Children uses their senses to explore from birth to 6 years old. They do this by using their touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight to make sense of the world around them. By providing opportunities for children by actively stimulating their senses through sensory play, this helps the strengthening of the neural pathways in the brain. This will lead to children having the ability to complete complex task, language development, gross motor skills, social interaction and problem solving skills.
So, what is sensory play?
Sensory play is any activity that stimulates your child’s senses: touch, small, taste, movement balance, sight and hearing. It involves a variety of textures from playdough to paint, a walk in nature, climbing up and down the slide, sound of the running water etc. While engaging in a sensory activity, it encourages children naturally to use scientific processes while they play – create, investigate and explore. It helps build stronger connections to process and respond to difference sensory information.
5 reasons why is sensory play important:
- It builds neural connections in the brain enabling children to complete complex activities
- It supports language development, cognitive growth, language development, fine and gross motor skills and problem solving skills
- It helps in improving memory
- It has calming effect
- It is a platform for social skills