Children learn a lot about the world around them through play. It is not all about just teaching them alphabet, numbers, colours and other basic knowledge; they also need to use their senses to explore all that is around them and learn more. You can encourage the development of their senses by providing sensory play toys. These toys stimulate the five senses so they could make better sense of the world as they explore it.
There are plenty of activities you could do with your child to encourage sensory play. Here are some of the best activities you could try.
Sensory Bin
A sensory bin is one of the most popular when it comes to sensory play. In a bin, put different items that can be found around your area such as leaves, rocks, beans, small toys and many more. As your child gets an item inside the bin, he gets to practice his sense of touch and explore different textures as well. Be sure to avoid tiny objects that might cause choking especially when you’re dealing with younger children. For quality sensory play kits Australia has one of the best suppliers you could check.
Sound Tube
A sound tube helps a lot in allowing your child to connect more with the auditory world. It’s easy to create one using some old paper towel rolls. Fill the tube with a variety of small items such as beads, rice grains, beans, or anything that creates sound. Secure both ends and your child can enjoy listening to the sounds created by the sound tube.
Sandbox
If you want your little one to experience the fun of playing with sand, a good sandbox is what you need. Get a wide container where you could put some kinetic sand in and let your little one explores the things he could make with it. Add some simple items your child can use to shape and mould sand into his desired forms and keep their imagination rolling.
Guess the Taste
As your child grows, the flavours he gets to taste also expends drastically. To help in the development of his sense of taste, this activity is perfect for you. Blindfold the child and let them taste something. They should guess then what was that food that they eat without opening the blindfold yet.
Jumping Activities
Another great way to encourage sensory play is by just jumping around. There are plenty of ways to include jumping on his daily activities. Aside from jumping, you could also try other activities such as jumping on trampoline, jumping rope, or even a simple obstacle course for them to practice better muscle control.
There’s no need to spend much on sensory toys to encourage your child’s development. Once you know which activities are perfect for this stage, you can surely help your child learn and explore more with the use of his or her senses. Let them interact better with their world through sensory play.