What can you do with foil, crayons, fabrics, dough, or sand? Would the potential mess deter you from using these “tools”? What if learning was involved? These items are just some examples of textures that can offer rich learning experiences and fun for our young ones!
Sensory activities, including creatively working with textures, can provide meaningful connections for learning. Angie Dorrell, NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accreditation validator and former commissioner, shares, “Learning and retention improve depending upon how many of our senses are engaged. Many of our favorite memories involve multiple senses. When thinking about my grandma, for example, I remember the smell of the flowers in her garden; I can see her wearing her favorite outfit; I remember how her gooseberry pie tasted and even how the sofa felt.”
The same sensory concepts can come into play as we learn – engaging sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing can deepen the learning experience. Psychologists and early learning professionals alike indicate that sensory play is brain building play! Neurological pathways associated with the senses are developing when engaged. Sensory stimulation can develop sensory pathways and lead to brain development and function.
Exercise your brain and your senses by making dough with young ones—this includes cookie dough! Be sure to use your senses by watching and feeling how the ingredients mix and tasting the dough….The mess is worth it!
