The importance of sensory resources in a child’s education

The senses. Sight. Smell. Sound. Touch. Taste. Five small words that are at the heart of everything humans do. Present for every second of every day, helping us to gather and process information. Encouraging and developing children’s senses therefore is an essential part of childhood teaching.

What’s more, children in today’s world are being exposed to more stimuli than ever before. For example, a 2017 study in America estimated that people are exposed to up to 10,000 adverts a day. It has therefore never been more important to help children develop coping mechanisms.

In our latest blog we discuss sensory play, its importance in the education of children and how our range of resources can help children grow and develop.

What is sensory play?

Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a child’s senses. Take the young baby who explores objects in their immediate surrounding by putting them in their mouth. This process, also known as oral exploration, is a key stage of childhood development, helping babies to explore the taste and texture of an object.

The long-standing argument is that the more children explore, the more they learn. Sensory play therefore, is just a way to expose children to as many different senses as possible. This stimulates their minds, helps them discover the world around them and process the information their senses are gathering.

The science behind sensory play

According to Joanna Grace, a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist and renowned TEDx speaker, “sensory stimulation is essential to our cognitive development and the sensory world helps prevent stress and anxiety for people, regardless of ability, disability or neurodivergence.”

Without getting too deep, as we grow, we develop neural pathways. These pathways are built using the information gathered from our senses. The baby putting items in their mouth, is a prime example of this. As we repeat these experiences over time, we create stronger and longer lasting connections. This all helps to develop a better understanding of the world we live in.

The importance of introducing sensory play

So, we’ve outlined what sensory play is and how it can help the development of children. But why is sensory play so important?

Put simply, sensory play helps children discover who they are. It helps develop their imagination, creativity, and sense of independent exploration. Sensory play can also be used to help children explore their emotions, worries and frustrations.

Take the sensory room, which is often filled with a variety of resources, materials and machines, all focussing on a different sensory outcome or objective. There may be a bubble tube, with colour changing LEDs. A vibration plate with a variety of different intensities. Or a wireless speaker playing tropical birds squawking in a distant rainforest. Each item described stimulates a different sense and extracts a different response from each child that experiences them.

Resources to help deliver an exciting and stimulating sensory experience

Sensory resources come in many different shapes and sizes, from books and activity cards to bespoke sensory rooms and spaces. Each product has its own purpose and a sense or senses it is trying to stimulate.

Working closely with industry experts, we’ve developed a number of products that are specifically aimed towards delivering a stimulating sensory experience. Here are just a few examples…

• The sensory stories collection of books, published in partnership with Joanna Grace, are an amazing and inclusive way of sharing a story through words and via sensory experiences. They can be shared with anyone and are a great way of using the senses to bring stories to life.
• Sensory Shuffle is a fun and engaging pack of activity cards that encourage children of all ages to participate in sensory exploration. All the activities involve sensory stimulation and are perfect for promoting learning and development. The cards can be used as an education tool, either individually or as a group activity. What’s more, they are also suitable for using at home, in school nurture groups or more structured therapy sessions.
• Go outdoors to stimulate the senses in nature with the Sensory Circuit Circles. Perfect for taking sensory exploration outside, the activity mats will help alert, organise, and calm a child’s sensory system in preparation for learning.
• The Rainbow Torches from Hope Education take portable light play to the next level. The set of 6 torches are perfect for use inside the classroom and beyond for exploring and understanding the world. Their vivid LEDs can be used in dark dens, for shadow play and for exploring the world around us. What’s more, the various colour changing modes help take den creation to new heights and challenge children to develop their problem solving and creative thinking skills.
• The Sensory Suitcase from LDA is the perfect resource for people looking to create a multi-sensory learning environment without needing to allocate a dedicated space. Shortlisted in the Bett Awards 2020, the Sensory Suitcase contains a range of multi-sensory items that can be contained in a small corner of the room whilst still offering all the same benefits of larger sensory resources. It comes complete with a tall light changing column, with 15 different modes including lights, sounds and vibrations.

To find out more about our sensory range of resources or to add them to your product selection today, speak to our Trade team today.