Sensory games are designed to provide a variety of stimuli to develop children’s senses and expand the world of their sensations. There is a great variety of toys for sensory play but you can also use everyday items and food products that will be found in your home.
When a child is less able to cope with certain activities or is completely unable to perform them, this may indicate a sensory integration disorder. A child with this kind of disorder may have difficulty concentrating and learning. Often a child has problems with mobility, direction, speech development, and balance. He may also be very sensitive to touch, sounds or smells. If you notice some of these signs, it is worth introducing the sensory integration therapy. The benefits of the sensory play for children are well explained by SafeSleepSystems.com where you can also find examples of sensory toys.
Sensory games are not complicated and do not require specialized equipment. The main point of playing is to provide the child with various stimuli supporting the integration of his senses and his development. Sensory play is aimed at encouraging children to rely on their cooperation to perform subsequent tasks and explore the world.
There are many possibilities of games that you can play with your child at home and each is responsible for the development of individual or many senses at the same time.
Here are some examples:
- To develop a sense of touch, sight or smell, you can play a simple game on how to recognize specific products enclosed in string bags. Ideally, all kinds of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits will work. Discuss the contents of the bags with your child, let him touch it, see it, smell it, and try it. Explain what the product is used for and where it comes from.
- Another great fun for children is to create different forms from plasticine or dough which develops their creativity. Painting with hands and feet on a cardboard box laid on the floor is not only a field for the imagination but also a better understanding of your own anatomy and sense of touch.
- The sensory box is a simple basket or carton filled in with several items. It is important that they have different sizes, shapes, colors, and texture. Wandering through the treasure box is not only an additional way to encourage your child to participate in the exercises, but also to stimulate in him a little explorer.
- Pasta can also be used to create interesting sensory games. Let your child paint on different shapes of pasta: shells, bows, piercings. Nicely colored and decorated pasta you can put on a string or into a bowl.
- Filling the glasses with juice from different levels shows our child different sounds. He can also manipulate the sound by drinking any amount of juice from each glass. By mixing flavors, you will also encourage him to try new things and determine his taste.
The possibilities of sensory play is huge. Every game and activity can be modified and adapted to the objects and toys at home. It might be not the cleanest way of playing, but for sure it’s worth a little sacrifice. Sensory games allow, above all, to support your child’s development so that he copes better during everyday activities, not only at home but also at school. Although these are exercises, the joy that they will bring to your child is an additional reward for all the effort put into their preparation.
