incorporating Sensory Play AT Home
Hello friends,
I have heard from a few families that they would like some guidance on how to incorporate some of the things we do in class in their home play time. A lot of what we do at Ah-Ha Fun Time falls under the general category of messy sensory play. My students engage in this type of play when they do art, as well as when they play in the sensory bins. Today we are going to be focusing on the messy play we do in the sensory bins.
There is a lot of talk about sensory play, and we often hear that it is good for development, but what exactly about this type of play is helpful, and in what ways does it help our child’s development?
Whenever a child is fully in charge of how they play with a highly stimulating material they are developing creative thinking skills. I am constantly surprised by my student’s creative use of the materials I have provided in the sensory bins. They use the tools in novel ways, and manipulate the material in new and interesting ways. They play pretend and create a whole world based on the material. This creative energy comes from the stimulation of a new and interesting material to explore. In addition, all of these creative ideas are the result of many decisions the child has made for themselves. When a child is in charge of making and executing decisions their self-esteem grows and it fosters independence. As we engage with our children as they play it gives them an opportunity to develop vocabulary and language skills. Also, sensory play allows children to use many of their senses simultaneously, which encourages awareness of sensory input as well as helps to develop connections between the senses. All the squeezing, pressing, filling, pouring, throwing, scooping they do as they play helps to develop their fine and gross motor skills. When things don’t go the way they expected, not only are they getting a hands-on lesson in material science, but they are also offered opportunities to practice self-regulation skills. Finally, messy play gives kids many chances to practice cleaning up after themselves. That’s not even all of the benefits of messy sensory play! You can see why it is a cornerstone to my program!
I want to incorporate sensory play at home but I don’t have a sensory table/I don’t know what to offer/it’s too messy!
While it’s great to have a full set-up like we have in class, the only things you really need to execute some sensory play at home are:
A large container of some sort, bonus if it has a lid.
A floor covering. A large flat sheet or tarp is perfect.
A material that is developmentally appropriate (safe).
A curious child and some time to fill
For the container, look in your kitchen and find a large tupperware (not glass), or large mixing bowl. If you are open to purchasing something I would suggest a plastic storage container such as a Sterilite locking container (sold at most big box stores/Amazon). These containers should be placed on the floor or a steady child-size table for older toddlers.
With my kids I usually use an old king size top sheet for the floor covering. The bigger the better, so it can catch most of the mess. A sheet/tarp has some pros and cons. It can create a tripping or slipping hazard, but for dry materials it is very simple to clean up as you can pick up all four corners and pour out what was spilled. If you have an outdoor concrete space you can skip the floor covering and just sweep up when you are done playing.
You want to choose a material that is taste-safe and does not cause a choking hazard. If you look on Pinterest for sensory bin ideas you will see lots of dry beans, small rocks and small pom poms. These materials are not safe for children under 3! What I look for is a material that can be eaten, but is not yummy. Some people will make a bunch of chocolate pudding and offer it for sensory play, and it always becomes snack. Same with cereals like cheerios and fruit loops. If you want your child to explore the material with their hands then it should not taste very good. Look in your pantry for ingredients like flour, uncooked rice, dry (or cooked) couscous or quinoa, cooked/canned beans, corn starch, salt, etc. Most of these materials can also be played with over and over again, which is why you ideally want a lid for your bin. Add in a few measure cups or other small receptacles, some spoons or other scoops. You can also put in other small toys such as trucks, animals or figurines - don’t over crowd the bin with toys though. Speaking of pinterest and instagram, if you do look up ideas be aware that many of the cutest looking ideas are not created with the playing child in mind, but rather a good photo-op. Toddlers don’t really care that much about themes and accessories. Also many are very adult directed. Maybe your child won’t want to play ice cream shop, or make fairy soup. Nothing against cute pictures, I just don’t want you to waste your energy or time when simpler is actually better in this case.
Once it’s set up, let your child have at it! Try to limit the rules and boundaries as we don’t want to be saying “no” the whole time – relax and embrace the mess! I find reminders such as “the rice says in the bin” can be more helpful than “don’t throw.” We want to accentuate the positive! Tell them, “If you want to throw the rice, throw it in the bin like this!” In general, say what to do, not what not to do. If your child presses your boundaries multiple times I suggest you give them a warning such as, “If you throw the rice again, we are going to have to take a break and make another choice” Then, if they do cross the boundary again, stick to your warning and redirect them, for example, “You threw the rice again which tells me you’re all done, let’s go read a book!” You can see that this type of play also offers us parents’ opportunities to practice some skills as well! Setting and keeping boundaries, and redirecting are difficult skills and the stakes are pretty low when it comes to sensory play, so it is a good place to get in some thoughtfully practice.
I would love to see if you do incorporate some these ideas at home! You can tag me on Instagram @rompandrollick or email/DM me a picture (I won’t share any emailed/DMed pictures) – I just want to see your kids playing!
Love,
Ms. Meryl