Inside: Sensory toys – what are they and why are they all the rage?. Collaborative post.
These days it’s hard to escape the talk of sensory play – you’ve probably come across it on social media or dived in at a local play centre. But what exactly is it and why is it so popular?
Simply put, sensory toys and sensory play are all about giving children play experiences that engage their senses. They are physical toys that allow children explore their world without screens, while developing their imagination and fine motor skills.
Sensory play embraces the concept of “letting kids be kids” – embracing the mess and dirt in the name of exploration and discovery. By turning off the electronics and giving children tactile experiences we support their physical and cognitive development.
All these factors are why sensory play is a vital part of play-based learning for preschoolers.
Why is sensory play so important?
Sensory toys play a big part in developing a child’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, but it goes much deeper than that. Here are some of the amazing benefits children get from sensory play.
Brain food
Children learn best and retain more information when they engage their senses. Sensory toys help develop nerve connections in the brain and encourage focus, scientific discovery and problem-solving. It gives children greater awareness of their surroundings, making them more alert to their environment, while also providing an exciting way for them to explore their space.
Language development
Sensory toys support language development by encouraging kids to find words to describe colours, textures and sounds while they play. As their vocabulary develops, they can extend on their imaginary play, for example playing with kinetic sand might be “cooking dinner” or “making a snowman”.
Social interaction
Where there are multiple children sharing the same toys, sensory play encourages children to take turns and develop their communication skills. This is seen especially in the context of playgroups, early childhood education and sensory and messy play sessions offered by play centres.
Emotional tools
Some sensory toys like “calm-down bottles” are designed to help a child regulate their emotions and develop mindfulness. This helps with the transition from preschool to school. Calming toys are particularly helpful for children with special needs, such as autism.
Different types of sensory play
Sensory play can be broken down into toys designed to stimulate a child’s senses and play setups using different materials, which are brought together to provide a sensory experience.
Sensory toys are individual toys targeted at one or more of the five senses, particularly touch. Examples are:
- Sight – Bright, appealing colours or interesting patterns.
- Touch – Tactile toys that offer a range of different surfaces for a child to explore.
- Hearing – Toys like rattles, drums, and musical instruments.
- Smell – Playdough scented with different essential oils.
- Taste – Teething rings.
Even toys that might not seem to fit this description at first glance, like magnetic building blocks, provide sensory experiences. For example, the sense of sight as sunlight shines through the tiles and the sense of touch with the click of the tiles as they join and the way the magnets rattle gently.
Sensory play can include playing with fun stuff like slime, oobleck, shaving cream, kinetic sand and more. It’s all about setting up open-ended experiences that give children the opportunity to explore the materials provided and use their imagination to create their own games.
Sensory toys your kids will love
Delight your children and start their exploration of sensory toys with these ideas:
- Fidget spinners and poppers
- Musical instruments
- Balls made from different textures
- Natural materials like sticks, shells, leaves and feathers.
Stuck for inspiration? Here are some ideas for sensory play
If you’re keen to start introducing sensory play at home, but you’re stuck for inspiration, the first rule of thumb is to keep it simple! Play setups don’t need to be fancy, expensive or elaborate. In fact, they can be as basic as filling up water balloons and letting your child squish them in their hands, exploring the feeling as they move and having fun popping them.
Materials
It’s a great idea to have materials like shaving cream, kinetic sand and slime on hand for impromptu tactile fun. Kinetic sand is a great alternative to playdough as it can stay out without drying up. Shaving cream works well as pretend “snow” and blue jelly slime is fun for “beneath-the-ocean” setups. A tough tray on the floor or on a stand is a great way to keep the mess contained. Tubes of small animal figurines, like dinosaurs, sea creatures and creepy crawlies, are inexpensive and great for encouraging the imagination.
Water fun
A great activity for summer, fill up a large bucket with water and set up different size bowls, funnels, colanders and sieves. Encourage children to experiment with transferring water from one bowl to another using the different mediums.
Dinoland
Do you have a dinosaur fan in your house? Gather any dinosaur figurines you have, as well as things like trees and rocks, and set them up on green or brown kinetic sand as a diorama. Stamp dino footprints into the sand and let your children experiment with the different surfaces.
Under the sea
Set out a tray of ocean figures and cover them with blue slime or jelly to represent the sea. Give your children tongs or child-friendly play tweezers and have them fish out…the fish!
Painting – large scale
Do you have a plastic vehicle for your child? This activity is particularly fun with a toy car! Give your child paint brushes and paint and let them paint the car to their heart’s content. It’s easy to hose it off once the fun is over. For less mess, let them paint the car – or your fence – with water.
The great thing is that sensory play comes naturally to children, so it won’t take much direction from you before they’re fully immersed in the experiences you’ve set up. Choose sensory toys over electronics to engage your child’s sense of wonder and exploration. They’ll get so much out of it and you’ll feel good knowing you’re providing the best opportunity for them to reach their potential.