For The Tots: Tactile Balloons

Here's a very quick, simple sensorial 'toy' you can make for your little ones to help them learn about textures.  All you need are some balloons and various things from around your house!

I doubled up on the balloons by putting one inside another and then filling the inner one, just in case Curls did put them in his mouth and bite through, I could grab the outer balloon before he busted open the balloon that actually is holding something.  Larger pieced fillers I dropped into the inner balloon using the tip of a baby spoon, while the rest of the fillers I used a small funnel.

You could include virtually anything in your tactile balloons; for Curls I used dry beans, rice, brown sugar, cornstarch, hair gel, and baby powder.

Curls has a thing for balloons, so he loves these!

Here he is examining the texture.

When Curls is using them, I like to use descriptive words for the textures of each balloon, (beans=lumpy, hair gel=squishy, etc.) which helps to increase his understanding of language and vocabulary. 

Of course he had to mouth it, which is why I doubled up on balloons!

There are so many ways you can vary this up to change the activity.  I'm planning on filling a second set of balloons in a different color with the same fillers and use them for a texture matching activity when Curls is a little older!