What are senses?
When you talk about the senses, most kids over a certain age can rattle them off without problem: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Any and all of these can be incorporated into sensory play.
But there are two more - vestibular and proprioceptive.
The Vestibular Sense refers to the body's set of mechanisms that monitor and adjusts the body's sense of balance and orientation to the world. This sense is what keeps the body upright while standing, sitting or walking and is primarily located in the inner ear.
Proprioception is our body awareness system which unconsciously tells us where our bodies are in relation to other objects and space, and how our different body parts are moving.
Motor Skills
There are two main types of motor skills that your child develops. Gross motor skills are those needed for the coordination of the large muscle groups that help us with running, walking, climbing, and balancing. Fine motor skills help us use and coordinate our small muscle groups that are essential for doing up clothing, cutting, tying shoelaces, and handwriting. Sensory play often involves development of these skills simultaneously.
When children engage in sensory activities like squishing playdough, pouring sand, or sorting small objects, they're strengthening the muscles in their fingers and hands while developing crucial hand-eye coordination. Meanwhile, activities such as navigating sensory obstacle courses, dancing to music, or balancing on textured stepping stones help develop gross motor control. The beauty of sensory play is how naturally it encourages these movements without feeling like "practice" to your child.
For home educated children, incorporating varied sensory experiences is particularly valuable as it creates playful opportunities to develop these physical skills that might otherwise be part of structured physical education in traditional schools. As parents, observing which sensory activities your child gravitates toward can also provide insight into their natural motor development and areas where gentle encouragement might be beneficial.
Sensory Play
Let me explain sensory play in a way that's helpful for your family's learning journey.
Sensory play is any activity that engages one or more of your child's senses:
Touch
Taste
Smell
Sight
Hearing
Balance/Movement (vestibular sense)
Body awareness (proprioception)
Children naturally learn about their world through sensory experiences from birth onwards. You've likely seen this when:
Babies explore by putting objects in their mouths
Toddlers spin to experience dizziness
Children experiment with sounds or cover their ears
Little ones manipulate materials like playdough and slime
They quietly observe their surroundings
They engage with storytelling through different character voices
The benefits are wonderful:
Brain Development: Creates stronger neural connections
Scientific Thinking: Encourages natural investigation
Creativity: Supports open-ended discovery
Motor Skills: Develops both fine and gross abilities
For parents worried about mess, try using cleanup as part of the learning experience. As children grow, involving them in tidying up teaches responsibility while extending the learning opportunity.
Sensory Play Benefits
Let me share with you the wonderful world of sensory play and why it's so incredibly important for all children!
Every child learns to understand their world through their senses, and some children need a little extra support in this journey. This is especially true for children with autism or sensory integration challenges, but here's the beautiful thing - sensory play benefits ALL children!
Think of sensory play as building blocks for your child's brain. When children combine different senses - like touching and looking, or hearing and moving - they're creating powerful learning connections. They're building their very own library of experiences!
Here's what makes sensory play so magical:
It helps children become better problem solvers
Children store these rich experiences in their memory
These memories become the foundation for future learning
It supports development of reading, writing and maths skills
Those moments when your child is completely absorbed in play - perhaps squishing playdough or listening intently to different sounds? That's their brain hard at work, taking in information through all their senses!
The best part? This natural way of learning through sensory exploration is pure joy for children.
Sensory Play Ideas
Would you like to hear about some fun sensory activities you can try at home? Let me share a few delightful sensory play ideas that are both fun and enriching!
Indoor Sensory Activities:
Magic Sensory BinsFill a large container with rice, dried beans, or pasta
Hide small toys or objects inside for discovery
Include scoops and measuring cups for pouring fun
Playdough Play StationMake homemade playdough (it's softer than store-bought!)
Add natural scents like vanilla or lavender
Include rolling pins and safe tools for creativity
Outdoor Sensory Fun:
Nature Sensory WalkCollect leaves, sticks, and safe natural items
Feel different textures (rough bark, smooth stones)
Listen for birds and rustling leaves
Want more creative sensory play ideas?
These are just a small sample of the enriching sensory activities you can share with your child! For a complete collection of 50+ sensory play ideas, simple recipes, and step-by-step instructions, visit our online store to download our comprehensive "Sensory Play Adventures" booklet. It's packed with activities suitable for different ages, developmental stages, and sensory preferences – perfect for your home education journey!
Sand Play Benefits
Let me share why sand play is such a wonderful sensory experience for children of all ages!
Sand offers a uniquely versatile sensory medium that naturally encourages exploration and creativity. When children play with sand, they're engaging multiple senses simultaneously - feeling the texture between their fingers, seeing how it moves and shapes, and even hearing the gentle sounds it makes when poured.
The benefits of sand play are remarkable:
Develops fine motor skills through scooping, pouring and moulding
Enhances hand-eye coordination when filling containers or building structures
Introduces early mathematical concepts like volume, weight and measurement
Provides a calming, therapeutic sensory experience
Encourages imaginative play and storytelling
Builds language skills as children describe what they're creating
Sand play also offers a natural opportunity for social development as children share space and materials. For children who may feel overwhelmed by other sensory experiences, dry sand often provides a comfortable starting point for sensory exploration.
