Benefits of Sensory Play

Sensory play is an engaging, highly stimulating play experience that often incorporates the five senses while building motor skills, creativity, mindfulness, and brain development. 

At Leika we strive to provide economically sensible sensory creations to help your children grow, learn, and enjoy hands-on play.

Engage Five Senses

We use our five senses to engage in the world.  It's what helps us learn, grow, and understand our environment and social situations.  So much of our memory is also associated with our five senses. A smell can take us right back to a memory of a loved one or a favorite food or place we’ve experienced.  As we explore more scents, colors, textures, sounds, and tastes we build more tolerance to a variety of sensory experiences and develop language to describe those encounters. 

Develop Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Our bodies are our vehicles to experience the world.  It is prime time for fine and gross motor skill development from infancy to the adolescent years.  Active play engages our gross motor skills - large body movements like sitting, crawling, walking, running, etc.  Fine motor skills are a key part of sensory play and will help children learn to grasp, reach, squeeze, scoop, and improve hand-eye coordination.

Heighten Imagination & Independence 

Sensory play can ignite imaginative and independent play.  Oftentimes, sensory kits and experiences use more natural, simple items so that the child can incorporate their own imagination to direct the play in their own way.  Self-directed play heightens their individual creativity and does not rely on peers or adults to guide them.  Sensory play allows children to set their own learning and play experience and invite peers and adults into the play as they see fit.  

Increase Mindfulness

Because sensory play incorporates so many of the senses, it naturally creates a mindful experience.  The use of soothing textures, smells, and sounds can calm the body and mind.  If you notice a child agitated or over-stimulated, utilizing sensory materials can be a calming or de-escalating experience.  It engages their mind, body, and senses to allow them to regulate themselves.  Simple things that can create more mindful play are: warm or low lighting, scents like lavender or orange, smooth or soft textures, and quiet music.  Using these elements during sensory play will add to the mindful experience.

Ignite Problem Solving & Build Nerve Connections to the Brain

Research has shown that sensory play builds nerve connections to the brain, which helps children learn and complete more complex tasks and thinking.  Piaget’s developmental stage theory from many years ago actually highlights why sensory play is so important.  In his theory, he suggests that children need developmentally appropriate environmental stimuli and experiences to strengthen their cognitive growth.  When engaging in this more self-directed play, children learn to problem solve and make connections to the world around them.