Motor Development Skills - Sensory play helps a child explore, discover, and create using motor skills, like dumping, filling, scooping.
Play Skills (emotional development) - Great for both social play and independent play, sensory activities allow children to play cooperatively or side by side. My son has had many positive experiences over a bin of rice with other children!
Language Development - Sensory bins increase language development from experiencing with their hands all there is to see and do which leads to great conversations and opportunities to model language.
Using 5 Senses - Many sensory activities include a few of the senses! Touch, sight, sounds, taste and smell are our 5 senses. Children can experience several at a time with a sensory bin. For example; imagine a bin of brightly colored rainbow rice: touch the loose grains against the skin, see the vivid colors as they mix together, hear the sound of sprinkling over a plastic container or shaken in a plastic egg!
Calming tools - Sensory play recipes are calming for many kiddos who are anxious or worried. You might find that one works better than another for your kiddo. Some sensory play materials can settle and soothe and some can help keep kids' attention and connection with you. Download the free calming activities poster here.