Sensory play is one of the most effective ways to foster development in children with special needs. It provides a way for them to experience the world around them and interact with it in a safe and empowering way. Here’s how sensory play can help your child:
| Key Points |
|---|
| Sensory play can be beneficial for children with special needs, as it can help them develop important skills such as communication, socialization, and motor skills. |
| Sensory toys can provide a fun and engaging way for children to learn and explore. |
| Parents and caregivers can incorporate sensory play into a child’s daily routine by setting aside time for sensory activities and providing sensory toys and materials. |
| When using sensory toys, it’s important to supervise children and ensure that the toys are age-appropriate and safe for the child’s individual needs. |
Encourages Exploration And Discovery
Sensory play provides a safe environment for children to explore their world. It also helps them develop self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and self-regulation skills.
These are all things that children with special needs need to learn on their way to becoming independent adults.
Many people believe that sensory play is simply a way of helping children who may have sensory processing issues or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder).
This is not necessarily true though; sensory play can be used for all children regardless of any diagnosis they may have.
Sensory play is a great way to enhance learning and development for toddlers, especially those with special needs. Our guide on sensory play for toddlers provides practical tips and ideas for parents and caregivers looking to incorporate sensory play into their child’s daily routine.
Supports Language Development
You may not realize it, but your child is learning a lot from sensory play. Sensory play supports language development by helping children learn new words, express themselves and follow directions.
When a child plays with soft materials such as cotton balls or wool, he learns about texture. When he builds something out of blocks, he learns about size and shape.
By engaging in sensory activities like these regularly, you can support your child’s language development in these ways:
Helps your toddler to use language to communicate his needs – Your toddler is able to say ‘hungry’ when she wants more food or ‘thirsty’ when she wants water to drink.
This shows that through sensory play she has learned how different textures feel on her skin or what happens when something collides into another object (like hitting blocks together). It’s all part of developing fine motor skills which are important for writing later down the line!
Sensory toys can be a valuable resource for supporting children’s development, and our guide on how sensory toys can help your child’s development offers practical insights and advice for parents and caregivers looking to use sensory toys effectively.
Encourages Creativity
Encouraging your child to be creative is an important part of their development. It can help them develop social skills, problem-solving abilities, and self-expression.
Sensory play can help you encourage this creativity in your child by allowing him or her to explore different materials and tools while playing with them. You could also let your child use the sensory materials on his or her own, which will help him or her understand what he or she enjoys most about the activity.
Types of Sensory Toys for Children with Special Needs
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Fidget toys | Small toys that can be manipulated and fiddled with, often used to help with focus and attention. |
| Weighted blankets | Heavy blankets that can provide a calming and grounding effect. |
| Sensory balls | Balls with different textures or materials that can be squeezed, rolled, or bounced to provide sensory input. |
| Chew toys | Toys designed to be chewed on, often used to provide oral sensory input. |
| Visual stimulation toys | Toys that provide visual stimulation, such as light-up toys or toys with moving parts. |
Builds Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are the small movements of the hands, fingers and toes. They include tasks like handwriting and drawing.
Fine motor activities are important for developing these skills because they help children develop eye-hand coordination, which is a key component to learning how to write.
Some examples of fine motor play include:
- Play-dough or clay
- Paintbrush or paint set
- Pencil sharpener
Sensory toys can play a crucial role in a toddler’s development, particularly for those with special needs. Our beginner’s guide to sensory toys for toddlers offers insights into the benefits of sensory toys and how to choose the right ones for your child.
Builds Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills include movements that involve the large muscles of the body. These include running, jumping, kicking, throwing and more. They are important because they help children build strength and coordination.
When kids explore a new environment whether it’s a playground or an art studio—they learn how to move around in this space.
Through sensory play activities that involve gross motor skills, your child will be able to strengthen his or her muscles by learning how to climb stairs, for example.
Improves Social Skills
Children with special needs may have difficulty interacting with others and paying attention to their surroundings.
Sensory play can help them improve these skills. When children use their senses to explore the different textures and smells of materials, they become more aware of their surroundings. As they play with new toys, they can learn how to take turns and share with other children.
Another benefit of sensory play is that it encourages interaction between children who are typically less social because they may not be able to communicate verbally as well as other kids do
Builds Focus And Attention Span
Sensory play for children with special needs can help them to build a focus and attention span. Focusing on one task or activity is important for children to learn how to concentrate, stay in the moment and not get distracted by other things around them.
For example, sensory activities like baking muffins or blowing bubbles will teach children how important it is to stay patient while waiting for their turn.
These skills are also important when playing games such as hide-and-seek where there may be many players waiting their turn before having a chance at finding the hidden object.
Choosing the right sensory toys for special needs children can be overwhelming. Our guide for beginners on sensory toys for special needs children breaks down the key considerations and provides recommendations to help parents and caregivers make informed decisions.
