Making Time For You: Sensory Play!
Happy Friday, mamas! This week on the blog I’m talking sensory play!
With the large movement toward Montessori learning, the phrase “sensory play” has gained a lot of popularity. But what exactly is it? Can it be done at home? Is it expensive? What materials do you need? How big of a mess will it make? Breathe, mama! I’ll answer all these questions and more in this post. Keep reading.
Sensory play includes activities that engage the senses: sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch. We are always learning about and engaging with our environment through our senses, so this type of play is not hard to orchestrate. Our favorite sensory activity is walking outside. On our walks we use all our senses. I look for opportunities to ask Kairo what he hears, smells, and sees. And often, he ventures into the woods to play with the leaves, sticks, dirt, and whatever else he can find which engages his sense of touch and unfortunately his sense of taste (sometimes). I love that he’s learning to rely on his senses for information as this is the building block for self-trust.
There are opportunities for sensory play all around us. As parents, we just need to be flexible and give our children the freedom to explore using their senses. If you aren’t comfortable allowing your child to get dirty outside, there are ways to invite sensory play into your home. My favorite way to do this is by using a sensory table. A sensory table is essentially just a table with bins that you fill with different materials to engage their senses. Obviously, a sensory table isn’t as organic as the materials nature provides directly, but it’s still a fantastic way to facilitate sensory play in a safe and comfortable space.
We got our wooden sensory table from etsy and have used it multiple times. Your table doesn’t need to be fancy at all. It actually doesn’t even need to be a table. You could use plastic bins from target. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, the most important thing is to provide a space for your child to learn. In the warmer months, a sensory table can be moved outside so they get fresh air and fun all at once. And an outdoor set up is perfect because this type of play does get a little messy. If you are indoors, try putting a tarp or towels down to catch whatever falls. Don’t be scared of a little mess though. Learning isn’t always pretty or organized. You should know that from your own life experience.
Babies can even engage in sensory play (and should). If you’ve been thinking about sensory play, don’t walk, run! Set it up now and watch how your child begins to learn and explore. Some of the benefits of sensory play include:
- Supported cognitive development
- Encourages discovery
- Enhances memory
- Improves fine and gross motor skills
- Promotes problem solving, exploration, and creativity
- Helps calm agitated children
- It’s fun
- Children learn to decipher differences/similarities
If you need some ideas for what type of materials to include in your bins, here are some of the things we’ve done so far: playdoh, water, dried rice, dried lentils, sand (ground up cereal) and lots of toys/scoopers/cups/animals. It’s one of the simplest activities you can set up for you child. Kairo loves sensory play, and so do I. He’s been playing with his sensory table for the last hour as I write this blog post. Can you say life saver!? It’s the perfect distraction…I mean entertainment for when mama needs a break! I believe in setting yourself up for success by giving your child safe things to do that will occupy them while you do something else, and sensory play is a great way to do that!
Until next time,
Stay ViKtorious, Mama!
