Sensory Play for Children: What It Is and Why
Messy hands, busy brains. Sensory play helps children learn through touch, smell, sound and movement, building skills while supporting calmer bodies.
What is Sensory Play?
Sensory play is play-based learning that engages children in activities that stimulate their senses (i.e. touch, taste, smell). It lets children explore the world through their senses, supporting their cognitive development and encouraging curiousity.
Type of Sensory Play
Tactile (Touch)
Use their hands to explore textures, temperatures, fluidity and more
Examples: Sand play, water play, play dough
Auditory (Sounds)
Learn to differentiate between sounds and how various objects create them
Examples: Word games, Music, Identifying sounds
Visual (Sight)
Identify colours and patterns
Examples: Painting, Crafts
Olfactory (Smell)
Explore various smells and encourage curiosity
Examples: Herb gardening, Scented pens
Gustatory (Taste)
Understand different flavours and textures
Examples: Cooking, Trying basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter)
Proprioception (Body Awareness)
Understand where their body is in space, promoting balance and control
Example: Obstacle courses
Vestibular (Balance)
Develop their sense of balance and movement, developing stability and coordination
Examples: Dancing, Catching, Climbing
Benefits of sensory play
Sensory play is more than just fun - it’s a powerful way for young children to learn and grow! It helps children make sense of the world and benefits several aspects of their development.
Language skills
Learn ways to communicate their wants and needs, likes and dislikes by building their vocabulary
Hearing parents narrate what they are doing exposes children to common sentence structures and supports expressive language development
Motor skills
Strengthen brain receptors for coordinating movement – promotes fine and gross motor skill development
Improve spatial orientation and awareness by allowing children to understand the relationship between their bodies and the environment
Social interaction
Practice social communication skills and give children a chance to observe and interpret other’s body language
e.g., turn-taking, sharing, goal-directed cooperation
Cognitive skills
Learn about science naturally through observation of outcomes of experimentation
Learn how to problem-solve, fostering critical thinking
e.g., notice that it is easier to pour beads into a wide-mouth container than a narrow-mouth one
Calming effect
Different types of sensory input helps children learn to self-regulate according to their needs
e.g., stimulate a sluggish child, soothe a tense child
