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The Benefits Of Sensory Play

By: :Thiago Agostinho 0 comments
The Benefits Of Sensory Play

 


If you have recently had a baby then you may have come across something called sensory play when reading baby books, browsing the internet or speaking with other parents. Simply put, sensory play is activities that are designed to stimulate a little one’s sense of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste. Sensory play activities can be incredibly vast but they all help a baby or child discover and explore their senses. 


The thought of sensory play may seem slightly peculiar to some parents, especially for younger babies who aren’t yet old enough to really understand what’s going on around them, but sensory activities are actually an important part of development. If you’re intrigued to find out more about sensory play and how it can benefit your child, below we have looked into some of the most notable benefits to this type of play. 


Developing your baby’s skills 


It is fair to say that with sensory play, there is much more going on than you may assume. Not only are sensory activities fun for babies, but they encourage them to start exploring the world around them too. As children get older, sensory play helps to strengthen brain development and enhance their memory skills as well, whilst also helping them to understand important sensory attributes and complete more complex learning tasks. 


When regularly undertaking some sensory activities with baby sensory toys, you can help to improve your little ones; 


  • Gross motor skills (control over their bigger muscles, working on balance and strength)
  • Fine motor skills (coordinating the smaller muscles in the body through movement)
  • Cognitive growth (the ability to think, learn, remember, imagine, pay attention, etc.)
  • Language development (starting to understand speech and responding to speech)
  • Self-awareness (gaining a sense of their own body and the things/people around them)
  • Social and emotional development (connecting with parents and caregivers)
  • Problem-solving abilities (learning that individual actions can affect and fix problems)
  • Decision-making skills (begging to find solutions to obstacles they come across)

So, whilst it might just seem like play, as mentioned above it can really aid children’s overall development and surprisingly to some, sensory play is something that you should introduce to your newborn when they are only a few months old as it can start to benefit them already. 


To give you an idea of how sensory toys work, take something like a soft cube rattle, this is perfect for little hands and helps babies learn how to hold objects. The rattle sound will also engage them and create lots of curiosity. Another example is a ribbon ring, this helps to build self-awareness and a baby will start to understand when the item is touching them. Also, a simple foil blanket is brilliant for basic cause and effect learning from a really young age. 


Building a positive parent-child relationship


Parents don’t tend to realise just how beneficial baby sensory play can be for a parent-child relationship too. By taking the time to do some sensory activities, no matter how simple they may be to start with, you will be spending quality time together playing, learning and encouraging growth. Of course, whilst helping with your baby’s development you will also be building memories together and generally having fun too.


Not only will your baby learn so much more when you’re by their side enjoying sensory play with them, but it is worthwhile noting that direct supervision is always important during sensory activities too. Not all items that you might use are designed to be baby toys and they’re only intended to be a prop, so they can sometimes be dangerous if you leave your little one unattended. 


Purchasing baby sensory toys


All in all, there is no denying that there are a number of reasons why you should start including sensory play in your little one’s day-to-day life and it really can be incredibly beneficial. If you’re interested in purchasing baby sensory toys for the first time, be sure to visit the My Little Goody Box website. We have a huge range of sensory toys for you to choose from, all of which have been handpicked based on the products we would or have used with our own children. 


Here at My Little Goody Box, we are passionate about giving parents and care providers somewhere convenient to not only buy sensory products but to also get play ideas for these products too. When you sign up for our newsletters, we will send you lots of innovative ways to use the baby sensory toys we sell and also general items you have around the house too. If you have any questions at all surrounding sensory play, please feel free to contact us today. 




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