The sights, sounds, smells and textures in nature make for a very satisfying sensory experience for most preschoolers. Lead children on a nature walk and help them find items with various textures such as sticks, leaves and flowers. Collect these items to create a texture collage later on, or simply ask children to touch each object and describe how it feels. As you move throughout different outdoor areas, ask children to close their eyes and describe what they smell, feel and hear.
Doing art projects outdoors is ideal for preschoolers, since there is inspiration everywhere and they can get messy without destroying the classroom. Chalk and painting projects are easy to take outdoors. Give children fat pieces of chalk for them to use on the sidewalk. The soft feeling of the chalk and the scratchy surface of the sidewalk creates a sensory experience. Finger painting also lets preschoolers explore squishy textures. Spread large sheets of paper out on the grass and let children press their hands and feet into washable finger paints.
Not only does exercise keep preschoolers healthy, but it gets all their senses working overtime. Before starting any games, ask children to feel their heartbeats and describe how their bodies feel. Play "Duck, Duck, Goose" or a short game of soccer and ask children to describe how their bodies feel again. They may notice that their bodies feel warmer and their heartbeats feel quicker. For a simple sensory activity, encourage children to hop around on one or two feet. They'll get a quick burst of sensory input every time their feet hit the ground.
Just because the sun's not shining doesn't mean preschoolers have to be stuck inside. As long as the weather's not dangerous and children have the appropriate clothing, head outside when it's raining or snowing. In snowy weather, help children make snow angels or form snowmen. The feeling of the cold, dense snow will be a sensory experience that children can't get in warm weather. When it's raining, let children dance in the rain or stomp in puddles. When the sun comes out and the weather's warm, take children outside to walk barefoot through the grass. Spray children with a water bottle attached to a mister.