plastic bottles with lids
2. Water
3. Glitter, beads, small plastic toys, or coloured rice
4. Glycerine or baby oil (for slow-moving items)

Instructions:

• Prepare the Bottle: Fill the bottle halfway with water.
• Add Sensory Materials: Add glitter, beads, or small toys to the bottle. For a slower-moving effect, mix in a bit of glycerine or baby oil.
• Seal and Shake: Secure the lid tightly and shake the bottle. If desired, you can glue the lid on to prevent spills.
• Play: Encourage children to observe the bottle’s contents as they move around and interact with the sensory effects.

How It Helps: Sensory bottles are great for calming and focusing, offering a visual and auditory sensory experience that helps children develop concentration and relaxation skills.

5. DIY Shadow BoxesObjective: Encourage creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding of light and shadow.

Materials:

1. Empty shoeboxes
2. Black construction paper
3. Small flashlights or lamps
4. Scissors
5. Tape or glue
6.  Various small objects for creating shadows (e.g., toy figures, leaves, cut-out shapes)

Instructions:

• Prepare the Box: Cut out a section on one side of the shoebox to create a viewing window. Cover the inside of the box with black construction paper to make the interior dark.
• Create Scenes: Place small objects inside the box to create a scene or arrange shapes.
• Add Light: Shine a flashlight or lamp through the window to cast shadows of the objects on the box’s interior.
• Explore: Allow children to adjust the objects and light source to see how the shadows change.

How It Helps: This activity fosters creativity and fine motor skills while teaching children about light, shadow, and perspective.

 Try making this simple but awesome Real Life Minecraft Creeper Head

6. Indoor Obstacle CourseObjective: Develop gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and problem-solving.

Materials:

1. Various household items (e.g., cushions, chairs, blankets, cardboard boxes)
2. Tape or rope (to mark boundaries or paths)

Instructions:

• Set Up: Create an obstacle course using household items. Arrange cushions for crawling, chairs for weaving, and blankets for jumping over or crawling under.
• Explain the Course: Show the children how to navigate through the obstacles.
• Play: Let the children take turns completing the course, either individually or in small groups. Encourage them to time their runs or complete the course in creative ways.

How It Helps: This activity enhances physical coordination, balance, and problem-solving as children figure out how to navigate through different challenges.

7. Hula Hoop HopObjective: Enhance coordination, balance, and agility.

Materials:

1. Hula hoops
2. Cones or markers

Instructions:

• Set Up: Lay out hula hoops on the ground in a line or pattern, spaced at varying distances.
• Create a Course: Arrange the hoops in different patterns, such as a zigzag or circle. You can also stack them or place them at different heights.
• Play: Children should hop or step through the hoops without touching the sides or falling. Add variations like hopping on one foot or skipping.

How It Helps: This activity improves balance, coordination, and agility as children navigate through the hoops while performing different movements.

8. Pillow Mountain ClimbObjective: Strengthen gross motor skills, balance, and climbing abilities.

Materials:

1. Large pillows or cushions
2. Soft mats or blankets (optional, for safety)

Instructions:

• Build the Mountain: Arrange pillows or cushions in a stack or scattered pattern to create a “mountain” that children can climb over.
• Create a Path: Set up a starting point and a finishing point, with the pillows forming the main climbing area.
• Play: Children climb over the pillows to reach the finishing point. For added fun, you can time them or create a themed adventure (e.g., climbing a “mountain” to find treasure).

How It Helps: This activity helps build strength and balance as children climb and maneuver over the pillows, enhancing their gross motor skills.

 9. Tunnel CrawlObjective: Improve crawling skills, spatial awareness, and upper body strength.

Materials:

1. Large cardboard boxes, play tunnels, or blankets draped over furniture
2. Soft mats or blankets (optional, for safety)

Instructions:

• Set Up: Create a tunnel system using cardboard boxes or by draping blankets over furniture. Ensure the tunnels are large enough for children to crawl through comfortably.
• Create a Course: Design a course with multiple tunnels or sections that children must crawl through.
• Play: Children crawl through the tunnels from start to finish. You can add challenges like crawling through tunnels with a small toy or object they must carry.

How It Helps: This activity enhances crawling skills, spatial awareness, and upper body strength as children navigate through the tunnels.

10. Sensory Painting with Nature BrushesObjective: Stimulate creativity, sensory exploration, and fine motor skills.

Materials:

1. Large sheets of paper or canvas
2. Natural items (e.g., leaves, flowers, sticks)
3. Non-toxic paint
4. Plates or trays for paint

Instructions:

• Prepare Paints: Pour various colours of paint onto plates or trays.
• Create Brushes: Gather natural items like leaves, flowers, and sticks to use as brushes.
• Paint: Encourage children to dip their natural brushes into the paint and create artworks on the paper or canvas.
• Explore: Allow children to experiment with different textures and patterns created by their nature brushes.

How It Helps: This activity encourages artistic expression and fine motor skills while also integrating sensory experiences through different textures and materials.

These activities are designed to be both fun and educational, offering children a range of ways to develop important skills while enjoying their playtime. Feel free to adapt these ideas to better fit your specific needs and the children in your care.

Remember to always ensure safety first for children! Happy playing and learning!

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