There’s nothing like the festive season to enchant all of the senses. From twinkling lights to the smell of gingerbread, excitement fills the air. And with Santa on the way, it’s an especially magical time for little ones. To make the most of these precious times and keep kids engaged, Christmas sensory play is lots of fun and hugely beneficial to your tot’s development. Throw in the enchantment of storytelling and you’ll have so many joyful activities to enjoy over the holidays. Here, we share our favourite Christmas sensory play ideas, from immersive fairytales to hot and cold sensory play.
Christmas sensory play ideas
Winter sensory play with water, lights, and bubbles!
Water sensory play is the perfect way to make bath time more fun and engaging, even for the most tub-resistant tots. And the colder weather makes it an even cosier experience. Turn the bathroom into a Christmas sensory play wonderland with tactile water play activities, from festive-themed foam shapes and sponges to magical lights and bubbles. The BABY born Bath Bathtub has mesmerising colour-changing lights and splashing sounds, just perfect for indoor winter sensory play. Both this tub and the BABY born Bath Walk-In Shower have fully functional showers – simply add a squirt of bubble bath and bring a doll friend like BABY born Magic Girl or Boy in for a frothy festive splash!
Get curious with hot and cold sensory play
Exploring temperature with little ones encourages them to learn through exploration, curiosity, and problem solving. For babies and toddlers, hot and cold sensory play can be as simple as presenting them with a block of ice (big enough to not pose a choking hazard) and a bowl of warm (not hot) water. For a Christmas sensory play spin, drop candy canes into water, then let curious hands play and explore. And for a truly magical experience, let your dinky bather take BABY born Little Sister Mermaid into the tub. She has a real swishing tail that changes colour in warm water – perfect for hot and cold sensory play!
Create a look for the mermaid festive ball!
Bringing mermaids into your Christmas sensory play creates double the magic! Aspiring stylists can get BABY born Sister Styling Mermaid Head all ready for the festive underwater ball – immersing themselves in creativity with the shell-shaped shower head, hair brush, tiara and pretty pastel clips. And don’t forget to invite your little one’s favourite bathable dolls to the ball! When the bathtime salon closes and the seasonal sea ball is over, let your water babe wrap their bath buddy up all snug in the super-soft BABY born Christmas Reindeer Onesie, complete with Rudolph’s shiny red nose!
Dazzle the senses with dress-up doll play
Oh how fun it is to style BABY born doll friends in lots of jazzy festive looks! With a wide range of BABY born clothing designed for tiny hands to practice dressing, there’s an outfit for every occasion. Mini merrymakers will be very excited to pick out a special party outfit for their stylish doll buddy, especially BABY born’s Christmas Dress and Christmas Outfit! To bring in Christmas sensory play, ask your little one to feel each texture and name the colours – from the fluffy red Santa hat to the shiny gold leggings to the green cord trousers.
Festive sensory storytelling
Children instinctively love stories and there’s no better time than Christmas to snuggle up with a fairytale. For storytelling that incorporates indoor winter sensory play, BABY born Storybook Fairies keep young imaginations intrigued and engaged. Each of the six 18cm Storybook Fairies come with their own story booklet, double-sided backdrop and stand with lights. With so many amazing features and accessories to choose from, little ones can build their own fairy worlds with which the story is set in. Choose from Fairy Ice, Fairy Peach, Fairy Poppy, Fairy Rainbow, Fairy Rose and Fairy Violet, then let them all play together in the magical Storybook Cottage, which features a swing, telescope, and roof terrace. Explore the fairy games and storybook videos for even more exciting adventures.
For more Christmas themed sensory play ideas, explore the BABY born festive gift guide or use our special gift finder to take the stress out of shopping this year.
