Sensory experiences are those where baby can discover the world around them utilizing their senses. It provides baby with interactions to stimulate their minds to process, bodies to interact and magic to happen.
Providing these interactions in environments that support exploration and discovery, baby’s become stimulated and they develop on physical, cognitive and social levels. Studies show that early sensory stimulation develops the way their minds process and learn, which is the framework for future cognitive maturity.
Beginning your child in a social sensory program or by doing simple exercises at home, you are setting your child up for greater learning capacity, memory retention and flexibility of mind.
Types of programs: As a mother, you are your child’s first teacher and sensory experiences are all around. You can make your own program just by interacting with your child in a variety of ways! A program held at a school, or local business, provides a class setting in which to develop relationships for yourself and your little one, where they also learn how to interact on a social scale. Both are recommended!
There are a variety of ways to exercise your infant’s senses, stimulating them through visual, tactile, auditory, oral experiences, and there are a number of ways to branch out with your child:
- Infant Massage
- Baby Yoga
- Play with sensory products, such as balls, cubes
- Outdoor walks and play
- Things to Touch:
Create Sensory Bowls of various sized, shaped, colored objects to discover
Create a Sensory Board using a section of wall/ fabric/ board and attaching items to touch, move, pull on – get creative!
- Things to Hear: Music, Singing and Talking with your Little One
- Things to See: Patterns, Pictures Mirrors
Here are some things you can do to provide a positive learning experience:
Make a sensory section in your baby’s room! Fill it with textures, create a sensory board (or busy board), have items available of various shapes and textures for baby to discover.
- Create a safe and calming environment
- Present a variety of age-appropriate textures, shapes, pattern, objects, etc.
- Interact with your child and interact with the objects.
- Observe your child’s reactions.
- Encourage interaction with and from your Little One.