Sensory play at preschool

October 16, 2020

Sensory play is such an important part of a young child’s development.  Typically, we think of sensory play as “messy” play where children are playing in water or painting with fingerpaints.  We usually think of the need to appeal to the 5 senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight.

Three other very important sensory areas are the vestibular system (balance and knowing when your body is moving), proprioception processing (spatial awareness of your body and muscle planning), and interoception processing (self-awareness like hunger or thirst). It’s important to engage these systems every single day for growth and development.  In particular, new pathways in the brain are developing.  This development supports all other areas of learning: language, fine motor, gross motor, social skills and problem-solving skills.