Baby & Toddlers
Tickle Their Senses: Simple Sensory Play Activities By Jan Pierce
Children instinctively gravitate toward sensory play. Have you ever seen a child walk around a mud puddle? No. Kids automatically feel the need to explore that puddle, that sand, that layer of ice on top of the puddle. And there is a good reason for that desire to engage in sensory play; it’s one of the best ways kids learn. Children enjoy using all five senses as they play. They focus their sight on everything around them. They listen to the sounds, enjoy touching objects and smelling them and when appropriate, tasting them. In addition to the five senses, children also learn body awareness and a sense of balance as they engage in hand-on activities. As kids do simple sensory play activities, they gain cognitive skills, learn new language, learn social skills, problem solving skills and both fine and gross motor skills. Something as simple as playing in sand can help kids think about what sand is made of and where it came from, learn words such as smooth and rough, figure out ways to form the sand into shapes and problem solve that adding a bit of water aids in making that sand castle. Forming the sand into shapes builds motor skills and waiting for a turn with a certain tool aids in social awareness. Sensory play is fun. It has a calming effect on children, especially those who are nervous or anxious. Simple sensory activities can engage children for much longer periods of time than an adult-led activity because they are both fun and satisfying. Be aware that while it looks like kids are “just playing,” in reality they’re building new neural pathways in the brain which sets the stage for deeper learning later on. 16 Our Kids Magazine | Janaury / February 2021
Here are some simple sensory activities, many of them using items you already have around the house. ■ Play dough, slime, cloud dough and kinetic sand are all
products that invite lots of squishing, shaping and creating. Cloud dough is made simply with two parts cornstarch to one part hair conditioner. Or, you can use eight parts flour to one part baby oil. Kids love to play with these dough products and will find new ways to play with them each and every time. Lots of kinetic satisfaction here.
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Musical activities: Kids love to move to the sounds of music. They like to play games such as musical chairs or freeze tag. They also love to create sounds to go along with music. Homemade or purchased rhythm instruments such as shakers, drums, maracas, and tambourines will keep kids busy for long periods of time. Simple scarves allow children to respond to music in dramatic ways and making up dance moves is another way to hear and respond to the rhythms of music.
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Listening Games: Take your kids on a sound walk or simply stop all activity indoors and listen for a period of time. Then ask your children to report on what they heard. Another way to play this game is to have a checklist and “search” for various sounds such as sirens, birdsong, shuffling of feet, etc. You can also play auditory processing games in which you give simple verbal directions and have the children follow them in order. Have children identify LIKE US @ facebook.com/OurKidsMagazineSA
