Sensory play is any activity that stimulates and hones the senses your child is born with – smell, sight, touch, taste, and hearing. Sense of Touch is probably the best known of these sensory skills in the early years of a child. While babies will eventually learn how to see and hear through experience and exposure to the world around them, they still use high-frequency senses (touch, smell) intensively in early months of life. Many educational websites recommend sense of touch activities as a way to improve a child's coordination, fine motor skills and ability to focus.
One very common question that parents ask is, what is sensory motor development and why is it important for my child? We may look at an infant playing in their bath and think they are just having fun. When we learn more about sensory play we see that the baby is actually learning through the different sounds and textures.
Parents ask, "What does sensory toys for kids look like?" This can be a very confusing concept for parents. Sometimes, it can be difficult to see how much a young child is learning through sensory play. Even though it’s hard to see, we can start to understand what a touch and feel activity looks like when we take into account the different senses.
Sensory motor development means strengthening your child’s developing neural pathways.
Sensory toys for kids encourage the touch and feel activity. Sensory toys for kids are a fun way to help your toddlers learn about the world through their different senses. When babies first use their senses, it’s fairly random; this is because the nerve pathways aren’t fully developed. However, the sense of touch activities provide plenty of opportunities to strengthen your child’s developing neural pathways. Sensory play is what gets your baby’s brain ticking over with developmental benefits such as learning and coordination. There are so many different activities that you do consciously or otherwise to help your little one explore the world with all of their senses.
Sensory play is a great way to engage your autistic child in learning
Your child may not remember all of their life experiences, but what they learn while young stays with them – good or bad. This is why starting sensory activities for autism at a young age are so important.
In a normal case, it’s rare that a baby is born able to recognize and connect the different things they can see, smell, touch, taste, and hear. Their brains contain billions of neurons, which makes connections between them and builds pathways establishing new skills. Through these senses, babies are able to learn about the world around them in their own unique way.
As a parent, you want your children to have everything they need for a happy and healthy childhood. But what components of childhood really matter? While building strength, balance, coordination, and other physical skills are all important, learning is the most important thing you can give your child.
Sensory play activities are a fun way to help develop their sensory motor development
It’s important to remember that one type of sensory toys for kids isn’t better or worse than another. The key is to find activities that your child will respond to – and then, get those senses out there! The unique needs of children are sometimes difficult to understand. With sensory play, they offer a solution to a common problem many parents face today.
Kids may not seem as if they need relaxation as they run around wild and crazy, but they do. When they are stressed out or overworked, sensory activities can help bring them back to center. The more we can learn about how they experience the world, the more fun we can have teaching them new things.
Making playtime special helps your child form strong relationships with people and develop their self-confidence. It also gives them the skills they need to deal with disappointment, frustration, and indecision, in a healthy way. All of this translates into a happier and more confident child. So if you haven't started sensory play in your home, give it a try! If you’re not sure where to begin, make a list of all the senses your child uses on a day-to-day basis. This list will help you prepare toys and games tackling different aspects of their development. Playing together using everyday household items or food can be really enjoyable!
