| What is Sensory Play? |
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Sensory play is any activity which engages any of the 7 senses of a child. The 7 senses are: auditory, visual, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular. Sensory play allows for nerve pathways to connect and form in the brain. By engaging these senses in different play activities, we are able to encourage a child's development by building curiosity and comfort in novel activities, providing opportunities for speech and language development, and practicing motor skills.
What are some examples of "Sensory Play"?
First, let's understand what each of the aforementioned senses means:
- Auditory - Sense of sound and hearing
- Visual - Sense of sight
- Gustatory - Sense of taste
- Olfactory - Sense of smell
- Tactile - Sense of touch
- Prioprioceptive - Body awareness
- Vestibular - Sense of movement and balance
The key to sensory play is to stimulate your child's senses and broadening their exposure to different types of stimuli.
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| Tips |
| Here are a few sensory play ideas you can consider |
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Water Play
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Water play is a great way to engage a child's senses! The sight of the water as it moves, the sound of the small waves crashing within the pool, and how the water feels on their skin (warm or cold!). You may also choose to enhance this type of play by adding different water toys that add sensory stimulation, such as ice cubes, Orbeez, soap or bubble solution, or water wheels.
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Sensory Bins
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Sensory bins are a great opportunity to mix textures that typically wouldn't go together, e.g. adding something slippery and wet to something dry and grainy. The possibilities are endless! Some of my favourite combinations are shaving foam + beads, and slime + marbles. You can also add an element of smell by using essential oils.
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Baking
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Baking is a great way to engage nearly all the senses at once. Being in the kitchen, there are lot's of different sights, sounds, smells, and tastes for a child to experience. Starting simple by having your child cut shapes out of cookie dough or rolling out cookie dough using flour and a rolling pin are just some of the many possibilities of baking as a type of sensory play.
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Sensory Bottle DIY
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The process of making a sensory bottle is a sensory play experience in itself. Using saline solution or water and adding different types of glitter, beads, sequins, you can create your own sensory bottle which is great for sensory regulation. Get your hands dirty and personalise your sensory bottle by adding different textures and colours that you like!
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Sensory Tiles
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Sensory tiles engage the visual and tactile senses by creating unique and beautiful wave-like patterns upon touching the surface. You can stick them on walls to press on using your hands or on the floor to step on. Get creative and use sensory tiles in different activities to encourage the engagement of other senses (like doing a wall push on a sensory tile to engage the proprioceptive sense)!
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Now that you have some ideas for sensory play, go ahead and explore the endless possibilities!
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| Employee Spotlight |
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Claire Soh
Occupational Therapist |
Claire completed her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at Curtin University in Australia. She has had experience working in hospitals, nursing homes, private practises, and kindergartens in Australia and in Singapore. She has worked with a range of clients, from children to older adults.
Click here, to get up close and personal with Claire! |
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