Children are constantly exploring the world around them. It helps them to make sense of the space they’re in, the people they can trust or who care for them, and even get a sense of how they exist in this big ol’ world. The most effective and sustainable way parents can stimulate that is by sensory play.
Sensory play is as literal as it sounds: it refers to playtime based on stimulating the child’s own physical senses (taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing). Although this is a fun time for your Little One, sensory play is more than mere recreation.
How Does Sensory Play Work?
The act of stimulating your child’s physical experimentation helps them make sense of everything around them. The smallest stimuli help create different connections that will ultimately lead to a discovery.
When children play with a soft structure, like cotton or fabric, they will learn that certain materials are flexible. As they play with that object, they learn that those with the same texture can be twisted and stretched, and they come back to their original form!
When they’re interacting with a plastic object, they understand that not all objects can be stretched and twisted, but they might float on water if they’re playing during bath time.
See how sensory play works and creates different associations for a child?
The Benefits of Sensory Play for Children
The importance of sensory play lies in its ability to support key areas of a child’s development while offering emotional benefits as well.
They learn to physically interact
Engaging in sensory activities helps children improve their motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination and fine motor precision, as they manipulate and explore different materials.
They learn from the object
It also enhances problem-solving abilities by encouraging children to experiment, make observations, and discover solutions.
They apply their learnings in social interactions
As the child grows older, they’ve acquired repertoire in terms of how different items function, what’s like to play with different instruments, and they get to share these insights with their play or schoolmates.
They learn to communicate and express themselves
Additionally, sensory play promotes language development as children learn to describe textures, movements, and sensations they experience.
Beyond developmental gains, sensory play has emotional benefits, providing a calming effect that can help children manage stress, self-regulate, and feel more centered.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to inspire and provoke your child’s perception of the world: later on, it will come back positively to them!
Does Sensory Play Change According To Age?
Sensory play can be stimulated and presented to children of different ages – from newborns to preschoolers.
However, according to their developmental stage, they might display different interests in the object.
Newborns and infants might explore it by touching it, putting it in their mouths, throwing it away, and getting it back. By doing so, they are acknowledging different sensations and textures, and how they feel when interacted with.
Toddlers benefit immensely from sensory play as it provides them with opportunities to explore and engage with the world around them. During this stage of development, children use their senses to investigate textures, shapes, and materials, which helps enhance their fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, and understanding of cause-and-effect relationships.
By the time you have a preschooler in the house, they understand textures, formats, how objects work and how they are integrated. As a result, they can create scenarios and storytelling around playtime with the toys, or even share them with other buddies.
Their cognitive and motor skills acquired while they were toddlers really come into play, opening up a whole myriad of creative interactions.
How Parents Can Encourage Sensory Play at Home
Parents can easily encourage sensory play at home with simple, low-preparation activities that are both fun and adaptable for different ages.
These activities not only engage children’s senses but also spark creativity and curiosity. Best of all, sensory play can be tailored to suit her children’s developmental stages, making it a versatile and enjoyable way to support their growth!
Time to get inspired: here are four simple sensory play ideas tailored to different developmental stages.
Newborns
Finding instigating toys for babies doesn’t have to be hard!
Create a sensory scarf activity by using lightweight, colorful scarves or fabric.
Gently move the scarves over the newborn’s hands, feet, and face, letting them feel the soft texture while observing the colors and movement.
Infants
Set up a water mat or a sealed plastic bag filled with water and small floating objects like glitter or toy fish.
Place it on a flat surface and let the infant press, pat, and watch the objects move, promoting visual and tactile exploration.
Toddlers
Make a sensory bin with dry rice or pasta, adding small toys, cups, or spoons for scooping and pouring.
Toddlers can enjoy the textures, improve their fine motor skills, and engage in pretend play with the items.
Preschoolers
Create a “mystery box” by placing various objects with different textures (like a feather, a rubber ball, or a piece of sandpaper) inside.
Let the preschooler reach in, feel the objects without looking, and guess what each one is, stimulating their sense of touch and encouraging descriptive language.
Does Sensory Play Have to Be Complex?
We hope that, by now, you’ve seen that stimulating sensory play doesn’t necessarily equal going for a shopping haul and storing your family home with dozens of different toys.
Try using objects you have at home, as long as they are age-appropriate, and that the kids are supervised while playing with them. Experiment with blankets, wooden or plastic spoons, plush toys, clothes of different fabrics, and so on.
As children are growing, everything is new for them. Anything could become a fun experience, especially if Mom, Dad and other family members join the party!
Encouraging sensory play is a commitment to your child’s future and development. Continue on this topic as you prepare to be the best Mom you can: now learn what are the 21st Century Skills for young learners.
