Overstimulated little humans need simplistic activities that pique their senses and bring about a calmness to their nifty hands and frazzled minds.
‘Tis the time of the year again, when the world is winding down, winter is all around and adults and children alike are looking forward to spending their time indoors tucked safely within the warmth of their homes. This is a great time to build family bonds, play, gather around the warm hearths (heaters!), eat, and make merry. The long dark wintry nights are perfect for movie nights, art days, reading marathons, game nights, and more.
Sensory play is a form of play wherein the five senses- touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste are stimulated to create, explore, play, and learn. Sensory play is extremely helpful when it comes to picky eaters; the different food textures help toddlers warm up to varied food items.
Here are five sensory play ideas and activities that you can enjoy with your bundles of joy!
1. Sensory Books
Parents can introduce their babies to “touch and feel” books and cloth books which expose those little hands to textures such as smooth, bumpy, rough, soft etc. Available in stores are crinkle books too which encourage silent play and learning. These encourage great hand-eye- coordination and motor skills.
Infants are members of a niche B&W book club too. They are great for strengthening vision in babies.
2. Play Dough and Sand Play
Kids love to get their hands dirty with play dough, clay, slime, and sand. Even though the aftermath does get stressful sometimes, no worries because this activity is great for their cognitive and muscle development. It is therapeutic and encourages creativity. Concepts dealing with science, math and arts are strengthened with the help of such activities.
Some great ideas are:
- Slime or oobleck creation using household items like cornstarch and hair conditioner.
- Play dough kneading and molding using rolling pins and cookie cutters.
- Hide tiny toys in a pit of Kinetic Sand and let your child excavate for treasure within.
- On a sunny day, take your child to the beach and spend a beautiful afternoon playing in the sand and building sand castles. You could also take them to indoor sand pits with their beach toys in tow.
3. Water Play
Children are obsessed with splashing, jumping, and playing in and with water in general. They can spend a good thirty minutes or more just pouring and playing with water and thirty minutes is eternity in parent language. It encourages social development, discussions, research and emotional aptitude in kids.
“Jumping up and down in muddy puddles” sings Peppa Pig and it is an anthem for the children of this generation. No rain, no issue! Here are a few activities to enjoy with your babies.
- Poster paints and shower walls are perfect for a fun day indoors. Grab paints and brushes and let the children create art on the bath walls. Easy to clean and a happy mommy!
- Provide children with funnels, tubs, mugs, droppers and colored water. Let them pour, play, mix colors, and create. It’s great for concentration and motor skills.
4. Sound Play
Auditory play helps kids learn voice modulations and sound limits. Music is used as a therapeutic tool in kids and adults alike. The development of a child’s hearing starts in the womb itself and continues to develop well through adulthood. Following are a few auditory sensory activities-
- Do a shared activity with your kids by listening to music and audio books.
- Make rainbow bottle shakers using empty plastic bottles and colorful rice/pom-poms/salt/sand.
- Learning to play musical instruments
- Participating in musical chairs
5. Olfactory Sensory Play
Play using the sense of smell can be used as a calming tool in children. Smell can be alerting or calming to the nervous system. Children can learn how to differentiate amongst varied smells and categorize faint and strong smells.
- Make aroma pots with a variety of essences- cinnamon, vanilla, eucalyptus, lavender and more.
- Home-made play dough with cinnamon and other fragrances.
- Play a smell differentiation game where kids can categorize the given smells according to their strong and faint strength.
Important points to remember:
- When using rice or dough to make taste-safe material, make sure you bake it for a while to kill microorganisms.
- Invest in huge bins or containers to store colorful rice, sand, salt and play dough. If stored properly, these can last years.
- Do not worry about the mess! Messy is awesome! Spread a cloth/plastic sheet and enjoy.
- Shaving gels, hair conditioners, cornstarch, baking soda, vinegar are essential components of sensory play.
Sensory play is a part of the Montessori education system and encourages motor skills, hand-to-eye coordination, cognitive development, literacy and gives children the opportunity to explore and discover their surroundings. It’s a beautiful bonding experience for families too as most activities require parental supervision. Plan your activity, gather your elements (and kids), prep, mess and enjoy!
WHERE TO BUY
Crinkle Books, Board Books, and Touch & Feel Books: Jarir Bookstore, Mothercare, and Virgin Megastore
Sensory Play Tables and Trays: IKEA
Crafts and Stationery: Jarir Bookstore, Dirah Toy Market, Alsharq Bookstore
Montessory and Sensory Toys: Mumzworld, First Cry, Amazon
