Feeling Out Sensory Play

By Alysha Lundgren

I’m sure you’ve caught your child with a number of weird things in their mouths: bugs, plants, playdough…etc. I’m also sure you’ve caught them with their hands in all sorts of strange places! This frustrating and sometimes hilarious behavior is how they are getting to know themselves and the world around them. Let’s take a minute to see what they are getting out of it, and then, I’ll list some ways your can help them get these experiences in a safe way that will keep you sane!

              The feel of the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin, reminds you have family gatherings. The smell of cookies baking makes you think of home. Our senses help us to develop memory and enhances our ability to recall facts and events. For me, the smell of an old book makes me think of rainy days reading on the couch. Encourage your kids to stop and smell the roses. Encourage them to stick their toes in the sand, to make mud pies and listen to the crickets’ song at night. Their lives and their minds will be better for it.

              Is there a food you don’t like? It’s not the taste. It’s a texture thing. For me, its baked cactus! The inside feels slimy in my mouth and I can’t stand it! Kids tend to be pretty picky about food too, especially food with an unusual look or texture. Sensory play can actually help with that! It gives them a chance to explore the way things feel, to become comfortable with things that were once foreign.

              Sensory play is good for kid’s emotional well-being! When the world becomes overstimulating I like to go out into nature. I feel so calm and focused after some time out hiking on my own, one of the reasons is that it allows me to focus on my senses and myself. The sound of gravel crunching under my feet, the roughness of the bark, and my beautiful surroundings help me to feel grounded. The feel of playdough in your child’s hands and the smell of it in the air can do the same for your child. Engaging in their senses can give kids focus in a chaotic world. 

              Playing with a variety of materials also gives your kids a chance to explore, experiment, and create. This helps them learn to problem solve and helps their brains to think in more complex ways. Sensory play gives them a chance to learn about the world around them and gives them the opportunity to learn the language needed to describe it. It also gives common words real meaning. You can’t really explain “salty”, can you? It’s something we really only understand through experience.

              Here are some ways you can engage with your child in sensory play:

For their eyes:

• Go outside and explore! Take in beautiful scenery or make a point to notice details. Draw what you see.
• While driving, try to spot specific things. Maybe you can search for things that are red or count how many dogs you find.

For their ears:

• Lay in the grass and listen to the world around you. Do you hear birds, cars, or other people? What else do you hear?
• Use things from around your house to make instruments. See what sounds you can create.

For their hands:

• Make cookies together. Let them help you shape and roll the dough. Talk about how it feels.
• Make slime! The strange texture and interesting color make it a sure hit! Check out this recipe by The Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-3-ingredient-slime-without-borax-245904

• Make mud pies. Its good for kids to get dirty! Don’t be afraid to put them in a pair of old clothes and get messy.

For their feet:

• Go barefoot! Head out to the park and take a barefoot walk in the grass. Or play in the sandbox sans shoes!
• Use your feet as paint brushes! Lay out a large sheet of paper, or an old sheet even, cover their feet in paint and create some crazy awesome art!

For their tastes:

• Try new foods! Have them help you pick them out. Maybe it will be an interesting color? Maybe its squishy or maybe you’re not sure how to eat it at all! It doesn’t matter as long as you have fun with it!
• Blindfold them and have them guess what they are tasting. Talk about the different flavors they are trying and ask them which they liked or didn’t like.

For their nose:

• Whenever you notice a smell in the air, encourage your child to stop and take a sniff. Talk about what they think is causing the smell.
• While out in the garden, have your child use their pointer and thumb to rub leaves. Some will leave a smell on their fingers!
• Rocks have different smells too! It might sound weird to pick up a rock and sniff it, but it’s actually pretty interesting and your kids will get a kick out of it! Especially if you get your hands on something super smelly, like sulphur.