Whether using a dedicated sand table, a tray at the kitchen table, or visiting your local park, incorporating sand play into your home education routine creates meaningful learning opportunities disguised as pure fun!
Water Play Benefits
Let me share why water play can be such a magical sensory experience for your child!
Water offers an endlessly fascinating medium that naturally draws children in with its unique properties. When children engage with water, they're exploring something that can be splashed, poured, frozen, coloured, and transformed in countless ways.
The benefits of water play are truly wonderful:
Develops scientific thinking as children observe how water behaves
Enhances fine motor skills through pouring, squeezing and transferring
Introduces early mathematical concepts like volume, measurement and estimation
Provides a soothing, calming sensory experience for many children
Encourages problem-solving as children experiment with floating and sinking
Builds vocabulary as children describe what they're discovering
Water play also creates natural opportunities for cooperation and turn-taking when children share space and materials. For children who may be tactile defensive with messier sensory materials, water often serves as a comfortable bridge to other sensory experiences.
Whether using the bath, a water table in the garden, or simply a washing-up bowl at the kitchen table, incorporating water play into your home education routine creates joyful learning moments that children eagerly anticipate!
Weather-Based Sensory Play
Let me share the wonderful world of weather-based sensory play and how it connects your child to the natural environment!
Weather offers ever-changing sensory opportunities that engage children in meaningful ways. When children interact with weather elements, they're experiencing natural phenomena firsthand—feeling raindrops on their skin, hearing thunder rumble, or watching snowflakes transform in their warm hands.
The benefits of weather-based sensory play are significant:
Develops scientific understanding of natural processes and seasonal changes
Enhances vocabulary as children describe weather conditions and sensations
Introduces early physics concepts like cause and effect
Provides rich sensory input that varies naturally in intensity
Encourages observation skills and attention to detail
Builds resilience through experiences in different weather conditions
Weather play naturally covers multiple learning areas—science, language, mathematics (measuring rainfall), art (cloud shapes), and even emotional development as children learn to adapt to changing conditions.
Activities like collecting rain in measuring cups, creating wind-powered pinwheels, exploring textures in a mud kitchen, or lying back to find shapes in clouds connect children to the natural world in meaningful ways. For home educated children, these experiences offer authentic context for learning that simply can't be replicated with indoor activities alone.
By embracing weather-based sensory play, you're helping your child develop a lifelong connection to the natural world and its fascinating patterns!
Tactile Discovery
Let me share how tactile discovery can transform your child's sensory learning experience!
Tactile exploration is perhaps the most fundamental form of sensory play, focusing directly on the sense of touch. When children engage with varied textures, temperatures, and surfaces, they're building critical neural pathways that help them process and respond to tactile information throughout their lives.
The benefits of tactile discovery activities are profound:
Develops sensory discrimination and processing abilities
Enhances descriptive language as children articulate what they feel
Builds confidence in exploring unfamiliar sensations
Provides calming, regulating experiences for many children
Supports pre-writing skills through finger strength and dexterity
Creates opportunities for mindful focus and attention
Tactile play naturally supports several learning areas—language development, scientific investigation, emotional regulation, and fine motor control. For children who may be tactile defensive or sensory seeking, these activities can be thoughtfully adapted to meet their unique needs.
Activities like exploring textured boards, creating finger paintings with unusual mediums (shaving foam, cornflour gloop), investigating mystery objects in feely boxes, or comparing fabric textures encourage children to become more comfortable and confident with touch-based experiences. For home educated children, these tactile discoveries can easily be integrated into everyday learning, making abstract concepts tangible and meaningful.
By incorporating regular tactile discovery into your home education approach, you're helping your child develop essential sensory foundations for future learning!
Why Sensory Play is Simply Amazing! 🌟
Sensory play isn't just about having fun (though it's definitely that too!) - it's a powerful way children learn about their world. When we explore all the sensory experiences available to children, we create a rich tapestry of learning opportunities.
Brain Power in Action:
Every time a child squishes, pours, or explores, they're building neural connections
They're learning to solve problems through hands-on experiences
Their memory grows stronger as they store these rich sensory experiences
Language develops naturally as they describe what they're feeling and doing
Learning Through Discovery:
Children become little scientists, exploring cause and effect
They develop creativity and imagination
Maths concepts emerge through measuring and comparing
Early writing skills develop through finger strength and coordination
Social and Emotional Growth:
Children learn to work together and share materials
They build confidence through successful exploration
Sensory play can be incredibly calming and focusing
It helps children process their daily experiences
The Full Sensory Experience:
Sound and Music Play engages auditory processing and rhythm awareness
Light and Shadow Play develops visual discrimination and scientific thinking
Movement and Vestibular Play builds body awareness and spatial understanding
Smell and Taste Activities (safely supervised) connect to memory and emotional development
Remember: When you see your child playing with water, squishing playdough, or exploring textures, they're not just playing - they're laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning! 🌈
As Maria Montessori said, "Play is the work of the child." So let them play, explore, and discover - they're learning more than you can imagine! 💫
It's fun - which means children are more engaged and learn more!
Remember: When you see your child playing with water, squishing play dough, or exploring textures, they're not just playing - they're laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning! 🌈
As Maria Montessori said, "Play is the work of the child." So let them play, explore, and discover - they're learning more than you can imagine! 💫