Sensory play

Barefoot Texture Path

Here's one to try together!

Shoes off! Can your toes tell bubble wrap from rice without any peeking?

20 min10 min prepAges 6 and upmedium mess

Reviewed by our team.

Safety first

wet tray can be slippery, so hold a grown-up's hand when stepping on it
walking with eyes closed raises the risk of tripping or falling, so an adult should guide
loose rice, sand, or pebbles on the floor can be slippery underfoot
small pebbles and loose rice or sand are small items that should not be put in the mouth

What you need

Grown-up prep: Lay towels on the floor in a clear, open stretch of hallway or room. Keep a dry towel at the end for wet feet.

Set out your trays and towels in a row, one surface on each.
Crumple the paper into loose, scrunchy balls and spread them out.
Take off your shoes and socks and wiggle your toes.
Walk the path slowly and say how each surface feels.
Ask: Which surface do you think will feel the strangest on your feet?
Choose your favorite and your least favorite surface.
Close your eyes and walk again while a grown-up holds your hand.
Guess each surface by feel before you peek.
Ask: What clues in your feet told you what it was?
Swap the order of the surfaces and walk the new path.
Wipe your feet on the dry towel. Now invite someone to try, or build a longer path!
Ask: What other surface could we add to make the path even trickier?

Mystery path: a helper secretly reorders the trays, then you guess the order with eyes closed.
Describe it: say three words for each surface, with no repeats allowed.
Hand version: reach into a covered box of textures and guess with your hands instead.

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