Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates the senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. Young children learn best and retain the most information when they engage their senses. Sensory-based activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate, and explore.
Spending time stimulating the senses helps children blossom across all developmental domains - cognitively, linguistically, socially, physically, and creatively. Curious how? Read on!
[Assorted translucent shape counters and metal circles set out on the light table support the development of early math skills such as classifying, sorting, attribute identification, and patterning.]
Cognitive Development The most obvious cognitive skills sharpened by sensory play are problem solving and decision making: simply present a child with a problem, and various materials with which to find a solution, and you can almost see the connections inside their brain. In addition, children build math skills such as comparing size (big versus small), counting, and one-to-one correspondence (matching numbers to objects), timing (does water or oil move faster?), matching (same sizes and shapes), sorting and classifying (buttons, beans, loose parts), science skills such as cause and effect (what happens when I add water to sand?), gravity (water slides down a funnel, not up) and states of matter (ice melts). Without realizing it, children grow into young scientists by making predictions, observations, and developing analytical skills.
[What happens when you squeeze liquid water color on top of baking soda?!]
Sensory play encourages children to use descriptive and expressive language, and to find meaning behind new vocabulary. For example, children learn to understand the word “slimy” or "sticky" by experiencing something slimy and sticky firsthand.
[Dinosaurs in the "grass" invite conversation and dramatic role play, which fosters social development.]
Certain sensory play options, like sensory tables, trays, or bins, allow children to be in control of their actions and experiences, which boosts their confidence in decision making and inspires their eagerness to learn and experiment. Sensory play can also teach children about cooperation and collaboration. The children have the opportunity to express themselves, tell a story, and become confident in sharing their ideas with others. They also may begin to make observations about how a peer is approaching the sensory material in a different way, which helps to foster acceptance of other ideas or viewpoints.
[Exploring the concept of "resist painting." What happens to the paint when it travels on top of the dot sticker? I notice that my brush makes lines and my friend's brush makes splotches. What will happen to the paper after the paint dries and we peel off the stickers?"]
Sensory play benefits the development of fine motor skills by encouraging manipulation of materials, such as mixing, measuring, pouring and scooping. Gross motor skills are also developed through lifting, throwing, rolling, and constructing. Did you know that pinching a squeeze dropper directly supports the same finger muscles needed for pen control later?
[The whole body is incorporated when a child uses a honey stirring stick to "splatter" acrylic paint onto a collaborative piece of artwork.]
Sensory experiences provide open-ended opportunities where the process is more important than the product: simply put, how children use materials is more telling than what they make with them. Prompting children to think creatively in order to solve problems or engage in make-believe play helps them express their own creative potential and build self-esteem.
[An invitation to create with two primary paint colors and a blank canvas at the easel translates into limitless possibility. Creativity abounds!]
