Sensory and Messy Play Fun & Enrichment

Make this school year unforgettable with messy play visits from Sensory Play Labs!

A chance for your students to dive into the excitement and fun as they scoop, squish, splash, fizz, mix, scoop, dig, dump and pour in all of the ways they love!

All of the skill building, brain boosting, irresistibly fun power of sensory play brought directly to students—turning your space into a hands-on Play Lab filled with colorful materials, discovery stations and more.

Play that sparks curiosity, gets students moving, problem solving and exploring!

For early learners 6 months-6 years.

Sensory Play Research & CItations
Our play-based curriculum isn't just fun—it is intentionally designed and supported by peer-reviewed early childhood development research. Below are the foundational studies, academic papers, and official educational frameworks that support the developmental milestones promoted in our weekly themed programs.
1. Emotional Regulation & Calmer Classrooms
- The Research: Structured access to sensory and messy materials directly stabilizes a young child's emotional state, reduces overstimulation, and decreases challenging behaviors by providing a safe, physical outlet for stress.
- Academic Citation:
  Holt, H. (2025). The impact of sensory materials on the behavior of children in early childhood education (Honors Theses, SUNY Cortland). SUNY Cortland Digital Commons.
2. Attention Span, Brain Development, & Cognitive Reasoning
- The Research: Because sensory learning originates through physical touch, sight, and sound, "messy" play serves as a vital workout for the brain. It builds complex neural pathways, increases hand-eye-brain coordination, and directly helps children practice blocking out environmental distractions to build a stronger attention span.
- Academic Citation:
  Midgley, L. (2014). Support sensory integration through messy play. Early Years Educator, 16(5), 38–44. doi.org [1]
3. Problem Solving & Early Scientific Inquiry
- The Research: Because sensory materials are entirely open-ended, there is no single "right answer." This allows children to freely experiment with early STEM concepts like gravity, volume, cause-and-effect, and structural integrity through trial and error.
- Educational Framework Citation:
  Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. American Academy of Pediatrics.
4. Confident & Independent Exploration
- The Research: Allowing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to control their own pace in an intentionally messy environment builds robust self-confidence, self-directed learning habits, and high levels of autonomy.
- Federal Agency Citation:
  Head Start. (2025). Designing messy play for infants and toddlers. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.

INFANT/TODDLER VISITS

For ages 6 months-2.9 years.

Pre-K & Kindergarten Visits

For ages 2.5-6 years.

Close-up of a young girl with closed eyes and brown hair, wearing a blue jacket, blowing into a colorful water balloon with various colored beads inside, outdoors on grass.

Big FUN. Big IMPACT.

Make this year unforgettable!

Now Booking 2026/2027 School Year + Summer

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ONE TIME FUN VISITS
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4–12 WEEK SESSIONS OF RECURRING VISITS

Booking Request Form

Contact us

Messy play is important play. We make it easy to offer students more of it.

Thoughtfully created. Teacher led. Setup and Cleaned up.

Play has big benefits for students and classrooms!

Hands-on. Big Fun. Big Impact.

Inspires curiosity.

Sparks creativity.

Supports calmer classroom engagement.

Enthusiastic engagement!

Independent problem solving.

Early STEM.

Builds skills for emotional regulation, resilience and self-motivated learning.

Memorable.

Show parents that that your school stands out when it comes to hands-on learning.

INFANT/TODDLER VISITS

Exciting visits and programs for the littlest learners! Hands-on fun created to be safe and mouthing friendly!

Recommended for 6-18 Months.

Our littlest explorers dig and climb through fun-filled activities like a Messy Farm or Squishy Ocean. The infant program is packed with sense-stimulating, tactile materials, creative play parts, animals, squishy, stretchy, splashy things and single step "experiments" safe for mouthing. Play options include edible and taste-safe material options.

