Sensory play has an important role in helping your baby to understand the world around them, as well as to express themselves and connect with others. It helps them to better understand their own body, including its physical likes, dislikes, and needs. It teaches them how to self-regulate. You may choose to book your baby in for special classes—these are a great way to meet other parents and engage with a baby development specialist who works in this area—but you can also create a sensory wonderland for your child at home.

For parents, sensory play offers an opportunity to get to know your child and how you can support them better. Some babies are loud, messy, and excited to engage in all things new, while others are quieter and more easily overwhelmed by new sensory experiences. Your child’s senses may promote different behaviours. For example, a baby may respond well to lots of noise and textured, tactile playthings but be upset by certain smells. Understanding which sensory experiences teach your child to regulate themselves and which cause overstimulation or upset can help you as a parent. This process is all about learning what your child likes and incorporating sensorial play into their daily routine.

Why is sensory play important?

Our children understand the world around them through their senses, and play is a fun and engaging way to educate them. Most of us know the five key senses that require input—touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing—but there are three others that are just as important to your child’s sensory play.

Vestibular sense: This is our sense of movement. It helps us with balance and understanding where our head and body are relative to our surroundings. It reaches us through the inner ear.

Interoception: This is our internal awareness of our bodies, whether we’re hungry, our heartbeat, if we hurt anywhere, etc. This sense is especially important for potty training.

Proprioceptive sense: teaches us where our body is in space. It is very important for self-regulation, sports, and dextrous activities like handwriting. This is absorbed through our skin, muscles, and joints.

According to Dr. Allie Ticktin, an American occupational therapist and the author of Play 2 Progress: Lead Your Child to Success Using the Power of Sensory Play (Piatkus, 2021), all eight senses need to be stimulated from the time your child is born for them to reach their full potential.

What sensory play tools should I buy?

You should supply a variety of toys to give your child the opportunity to learn what regulates their own body. There’s no one tool that works for all babies, and no tool that works for your baby will work all the time. Popular examples of sensory play toys include:

Weighted or textured balls
Slime
Putty
Sand
Bubble wrap
Fidget spinners or cubes

You do not need to buy everything. Allowing your child to explore textured household items like baskets of laundry or even letting them play with food also provides important sensory experiences. Here is some more guidance on how to gather tools for your child’s sensory play:

Choose open-ended toys. Try to choose things that allow your child to both move a lot and decide independently how play should happen. Electronic toys can restrain your child’s creativity by prompting them to play in the way the toy was designed to be used.

Explore nature. Nature walks are a time-tested way to help children learn in a healthy environment. Have a leaf or flower hunt, do some bird or bug spotting, or spend some time in the water if you can do so safely.

Go back to your own childhood: Toys were probably simpler when you were little than they are today. Sharing favourite toys with your child will be a fun bonding experience for you both, as well as a chance for your child to engage in creative play.

Give your child the space to create; support them, but don’t tell them what to do. Our instinct is to help our children when we see them struggle, but this can rob them of their chance to show you how clever they are! Encourage them to problem-solve and praise their successes, rather than rushing to help them with puzzles.

Empty the recycling bin. First-time parents may be surprised by how much more excited their child is by boxes and other packaging than sensory play tools themselves. Embrace this!

How can I create a sensory toolbox for my specific child?

Every child should have a different selection of tools in their sensory toolboxes, depending on what they'd choose to regulate themselves. Regulation is the key to learning and mastering it early will help them when they begin formal education. A child can’t learn if they’re not able to regulate themselves. Pay attention to your child’s physical cues and responses to toys. You will understand these better than anyone and be able to spot when extra help may be needed first. Retreating from a tool or an environment or becoming quiet, for example, might be overlooked as shyness by a nursery teacher, but you will know immediately when your own child is stressed or overwhelmed.

Respect your child’s boundaries and ensure they feel safe. Offer (rather than foist) tools you think they might like. Get messy when they do to make them feel comfortable. If your child becomes anxious about mess, don’t push them to engage in this kind of play or give them the choice of when to wash or wipe their hands. Creating a safe environment for play ensures they build both positive associations with play and a desire to continue.

You can also create a calm spot in your home for your child where they may choose to take favourite sensory toys. This should be a cosy and not too brightly lit place where there is very little stimulation. This space will allow them to identify how they feel so they can understand their own needs. Don’t tell your child to go to their calm space as though it’s a time-out spot. Instead, introduce them to it when they are calm and regulated and explain that it’s a safe place where they can go when they are feeling overwhelmed.

How can I tell if a sensory toy is calming my child or if they’re just playing with it?

If a child is using a toy to regulate, they're attendant and engaged with you or a group activity at the same time. If they seem focused on the toy or are using it disruptively, they’re probably more interested in playing.

How do I know if my child’s sensory needs are normal and when to seek additional help?

As with all aspects of development, the spectrum of what constitutes “normal” is broad. However, a key indicator that your child needs more help is having a sensory need or barrier that seems to be impacting their daily life.

For more evidence-based advice on what benefits your growing baby, check out Unii's Baby Development Journey video course with Dr. Su Laurent.

How does sensory play benefit my baby's development?

From sand to slime and fidget toys, there's a whole world of tools to help your baby self-regulate.