They allow boys and girls to explore, make discoveries, make mistakes, find creative solutions and have fun following their interests and their individual rhythms: all activities that favor the development of motor skills, language, social skills and problem solving
From birth, through experiences, children enter into relationships, study and begin to understand the world around them. THE sensesas Maria Montessori wrote, represent for the small i Main contact points with the environment and, through the impressions they offer, they favor the development of his cognitive capacity and its growth.
Modern neurosciences confirm this, recognizing the fundamental role of sensory experiences In early childhood for the development of the brain: the more a child has the opportunity to explore, touch, observe and get in touch by means of the senses with elements of his environment, the richer it will be the development of his mind.
Parents and educators can respond to this exploratory need for boys and girls through special sensory games.
But let’s try to understand What are sensory gameswhich benefits They specifically bring to the development of children and which sensory games to propose to the infant and the small child.
What are sensory games
What are sensory games And where is the difference with other types of game? Sensory games consist of activities and experiences designed specifically to allow children to explore and act For means of the senses (Not only the touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste, but also balance and proprioception, or the ability to perceive and recognize the position of one’s body in the space and the state of contraction of one’s muscles, without the support of the vision) and promote, at the same time, the development of the motor skillslanguage, social skills and problem solving.
From the manipulation of dough to painting with the fingers, from the exploration of a “treasures basket” to the recognition of sounds and flavors. Unlike other types of play, we can really say that the only limit for the ideation of these proposals is the our imagination!
Sensory games allow children and girls of explore, make discoveries, make mistakesfind creative solutions and have fun following their interests and their individual rhythms.
The benefits of sensory games
Why are sensory games important? As we have already mentioned, sensory experiences in early childhood play a central role for the development of the child’s mind. In addition to supporting brain development, however, sensory games have further benefits.
One of these concerns the development of motor skills. In carrying out sensory games, children resort to the use of hands, feet and sometimes even the mouth to explore the materials. By pouring, crushing, walking barefoot, painting with the fingers and troubles, are exercised the Large motor skills (the movements of the lower and superior limbs and of the whole body) and the Fine motor skills (the smallest movements involving hands and fingers), the muscles are strengthened and coordination is improved.
Among the advantages of sensory games The development of language also includes: during the game experiences, in fact, children expand their vocabulary acquiring useful terms to describe what they do, they feel and live. We can encourage this linguistic enrichment by placing some children targeted questions During the game (for example, asking him what they perceive, what those sensations, those smells, those flavors …) remind him …).
Finally, the sensory game accompanies and supports cognitive development. During these experiences, children and girls ask themselves questions, face problems and find solutions to them, carry out experiments and analyze the results of their actions. All this promotes cognitive growth and the development of problem solving ability, divergent thought, attention, concentration and memory.
But When to propose sensory games? From the moment in the world, the child is extremely receptive compared to the external environment and is in all respects a “sensory explorer”. It does not existTherefore, a specific age To propose sensory games: in principle this category of activity can be offered from birth.
It is up to us adults, on the basis of the interests and skills already acquired by our children, select there type and the degree of complexity sensory games to be proposed. Now let’s see how.
Examples of sensory games
On the market you can find many examples of toys designed to encourage the sensory development of children. If we focused on it to analyze how sensory games are made on sale, we would realize that most of them they are not so suitable and that in reality, with their bright colors, aggressive sounds and the monotony of plastic, the child over-stimula.
Only a pinch of inventiveness and manual skills are enough to create simple sensory games at home and suitable for responding to the interests and growing skills of the little ones. Let’s see some together.
Among the most useful Examples of sensory games For the very young we can find the high contrast cards and the Giostrine for babies.
At birth the view is still not very developed, but the newborn can distinguish the elements with strong contrasts (like the one between black and white). The high contrast cards are nothing more than simple images (for example forms and geometric motifs) in black and white to be placed on the changing table or hang on the gym. They can be purchased or easily made at home with Del white card And black. The contrast and defined contours of the figures attract the attention of the child And they stimulate and support the development of its visual sense.
