Give Your Child A Brain Boost with Sensory Play

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By Kelly Owens Vincentini, Owner of Play2Learn

Parents, you are your child’s first teacher. What a gift and a responsibility!  

Eighty-five percent of brain development happens in the first three years of life, and so much of it is driven by playful, sensory experiences. Here’s how you can activate your child’s senses to help them grow. 

Babies: When you rock and sing to your child, give a bath, or stroll through the neighborhood, you stimulate your child’s senses and their brain development. As they grow, encourage independent exploration. Ideas: 

• Place photographs or pictures on the wall to cruise along.

• Set up a DIY ball pit using your Pack ‘n Play. 

• Give them musical instruments to shake and strike.

Toddlers:  Build coordination and encourage their interest in experiencing the world through their senses. Ideas:

• Create a sensory bin using low storage containers and pantry items like dry beans, cereal, pasta, or rice.

• Add spoons, scoops, cups, or bowls to encourage your child to transfer between containers. 

• Important: Carefully watch your little one to avoid choking, and when in doubt, opt for water play! 

Preschool and Kindergarten: Step up your sensory sessions with extra cognitive and language development. Ideas:

• Build a farm-themed bin using animal figures and dry beans. 

• Name the animals, practice their sounds, describe the look and feel, and compare how they are similar and different. 

• Model pretend play by feeding, walking, and bathing the animals to teach real-life concepts. 

For more tips, check out the Play2Learn Podcast where Kelly interviews experts in the fields of parenting and education to provide you with the tools and insight you need to show up for your children with confidence.

Ready to try a weekly parent-child class that promotes socialization and learning through sensory play? Visit play2learntot.com to sign up for Baby Sensorimotor and Multi-age Art & Sensory Classes in Skaneateles, Dewitt, and Baldwinsville. Find us on Instagram @play2learntot.