Sensory Delights: A Playground for the Senses
Right from the moment your little one can grasp objects, they embark on a sensory journey of exploration. It all begins with their attempts at mouthing, hitting, rotating, and dropping these intriguing items. This is their way of investigating the world around them. They're discovering how objects move, how they feel, how they taste (yes, everything goes into the mouth at this stage!), how they smell, and what they can do.
Sensory Development: The Building Blocks of Growth
As parents, caregivers, teachers & educators, we play a crucial role in nurturing children’s sensory development. The wonders of loose parts play provide an incredible foundation for this growth. The process of exploring various textures, shapes, and materials ignites children’s sensory receptors and helps them build an understanding of the world.
From smooth and rough to soft and hard, each interaction with these materials contributes to children’s sensory development. Whether it's metal, wool, wood, or any other material, the experience is enriching and lays the groundwork for what we call "sensorimotor" play.
Sensorimotor Play: The Child's Natural Superpower
Children have an innate ability to explore and seek out the wonders of the world around them. Their curiosity knows no bounds, and they engage in sensorimotor play to understand the objects and environments they encounter.
Through their sensory experiences, children build a mental library of knowledge. Armed with this newfound understanding, they embark on adventures of discovery, testing and experimenting with other objects. They remember, compare, and learn from these interactions, forming their own theories and ideas about the world.
The Power of the Senses: Sight, Touch, Sound, and Smell
Imagine your child as a little scientist, equipped with superpowers from their senses. They are sight-seers, using their eyes to observe and understand the world around them. They are touch-explorers, learning through the sense of touch by feeling and manipulating objects. They are sound-listeners, paying attention to the sounds that surround them, and they are smell-detectives, discovering and recognizing various scents.
Through loose parts play, children unleash these sensory superpowers, gaining a holistic understanding of their environment. The play experiences enable them to integrate these sensory inputs, laying the groundwork for future learning and cognitive growth.
Embrace the wonders of loose parts play and see their minds come alive with curiosity and enthusiasm. Watch as they become more confident, independent, and eager to learn about the world around them.
So, let the play begin!
*pictured: wooden mouse ears, stainless steel pebbles
