What is Sensory Play and Why is it Important in Preschool?

Using the Five Senses to Enhance Daily Learning

According to most child development experts, the number of senses engaged during activities, the higher the rate of learning and retention. That belief is the foundation behind sensory play. Letting children play with a variety of materials, teaches them concepts in language and math that could otherwise be difficult to grasp. Concepts of science can also be easier to grasp when kids can actually see and experience them first-hand as they had an effect on the materials as they worked with them. For example, adding water in various amounts to dirt shows the physical change as it occurs, changing dirt into mud. Adding more water lets you show them just what gritty, gooey and watery really mean. Many preschool and daycare teachers report that sensory play and learning is imperative to their classroom curriculum as it allows them to teach concepts that otherwise would be lost on young children as they just don’t have the intellectual or developmental capabilities to fathom non-tangible ideas.

Developmental areas that benefit from sensory play include:

• Language – By encouraging children to discuss what they feel and experience.
• Social – Engaging multiple children while working with small groups encourages them to discuss and share their experiences.
• Physical – Sensory play reinforces small motor skills as children practice a number of physical activities.
• Creative – Letting children to freely work the materials as they desire encourages their creative side to take control.

Pairing sensory play with other curriculum, our preschool teachers work with your child, both in one-on-one scenarios and within small groups to encourage, stimulate and aid in his/her intellectual and physical development.