Cognitive and Language Development

When your little one is learning, there’s a lot to take in - using words, picking up on colours and experiencing different textures are all beneficial (and fun) ways to learn. As your little explorer squishes and moulds, their brain is firing on all cylinders, making connections and piecing together the world around them. Sensory play is a language class disguised as fun! Words come alive as they describe the gooey texture of slime or the smooth sensation of Tubbles, encouraging your child's vocabulary to bloom as they chatter away about their colourful experience. Teach them about the different fruits and vegetables, create some art with our Funspressions sets or encourage a love of nature with garden-inspired Sensory Stones!

Social Skills

Sensory play is the perfect setting for mini social gatherings. Picture your child and their friends huddled around a tray of sensory treasures. They're sharing, negotiating, and cooperating—all vital life skills disguised as playtime. To make things even more engaging, you can use sensory toys in a scavenger hunt, giving them all some clues about where they can find everything and encouraging them to work as a team! Sharing sensory materials and space can sometimes lead to disagreements among children. These moments allow them to develop conflict-resolution skills and empathy and practice turn-taking.

Fine Motor Skills

Tiny hands, big achievements! Sensory play often involves activities like squeezing, pinching, and manipulating objects with various textures. These actions require the use of hand muscles, which become stronger through sensory play. The comfortable weight of our Tubbles is perfect for little hands, and their size is big enough for those early learning days while still being small enough to help improve their dexterity. If you’re looking for some ideas, you could bury some of our Garden Goodies in a sandbox to encourage them to dig, or give them a little basket to go and collect fruits and veggies with! This exploration also enhances hand-eye coordination as kiddos learn to control their movements while visually tracking what they are doing.

Creativity 

One of the most remarkable things about children is how expansive their imaginations are - especially when they’re encouraged to explore! A great way to do this is through sensory play, a powerful tool for nurturing creativity in children. It encourages them to explore and experiment with the world around them. Sensory materials, like sand, playdough, or water, act as blank canvases for the imagination. Kids can mould, shape, and transform these materials into anything their creative minds conceive, from magical creatures to fantastical landscapes. Give them some ideas to start off with, or let them take the reigns and see what they come up with!

Problem Solving

During sensory play, your child becomes an investigator, figuring out the mysteries of textures, shapes, and colours. When faced with something new or unfamiliar, they often need to figure out how to interact with it effectively, like mixing paint to achieve the desired colour. It’s also a great opportunity to teach them things they can find outdoors while you’re relaxing inside! Introducing them to the names of insects, fruits, and vegetables makes for an extra fun activity when you’re out shopping or in the park later on. Their budding minds will start to make connections, recognising the real-life counterparts of their favourite sensory toys.

Preparation for School

Sensory play is more than just fun; it's a vital preparation for your child's journey through school. When they’re learning through multiple senses at any one time, like through touch and sight, it helps build those connections in their rapidly developing young brains. As they explore different textures, shapes, and materials, they're laying the foundation for academic success. Sensory activities engage their senses, fostering a deep love for learning that will carry them through their educational years.

Our Tubbles Sensory Stones are delightfully weighty and come in a range of designs, each of which can be adapted to different games and learning goals! They’re made for all kinds of play and can be used in the garden, during bath time or simply inside at home during those rainy days. While there’s never a wrong way to play, if you’re looking for some inspiration to get you started, we have a few ideas. 

For those outdoorsy days in the garden, help them discover the world (and creatures!) around you with the Garden Goodies, which include adorable insects and plant life. If those busy trips to the grocery store are a highlight for your little one, let them set up their own shop with Fantastic Fruit and Vibrant Veggies! Or, when making funny faces is the game your child loves the most, Loopy Lucy and Silly Sam are the perfect playtime companions. Each comes with unique eyes and noses, making for engaging play sessions. 

No matter how your little one plays, each time they do so, it’s a wonderful opportunity to bring both knowledge and fun together. Explore the world of sensory toys at Olli Ella today and find the perfect choice for your child!