Children develop a sense of the world through their senses. They benefit from having their capacity to move, taste, smell, see, hear, and touch. Toddlers love sensory experiences that we provide to them.
“Water,” Brady shared in excitement as he saw educator Megha putting the water bin out for them. He called all of his friends to join in the water play. Children began scooping the water from one container to another using the spoons. “Bubbles,” they shared as they saw the bubbles forming when they splashed the water in the bin.
Children also like to explore play dough. Making various shapes using cookie cutters is their favourite thing to do. “Look at my cookie Megha!” said Julia as she used the cookie cutter to make a playdough cookie. “I made a worm,” Wyatt shared as he uses both of his hands to make a worm. They always wonder what can they make next out of play dough? Children shared ideas and their knowledge with their peers. Children are developing and strengthening their fine motor skills as they shape play dough into various forms. Their hand muscles are developed through activities like squishing, rolling, flattening, and more, which will help them strenthen fine motor movements. Their sense of imagination develops as they brainstorm the ideas of what to make out of playdough.
The goal of sensory play is to help the children develop verbal and motor abilities by involving their senses in activities. Additionally, it promotes social interaction, exploration, and cognitive development. We will continue to provide different sensory activities for the children to build on these skills, and observe how their skills continue to expand.
