Free Printable Picnic Pretend Play Set

The Picnic Sensory Play Printable

This printable really is so much easier than creating a whole to-do list for the grocery store. There are many reasons to love the Picnic Sensory Play Printable including how simple and versatile the activity is. We already know our kiddos love to touch things and experiment with play. Our other sensory bin ideas are a great testament to sensory play popularity.

Making sensory experiences for our children doesn’t have to be difficult. With a wide variety of bases, materials, and ingredients, you can differentiate sensory play for any child. We can provide you with more information on how to create sensory play opportunities that won’t break the bank.

Check out more of our favorite sensory ideas:

• DIY Sensory Balloons
• Lemon Sensory Bottle
• Bug Sensory Bin

Why Should My Child Use Sensory Bins?

I can give you countless reasons why sensory bins and play is important in a classroom or at home. However, I will get right to the point and not write a dissertation on the benefits of sensory play. Here are a few examples:

Fine Motor Skills: Fine motor skills specifically focus on the small muscles and bones in the fingers and hands. By pinching, picking, tweezing, cutting, and squeezing, children are strengthening these tiny bones and muscles. Fine motor skills are what help us to tie our shoes, brush our teeth, and zip our jackets.

Language Development: Children learn most language skills from adults in their lives. Modeling appropriate and accurate language skills can really give your child a head start in communicating. Ask questions about the texture of the oatmeal. What does it smell like? Have your child make up a story using the picnic pieces. Practice self and parallel talk (narrate what you are doing and what you see someone else doing).

Social Skills: The Picnic Sensory Play Set is a perfect way to practice social play. If your students are playing together, they will need to learn how to share and use positive exchanges with a friend. Play with your child is another opportunity to model turn taking and using kind words. Sharing can be tough, but with persistence and guidance, kids can be kinder than some adults.

How Else Can My Students Benefit?

Another benefit of sensory play is simply to calm or deescalate misbehaviors. Sometimes children can be overstimulated in a noisy classroom and giving them a chance to step away and use their hands in a safe way can remedy the situation. Sand, water, bubbles, Playdough and even slime can soothe an overwhelmed child.

Materials You Will Need for the Picnic Sensory Play Set:

• Paper or cardstock
• Laminating material
• Scissors
• Oatmeal
• Liquid water colors (or food coloring)
• Bin or container

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Picnic Sensory Printables:

Step One:

First and foremost, figure out if you want to use paper or cardstock for your pieces. After your print (on a color printer), you should cut out and laminate the pieces.

Laminating the pieces is important if you want them to remain durable and lost longer than 2 minutes.

Step Two:

 Now it’s time to dye the old fashioned oats.

I saw the most awesome dyed oatmeal! Dyan from And Next Comes L has a tutorial for creating the most gorgeous sensory material I’ve ever seen. You need to check it out.

She used liquid watercolors on hers to give it fantastic, bold colors.

I don’t have liquid watercolors, so I used gel food coloring instead which resulted in some lovely pastels.

Step Three:

And that is pretty much the end of your prep! Add in your picnic printables and have a blast!

Hooray! We Made our Picnic Sensory Set! Now What?

This is not a one and done type of sensory activity. You can put a lid on the container (so no little critters creep in) and use multiple times.

Aside from individual play, the set can also be used in a small group (2-3 students), or as a center activity. You can even switch out the printable pieces for different topics or studies like the Princess Sensory Printable Set.

How Can I Adapt the Play Set?

• Have children find pictures of other types of food in magazines or have them draw their own. Use the different pictures to talk about food groups and eating a healthy combination of fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins.
• Let your child pick out a picture from the play set and identify the letter and letter sound it begins with. “Tell me what letter strawberry starts with” “What sound does S make?” “What other foods start with the letter S?”
• Add in additional play insects to sneak some of the yummy picnic food away. This can be a great opportunity for children to create a silly narrative and practice their story telling skills.

More Ways to Explore Fun with Food

• Play the Food Partner Matching Game with a friend
• Get on board with the Healthy Food Tracker
• Check out the 101 Food Activities for Kids

Frequently Asked Questions

These are frequently asked questions about the Picnic Sensory Play Set:

Let’s Go on a Picnic!

Our basket is packed, blanket is secured, and bug spray is on! Drop us a note to tell us all about your experience with the Picnic Sensory Play Printable.