Sensory play refers to any activity that allows your child to use their senses: touch, taste, smell, and hearing. As a premier Bangor child care center, our team at Watch Me Shine understands the critical importance of incorporating sensory play into the daily activities of your little ones, especially during this time where many remain at home. From outdoor water play to indoor sand foam, while digging for dinosaur fossils, the possibilities are endless and benefits plentiful.
Gross and fine motor skill development
Gross motor skills focus on the larger muscle groups targeted in physical activities such as skipping and tossing a ball. Fine motor skills tune into small muscle groups that are essential for activities such as tying your shoe or holding a utensil. Sensory activities encourage the coordination of muscle groups through activities involving squishing, pouring, stacking, and picking up smaller sized objects.
Develop problem-solving skills
Imagine you are given a piece of string. Now imagine that you’re standing in front of a bucket filled with different shaped beads with various sized openings. The trick of finding the perfect bead to fit onto your string can be challenging to little ones. However, with trial by error, your child is allowed to engage their senses while supporting their cognitive development.
Encourages social interaction
Changing the everyday items into a new activity opens a whole new door of exploration. And, most likely, one that your child will be excited about. As we know, when children are excited, they’ll let everyone know! With new textures, colors, and comparisons being made, interactions with friends and family to share all the details of their findings will surely occur. Besides interacting, they’ll be developing language skills as they describe the experience at hand.
Excellent source of calming anxiety or frustration
A little distraction from the tensions of everyday life is, sometimes, all that someone needs. Sensory play is an excellent way to bring a child down from a level of unease. The mind is provided with a new pathway of interest to engage the child’s senses. Thus, allowing them to relax and cope in a healthier manner.
Not only is sensory play crucial for several areas of development, but it also opens the door for learning through exploration. For more information on how our team encourages children to reach their highest potential each day, contact our team at (207) 990-0162.
Watch Me Shine is the premier Bangor child care center that keeps the needs of your child at the forefront. Recognized as the leading school for early childhood education and early intervention, we strive to provide a collaborative environment between staff and family.
