As summer approaches and we spend more time outdoors, it’s important to consider the role of sensory processing in our daily lives. Our bodies are constantly taking in information from the environment around us, and this information is processed through our senses. While we may be familiar with the five senses, there are actually several more that play an important role in how we experience the world. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of sensory processing and provide tips for creating a sensory-rich environment for children.
Sensory processing describes how our bodies take in and process all of the sensory input from our environment. This could mean how our bodies respond to a plane flying overhead, our bodies moving in a car or even just a breeze on our face. Our body takes in this information through our senses, and not just the five senses we have grown up knowing, there’s some other important ones too. These senses include: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, proprioception and vestibular. Vestibular information comes from movements that involve twisting, spinning, rocking, turning upside down, or moving fast whereas proprioception is our internal knowledge of where our body parts are in space.
What is the importance of Sensory Processing?
Being able to effectively combine all of the information we are getting from our senses is how our body makes sense of the world around us so we are able to successfully move through and interact with our environment. Creating a sensory rich environment for our kids is so important as it helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development of language and motor skills. It can also encourage further learning through exploration, problem solving and creativity.
So, how can you encourage sensory rich environments this summer? Here is a list to get you started!
- Water play: Whether it be in a kiddie pool, water table or just in a large container filled with water, kids can splash around in the water, soak up and squeeze out water from sponges, search for sea animals (by adding animal toys into the water!) or add soap for some bubble fun!
- Sensory bins: The opportunities are endless with this activity! You can use a container and fill it with any of the following items and then some: uncooked rice or pasta, sprinkles, dry beans, kinetic sand or water beads. You can throw small items in there for the kids to search for including dinosaurs, beads, or letter pieces. To further improve their fine motor skill development, you can even give them tweezers or tongs to pick up those hidden items!
- Sand and Dirt Play: Encourage kids to play in sand at the beach, in a sandbox or dig in the dirt! They can be your little helpers in the garden or become archaeologists to dig up dinosaur bones – get creative!
- Bubbles: Use a bubble machine or large bubble wands to create a bubbly environment. Watch the kids run through the bubbles and try to pop them. Having your kids blow the bubbles also works great on oral motor development!
- Shaving Cream Fun: Place some foam shaving cream into a large Ziploc bag and secure it to a tabletop. Add some food coloring and have the kids experiment with making colors. The kids can draw in the shaving cream and practice working on forming their letters, numbers or writing their names!
- Play Doh, Putty and Slime: Although not always a parent favorite, these sticky and slimy options can provide your child with some much needed and craved input through touch. It can also facilitate fine motor skills – hide some beads in the putty or play doh, practice cutting with a plastic knife or use child safe scissors to help with scissoring skills!
- Sensory Bottles: Fill an empty water bottle about one-third of the way with water. Add a few drops of food coloring, and once it is spread throughout the bottle, add a little bit of cooking oil or baby oil. Throw in some glitter or beads and secure the lid with superglue or masking tape! This can be a great calming tool to use – just flip it over and watch the glitter and beads fall to the bottom.
- Ice Play: Paint ice cubes or paint with ice cubes, make popsicles or freeze items inside ice cubes! Kids can work on melting the ice, chipping away at it or even licking it to engage many senses! It is also a nice way to work in a little science experiment!
- Music: Encourage your kids to listen to music or make music using household items! Dancing to the music is a great form of exercise (and a way to tire those kids out!)
- Outdoor Sensory Scavenger Hunt: Encourage the kids to explore their environment by looking for items in your backyard or local park! Have them look for flowers, pine cones, different insects, grass, rocks, twigs and so much more! Encourage the kids to touch items and smell flowers/grass to engage more senses.
Bonus: You can add scents via essential oils or foods to most of these activities to engage your child’s sense of smell as well!
Written by: Catie Gawlas OTD, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist
