If your kids enjoy being silly, they will love this googly eye sensory bag with printable monster template! This easy Halloween sensory bag is great for babies who want to explore different textures, but it would also make a fun activity for preschoolers who want to create funny faces using the googly eyes.
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Have you ever made a sensory bag for your child?
If you haven’t, you absolutely should. Sensory bags have SO many benefits, not the least of which is the fact that they allow babies to safely explore items that wouldn’t otherwise be safe for them to touch.
I don’t know about your kids, but when mine were babies and toddlers, they could definitely not be trusted to play with small items like googly eyes without trying to put them in their mouths.
But if those googly eyes were safely sealed up in a sensory bag? Have fun, kiddos!
This particularly project makes a great DIY sensory toy not just for babies, but also for preschoolers. Babies will love squishing the googly eyes around the bag, while older kids will have fun creating silly monsters with multiple eyes.
Plus, this Halloween squish bag will help kids of all ages practice their fine motor skills.
So if you’ve been looking for a new sensory activity to prepare for your infant, toddler or preschooler this Halloween, this one is definitely worth a try!
Required Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own monster eye sensory bag for Halloween:
- My eyeless monster template, which you can download using the form below (there’s another form at the bottom of the article if you’d rather keep reading)
- Gallon-sized freezer bags
- Alcohol wipe (optional but recommended)
- Scissors
- Large cardboard box or panel
- Stick of glue
- Clear hair gel or sports gel
- Glitter (optional)
- Googly eyes in an assortment of sizes
- Duct tape or Gorilla tape
How to Make a Googly Eye Sensory Bag (Step-by-Step)
1. Remove Logo (Optional)
This step is optional, but it’s easy and will make your sensory bag look nicer, so I always do it.
To remove the logo from the bag, all you need to do is rub it with an alcohol wipe and it should come right off. If ever you don’t have any alcohol wipes, you can use a tissue and a bit of rubbing alcohol, or even a couple drops of baby oil.
Note: We like to use two bags because it helps prevent leaks and makes the sensory bag more durable. If you want to do the same, don’t forget to remove the logo from both bags.
2. Print Template
Once you have received your free download, print the monster template on a sheet of US Letter sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches).
3. Cut Cardboard
Grab some thick cardboard and use scissors to cut it into a rectangle that is slightly larger all around than the sheet of paper with the printed template.
Make sure that it is the same size or larger than the gallon-sized freezer bag you’ll be using to cover the template.
4. Glue Template
Use a stick of glue to glue the template onto the cardboard.
5. Add Hair or Sports Gel
If you’ve chosen to use two bags, place one bag inside the other. Then, pour some clear hair gel or sports gel into the inside bag.
We buy our hair gel from Walmart and typically use up an entire 350-ml bottle per sensory bag.
Note: Make sure to pour the hair gel into the inside bag and NOT in between the two bags. I’ve done it accidentally and it is a huge pain to clean up!
6. Add Glitter (Optional)
If you’ve chosen to add glitter, now is the time to do it. Just make sure you use it sparingly—a little goes a long way and if you add too much, it will obscure the monsters and make the activity less fun for your kids.
7. Add Googly Eyes
Pour the googly eyes into the bag with the hair gel. The exact amount of googly eyes doesn’t really matter, as long as there is a variety of sizes and enough eyes to give all the monsters silly faces.
8. Seal Ziploc Bags
Seal up the bag with the hair gel, making sure to remove as much air as possible as you do so.
Then, if you’ve chosen to use two bags, use scissors to cut off the excess plastic above the zipper of the bag you just sealed. This will help it fit better inside the second bag.
Once you have cut off the plastic, place the first bag inside the second and seal the second one up too.
Note: Make sure you remove all the air BEFORE sealing them to avoid having to open them up again to get more air out—the bags are much harder to open once the plastic has been removed.
9. Turn Over Googly Eyes
Use your fingers to turn over all the googly eyes so that they are all facing upward.
This step may seem a little silly, but you’ll be glad you did it—turning the eyes over will be a lot harder to do once the bag has been taped to the piece of cardboard, so doing it now will spare you (and your child) some frustration later on.
10. Tape Bag to Cardboard
Place the gel eye sensory bag on top of the cardboard and secure it in place using duct or Gorilla tape. You should be able to see the monster template through the clear bags and hair gel.
Once the bags have been secured to the cardboard, it’s time to play! Give the sensory bag to your child and let them have fun squishing the gel and creating silly monster faces using the googly eyes.
Such a fun activity for Halloween! We will definitely be bringing this bag along on our next car ride.
Related Sensory Bags Ideas
Looking for more fun sensory bags to make for your baby or toddler? Check out these articles:
- Rainbow Pom-Pom Sensory Bag (with Free Template!)
- Shape Sorting Sensory Bag (with Free Template!)
- Starry Night Sensory Bag with Glow-in-the-Dark Stars
- Melted Snowman Sensory Bag
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