The Giostrineon the other hand, they can be hung about 20-30 centimeters from the child so that he can follow the slow movements of their elements with his eyes and thus also train the ability to focus on, the perception of the depth and colors. Some simple days, such as that of Munari or Gobbi, can be easily made at home following tutorials available on the net and offer measured and optimal stimulation to the view of the newborn.
With the passing of the months, the senses of the child and his motor skills are refined. The socket develop, the ability to grab voluntarily the objects and to transfer them from one hand to the other.
Around the 5-6 months We can then propose another interesting game: the sensory bottles. Just get small transparent bottles (suitable for the child’s hands) and fill them with different solid or liquid elements (rice, bells, children for children and glitter, shells, water pearls …) taking care of seal them so that they are safe. Depending on the materials chosen, the bottles will be able to offer the child different visual stimuli and auditors.
Another example of a game proposal suitable for 6 months upwards is that of sensory bags. After choosing the fabric (possibly simple, with soft colors and without excessive decorations) it will be enough to obtain squares to sew and fill with Materials of different weightsize, smell and sound (legumes, cotton, sand, buttons, hazelnuts, lavender …). By stroking, sniffing, tightening and shaking the bearings, the child will exercise touch, taste, smell and hearing.
Further idea do it yourself and low cost For children (from 10-12 months) are the Tactile tablets. Baches or cardboard wooden tablets of about 10 × 10 centimeters and a selection of materials to be applied to you (pompons, fabric, fine glass paper, cork, chains, sponge, feathers …) will be enough. Thanks to them the child can explore Different types of textures and temperatures and experience the feeling caused by contact with the different types of materials.
Finally, for the little ones, the already mentioned sensory games cannot be missing from the proposals of sensory games Treasure Tarning. To make it it takes a simple wide basket and low edges and some everyday objects. They are sufficient:
- a wooden spoon;
- a bouquet of keys;
- a piece of fabric;
- a large cork of cork;
- A brush.
These few everyday objects are able to offer pursuant to the child A large and rich range of sensory stimulations.
When the child starts walking and speaking, he is ready for more articulated and complex sensory experiences.
The so -called “Great Travasi“I am a perfect example. To structure this sensory game, suitable for starting from 12-15 monthsonly a large tank or box is needed (of size such as to allow the child to sit inside), some containers or bowls of different materials and measures And a substance to be troubled (it may be corn flour, breadcrumbs, lentils, sand …).
Explore the material, sitting inside, “tasting it” and transforming it will solicit all the senses of the child and by means of filling and emptying, paying and launching, bringing the mouth etc., even his own motor and cognitive skills they will develop.
Another example of proposal of Sensory game to do at home -this also suitable for 12-15 months-is the salt paste. In its simplest version it can be made by mixing a glass of salt, a glass of flour and half a glass of water. However, the dough can be made more interesting by adding some natural flavors – which make the dough fragrant – or natural/food dyes. By mixing the ingredients, manipulating the pasta, pinching it, crushing it, sniffing it, the child exerts the set of the senses and trains the Fine motor skills.
Always together with the child we can make some Edible fingers. Just mix some white yogurt with food substances Able to color (tomato concentrate, curry, cocoa, saffron …) and then leave the child free to paint (potentially not only with his hands, but with the whole body!). Yogurt on the skin, colors and smells make this sensory game one of the most loved.
We have seen several DIY sensory games to be made at home, but the greatest source of sensory games always remains nature: jump in the puddles, listen to the noises in the woods, smelling flowers, playing barefoot on a lawn are zero -cost activities that offer sensory food of great wealth for the minds of children.
Let’s not forget that for boys and girls the senses represent a “Porta on the world “. The more they will have the opportunity to exercise them and carry out sensory experiences of rich and diversified game, the deeper and more precise will be theirs perception of reality.
