Why should you buy sensory toys?

How would you feel if you lost your senses for even a single minute? Not having the ability to hear, see, smell things might give us jitters.

The underlying importance of sensory development is summed up in the above stanza. While sensory development continuously takes place, introducing sensory toys in your children’s play time is a very important step in ensuring it’s development. There are several compelling reasons to consider buying sensory toys. The versatility and sensory properties make it a popular choice as a sensory toy for children of various ages and abilities. As studies show that sensory toys can enhance your child’s play experiences while catering to their unique sensory needs.

What are sensory Toys?

Choosing a sensory toy is often understood to be easy, however studies show that not all toys fall into the bucket of being called a sensory toy.

Many sensory toys have a calming effect on children. They provide open ended play experiences where children can experiment, problem solve and express themselves. A toy that is specially designed to stimulate one or more of the senses of children in their playtime are called Sensory toys. Some common examples of sensory toys include squishy balls, kinetic sand, sensory bins filled with objects to touch and manipulate, and musical instruments. These toys are often used to provide sensory stimulation and promote development in children. It benefits children by promoting exploration, imagination, and creativity while providing a fun and engaging way for children to explore and engage with their environment through their senses. 

Benefits of Sensory Toys

Engaging kids in play at any age is important for their development. Opting for sensory toys can help kids reap even more benefits including their brain development, problem solving and fine motor skills, language, creativity, general awareness and many more. The benefits of sensory toys may vary depending on the individual and their specific needs. It's always recommended to choose sensory toys that are appropriate for the child's age, interests, and sensory preferences, and to supervise their play to ensure safety and maximum benefit.

1. Fine and Gross Motor Skills Development: Sensory toys often involve manipulative actions, such as squeezing, spinning or stacking which support the development of fine motor skills. Playing with larger sensory toys that involve movement and coordination, like balance boards or swings, can also enhance gross motor skills.
2. Social Interaction: Some baby sensory toys are designed for cooperative play and can facilitate social interaction and communication among children. They encourage turn-taking, sharing, collaboration, and imaginative play, fostering social skills and relationship-building.
3. Improve focus and concentration: Many baby sensory toys such as baff bombz, HABA chimes, gelli spa, wooden basic skills, tonies starter set and many more can provide a calming effect and help regulate emotions. These toys can redirect restless energy, promote relaxation and improve focus and concentration.
4. Language development: Being given sensory toys encourages children to talk about new textures and shapes, subsequently stimulating language practice and the use of words associated with the toys or activities they are engaged with.
5. General Awareness: Active sensory play helps children to develop a sense of their surroundings and become more alert. Helping babies and toddlers to become aware of which information is useful and what can be filtered out.

How to use sensory toys?

Sensory toys are meant to help a child learn more about their senses in a fun way. Sensory toys play an important role in a child’s learning and development. Much of the learning comes through the ability to use senses to retain information. Demonstrate different ways of playing with the toys and encourage them to try different techniques or movements. Use sensory toys into daily routines, such as bath time, mealtime, or playtime. This helps create a predictable and enjoyable sensory experience for the child.

Allow the child to freely explore the sensory toys at their own pace. Give them the opportunity to touch, manipulate, listen, or observe the toys to engage their senses fully. Be patient and give them time to discover and explore. Every child is unique, so it's essential to tailor the use of sensory toys to their specific needs and preferences. Monitor their responses and adjust accordingly to create a positive and beneficial sensory play experience.

Five Best sensory Toys

1. Kinetic Sand
Brand : Spin Master
Age: 3-5

Kinetic sand is an excellent example of a sensory toy that provides tactile stimulation and promotes sensory exploration. It is a special type of sand that has unique properties, allowing it to be moulded and shaped like wet sand, while also being able to hold its form like a solid. Playing with kinetic sand involves various fine motor actions such as pinching, squeezing, and manipulating the sand. This baby sensory toy allows children to use their imagination and creativity to create various forms, landscapes, and scenes. This type of play fosters problem-solving skills, divergent thinking, and imaginative play.

2. Jack's Sensory Box Activity Set
Brand: Jacks
Age: 3-5

This baby sensory toy set offers a variety of sensory items that engage multiple senses, such as sight and touch. Many of the activities in the set involve hand-eye coordination, such as using tongs or tweezers to pick up small objects or threading beads onto strings. These activities require precise hand movements and visual tracking, enhancing hand-eye coordination skills, and can support the development of various other skills, including fine motor skills, sensory exploration, focus, language and communication, emotional regulation, creativity and social skills.

3. Pop Up Pals
Brand: Galt Toys
Age: 0-3

Pop up pals is a baby sensory toy which encourages early development by helping develop hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity and colour recognition. The Pop Up Pals  is a baby sensory toy designed to promote various skills like fine motor skills, concentration skills and hand-eye coordination. Playing with the Pop Up Pals toy can be exciting and satisfying for children as they successfully make the figures pop up. This can boost their self-confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment, supporting their emotional development.

4. Wooden Plain Musical Set
Brand: Tooky Toys
Age: 3-5

The Wooden Plain Musical Set is a beautifully crafted and engaging toy that introduces children to the wonderful world of music. This Baby sensory toy provides a multi-sensory experience that develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, sensory exploration, cognitive skills, creativity, social interaction, and emotional development. The baby sensory toy Set encourages creativity, self-expression and promotes imagination and emotional development. Playing musical instruments involves cognitive processes such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. The baby sensory toy provides a range of sensory experiences. Children can explore the different textures of the wooden instruments, feel the vibrations and sounds produced when playing them, and listen to the various tones and rhythms created. This encourages sensory exploration and sensitivity.

5. Baff Bombz-4 Bath Pack
Brand: Zimpli
Age: 5-8

Create a colourful and fizzing bath time adventure with this baby sensory toy Baff Bombz from Zimpli Kids. Fun time is elevated with fizzing adventure by dropping these bubbling bath bombs into your bath water and watching them fizz and change the colour of the water! Children love to see water fizz and change into vibrant colours, making bath time adventurous and elevating their sensory play.

Conclusion

Sensory toys can be valuable tools for parents and teachers to engage and bond with their children. It's always recommended to choose sensory toys that are appropriate for the child's age, interests, and sensory preferences, and to supervise their play to ensure safety and maximum benefit. By investing in sensory toys, you can provide your child with a stimulating and supportive environment that fosters their overall development.