Sensory Play and Science

Many kids (especially younger kids of toddler or preschooler age) enjoy activities that engage several of their senses at the same time. Actually, now that I think of it, most adults do too!

There are actually 7 main senses: vision (sight), olfaction (smell), gustation (taste), audition (sound), taction (touch), vestibular (balance) and proprioception (body awareness, or a sense of where parts of our body are in relation to other things). Generally speaking, activities that involve several of these senses fire off multiple parts of the brain (which helps kids retain knowledge), are more engaging and more fun!

We’ve done a few of these ‘sensory’ activities so far, and we’re hoping to add many more soon… Some of these are classic science experiments or demonstrations that lend themselves to being especially sensory (slime, fizzy eruptions, etc). And some are really just sensory play with a science element thrown in. All are fun. 🙂

Sensory Science Ideas for Kids

If your kids are sensory seekers, then chances are they’ll love this stuff too. If they’re sensory avoiders, then you might need to introduce these activities slowly, with lots of chances for the kids to take a break. Work with your kids and their comfort levels…