Learning through Sensory Play
May is Child Care Month. Tree Frog Daycare would like to take this opportunity to share our basic philosophy of Learning Through Play, while providing you with a bit of the childcare experience at home. Each play experience your child has is building on skills they will use as lifetime learners. This week we would like to talk about a childhood staple- sensory play.
Sensory play comes in a great many forms and engages children by allowing them to explore their world with all their senses. Playing with water, sand and playdough are the most common forms of this play. As adults engaging with children in these activities we may enjoy the tactile experience and the calming effects they offer, but a child is building skills they will use later.
Sensory play encourages children to compare and measure, and to explore cause and effect in preparation for math and science learning. It also helps to develop hand-eye coordination and strengthens hand muscles important to learning to write. Added to this are the social interactions and fun children have at these activities- making sensory play a great, easy and fun way to encourage learning through play. We find playdough to be one of the most popular sensory activities as Tree Frog and would like to share this simple recipe for you to enjoy at home:
Basic Uncooked Dough
2 cups flour
1-cup water
1cup salt
food coloring (add to water)
1 tbsp cooking oil
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add oil, water and food coloring. Add more flour if it's sticky. Will keep about a week if left out and longer in the fridge.
Variations
– add kool-aid to the water to add color and smell
- Add multi colored cake sprinkles to plain white dough for a rainbow effect.
- Use different spices, coffee grounds, glitter, anything you can think of.
May is Child Care Month. Tree Frog Daycare would like to take this opportunity to share our basic philosophy of Learning Through Play, while providing you with a bit of the childcare experience at home. Each play experience your child has is building on skills they will use as lifetime learners. This week we would like to talk about a childhood staple- sensory play.
Sensory play comes in a great many forms and engages children by allowing them to explore their world with all their senses. Playing with water, sand and playdough are the most common forms of this play. As adults engaging with children in these activities we may enjoy the tactile experience and the calming effects they offer, but a child is building skills they will use later.
Sensory play encourages children to compare and measure, and to explore cause and effect in preparation for math and science learning. It also helps to develop hand-eye coordination and strengthens hand muscles important to learning to write. Added to this are the social interactions and fun children have at these activities- making sensory play a great, easy and fun way to encourage learning through play. We find playdough to be one of the most popular sensory activities as Tree Frog and would like to share this simple recipe for you to enjoy at home:
Basic Uncooked Dough
2 cups flour
1-cup water
1cup salt
food coloring (add to water)
1 tbsp cooking oil
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add oil, water and food coloring. Add more flour if it's sticky. Will keep about a week if left out and longer in the fridge.
Variations
– add kool-aid to the water to add color and smell
- Add multi colored cake sprinkles to plain white dough for a rainbow effect.
- Use different spices, coffee grounds, glitter, anything you can think of.
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