Sensory Box for Toddlers

This is another Pintrest find, lately I have been looking for things specific to toddlers. Salean is very active and I would like her to have more things to play with, but less toys, if you get what I mean. This was an easy one to make, I managed it in about three hours. She actually napped those three hours!! It was the longest she had napped since she was about 2 months old! A few days later, I spent another 15 minutes or so repairing it. She's pretty rough :-)

Basically I took a box and just threw a bunch of stuff on it. This is the inside. I used a small box that some books came in. I ended up gluing it closed with hot glue because after the first playtime, she tore off the tape that had sealed it closed.

The ribbons: purple, maroon, pink stripes, black with dots, and the yarn, are pulling toys. Pull one end, it grows and the other side shrinks.

Side one: A foam snowman, pink ribbon for pulling, yarn for pulling and two elastics for strumming. I also painted on some hearts to look pretty. The snowman is hot glued on, but he lost his arms pretty quickly.

Side two: Some pipe cleaners for petting (so soft!), a ribbon for pulling and Salean's name. It is mostly pulled off, as well. If I were to make this again, I would skip the foam pieces.This ribbon she pulled out after the first playtime, so I had to put a gob of hot glue on it so it could only pull so far.

Side three: Some mini pom poms for pulling/petting, more pulling ribbons and a shoelace. I had to give the pompoms more glue after the first playtime, and after a few playtimes the pink one is almost pulled off.

Side four: some more ribbons for pulling and some bug pasta for texture. They are stuck on pretty good!

And the top: two textured ribbons, some googly eyes, another pulling ribbon, a giant pompom and some lines of hot glue for texture. Since this was taken, I added some more glue to the ribbon and pompoms and two more strips of hot glue for texture.

As you can see, she really enjoys it. Everything to make it I had around the house, I think the only thing I bought was the two textured ribbons on top, and they were on sale for 50 cents each, and I have plenty left for another project.

Sorry so blurry, she moves fast!! So, apparently cheap homemade toys rock! I can't wait to make more!

Have a good week, everyone!!

~Natasha.