Children discover their world through the use of their senses which include: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound.
Sensory Play Ideas
- Expose your child to a variety of textured items such as a soft blanket, sand, finger paint, sponges and small hand-held bean bags. Exposing your child to a variety of textures allows them to become familiar and therefore more comfortable when they come in contact with them.
- Expose them to a variety of textured foods during meal time. Try applesauce for a gritty texture, pudding for a gooey texture and carrots for a crunchy texture. Make sure whatever food you are introducing your child to is age appropriate (For example: raw carrots are not age appropriate for children under the age of 2).
- Play music at different volumes (although never go too loud, baby’s ears are very sensitive). Also, play different tempos (fast/slow) and incorporate movement when the music is playing.
- Show your child colors: light colors, dark colors and mixed colors for new visual experiences.
- Allow for appropriate interactive play such as banging on boxes, jumping on bean bags or playing pat-a-cake.
- Encourage your child to smell their food, flowers and other things that are fragrant. So much can be learned through the sense of smell.