The first five years of a child’s existence have been statistically demonstrated to play a critical role in creating a solid foundation for future growth. As a result, discovering the greatest sensory activities for toddlers can be one of the smartest decisions any parent or educator can make.
Why is sensory play so important for toddlers?
Toddlers are inherently adventurous and enjoy exploring with their senses. Sensory play is defined as any activity that allows children to learn about their surroundings while also promoting physical and emotional development by engaging their senses of touch, smell, sight, sound, taste, movement, balance, and spatial awareness.
A child’s brain is not fully developed at birth, nor are its senses. Sensory activities help toddlers create new connections inside the brain while also promoting a variety of cognitive skills. It may also encompass the understanding of intellectual ideas.
Sensory play may be extremely gratifying for children of any age. For toddlers, the following data highlight why it is so important at such a young age:
- In terms of synapses, an infant’s brain can develop 20 times in the first three years of life.
- Playing and physically handling stuff allows toddlers to learn about the world.
- Until the age of six, children learn more than ten new words per day.
- Toddlers use both hands equally from an early age and develop a preference between the ages of 2 and 3.
In short, sensory exercises help toddlers develop their brains while also supporting cognitive skills like grasp and spatial awareness.
Crucially, it is known that early development gives children a long-term benefit.
Sensory activities for toddlers are a fun and interactive method to help them develop their motor skills. Toddlers can improve their fine motor abilities and hand-eye coordination by engaging in activities including various textures, colours, and noises. Sensory play not only entertains children, but it also helps them develop. Allowing toddlers to explore and interact with diverse sensory objects can help them improve their cognitive ability, linguistic skills, and emotional regulation through sensory stimulation. It is especially crucial to encourage sensory play in toddlers since it improves both fine and gross motor abilities, strengthening those small hands.
Examples of Sensory Activities for Toddlers
Understanding the need of sensory activities for children is one thing; however, parents must also become acquainted with the best exercises. To achieve the best results, children should be exposed to a variety of activities that engage and develop all of their senses and cognitive skills, including cognitive growth. This will provide the most benefits for both physical and mental development.
There are numerous things available to complement sand-based or water-based activities, including planters, music, and sensory playboards. Regardless of what you have, here are some of the best activities to consider:
- Create sound tubes using containers or kitchen roll tubes. To hear different noises, place various materials such as beans, beads, and rice in them.
- Buy Play-Doh or create your own dough at home. Rolling, tugging, and manipulating dough improves dexterity, as does using stencils and plastic tools.
- Fill a sandbox or a sand play table with sand, plastic buckets, spades, and other toys for your child to discover and enjoy.
- Use a water table with sensory elements like as fountains, plumbing pipes, buckets, and waterwheels.
- Create basic instruments with simple materials. Make a guitar out of elastic bands by wrapping them around a tissue box. Your toddler can then learn about the sounds and feelings.
- Prior to sowing seeds and soil, build and decorate planters out of cardboard boxes.
- Toddlers can use a watering can to improve their sensory skills.
- Play with beads and threads to improve your hand-eye coordination and other important abilities. Making jewellery is an excellent example.
- Place toys inside Play-Doh or other items and challenge your youngster to uncover them during a fun scavenger hunt.
- Make a slow motion sensory bottle by combining glitter, water, and clear hair gel in a bottle with some colourful Lego bricks that drop slowly when the container is flipped.
- Play with swings, climbing frames, and other physical activity equipment that encourages toddlers to be creative.
Water play is a fascinating and engaging sensory activity that may keep toddlers entertained and learning for hours. Water play, whether in a water table, a baby pool, or a simple plastic container, allows toddlers to experiment with various textures, temperatures, and water movements. It also promotes fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they scoop, pour, and splash around. A sand table is another excellent sensory activity for toddlers, as it allows them to play with and bury items while also practicing drawing shapes and letters and learning early reading skills. Remember to carefully watch toddlers during water play and sand table activities to keep them safe while they splash around!
Sensory bins are an excellent method to engage children in sensory play and help them develop. These bins can be filled with a variety of materials, including rice, beans, and sensory bin fillers, to provide toddlers with varied sensory experiences. Sensory bag activities, such as sensory bins, help infants to discover textures, colours, and forms while improving their fine motor skills and cognitive abilities. They are a fun and instructive approach for young children to learn while playing and stimulating their senses with small toys.
Messy play is an essential component of toddlers’ learning and development. Sensory activities, such as messy play, help young toddlers explore and understand their surroundings. While some parents may avoid messy play because of the perceived mess, it is crucial to remember that messy play fosters creativity, scientific thinking, and sensory development in toddlers. By engaging in well-managed messy play activities at home, parents may give their toddlers with excellent learning experiences while also having fun.
Parents should play an active role in sensory games and activities at home.
This will allow you to talk your toddler through each activity, so that they learn to process new information. This can take the benefits to new heights. For parents, it’s a great way to monitor cognitive development too.
Contact Us
For more information about our range of sensory play, playground equipment for toddlers in a school environment, please get in touch with our friendly team on 01244 375 627 or via email [email protected]
Remember: Sensory Play should be supervised by an Adult at all times!
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