Infant Program and Booking Options

Style: Big Discovery Stations Visits
Play time: 30/45/60 Minutes
Students engage in open explore play of 3-5 big discovery stations. Each station features it’s own messy sensory materials, creative play parts, sensory tools, containers and exciting add-ins. Each station invites students to investigate, experiment, explore, scoop, squish, mix, dig, dump, and discover through hands-on, open-ended play.
Included:
Sensory curriculum to align with age and developmental goals.
All sensory and messy materials.
Play teacher.
Smocks, cleanup materials.
Indoor/Outdoor options
Floor coverings.
Allergy friendly.
Customizable activities and materials.
Style: Discovery Stations + Messy Movers Activity (45-60 minutes)
Style: Messy Movers Activity only. (30mins)
Messy Movers Activity: Littles come together to explore an extra messy material in multiple ways. Sensory teacher guided to add in new elements in a structured way helping to extend engagement and prolong attention spans.
Materials are exciting for little hands while being safe and mouthing friendly. Options for taste safe and fully edible materials.
Customizable for class allergies. *We avoid most allergens. No nuts, eggs, dairy.
Bring the Play Lab to school for a celebration, holiday or just for a fun treat!
Students will dive into exciting sensory stations featuring messy and sense-stimulating materials to explore in all of the messy ways they love!
60 Minutes
Indoor/Outdoor options.
Smocks and cleanup supplies provided.
Music and bubbles available.
A full sensory curriculum for students lasting September -June.
Four Sessions: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Offered as weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits.
Each Session:
- 8-10 Classes
- 4 sensory curriculums
- New activities and materials
- More opportunities to use newly acquired abilities
- New chances to explore previous materials in new ways. (Not heavily repetitive.)
- Reinforces all of the skill building and brain boosting developmental benefits.
Play Style: Big Discovery Stations + Individual Activities (every other week rotation. )
Big Extras:
- A learning guide for teachers to encourage added learning during play- language acquisition, sensory identification, learning during play A customized resource of how to incorporate program materials and activities into the classroom.
- Seasonal Sensory Play Classroom Kit and Sensory Table Fillers
- One hands-on sensory play professional development workshop for teachers.
- One 60-90 minute Family Play Day. Weekend or weekday. A hands-on play event for students and their parents to get in on the fun! One annually for classrooms purchasing 3- 4 sessions. Available for purchase for all others.
- Optional: Quarterly curriculum meeting for teachers or school administration to collaborate on class specific goals.
- Classes taught by Program Director/Founder of Sensory Play Labs.
- Quarterly newsletter style update letting parents know more about sensory play and details about the program and how activities benefit growth and development.
Each session builds on the last, providing students with new opportunities, new challenges, new activities and new sensory materials. Students progress to each session with new skills, an expanded sensory library and confidence in their own abilities.
Watch hesitant students gain confidence in themselves and lose the fear of messy hands. See impulsive sensory seekers explore in more complex ways. See the impact of consistent exposure to this fun and developmentally meaningful play.

Email Us

Booking Request Form

Two children, a girl and a boy, playing with sand toys outdoors. The girl is wearing a colorful dress and a blue headscarf, holding a toy, while the boy is wearing overalls, a beige cap, and a gray shirt, reaching into a pink container.

Young girl in pink shirt and striped pants playing with a large red, shiny object outdoors on grass.

A smiling baby girl wearing a colorful sun hat and a rainbow-striped shirt, lying on her stomach, celebrating her birthday outdoors with a colorful blanket and birthday decorations, including a clear plastic bag filled with rainbow sprinkles and a yellow number 3 birthday candle.

A young child with reddish hair sitting on the floor, wearing a red shirt and gray pants, playing with colorful beads and a small clear container filled with beads, with a yellow and blue tray of beads in front of him.

Our program is more than just fun, it’s a thoughtfully designed curriculum that provides a meaningful boost to growth and development in early learners.
Each session promotes:
• Emotional regulation and calmer classroom engagement.
• Longer attention spans and increased task persistence.
• Reasoning and independent problem solving.
Skills Children Build & Practice
• Gross, fine motor and pre-writing.
• Scooping, pouring, sorting, transferring, mixing and other real life skills.
Executive function skills including decision making and self-directed play,
• Early math and STEM foundations, cause/effect, volume, counting, organizing, sorting, multi-step processes, symbolic thinking.
Group play stations promote teamwork and collaboration.
Activities are are packed with imaginary play opportunities too!
Say YES to the MESS! Play can be tailored to emphasize specific needs.
Play is designed with input from educators and each activity, material and session feature core elements from research-backed insight into what makes sensory play most effective, most engaging (and the most fun!)
Whether it’s a one time fun visit or a yearly program, there are many ways to work with us.
Big or small. We love working with you!
By classroom- teacher, parent, PTA.
By school- per grade, per program by administration, enrichment blocks, program directors.
Early Ed programs, recreation departments, individual franchises and everything in between.
Currently we only book locally in Massachusetts.
Reach out for more information or check out our booking request form at the bottom of this page.

