Sensory Play.
What is sensory play?
Play that stimulates any of a child’s senses – a fun interactive way for kids to make sense of the world around them and build their cognitive skills.
In essence, sensory play includes play that engages any of your child’s senses. This includes touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. But it also covers movement, balance, and spatial awareness.
Did You Know?
A child’s senses do not fully develop until after birth, and only mature with exposure and interaction with their environment. These new experiences help shape brain development allowing increasingly complex thoughts and problem solving.
Play has the added benefit of supporting language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, and fosters social interaction and peer engagement.
Sensory play ideas for babies.
A babies’ sensors are ignited when they;
Put objects in their mouth
Banging and shaking toys
Being flown through the air
Feel the tickle of a hand, soft feather, grass or leaves
Play with toys in shallow water
Sensory play ideas for toddlers.
A toddler’s sensory experiences might be;
Playing with mud, dirt or in water
Exploring outside barefoot
Sorting toys into colours
Smelling flowers in the garden.
Sensory play ideas for preschoolers
Preschoolers will often be exporing more independently through things like;
Mixing up ‘potions’ with things in the kitchen
Climbing, rolling or spinning
Playing with kinetic sand or Play Doe
Playing with musical instruments.
