What advantages does sensory play have for preschoolers?

Sensory play plays an important role in every child’s development from birth to early childhood. It helps build nerve connections in their brain’s pathways, which can help your child complete complex tasks.

“When your child engages in sensory play, they’re helping their brain develop and learn from certain aspects of their environment,” says Messer

1. Helps with language skills. Your child’s language skills develop naturally through sensory play. “When a child participates in any sort of play, sensory included, they’re learning through experiences in their environments and learning different ways to communicate emotions, wants and needs,”

2.   Helps with fine motor skills. Sensory play can help your child develop fine motor skills like tying their shoe, writing and zipping their coat. Through tactile play that focuses on building, pouring and mixing, your child builds on their ability to use small muscle groups and coordinate movements.

3.   Helps with gross motor skills. Gross motor skills include sitting, crawling, jumping and running — activities that use your child’s body’s large muscles in their arms, legs and core (stomach area). Whether your child is just learning to walk or has been trying to throw a ball, the key is to allow them plenty of time to practice those skills freely.

4.   Helps with cognitive growth. Asking questions, thinking about how things work, doing experiments and analyzing results are all part of healthy cognitive growth. It’s how we learn something new and figure things out. It’s also how we problem solve.

5. Has a calming effect. Your sensory system can help you calm down. This is particularly important for children as they develop.

6. Fosters social interaction. By engaging in sensory play with siblings or peers, your child begins developing social skills. They’ll learn how to communicate, how to troubleshoot problems and learn to adapt to how others play.

Works Cited

“101.749 Sensory Gambar, Foto Stok & Vektor.” Shutterstock, https://www.shutterstock.com/id/search/sensory. Accessed 9 August 2022.“What Is Sensory Play? The Benefits For Your Child and Sensory Play Ideas.” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-sensory-play-ideas/. Accessed 9 August 2022.