Creates Opportunities For Pretend Play
Pretend play is a critical part of development, especially for children with special needs. It helps kids develop social skills, cognitive abilities and language development.
Pretend play can also help encourage creativity and attention span as well as imagination in your child. It’s important for kids to spend time creating their own worlds so that they can learn how to interact with others in a safe environment where they know the rules.
Supports Cognitive Development And Problem-Solving Skills
Cognitive skills are the mental activities that we use to think, learn and solve problems.
Cognitive development is the development of cognitive skills in children. These include memory, attention, problem solving, language and social skills. These are important for schoolwork as well as outside of school when completing household tasks or work at a job.
Strengthens The Mind-Body Connection
The mind-body connection is the idea that the brain and body are interconnected. In other words, what you think affects how you feel, which in turn affects how your body reacts.
The mind-body connection is also referred to as “the brain-gut axis” or “mind/body medicine.” The phrase “mind/body medicine” refers to therapies that look at both mental and physical health issues as a whole, rather than just treating one aspect of health at a time.
The nervous system is a network of nerves that carry signals from your brain to different parts of the body (nerves), allowing you to control muscle movement like walking or talking through thoughts that originate in your brain (neurons).
These neurons communicate with each other using electrical impulses called action potentials; these signal when something happens in one part of the body so that another part can react accordingly.
For example, if someone touches my arm while I’m sleeping they’ll find me awake because I have nerve cells sending signals from my skin back up through my spinal cord back into my brain where they cause me to wake up out of instinctive response (this process takes about 0 seconds).
Sensory play is a powerful tool for supporting children’s development, including those with special needs. Learn more about the importance of sensory play and how to incorporate it into your child’s routine with our guide on sensory play for kids.
Allows Children To Experience Success In Their Own Way
A room full of playthings can be a daunting place for a child with special needs. For example, a child who doesn’t have the motor skills or strength to pick up blocks might not enjoy playing with them.
But sensory play allows children to experience success in their own way. For example, this could mean that they use the soft blocks and roll them around on the floor, rather than trying (and failing) to stack them.
Another benefit of sensory play is that it helps encourage social interaction between children of different abilities—there’s no need for one child to do everything for another when everyone is involved in an activity together!
It also teaches children how to engage with others by listening carefully and observing what other people are doing before joining in so they don’t get frustrated when others aren’t following directions exactly as expected.”
Key Considerations for Choosing Sensory Toys for Children with Special Needs
| Consideration | Description |
|---|---|
| Child’s individual needs | When choosing sensory toys for children with special needs, it’s important to consider their individual needs and preferences. |
| Safety | Sensory toys should be age-appropriate and safe for the child’s developmental level. |
| Durability | Sensory toys should be durable and able to withstand frequent use. |
| Sensory input | Sensory toys should provide a range of sensory input to engage different senses, such as touch, sight, and sound. |
Conclusion
I hope you found this article helpful. As a parent, I know how much it can mean to have some strategies and ideas for working with your child.
And as someone who has been through these struggles myself, I also know that sometimes simply knowing that there are other people out there going through the same thing can be enough comfort to help get through it all and maybe even make things better!
So my goal was to offer you an idea of what sensory play looks like, why it’s helpful, and how we can use it in our everyday lives.
Further Reading
For more information on sensory play for children with special needs, check out these resources:
Community Playthings: Sensory Play for Children with SEN – This article provides a detailed overview of sensory play for children with special educational needs and offers tips for creating sensory play experiences.
The Genius of Play: Sensory Play for Kids with Special Needs – This resource offers expert advice on how to use sensory play to support children with special needs, including specific activity ideas.
Pentagon Play: Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Special Educational Needs – This article explores the benefits of sensory play for children with special educational needs, including improved communication and social skills.
FAQs
What is sensory play?
Sensory play involves activities that stimulate the senses, such as touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste. This type of play can help children learn about the world around them and develop important skills.
What are the benefits of sensory play for children with special needs?
Sensory play can be particularly beneficial for children with special needs, as it can help them develop important skills such as communication, socialization, and motor skills. Sensory play can also be a fun and engaging way to learn.
What types of sensory toys are best for children with special needs?
The types of sensory toys that are best for children with special needs will depend on their individual needs and preferences. Some popular types of sensory toys include fidget toys, weighted blankets, and sensory balls.
How can parents and caregivers incorporate sensory play into a child’s daily routine?
Parents and caregivers can incorporate sensory play into a child’s daily routine by setting aside time for sensory activities, providing sensory toys and materials, and encouraging exploration and creativity.
Are there any safety concerns to keep in mind when using sensory toys?
Parents and caregivers should always supervise children when they are using sensory toys and ensure that the toys are age-appropriate and safe for the child’s individual needs. It’s also important to regularly inspect toys for signs of wear and tear and replace them as needed.
Meet Hellen James, the multi-talented writer and nurturing mother who takes young readers on a thrilling journey through her sensory-infused blog. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a parent.
