Soothing, calming, and appropriate for any season, an epsom salt tray is the perfect sensory activity for kids who need to wind down, relax, or calm angry feelings.
My youngest son enjoyed playing in the epsom salt with glass gems and miniature dragons. He made patterns, created imaginative scenes, pretended the gems were dragon’s eggs, and even practiced writing his name in the salt. He liked the texture between his fingers and the way the salt poured easily out of his hand. He happily played and created for hours!
Later on, we practiced writing his name, some letters and words, and practiced counting with the glass gems. Such a fun way to play and learn!
Calming Epsom Salt Sensory Play
Materials:
- 1 cup of epsom salts
- 1 drop of Stress Away™ essential oil or Lavender essential oil
- tray or bin
- glass gems
- 1 paintbrush
- small toys
Directions:
Stir the epsom salts and essential oil together with a fork, then pour the mixture into a tray. I used Stress Away™ essential oil because it’s my son’s favorite and immediately creates an atmosphere of peace and relaxation. Both of my boys refer to Stress Away™ as “The Relaxing Oil.”
When playtime is over, save the salts in a mason jar for another day. (I added 2 more drops of Stress Away™ and dumped the epsom salts into a warm bath—for me!)
susen @Dabbling Momma says
We have not tried epsom salt sensory play yet. Pinning for future play!
Suzanne says
My two year old still puts everything in his mouth. Do I need to worry about him eating the salt?
Melissa Lennig says
Epsom salts aren’t food. So yes, you “should worry” and refrain from doing this activity with him. Try peanut butter playdough instead: http://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/2015/01/21/peanut-butter-playdough/