The Benefits of Sensory Play for Young Children
Sensory play is crucial for young children’s development. It helps them understand cause and effect, promotes language development, and fosters independent thinking. Studies show that sensory play engages all five senses—hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste (though we’d rather they didn’t eat the sand).[1] This type of play supports motor skill development and stimulates curiosity.
When your child engages their senses, they’re learning about the world and forming connections. Their brain develops memories of the items they interact with, allowing them to form opinions and experiment with new skills. Sensory play can also benefit children with sensory processing challenges.
Why Sensory Play?
Even before birth, humans are designed to explore their surroundings. Studies show that babies in utero explore their hands, bodies, and the environment around them. After birth, children absorb the world through their senses, learning with their hands, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. They subconsciously analyze new experiences, working to understand how things fit, work, and why. This natural exploration builds neural connections and helps them make sense of the world around them.
How Sand Plays a Role in Sensory Play
Dry sand behaves similarly to water in how it flows, moves, fills spaces, and responds to gravity. These fluid properties provide a rich sensory experience with constantly changing textures, visuals, and movements. This supports fine motor skills, memory, and creativity, and encourages exploration. Although sensory play is often associated with touch, it engages all five senses. Sensory play helps children explore and understand their world holistically.
At Sandmagination, our sand is clean and cool to the touch, with a bright white color that reflects projected light and designs. As sand flows through tubes and containers, it makes intriguing sounds, and its dry, clean smell adds to the sensory experience. These sensory elements can have a calming effect, especially for children with autism or sensory processing disorders, who may struggle to organize and process sensory input. [2]
In our private sensory space (available for reservation), we dim the lights and keep background noise to a minimum, allowing children to focus on the soothing experience of sand play.
In addition to time at Sandmagination, incorporating calming sensory elements into your child’s daily routine can help them regulate their inner comfort, reducing agitation and boredom.
- Sensory Integration – StatPearls Publishing. 2023
- Activity Participation and Sensory Features Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders – J Autism Dev Disord. 2019