Mchezo wa hisi hutia ndani utendaji wowote unaosababisha hisi: kugusa, kunusa, ladha, kuona, na kusikia. Watoto wadogo hujifunza vizuri na kukumbuka habari nyingi zaidi wanapotumia hisi zao. Shughuli za hisia huwezesha uchunguzi na kwa kawaida huwatia moyo watoto kutumia michakato ya kisayansi wakati wanapocheza, kuunda, kuchunguza, na kuchunguza. Kutumia wakati kuchochea hisi husaidia watoto kusitawi katika nyanja zote za ukuzi - kiakili, lugha, kijamii, kimwili, na kiumbaji. Unajiuliza ni kwa njia gani? Soma zaidi! [Kundi za mviringo za chuma na za mviringo za mviringo zilizowekwa kwenye meza ya taa huunga mkono maendeleo ya ujuzi wa mapema wa hisabati kama vile kuainisha, kupanga, kutambua sifa, na muundo.] Uendelezaji wa utambuzi: Ujuzi wa utambuzi unaoweza kuimarishwa na mchezo wa hisia ni ufumbuzi wa tatizo na maamuzi: tu kumpa mtoto tatizo, na vifaa mbalimbali vya kutafuta suluhisho, na unaweza kuona uhusiano ndani ya ubongo wao. Kwa kuongezea, watoto hujenga ujuzi wa hisabati kama vile kulinganisha ukubwa (kubwa dhidi ya ndogo), kuhesabu, na mawasiliano ya moja kwa moja (kulinganisha nambari na vitu), wakati (je maji au mafuta husafiri haraka? "Kutumia ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga, ""mfano"" wa mchanga." (Gravity) - maji huanguka chini ya mtungi, na hali ya vitu (mvua huyeyuka). Bila kujua, watoto hukua na kuwa wanasayansi wachanga kwa kufanya utabiri, uchunguzi, na kukuza ustadi wa kuchanganua. [Ni nini hutokea wakati wewe squeeze maji rangi juu ya baking soda?!] Mchezo wa hisi huwatia moyo watoto watumie lugha ya kuelezea na ya kueleza, na kupata maana nyuma ya msamiati mpya. Kwa mfano, watoto hujifunza kuelewa neno <unk>slimy<unk> au "sticky" kwa kuona jambo fulani lenye umajimaji na lenye kunata. [Dinosaurs katika " nyasi " kuwakaribisha mazungumzo na mchezo wa kuigiza, ambayo huendeleza maendeleo ya kijamii.] Chaguzi fulani za kucheza, kama vile meza za hisi, trays, au mabati, huruhusu watoto kuwa na udhibiti wa vitendo na uzoefu wao, ambayo huongeza ujasiri wao katika kufanya maamuzi na kuchochea hamu yao ya kujifunza na majaribio. Mchezo wa hisi waweza pia kuwafundisha watoto kuhusu ushirikiano na ushirikiano. Watoto wana nafasi ya kujieleza, kusimulia hadithi, na kuwa na uhakika wa kushiriki mawazo yao na wengine. Pia wanaweza kuanza kufanya uchunguzi kuhusu jinsi mwenzake anavyofikia vifaa vya hisia kwa njia tofauti, ambayo husaidia kukuza kukubalika kwa mawazo au maoni mengine. [Kuchunguza dhana ya "kupiga picha ya kupinga". Ni nini kinachotokea kwa rangi inapopanda juu ya stika hiyo? Ninaona kwamba brashi yangu hutokeza mistari na brashi ya rafiki yangu hutokeza madoa. Ni nini kitakachotokea kwa karatasi baada ya rangi kukauka na sisi peel mbali stika?"] Mchezo wa hisia unasaidia maendeleo ya ujuzi mzuri wa motor kwa kuhamasisha udhibiti wa vifaa, kama vile kuchanganya, kupima, kumwagilia na kuondoa. Ujuzi wa utendaji wa mwili pia hutengenezwa kwa kuinua, kutupa, kugeuka, na kujenga. Je, unajua kwamba kupiga kidonge cha kufinya moja kwa moja hutegemeza misuli ileile ya kidole inayohitajika kwa udhibiti wa kalamu baadaye? [Mwili wote ni pamoja na wakati mtoto anatumia asali stirring fimbo ya "splash" acrylic rangi juu ya kazi ya ushirikiano wa sanaa.] Uzoefu wa hisia hutoa fursa za wazi ambapo mchakato ni muhimu zaidi kuliko bidhaa: kwa ufupi, jinsi watoto hutumia vifaa ni zaidi ya kusema kuliko kile wanachofanya nao. Kuwashawishi watoto kufikiri kwa ubunifu ili kutatua matatizo au kushiriki katika mchezo wa kuigiza huwawezesha kueleza uwezo wao wa ubunifu na kujenga kujithamini. [Mwaliko wa kuunda kwa rangi mbili za msingi za rangi na canvas tupu kwenye easel hutafsiriwa kuwa uwezekano usio na kikomo. Ubunifu ni mwingi!]