From birth to adulthood, we use our senses, like the primary senses of touch, taste, smell, vision, and hearing, but we never think about how they develop. Different sensory activities helps kids develop all five senses at early age.
This article explains various ways to simulate babies' sensory development and enhance their language, motor, and cognitive skills.
Sensory Development - Why Is It Important?
Sensory activities are the best way for stimulating sensory development among infants and toddlers. These activities play a vital role in a baby's development when done at the proper time and in the correct manner.
A research paper about sensory problems among children in Pakistan defines that senses recognition in children is a developmental procedure, and we should take steps to enhance these in the children's first 10 years of life.
Babies and children learn about their surrounding environment with the help of the five basic senses. Touch, Hearing, Smell, Vision, and Taste. These are all controlled by the neurons and synapses. Research shows that a child's brain has up to twice as many synapses in its first three years as it would have in adults. These synapses are the route of conveying messages to the brain. Now we expect you to know why sensory development is essential at an early age.
Following, we share some activities and products that enhance babies' sensory development.
Hearing:
Fetus listens to voices when they are in the mother's womb. They hear family talks, mother’s heartbeat, and surroundings. These all are part of the fetus's world, but as they are born, things get different. Babies do not listen to certain things after birth because the outside of the mother's womb is too loud. After three to four months, they hear and respond to your voice. If your infant makes other noises, mimic them. Babies like hearing their moms' voices. You can also use toys to boost their listening skills.
Recommended Toys For Infants
- Rattles & Shakers
- Mimiking Dolls
- Musical Teethers
Recommended Toys For Toddlers
- Talking Cactus
- Dancing Duck
- Rhyme Gadgets
Touch
Touch is not only one sense; it describes different physical feelings like temperature, softness, hardness, wetness, and dryness. When babies sense their surroundings, they learn about the world. Moreover, babies love when you kiss, touch, hug them; this shows that someone cares about them. You can lay them down on your chest and touch skin to skin so they can explore different textures.
Recommended Toys For Infants
- Squeeze Balls
- Water Play Mat
- Kick n Play Piano Play Mat
Recommended Toy For Toddlers
- Magnetic Pad
- Sand Box
- Modelling Clay
Vision
A Newborn's eyesight range is a maximum of 15 inches. They can not watch things that are far away from their sight. After that, they start focusing on objects, tracking moving objects' directions, and trying to differentiate colors. Here are some products that can help your baby develop sight and vision.
Recommended Toys For Infants
- Toy Hanging PlayMat
- Mirrors
- Glowing Rattles
Recommended Toys For Toddlers
- Flynova Pro Flying Ball
- MultiColour Ramp Toy
- Colorful Spinning Tops
Smell
You're mistaken if you think a baby can not smell anything. Babies can differentiate their mother's milk from the bulk of another milk just by smelling. As a baby's smells develop in the mother's womb, they smell everything she eats. Smells are a great source of baby comfort. You can give them your shirt or dupatta whenever they are crying. Your scent relaxes and comforts them. Toddlers have a sharp smell power; you can use it to make their eating habits healthy.
Recommended Toy For Infants
- Scented Chew Toy
Recommended Toy For Toddlers
- Bubbles
- Scented Pencils
Taste
Infants utilise their tastebuds to explore new foods and objects. Babies who try new foods can learn about new tastes, smells, and textures. You may also use food as a toy by making appealing food arrangements or encouraging your child to play with their food while you're eating. Using flavored teethers is a useful technique to get babies interested in trying different tastes. They come in shapes of food and natural fruit extract flavours.
Recommended For Infants
Flavored Teethers
Recommended For Toddlers
Takeaway
It is important to include various activities to support a baby's growth and development of their senses. There are various ways to stimulate a baby's sensory growth. For both children and parents, these proposed methods make the process of sensory development simple and hassle-free. These methods can cover all the main senses; sensory toys provide a seamless experience. But remember that toys are meant to provide an atmosphere that inspires curiosity and learning; each baby is different, so what works for one baby might not work for another. We may support their development and education by using these ways to benefit their future growth.