Inexpensive Summer Sensory Activities for Preschoolers

Summer is a season full of possibilities and adventures, especially for young children. As the warm sun rays beam down and the sweet smell of blooming flowers fill the air, preschoolers are itching to explore and learn about the world around them.

But why just rely on sight and sound when there are so many other senses to stimulate and engage? In this article, we will dive into the world of summer sensory activities for preschoolers, providing you with a roadmap of fun and educational ideas to keep your little ones busy all season long.

So let's get started on this sensory-filled journey together, creating unforgettable summer memories for both you and your preschooler.

2026 UPDATE This post is over 13 years old. The preschooler photographed below just graduated from high school. Some of the references are a bit dated, but I am leaving them for nostalgia.

Instead of Team Umizoomi add the figures from your child's favorite shows, or dinosaurs or mini animal figures. Then let their creativity take it from there.

Fun with Ice

I call this "Fun in a Box". Ok, Dr. Seuss already used that one, how about ice in a tub outside on a hot day?

On the last day of preschool J and his classmates spent about 30 minutes playing with ice like this. Grab what you have in the kitchen and let them have at it. The scoops and tongs help work fine motor skills. Hinged salad servers work well too.

Or just let them play with their hands while they get the tactile feel of cold and slippery. If you want to make it academic write numbers on some cups and have them put that many ice cubes in the cup.   Like this:

He played with that set up for about 15 minutes and then Team Umizoomi wanted to go to Ice World. Which continued the fun long enough for me to finish what I was doing!

Squeeze Bottle Painting

One positive to coloring my hair is all those swell applicator bottles I diligently rinse out and save. Or you can buy some on Amazon. A little paint, a little water, some big pieces of paper...

A little water being the operative term. The red got watered down a bit too much. Oh well it worked anyway even if it was a bit runny.

If you don't have, or don't want to use squeeze bottles, finger paints are a time honored classic for a reason.

Squeeze Bottle Painted Cards and Posters

Once the paint above dried we made a birthday card,

and a heart to decorate a Just Because I Love You present. This is a direct reference to an episode of Team Umizoomi, the only thing I didn't write on it was the street address of 6 Crescent Street.

Colored Rice

This one I got off of Pinterest: Rice Colored with Powdered Drink Mix.

This recipe is better than the one I originally used that contained rubbing alcohol. This uses vinegar which is safer when (not if) the kids put it in their mouths.

A few of the colors (like the yellow and orange) were a little pale, even with adding a whole packet of kool-aid, so I just added a few drops of food coloring before setting it out to dry.

You can put it in a tub and let the kids just play with it enjoying the smell and the feel. Or glue them on some paper (which we did and I forgot to take a picture of).

Other Ideas

Here are a few more fun and inexpensive ideas we didn't try, but would be great:

Chia Seed Slime from Raising Wild Things Sensory

Edible Sand (using Froot Loops!) from Fun Sensory Play

Frozen Dinosaur Eggs from Kids Kubby

Ice Painting from Montessori from the Heart

Moon Sand from One Little Project

Summer Sensory Calendar

Every morning we "check the schedule" to find our fun activity for the day.

This calendar was created by the MVUSD OT Dept (for those that don't speak alphabet soup that's Murrieta Valley Unified School District Occupational Therapy Department). They put out a new one every year and we did them just about every summer through elementary school.

Great sensory activities, most of which you already have the equipment on hand, plus working on calendar skills. Woohoo!

So what fun things are you doing this summer?

Got any ideas for great cheap fun for kids? Please share!