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You can probably name all the main senses: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. But do you know why they’re so vital and why they’re even more important for children as they grow?
Sensory play focuses on activities that engage children's senses, helping them develop language skills and motor skills. It also helps with cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.
Examples of sensory play include riding a bike, playing with slime or even just listening to music.
Helps with language skills
Children's language skills develop naturally through sensory play. By engaging the senses, your child will learn how to describe what they’re doing and how it feels, eventually using more descriptive words to communicate.
Helps with fine motor skills
Sensory play can help children develop fine motor skills like tying their shoe, writing and zipping their coat. Through tactile play that focuses on building, pouring and mixing, children build on their ability to use small muscle groups and coordinate movements.
Helps with gross motor skills
Gross motor skills include sitting, crawling, jumping and running — activities that use children's body’s large muscles in their arms, legs and core. Whether a child is just learning to walk or has been trying to throw a ball, the key is to allow them plenty of time to practice those skills freely.
Helps with cognitive growth
Asking questions, thinking about how things work, doing experiments and analyzing results are all part of healthy cognitive growth. It’s how we learn something new and figure things out. It’s also how we problem solve. It encourages them to explore how to play and engage with different experiences as well as how to maneuver challenges they encounter, things like how to get rice from one container to another or how to stay balanced on a swing.
Has a calming effect
Your sensory system can help you calm down. This is particularly important for children as they develop. You can use it to stimulate a child who might be a little sluggish. On the other end, sensory play can help a child who might have hyperactivity or trouble paying attention. The pressure from hugs, weighted lap pads and sensory seats can help soothe and signal that it’s time to stay in place.
Fosters social interaction
By engaging in sensory play with siblings or peers, children begin to developing social skills. They’ll learn how to communicate, how to troubleshoot problems and learn to adapt to how others play.
