by Sammy Cousens
The smell of fresh cut grass takes me back to being 7 and jumping on my friend Veronica Gonzales’ trampoline- all summer long. The taste of coconut will always remind me of my Grandma Georgia and these chocolate-dipped coconut balls wrapped in red cellophane. They came in a round tin through snail mail and always with a $5 bill just for me.
Children and even adults learn best and retain the most information when they engage their senses. Providing opportunities for children to actively use their senses as they explore their world through ‘sensory play’ is crucial to brain development.
Here are 5 reasons why sensory play is beneficial:
Sensory play...
1. Builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways (helping to complete more complex learning tasks)
2. Supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction
3. Enhances memory by creating stronger connections to process information
4. Helps calm an anxious or frustrated child
5. Develops vocabulary: sensory attributes (hot, cold, sticky, dry)
6. Provides authentic ways to use the scientific process
Oh, and guess what? Two of the commonly overlooked senses are body awareness and balance.
Body awareness (also known as proprioception) – the feedback our brains receive from stretch receptors in our muscles and pressure receptors in joints which enable us to gain a sense where our bodies are in space.
Balance – the stimulation of the vestibular system of the inner ear to tell us our body position in relation to gravity.
So, as the new year takes off and our kids are getting extra messy, extra loud and perhaps even a bit extra needy, just remember these are the times when our senses are heightened and connections are being made in our brains to help us make meaning of the world around us.
To building memories that will last a lifetime,
Sammy Cousens
Resource: Educational by Educational Playcare
