Exploring the world using our senses is very good for child development - Read on to find out why?
Our "7" Senses
Most of us know the traditional 5 senses; touch, taste, sight, sound and smell. Here is a song that explains our senses that would be great to use with young children.
But did you know that there are two lesser known senses movement and balance (vestibular) and body position (proprioception)?
Our vestibular system helps us to coordinate our eye movements with our head movements. This helps children look across a page when they are reading. Other examples of our vestibular system in practice are: knowing you are moving when you are in a lift, knowing whether you are lying down or sitting up or being able to walk along a ledge without toppling over.
Proprioception is sensing the position of the different parts of our body and the effort we need to move our body. Its an important sense because it lets us know exactly where our body parts are and how to judge distances. That way we don't fall over or bang into things. Proprioception is important for writing with a pencil and knowing to apply the correct pressure. It helps children crawl through narrow spaces like tunnels.
Our senses are really important for learning because our brain processes everything the senses send to it and then organises the information. Everything we do in our life needs maximum organisation of sensory information. If we have a problem with sensory processing we might not be able to walk properly, we might run into things, we might not be able to smell smoke to let us know there is a fire, we might not be able to speak properly.
What is Sensory Play and why is it important to children's development?
Sensory play is any activity that stimulates the senses. Through sensory play children gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Some examples of sensory play are:
Water play
Playing with play-doh, clay, mud or sand
Listening to music and dancing
Playing a game of snap
Going on a sound walk
The benefits of Sensory Play include:
Cognitive growth
Development of fine and gross motor skills
Calms anxious or frustrated children
Teaches children the difference between wet/dry, dark/light, rough/smooth
Boosts memory
TASK
Go for a walk on the beach. Pay attention to all the different sounds around you. What are the sounds you can hear? Waves crashing? Sand crunching under your feet? Birds squawking? Write down all the different sounds you can hear.
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