I love thinking of creative toys for kids.  My kids always seem to love the DIY stuff we make for them and they are both big on sensory play.  So it's no surprise that we love sensory boards here at Fun at Home with Kids.  Once you've checked out the two versions of sensory boards we share here, you might also want to see our Outdoor Music Sensory Sound Wall and our Kid-Made Nature Sensory Board for babies.

X already has a lot of traditional baby toys that he inherited from his sister, so for his Christmas presents, I wanted to "think outside the box" a bit.  

For the first present, I decided to make two sensory boards that hung on our walls, close to the ground, so that they could easily be reached by a sitting baby.  Since part of the board would be too high for a sitting baby - more appropriate for a standing baby or older child, I decided to incorporate items that big sister would find interesting/challenging, as well as some items that would intrigue a toddler (for when X is older).  I went to the Dollar Store and Home Depot and searched the aisles for buttons, switches, locks - anything that might be engaging for a baby and beyond.

The boards themselves are made from a single precut piece of MDF.  You can find these in the lumber section of Home Depot.  While there I had them cut the board in half (these put together are the size of the prefab boards).  We hung the boards with wood screws to make sure that they would be very secure.  Other items are mostly mounted with screws, though the texture blocks (free samples from Home Depot!) and the mirror are mounted with hot glue.

When he first got his presents at Christmas, X's favorite things were the texture squares, the mirror, the touchlight (we need to turn it on for him), and the dangling chains (he loves the sound of them).  Since then, he's already expanded his repertoire to spinning the wheels and is showing a lot of interest in the lower light switch and the door chain (which he's seen big sister succesfully manipulate several times).

S loves helping him turn on the touchlight, and showing him all the different locks she can do.  At first she couldn't unlock all three carabiners, or the keyed lock, but now she can do both!  The only remaining item that challenges her is the combination lock.

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Since X is very interested in textures, I also decided to make a feeling wall for him.  I went to a fabric store and shopped just by feeling (it was actually pretty fun - though my cart looked a bit insane by the end!).  I found some multicolored plastic embroidery hoops and used them to display the different fabrics.  While he's touching, we give him the words to describe what he's seeing and feeling ("rough", "sparkly", "bumpy", "shiny").  This is another good way to incorporate an older child - as they can help explain the textures to their younger sibling.

Though I initially hung the fabric hoops directly to the wall, I've since upgraded to mounting them to another MDF square as I feel they are more secure that way, so I would suggest going that route initially if you are planning on making something like this.  

 I incorporated S into this wall by cutting small squares of each fabric and putting them into a large drawstring bag (you can just make it out in the below picture behind X's head).  We play a game where she picks a fabric circle, and then with eyes closed, she uses her hands to feel around in the bag and find a match.  It's actually fairly challenging with some of the fabrics!  

Though I enjoy the look of the embroidery hoops, you can certainly just use fabric swatches, or mount them to cardboard, etc, as the method of presentation.  I really liked the idea of a wall mount to encourage X to explore with his eyes and his hands vs. just his mouth (which I felt like he would be prone to doing if I just handed him swatches).

You can see more of our playroom in this post on Designing Playspaces: Our Playroom.

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.