By Walder Jewish Education
Hayley Anderson, CTRS, Manager of Family Services and Partnerships National Lekotek Center.
What is sensory?
Sensory is when one or more of the 5 senses is engaged in an experience such as: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting.
Why is sensory important?
Sensory experiences give children input to help them understand, interpret, and relate to the world around them?
What is a sensory preference?
Every person has preferences regarding the sensory input they choose to rely on most when processing information and learning. Most children develop dominate and auxiliary (secondary) sensory preferences. Think of it as what kids prefer to take in information from the outside world.
What is sensory processing?
The way sensory signals come into the brain and then get organized into appropriate responses. Sometimes kids have sensory sensitivities that prevent them from receiving certain sensory information correctly which can then prevent them from performing a task or may trigger inappropriate actions.
Visual processing questions:
- How does a child react to toys with bright or flashing lights?
- How does a child handle very visually stimulating game or toys where they have many visual options to focus on?
- How does a child react to a crowed or busy play environment where a lot is happening at the same time?
Auditory processing questions:
- How does the child react to loud sound effects?
- Does the child get startled by sudden unpredictable noises?
- Does the child prefer the volume on toys to be turn down if possible?
- Does the child need a quiet environment in order to focus on a game or craft?
Kinesthetic processing questions:
- Does the child prefer to be active and moving during play?
- Does the child like high risk play such as leaping, climbing and jumping?
Tactile processing questions:
- Does the child enjoy messy play?
- Does the child need to have his or her own space when playing?
- How does the child respond to activities when they are in tight places such as small play houses or tunnels?
- How does the child respond to contact/being touched or touching others in a play experience?
Let’s look at toys that might apply to these categories
Visual toys would include those that stimulate the eyes and include those that require hand-eye coordination such as:
- Bright and colorful products
- Catching a ball
- Puzzles
- Maze games
- Coloring and crafts
- Stringing beads
- Matching games/toys
- Contain visuals, light
- Think tablets and iPads
Auditory toys would include those that have:
- Novel noises
- Sound effects
- Music
- Singing
- Crinkling noises
- Verbal commands (like Simon Says)
Kinesthetic toys would involve movement like:
- Juggling
- Throwing
- Balancing
- Dancing
- Swinging
Tactile toys would involve:
- Textures
- Clay
- Sand
- Glue
- Getting messy
- Water play
- Vibrations
Top Ten Reasons to Encourage Sensory Play
It helps kids:
- Experience something new and exciting
- Understand things in their environment
- Process and create meaning out of their experiences
- Develop their ability to take in and process information
- Speed up learning
- Increase awareness of their body
- Strengthen the sense they are engaging
- Calm and comfort
- Excite and energize
- Remember and retain things they learned
© 2016 Walder Education