At Lena Pope, we love sensory play, but what is it? Sensory play is any activity that engages your 5 senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Kids experience the world through play, and sensory play is an important part of brain development for young children. The benefits of sensory experiences aren’t only for young kids, teens and adults can learn new ways to manage and process emotions. From mud kitchens to cooking to painting, sensory activities can be tailored to different ages and preferences. We talked with Lena Pope family therapists about the benefits of sensory play and how you can incorporate sensory experience in your life. At our Early Learning Centers we incorporate sensory play all year long, with extra fun Splash Days over the summer!
What happens when kids don’t have sensory experiences?
“I have noticed kids who were young during the height of the covid pandemic are showing less curiosity with different sensory experiences and have more anxiety around new experiences,” shared Mariah Cordery, LPC, Lena Pope family therapist. “That may be partly due to the anxiety around illness that many of us experienced during that time, but the effect was our kids had fewer opportunities to explore the world around them,” Mariah continued. Comfort with different sensory experience can vary from those who are seeking more input and want that adrenaline rush to those who avoid the loud noises or brighter lights because that feels overwhelming. “During sensory play, the creative and logical sides of the brain are both firing and the signals going back and forth across the brain can help with things many things, like increased memory,” shared Mariah.
Benefits of Sensory Play
Sensory play allows kids a safe way to explore the world and discover what it is like. “Sometimes we have clients who are anxious with new experiences or sensations because they haven’t had a safe place to try new things. Sensory play can offer that safe space. It helps kids learn what things feel good to them and can help them learn new ways to calm their bodies,” shared Tela Thornton, LCSW, Registered Play Therapist ™, family therapist. Building with Legos or learning how to swing teaches problem-solving skills and cause and effect relationships. Through sensory experiences, children can learn to be present in the moment, and how to check in with what their body might be feeling. “I had a client who liked to mix paint and sand together and roll her hands through it. Her caregivers noticed that outside of therapy, when she was feeling anxious or nervous, she would roll her hands in something to help calm herself down,” Mariah recalled.
Sensory play can help kids and teens:
- Process and manage emotions
- Learn problem-solving skills
- Discover cause and effect
- Build fine motor skills
- Express creativity
- Increase language and vocabulary
- Develop concentration
- Improve memory
Talking About Experiences
As adults, we can forget to talk through all the different things we experience with children because it’s not something new to us. For kids, so much of the world is new, and they benefit from an adult explaining, or often narrating, and experiencing things alongside them. Caregivers can engage in activities with their children, such as arts and crafts, or cooking and baking, to foster bonding and communication. You can talk about how the paint feels, or how bright the colors are. At first it may feel odd to provide so much detail, but you’ll notice kids taking in that information and learning how to express themselves.
A teenager’s brain goes through another huge developmental stage, like a two or three-year-old, so the sensory input can be helpful as they navigate that growth and learning. “With teenagers, do things alongside them. Ask them – what does this feel like? What are you experiencing right now? We think they should just know, but they often don’t have the words and we need to help them find those words,” said Mariah.
Incorporating sensory experiences into your life
“Taking a kid to the park, and eating an orange while you’re there, is possibly one of the best sensory experiences you can give your kids. Playgrounds offer so many ways for kids to experience the world. When enjoying an orange, you can feel the bumpy and smooth skin (touch), smell the orange and the oils as you open it (smell), listen to the noise it makes as you peel it (sound), look at the colors and different sections of the orange (sight), and eat it (taste),” shared Tela. Sensory play doesn’t have to be messy, although it is important for kids to experience mess! There are many ways to add sensory play into your routines.
Ideas for sensory play:
- Instruments
- Sand/mud/ooblek
- Fidgets
- Painting/drawing/doodling
- Cooking or baking
- Water play
- Playdough
- Bubble baths
- Swinging/playing on a playground
- Whipped cream painting
- Games that include jumping on a line of pillows
Sensory play isn’t just about fun – it is an important part of learning and development that supports emotional, intellectual, and social growth at every stage of life. By encouraging and participating in sensory activities you can build stronger connections with the kids in your life and give them more tools to navigate this world as they grow.