Scouting sensory experiences

Sensory play comes under a range of different monikers – you may have seen it referred to as sensory learning, sensory activities, or auditory or tactile learning. Though it has different names, they all refer to the same thing: experiential learning based on sensory input.

Play that stimulates little ones’ senses is an important aspect of their development, regardless of age, stage, or learning style. Children with a diversity of sensory experiences learn to use their senses in new ways. For example, they can feel when something is wet, observe how it feels on the skin, and how water evaporates when it dries.

Sensory experiences help children to discover more about the world around them, starting from birth (and, according to some studies, even within the womb when it comes to auditory input!).

In the first three years of life, the synapses in the brains of little ones develop around 20 times, with sensory input responsible for much of this.

So, what exactly are the benefits of sensory experiences?

1. Help create connections inside the growing brain’s neural pathways.
2. Enhance linguistic development, cognitive growth, physical capabilities, problem-solving abilities, and social interaction.
   
3. Help to improve and enhance memory.
   
4. Ideal for soothing an anxious or frustrated child.
   
5. Help build knowledge of sensory qualities such as hot, cold, sticky, and dry
   

• tactile (touch) play
• vestibular (balance) sensory play
  
• proprioception (movement/action) sensory play
  
• auditory (hear) sensory play
  
• visual (see) sensory play
  
• olfactory (smell) and taste sensory play
  

While sensory play is essential to development, there are many children with sensory differences that need to be considered. Neurodivergent children, for example, tend to have a range of sensory differences and needs that are unique to each individual. These can lead to an increase in sensory-seeking behaviour, an increased likelihood of experiencing sensory overload, or both.

Sensory-seeking behaviour – where children seek out sensory experiences – helps neurodivergent children to regulate their own emotions and, in some cases, can aid their focus.

These behaviours may include:

• stroking (themselves, toys, textured surfaces)
• picking (nails, skin, loose material)
  
• sucking/chewing (finger/thumb, materials or objects)
  
• noisemaking (sounds, words or phrases that are said or sung, tapping)
  
• repetition (movement/actions, noises, facial expressions, words/phrases)
  
• appearing to ‘zone out’ or disassociate.
  

Dedicated areas within your setting that encourage the above behaviours can be created to ensure neurodivergent children struggling with overstimulation have somewhere they can go to regulate their emotions.

Any child can become overwhelmed if there’s a lot of sensory input going on at once, but for neurodivergent children, an overload of sensory input is more than just uncomfortable; it can be physically painful. Bright lights, loud noises and strong smells are the most common triggers for sensory overload, but oftentimes, it’s caused by these occurring at the same time as something perhaps unseen or unheard by others – such as an itching clothing tag, clothes riding up or having sleeve holes/waists that are tight, and scratchy materials.

Sensory areas in your setting may include:

• a tent with soft lighting
• a variety of textures inside (soft, fluffy and squidgy are often good)
  
• repetitive visuals
  
• headphones.
  

Top tips 

1. Let children lead sensory play, with as little adult input as possible.
2. Avoid placing expectations on individual sensory experiences or outcomes.
   
3. Help link in other senses or different methods of eliciting sensory responses through occasional modelling (as long as it doesn’t interrupt or overtake children’s independent exploration).
   
4. Keep it simple.
   

Typical sensory activities that you may be familiar with include:

• fingerpainting 
• themed water bags
  
• slow-motion sensory bottles (think mixing substances like glitter with gel and water, and adding in mini shapes or figurines, to create a kind of lava lamp)
  
• tubs of soil or sand for digging activities feely bags
  
• ‘construction’ walls with a variety of inputs
  
• instrument ‘kitchens’ (pots, pans, plastic bowls with metal and plastic spoons; cardboard tubes of different lengths).
  

However, to build learning via sensory experiences, adapting the activity according to age, need and/or ability can help to elevate and increase the range of learning that occurs.

An example of activity adaptation is the use of bubbles (NB: be mindful of allergies).

Babies: blowing bubbles and then letting the bubbles settle/pop on their skin.

Toddlers: adults can blow bubbles with force, encouraging children to chase after them and pop them themselves; talk to children using vocabulary to describe how the bubble popping feels and what sound they might hear as it pops.

Pre-schoolers: children create their own bubble mixture and try to blow them in certain directions or towards objects to encourage them to test out the difference between blowing soft/hard.

Most early years settings have a range of sensory activities geared towards sight, sound, and touch, but it can be harder to build in activities that focus on smell. This is partly due to concerns around allergies but can also be because it’s hard to think of relevant activities, so we’ve rounded up some ideas:

1. Sensory gardens – create a small area outside to grow herbs in pots. Basil, thyme, rosemary and sage are all quite pungent!
2. 'What’s that smell?’ with eyes covered – coffee, kitchen spices, toothpaste, unlit candles, paint, and pinecones/pine needles. Be aware of allergies before choosing what to include.
3. Smell laboratory – ‘What smells can you create?’ – children mixing items together, suggesting what smell might result or if it will be nice or not and then testing their theory. This can be done effectively by adding smells to playdough (such as lemon or peppermint), seeing if children can identify and/or describe the smell and discuss how they feel about it. What’s even better is that it blends together different sensory input!
   

Whichever way you choose to approach sensory play and activities, as long as you include a range of experiences for children and allow them to lead their own play, they can absorb a range of learning and make connections that enhance their growth.