As children move through their lives, they use their senses to try to make sense of the world around them. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a young child's senses. Children learn and retain information when they engage their senses. Providing opportunities and experiences for children to actively use their senses as they explore their world is crucial to brain development. Think about, as an adult, a memory triggered through a smell, song, or taste. Through sensory play children are interacting with the world through taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing, and movement. Sensory play supports children's self-regulation and builds skills for mindfulness. This leads to a child's ability to complete more complex learning tasks and supports cognitive growth, language development, gross motor skills, social interactions, and problem-solving skills. The session will provide interactive experiences and identify links to other curriculum areas and focus on how educators can incorporate daily sensory experiences within their program while reflecting upon the four foundations of How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years.
