About the author

Cathy holds the role of Head of Hub alongside her role as Headteacher at Wellfield Infant and Nursery School in Trafford.  She has a strong background in Early Years education and specialises in supporting young children with a variety of SEND. Cathy has previously worked as an EYFS Consultant for Trafford. During her time working for the Local Authority, she was fortunate to train and work with practitioners from different types of settings across the Early Years Sector including childminders, day care staff and schools. 

Children are natural explorers. As soon as they are born, children start to make sense of what is around them using all of their senses. It is important that we offer children plenty of opportunities for them to use their senses to explore their world in order for them to better understand it, know what things are like and to make comparisons. Sensory experiences are important in a child’s development as when they use their senses it helps them to retain information.

In our modern world it is likely that most of the resources and toys that babies and young children are exposed to are made of plastic. It is also likely that the majority of these will be made from a very narrow spectrum of bright colours – mostly red, blue, yellow and green. Plastic toys offer very limited sensory experiences – they are generally flat and smooth in texture, have no smell, and are the same temperature. It is important for us to be aware of these limitations and ensure that we are offering the babies and young children we work with exposure to a wide range of opportunities and experiences that ignite their senses. Offering them exposure to natural materials, such as wooden resources, and things of different weights and textures is a simple thing to do as there are many objects we can include that are often found around the home. Babies love banging on a tin with a wooden spoon and it is fascinating to watch a baby explore an orange or lemon – they are easy to grip due to their waxy skin and can roll too. Watch their face as they break through the skin!

Sensory play is a lot of fun. It also offers many benefits for child development, including:

• Helping children understand how their actions affect what’s around them.
• Supporting brain development, enhancing memory, complex tasks and problem solving.
• Developing fine motor skills through tactile play (useful when children want to hold a pen or use scissors for example).
• Supporting language, communication and social skills.
• Enhancing memory and observational skills.
• Encouraging creative and independent thinking.
• Emotional regulation by providing a calming effect on children’s angry or anxious feelings.

Use everyday, open-ended materials to support overall co-ordination. Suggestions: sponges and cloths to hold, squash and throw, or wet and squeeze. Provide a range of surfaces and materials for babies to explore, stimulating touch and all the senses.

Extract from Development Matters 2023 – Physical Development, Birth to Three