Our activities are beyond average. This is our specialty and we ensure play is memorable with totally unique sense-stimulating materials we create. The real magic of our activities is in both the materials and in the ways we extend engagement. All of the fun extras and surprises that motivate students to try new things and explore in new ways.
We make play that’s tailored by age, grade and developmental levels. This ensures each activity allows students to use skills they’ve mastered while being challenged to try out ones that are new to them.
Activities are naturally engaging and child-led with multiple access points ensuring every single child can explore in their own way, at their own pace.
Play can be customized and tailored to work on specific skills and by theme .

The bright and colorful materials are attention-grabbing.

The themes, creative play parts, sensory tools and other fun surprises are attention keeping.

Children engaging in various sensory play activities involving colorful substances, slime, sand, and arts and crafts in an outdoor setting.

Messy Labs

A few of the types of play we bring to you!

FIZZY REACTION LABS

STEM with a twist of imaginary play!
Rescue bears trapped on a volcano island- erupting a rainbow of colors,.
Build a frozen frog pond before fizzing it away.
Grow and Swirl Gooey Rainbow Seeds
Fizzy Potions with Hidden Treasures
and more!
WATER LABS

We turn water into potions, swirling flower petals, iridescent float & sink stations, neon green frog ponds full of tiny “tadpoles” and so much more. This play is packed with creative play parts, a variety of cups, scoops and containers tall, short and everything in between along with a series of STEM tools that are always a hit!
DIG & SCOOP LABS

Bright & colorful tactile bins filled with different sensory bases with hand colored materials like rice, dry beans, pasta, grains, beads and more. Each filled with hidden gems, matching animals, items to scoop and sort. Students love being able to fill up containers of all sizes and test out a variety of sensory tools, funnels and other surprises.
FLUBBER LAB & TEAM SLIMES

Flubber Lab
Calling it a Slime Lab, doesn’t quite cover it. This isn’t ordinary slime, no glue here, no ruined clothes. Play Labs Flubber Slime is made in 5 gallon batches. Squishy, sparkly and ready to be explored- it takes a team to try and lift it in the air. It also makes epic bubbles.
SQUISHY, FOAMY, STRETCHY LAB

Scented Confetti Foam Lab- Squirt and Spray Paint Lab -Rainbow Spaghetti Cutting-Squishy “Jelly” Oceans-Stretchy Dough Gardens and so many more!

Sensory Play Labs is helping to change how this important and beneficial style of play is offered in the classroom!

Higher-impact. More often. Zero added burden on teachers.

✔️ No planning or prep.

✔️ No cleanup for teachers or staff.

✔️ Flexible for indoor and outdoor locations- classrooms, gyms, grassy play spaces, playgrounds.

✔️ Scales to fit class size, ability levels, and themes.

✔️ We adapt our activities to your space and your students.

How to get in on the fun!

Book one visit or a program:

