Squish Bag Stomp

Ages:: Preschoolers (3 to 5), Toddlers (1 to 3)
Play time:: 5 to 10 minutes
Setup:: 10 minutes
Where:: Floor

Why it helps

This fun, sensory activity encourages your little one to explore different textures using their hands and feet, which is wonderful for tactile perception and developing stable balance and body awareness as they walk across the uneven surface.

Steps

Fill several Ziplock Bags about halfway with dry oats (or rice/beans). Ensure all the air is squeezed out before sealing them tightly.
Use masking tape to secure the filled bags flat onto a low, stable floor surface, like the kitchen floor or a sturdy rug, creating a short path or line.
Encourage your toddler to take off their shoes and socks, and gently step onto the taped bags. Use encouraging language like, "Stomp! Can you feel the squish and crunch under your feet?" (For safety, hold hands if they are new to standing/walking.)

Safety tip: Due to the use of small materials (oats) in the bags, constant, close adult supervision is essential. Ensure the Ziplock Bags are taped completely shut before starting the activity to prevent the contents from spilling or being ingested.

Make it easier

Let your child sit in a chair and squish the bags with bare feet before standing on them.
Use a smaller scoop of oats in each bag so it lies flatter and feels steadier underfoot.
Start with a short path of two or three bags.

Make it harder

Spread the bags apart so your child steps or jumps from one to the next.
Fill each bag with something different, like dry oats, cooked pasta, or mashed banana, and talk about how each one feels underfoot.
Walk the path while carrying a stuffed animal in both arms, so the arms cannot help with balance.

What to watch for

Notice how your child moves on the bags. Some kids stomp hard and want more, while others step lightly or tiptoe, and both tell you something useful.
Watch whether your child's arms go out to the sides for balance, and whether that changes as the bags start to feel familiar.
If bare feet on the bags feel like too much, let your child wear socks or start by squishing the bags with their hands.

Where this helps in daily life

Feeling different textures underfoot and staying steady on a shifting surface help with walking on grass, sand, and playground mulch, and with stepping on and off curbs.

These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.