From day one, children learn through their senses. As your toddler becomes more physically able to explore and learn, they love learning by seeing, hearing and touching things.
As a parent, you can provide your child with fun learning moments with some simple playtime ideas.
How to set up sensory play
Children love to explore and experiment with everyday things.
When playing with your toddler, remember to let them control the exploration as much as possible while ensuring safety. Watch their excitement as they hear cereal hit the bowl or as they feel the gooey touch of cool pudding on their highchair tray.
Here are some sensory play ideas to get you started.
- Treasure box. Put together a little box or basket of different toys and items that your child can grab, shake and rattle. Keep safety in mind, so check to make sure the toys aren’t too small. To check the toy’s size, see if it fits through an empty toilet paper roll; if it does, the toy is too small for your child to play with.
- Sensory book. Collect different fabrics or swatches of things that can be put together for your own sensory book. Grab a hole punch and some scissors and connect them together with a binder ring. Some great materials for a sensory book are sandpaper, felt and velvet.
- Finger paint. This can be messy but so fun. Put your toddler in their highchair and put a dab of cool pudding on the tray for them to “paint” with.
- Dump and pour. Take two kitchen bowls, some measuring cups and a box of uncooked noodles. Pour the noodles into one bowl and show your child how to pour the noodles from one bowl to the other. Children love to dump and pour; this activity helps develop eye-hand coordination while having a lot of fun.
- Water play. Let your little one splash in a container of water. Place a plastic shower curtain on the floor and let the fun begin with a bowl of water and some cups for pouring and scooping. Be watchful for slips and falls due to wet feet and as always, close supervision is essential.
Tips for messy playtime
- Get small aprons or oversized bibs for your child to wear to keep the mess at a minimum.
- Playing outside makes for less clean up.
- Playing with only a diaper on is an option.
- Follow playtime with bathtime.
Remember, children of this age also love to put things in their mouths, so keep a close eye on your child when playing to prevent any choking hazards.
While your child’s explorations may seem messy or chaotic, remember this is how they learn best. Join them in play and see how much fun it is.
Learn more
- Keep young children safe while playing outside
- Bathroom safety tips for toddlers
- See inside a waiting room designed to support and empower kids
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Parenting