Bring the Play Lab to school for a celebration, holiday or just for a fun treat! Sensory Play Labs will tailor the visit to your classrooms ages and abilities.
Students will dive into multiple exciting sensory stations per visit (typically five) each with its own fun theme, messy materials, sensory tools and creative play parts!
Play: (60 Minutes)
Indoor/Outdoor options.
Includes:
Creation and use of all messy and sensory materials created by us! Typically 10 unique materials per visit. Most are not reused and made specifically for your class. A few that make it through the play are yours to keep!
Sensory teacher to run the fun.
Smocks, mini lab coats and cleanup supplies provided.
All in classroom or outdoor space setup and cleanup. (No mess left behind.)
Offsite cleanup of all messy tools, stations and creative play parts.
Pricing starts at $650/visit
Booking multiple classrooms in the same day lowers costs significantly.
An hour of play each week! Create a session of classes to run from 4-8 weeks. Offered as weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits.
Each week includes multiple new and exciting activities alongside 1-2 favorites that stay consistent week to week. Scoop n Pour Stations, Water Labs, Science experiments with an imaginary play twist and so much more! Activities build on one another week to week, focus on specific skills and include of variety of themes, sensory tools and creative play parts!
(60 Minutes) Open Explore ($650/class Booking multiple classes lowers costs.)
(30 minute) Individual style, teacher led activity. ($350/classroom)
Indoor/Outdoor options.
Includes:
Creation and use of all messy and sensory materials created by us! Typically 10 unique materials in a 60 minute open explore visit. Most are not reused and made specifically for your class. A few that make it through the play are yours to keep!
Sensory teacher to run the fun.
Smocks, mini lab coats and cleanup supplies provided.
All in classroom or outdoor space setup and cleanup. (No mess left behind.)
Offsite cleanup of all messy tools, stations and creative play parts.
Pricing based on number of students and length of session. Booking multiple classrooms in one visit lowers costs significantly.
A full sensory curriculum for students lasting September -June.
Four Sessions: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Offered as weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits.
Each Session:
- 8-10 Classes
- 4 sensory curriculums
- New activities and materials
- More opportunities to use newly acquired abilities
- New chances to explore previous materials in new ways. (Not heavily repetitive.)
- Reinforces all of the skill building and brain boosting developmental benefits.
Play Style: Big Discovery Stations + Individual Activities (every other week rotation. )
Big Extras:
- A learning guide for teachers to encourage added learning during play- language acquisition, sensory identification, learning during play A customized resource of how to incorporate program materials and activities into the classroom.
- Seasonal Sensory Play Classroom Kit and Sensory Table Fillers
- One hands-on sensory play professional development workshop for teachers.
- One 60-90 minute Family Play Day. Weekend or weekday. A hands-on play event for students and their parents to get in on the fun! One annually for classrooms purchasing 3- 4 sessions. Available for purchase for all others.
- Optional: Quarterly curriculum meeting for teachers or school administration to collaborate on class specific goals.
- Classes taught by Program Director/Founder of Sensory Play Labs.
- Quarterly newsletter style update letting parents know more about sensory play and details about the program and how activities benefit growth and development.
Each session builds on the last, providing students with new opportunities, new challenges, new activities and new sensory materials. Students progress to each session with new skills, an expanded sensory library and confidence in their own abilities.
Watch hesitant students gain confidence in themselves and lose the fear of messy hands. See impulsive sensory seekers explore in more complex ways. See the impact of consistent exposure to this fun and developmentally meaningful play.
Extra options just for our littlest explorers!
Style: Open Explore Discovery Stations offered as 30/45/60 minute visits.
Style: Discovery Stations + Messy Movers Activity (45-60 minutes)
Messy Movers Activity: Littles come together to explore an extra messy material in multiple ways. Sensory teacher guided to add in new elements in a structured way helping to extend engagement and prolong attention spans.
Style: (30 minutes) Messy Movers Activity only.
Materials are exciting for little hands while being safe and mouthing friendly. Options for taste safe and fully edible materials.
Customizable for class allergies. *We avoid most allergens. No nuts, eggs, dairy.

Style: Big Discovery Stations Visits
Play time: 60 Minutes
Students engage in open explore play of 3-5 big discovery stations. Each station features it’s own messy sensory materials, creative play parts, sensory tools, containers and exciting add-ins. Each station invites students to investigate, experiment, explore, scoop, squish, mix, dig, dump, and discover through hands-on, open-ended play.
Included:
Sensory curriculum to align with age and developmental goals.
All sensory and messy materials.
Play teacher.
Smocks, cleanup materials.
Indoor/Outdoor options
Floor coverings.
Allergy friendly.
Customizable activities and materials.
Individual or Paired Sensory Activity Visit
Recommended for ages 3+
Play Time: 30-45 Minutes
Each student or pair receives their own small sensory bin to explore. Students engage in a teacher guided activity with 1-3 materials that we explore in multiple ways. Messy sensory materials, tools and creative play parts are added throughout to expand and change play. All students participate at the same time.
Indoor/Outdoor options, works well for low-mess tabletop play.
Included:
Sensory curriculum to meet ages and development levels of class.
Dedicated play teacher.
Smocks, table coverings and cleanup supplies.
All messy materials.
Sensory and STEM tools and creative play parts.
Onsite setup, cleanup and offsite cleanup of supplies.

