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The early years with your child are so unique and precious.\u00a0You\u2019re getting to know each other and each day brings new discoveries and things to wonder at, both for you and for bubs.<\/p>\n
It can sometimes be tricky to be sure you\u2019re\u00a0doing all the right things though. Are you helping your baby reach their milestones on time? Is your toddler getting enough stimulation to help develop their growing brain?<\/p>\n
In a world where so much focus is placed on measuring progress,\u00a0sharing and comparing, it can be easy to lose sight of the precious, fleeting time you have together as a mum and bub.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are ways to savour the moment, finding flow states where you both lose track of time and are fully enraptured in the current moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some of the best ways to do this is to get involved in sensory activities together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What Are Sensory Activities?<\/h2>\n
Sensory activities are things you do that engage at least one, but often more, of the senses.<\/p>\n
Think about things you can see, hear, smell, touch\u00a0or taste.<\/p>\n
Of course\u00a0we\u2019re doing one or more of these things all the time, but sensory activities are designed to deliberately stimulate and nurture the senses in fun ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When playing together, it\u2019s a good idea\u00a0to think about which senses are being used and speak to your child about them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You might say, \u201cListen, can you hear that truck rumbling past? Feel how the ground shakes as it goes by!\u201d<\/p>\n
You might also point out surprising things that you see, like a paddock full of butterflies or a column of ants marching over the pavement towards a dropped bit of watermelon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As your little one gets older, they will probably start\u00a0pointing these wonderful things out to you too, so make sure you stop, listen, and take a moment to experience what they\u2019re\u00a0sharing with you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why Are Sensory Activities So Beneficial to Babies and Young Children?<\/h2>\n
Sensory classes are extremely beneficial for babies and young children, helping them to develop and refine their sensory perceptions.<\/p>\n
Through activities designed to focus on particular senses, young children become more aware that there are differeny ways of perceiving their environment. This can help them to learn skills more quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It can also help growing children better perceive and manage risks and dangers in their environments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, a child that has felt \u2018rough\u2019 textures is likely to have a better understanding of what might happen if they were to fall on gravel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As young children learn more about their senses, new neural connections in the brain strengthen, helping them navigate their world better.<\/p>\n
Sensory stimulation has also been shown to be very important for language development. Introducing different food textures not only encouraging your toddler to eat a wider variety of healthy foods but also helps them develop the muscles required for clear speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as important at an early age, little ones love to engage their senses. Because of this, sensory activities can be so much fun!<\/p>\n
Children can explore and discover, developing skills that will help them observe things in a scientific way. They can form hypotheses, try out their ideas and either experience success or failure, leading to new experiments and insightful conclusions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whether its exploring touch with some tactile crafts or listening carefully on a walk in the woods, these activities are easy and often don\u2019t\u00a0require many supplies.<\/p>\n
This means you can set up\u00a0sensory activities for babies and toddlers<\/a>\u00a0any time you like!<\/p>\n A variety of sensory classes have popped up all over in recent years, including everything from Montessori play groups to\u00a0toddler music and dance classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n The promos look good, but are these\u00a0baby sensory classes\u00a0worth the hype?<\/p>\n Well, as we know, opportunities for babies and toddlers to engage their senses in play are incredibly valuable for their development.\u00a0<\/p>\n This means that a well-designed sensory class is likely to be very beneficial\u00a0for your little one.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019ll\u00a0also probably have a lot of fun and as they get older, start learning to play with and befriend other children. This social connection is so important in helping them learn to get along\u00a0with others, negotiate and compromise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beside the benefits for baby, baby sensory classes can be great for you too!\u00a0<\/p>\n They are a wonderful opportunity to play with your baby minus the need to organise the schedule, making special memories to carry you through the teen years and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond that, they\u2019re a great way to socialise with other mums,\u00a0maybe even making a friend or two yourself!\u00a0<\/p>\n Many new mums notice their pre-kids\u2019 friendships changing or coming to an end\u00a0entirely, so it\u2019s\u00a0important to allow yourself the time to develop a new group of supportive mum friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n If going to a sensory play class isn\u2019t\u00a0possible or\u00a0you\u2019d like to carry on the sensory play adventures at home, there are plenty of things you can do with only a few (or no) supplies.<\/p>\n Here are a few of our favourites.<\/p>\n Water play<\/a>\u00a0is one of the simplest and most fun things you can do with your bub.\u00a0<\/p>\n It can be as simple as filling a clean ice-cream tub with water and plastic dinosaurs to count, sort or splash around with.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bath time is a great time\u00a0of day for water play. A bath full of bubbles can be a mountainous island sheltering pirates or a magical glass fairy castle, full of delightful sights, sounds and smells.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s\u00a0nothing like splashing in puddles after a rainy day!<\/p>\n Playdough<\/a>\u00a0has been loved by generations of toddlers \u2013 and with good reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n This delightful substance bends, twists and becomes whatever a young heart desires.\u00a0<\/p>\n It might feel warm,\u00a0soft or grainy, with an array of bright colours to choose from (although mix too many and it all becomes brown \u2013 a sensory lesson too!).\u00a0<\/p>\n Playdough smells like childhood and it\u2019s a bit salty! Hint: Make your playdough with edible, non-toxic ingredients for little ones, they WILL taste it.\u00a0<\/p>\n After playdough has run its course, or for a different sensory experience,\u00a0there\u2019s always\u00a0slime<\/a>\u00a0in all its forms to keep the sensory exploration going.<\/p>\n Pack a picnic designed to stimulate the senses.\u00a0<\/p>\n Include (where age appropriate) foods that are smooth, crunchy, salty, sweet, sour\u00a0and bitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Include fresh, sweet, fragrant fruits or make ants on a log (celery sticks topped with peanut butter, sesame seeds and raisins).<\/p>\nSensory Classes for Babies and Toddlers \u2013 Worth the Hype?<\/h2>\n
Sensory Activities You Can Do at Home<\/h2>\n
Water Play<\/h3>\n
![\"Easy](\"https:\/\/www.beafunmum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSC0496-001.jpg)
Playdough<\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.beafunmum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_7510.jpg)
A Sensory Picnic<\/h3>\n