Play helps children develop and improve countless important skills including concentration, gross and fine motor skills, and coordination. While all types of play is essential to children’s development and early learning, sensory play is one way children can really explore and learn about their world around them. Here are three sensory play activities you can work in to your curriculum:
- Learning about colors through finger painting
Finger painting is a great way for children to build their fine motor skills and learn how colors can blend together to make new colors. Offer your students several different paint colors and encourage them to mix them together to make something new! - Playing in the Sand Box on the Playground
When children play in the sand box, they have the opportunity to truly use their sense of touch as they manipulate objects mold the sand. Encourage your students to bring toys into the sandbox to create an imaginary world and their own stories. - Building with Play dough
The malleable properties of play dough can help build strength in your students’ tiny hand muscles. To take it one step further, inspire students to use small objects like buttons, shells and rice in their play dough creations so they can explore a wide variety of textures, colors and shapes.