Programming offers a wide variety of price points for all recurring programs lasting 4-12 weeks+. Prices are determined by ages, number of students, style of play and material costs.
Booking more than one classroom per visit lowers costs significantly. Typical classroom size will cost
Included: A Sensory Play Labs curriculum of activities tailored to your specific classroom ages and abilities. Price includes all messy and sensory materials used (typically 10 unique materials.) Most are not reused and made specifically for your class. A few that make it through the play are yours to keep!
In classroom setup and cleanup. (No mess left behind.) Offsite cleanup of all messy tools, stations and creative play parts. Clean smocks and mini lab coats provided each week. A dedicated sensory teacher to run play.
Help us keep pricing accessible by adding classrooms.
Booking 2 or more classrooms on the same will lower costs for every classroom.
(Ex: Book 2 Kindergarten classrooms or 1 preschool classroom + 1 Kindergarten classroom. 3-4 maximum.

We offer two different styles of activities:

Email Us

Booking Request Form

INFANT/TODDLER VISITS

Exciting visits and programs for the littlest learners! Hands-on fun created to be safe and mouthing friendly!

Recommended for 6-18 Months.

Our littlest explorers dig and climb through fun-filled activities like a Messy Farm or Squishy Ocean. The infant program is packed with sense-stimulating, tactile materials, creative play parts, animals, squishy, stretchy, splashy things and single step "experiments" safe for mouthing. Play options include edible and taste-safe material options.

Infant Program and Booking Options

Style: Big Discovery Stations Visits
Play time: 30/45/60 Minutes
Students engage in open explore play of 3-5 big discovery stations. Each station features it’s own messy sensory materials, creative play parts, sensory tools, containers and exciting add-ins. Each station invites students to investigate, experiment, explore, scoop, squish, mix, dig, dump, and discover through hands-on, open-ended play.
Included:
Sensory curriculum to align with age and developmental goals.
All sensory and messy materials.
Play teacher.
Smocks, cleanup materials.
Indoor/Outdoor options
Floor coverings.
Allergy friendly.
Customizable activities and materials.
Style: Discovery Stations + Messy Movers Activity (45-60 minutes)
Style: Messy Movers Activity only. (30mins)
Messy Movers Activity: Littles come together to explore an extra messy material in multiple ways. Sensory teacher guided to add in new elements in a structured way helping to extend engagement and prolong attention spans.
Materials are exciting for little hands while being safe and mouthing friendly. Options for taste safe and fully edible materials.
Customizable for class allergies. *We avoid most allergens. No nuts, eggs, dairy.
Bring the Play Lab to school for a celebration, holiday or just for a fun treat!
Students will dive into exciting sensory stations featuring messy and sense-stimulating materials to explore in all of the messy ways they love!
60 Minutes
Indoor/Outdoor options.
Smocks and cleanup supplies provided.
Music and bubbles available.
A full sensory curriculum for students lasting September -June.
Four Sessions: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Offered as weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits.
Each Session:
- 8-10 Classes
- 4 sensory curriculums
- New activities and materials
- More opportunities to use newly acquired abilities
- New chances to explore previous materials in new ways. (Not heavily repetitive.)
- Reinforces all of the skill building and brain boosting developmental benefits.
Play Style: Big Discovery Stations + Individual Activities (every other week rotation. )
Big Extras:
- A learning guide for teachers to encourage added learning during play- language acquisition, sensory identification, learning during play A customized resource of how to incorporate program materials and activities into the classroom.
- Seasonal Sensory Play Classroom Kit and Sensory Table Fillers
- One hands-on sensory play professional development workshop for teachers.
- One 60-90 minute Family Play Day. Weekend or weekday. A hands-on play event for students and their parents to get in on the fun! One annually for classrooms purchasing 3- 4 sessions. Available for purchase for all others.
- Optional: Quarterly curriculum meeting for teachers or school administration to collaborate on class specific goals.
- Classes taught by Program Director/Founder of Sensory Play Labs.
- Quarterly newsletter style update letting parents know more about sensory play and details about the program and how activities benefit growth and development.
Each session builds on the last, providing students with new opportunities, new challenges, new activities and new sensory materials. Students progress to each session with new skills, an expanded sensory library and confidence in their own abilities.
Watch hesitant students gain confidence in themselves and lose the fear of messy hands. See impulsive sensory seekers explore in more complex ways. See the impact of consistent exposure to this fun and developmentally meaningful play.