Thursday, March 12, 2015

A Guide To Sensory Activities For Infants

By Lena Stephenson


Babies need vigilant guidance when coming into contact with new materials and understanding their different senses. There are various approaches to making sense of these senses, a choice of which is dependent on the preferences of the guardian or parent. Most approaches used today are more scientifically inclined and most include one form or another of sensory activities for infants.

In choosing the type of sensory activities to use with your infant, there are various factors that need to be considered. The age of the baby is quite critical to determine the type of toys and props to be used. Any allergic reactions should be noted to avoid putting the baby imminent danger. In most cases, consulting with a certified pediatrician to ensure all runs well.

Age grouping of the children is key as they are in different stages of growth and development. The toddlers should be taught together, since they also require more attention. Preschool aged children should be taught together too. This group does not require as much attention, but will require different toys and techniques, as will they bigger kids who require physically and mentally challenging activities.

Every sense in the kid body needs to be targeted. The order is not important, but access to all senses is crucial. The children could be taught the importance of sight by blindfolding them and asking them to perform a certain task while blindfolded. This could be walking, eating or even drawing. Peripheral vision tests could also be incorporated here.

Several activities should be carried out to target and enhance their auditory sense. These include blindfolding them and leading them on a short walk by following certain sounds. Singing and dancing games also help as they engage the motor skills as they sing and dance to a familiar tune. Toys making various distinct sounds may also be matched up to enhance the child ability to recognize previously heard sounds.

Engaging the child in activities that enhance their sense of touch will be of great impact as babies are naturally inclined to hold things and push them around by about four months after birth. This is done by activities such as finger painting, and walking barefoot both indoors and outdoors so as to feel the different elements. A game of guessing the object by only feeling it would also be applicable in this situation.

Sensory activities targeting the sense of taste need to be approached with a level of caution and sobriety. Babies, and especially toddlers are naturally inclined toward putting almost everything they come into contact with in their mouth. To deter them from this, activities such as engaging them in cooking and baking should guide them on what is good to put in their mouths and what is not. Taste games, making crafts from snacks and using snacks and treats to count are just examples of other possible fun and learning activities.

The sense of smell may be explored by using various types of scented finger paints in arts and crafts. There also exists spice sprinkles which can be added into paint and glue for the kids. They can then be asked to identify the various smells based on the type of spice used. Lime dough, peppermint oatmeal, lavender and citrus dough are all available ad safe for play time.




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