FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH
TEAM (copied from the January Administrative Newsletter)
The importance of
sensory play
What is sensory play? Sensory play is an
important part of learning. It enhances children’s senses, which are the most
basic ways that we process new information. Sensory activities can be beneficial
for all children. It provides children with opportunities to explore their
environment and engage with tools that encourage use of different senses.
Sensory play activities can help children focus, refocus, stay engaged, and
remain in a regulated state. According to
www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/sensory-play/, sensory play includes any
activity that stimulates your child’s senses. The five main senses are:
- Touch - tactile
- Sound - auditory
- Sight - visual
- Taste - gustatory
- Smell - olfactory
In addition, there are two other
powerful senses:
- vestibular (movement and balance sense)-provides information about where the head and body are in space and in relation to the earth's surface.
- proprioception (joint/muscle sense)-provides information about where body parts are and what they are doing.
Sensory play activities There are many
activities that children can do at home. The following provides a list of the
most popular activities for children to engage in sensory play:
- Playdough, theraputty (easy recipe for playdough: https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-playdough/)
- Sand, rice or bean table
- Sensory bin filled with different items (i.e. marbles, beans, cotton balls, etc)
- Squishy bags
- Shaving cream
- Bubbles, water play
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Crab walk, bear walk, push-ups
- Rocking in a rocking chair
Mental Health Team: Dr. Patricia Schumm, Jessica
Rudnick, Melanie Collins, Ana Encarnacion, Miguel Aquino, Ruth Killough-Hill
