Best Sensory and Motor Activities for Toddlers

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• Why Sensory Activities Are Helpful
• Top Sensory and Motor Activities
• Have Fun at Home
• Enjoy the Outdoors!

It all starts with the day they’re born. Babies use the whole pack of senses to discover the world they’ve just come into. The sense of smell, touch, taste, sound, and sight is activated to self-explore and get on a never-ending adventure of discovery. That’s when the sensory play comes on stage! Basically, it is any activity that stimulates pumpkin’s senses and helps them interact with the world they’re just about to discover. What are sensory activities for toddlers? How do they contribute to their development? Today, at Child-Universe, we’ll have a serious talk about it. Stay with us!

Why Sensory Activities Are Helpful

During the first three years, kiddies grow and develop at the speed of light. They absorb vast chunks of info, process it, and turn it into knowledge about their environment. Much of the learning comes through using all the senses mentioned above. The scholars behind the “Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants” mention that children ‘form perceptions from their sensory activities. Sensory-perceptual development is the information that is collected through the senses, the ideas that are formed about an object or relationship as a result of what the child learns through the senses.’ It’s your task to provide them with a stimulating and enriched environment to develop naturally. 

How do sensory activities help toddlers? In many ways:

• Opportunity to engage with the world. Sensory play enables little ones to create solid connections in the brain to perform complex tasks and, as a result, grow and develop.
• Getting more and more curious. Play becomes a tool toddlers use to explore the world and it fosters curiosity about the environment they live in.
• Working out fine motor skills. If you wonder what activities can toddlers do to strengthen their small hands’ muscles – sensory play is the answer.
• Combatting anxiety and stress. Running fingers through sensory bins or playing with playdough calms pumpkins.
• Improving focus. Playing with sensory materials means a munchkin should focus on the task for some time. It prepares them for school years when they have more complex tasks on a plate.
• Enhancing gross motor skills. Pushing, jumping, climbing, and other activities during motor play are the basis for balance, strength, and coordination (the skills they’ll use in sports activities later in life).

Top Sensory and Motor Activities

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In the “Child Development and Early Learning: A Foundation for Professional Knowledge and Competencies” report, play is called ‘a means of learning in early childhood.’ It’s an incredible tool to help the next generation grow and develop healthily while keeping them entertained and excited about the process. The easy-to-pull-off ideas below may help you engage children in the process, no matter the season or place.

Have Fun at Home

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At our СhildUniverse Blog, we’ve already said a lot about what activities to do at home with toddlers. Speaking of sensory play, check out some developmentally appropriate activities below:

• Sensory bins. When wondering what indoor activities for toddlers are approved by generations of moms, fill a bin with stuff like pasta, rice, kinetic sand, etc. Voilà! The sensory bin is ready for kids to train their senses of sight, touch, and even smell.  
• Play dough. A good option for parents ready for some mess. You may buy some at a kid’s store or do it yourself, adding scents, colors, and textures. When asking yourself, “What are the best activities for toddlers to enjoy for hours?” the squishy and soft texture of play dough speaks for itself.
• Ice play with T-Rex. Kids love dinosaurs! Provide ice cubes with little dino toys in each so that your fidgets can touch and explore. It works well when it comes to boosting fine motor skills and tactile senses and learning what temperature is.
• Just dance! Why not? This simple yet effective practice helps hone rhythm and balance while having loads of fun!
• Musical instruments. Moms and dads are welcome to use actual musical instruments or make some at home. Create the most unusual sounds using spoons, pans, pots, and other accessories.
• Wooden toys for toddlers. Stacking blocks to build towers, name boards, play kitchen sets, and puzzles are just some of the effective helpers in developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
• Sort and match. What are some cognitive activities for toddlers that don’t require extra accessories? Sorting and matching routine, of course. Provide them with toy animals, buttons, stacking rings, and other baby-friendly items. Now, encourage your little champ to sort stuff by category, size, color, etc. Basic problem-solving, math, and organizational skills are in the game.
• G.I. Joe style activities. Grab those cushions, pillows, blankets, and stools to create a real obstacle course in the living room! Your cheeky soldier will be there to climb, crawl, jump, and do other moves to boost coordination and gross motor skills. The same activity rocks for the outdoor environment.

Enjoy the Outdoors!

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What activities to do with toddlers under the sun? In terms of sensory and motor play, any activity fits when done in green spaces. Multiple research projects proved that pumpkins, who spend too little time in the nature, are more likely to suffer from mood issues and anxiety. Which of the following activities supports social and emotional development and toddlers enjoy the most? All of them.

Let’s dive in!

• Water play. Provide sponges, cups, and petite floating toys in tandem with a small basin. Let your explorer enjoy a warm, sunny day!
• Leaf painting. Nature is incredibly beautiful in autumn! What are some fun activities for toddlers except for jumping in a big leaf pile? Dipping leaves in paint and pressing them onto paper. In tandem with art, sensory exploration is also combined with color exploration and fine motor control.
• Plant seeds in a garden. What are some fine motor activities for toddlers that help cultivate a love of nature? Gardening, of course! Get a pack of cups, prepare seeds, and go out. Together, you’ll sort seeds, dig in the dirt, water the earth, and enjoy Mather Nature’s gifts while their senses get 100% stimulated.  
• Mud kitchen. If you’re OK with gardening, it means you’re not afraid of mud. Get some spoons, bowls, and mud to set up a ‘kitchen’ in a garden. Little ones can ‘cook’ whatever comes to their minds using ‘ingredients’ like sticks, leaves, and mud. Sensory and imaginative play is on!
• Jump. It’s simple and primitive yet exciting and effective. The process stimulates toddler’s sense of movement and helps them release the whole scope of energy. The must-haves are trampolines, jump ropes, exercise balls, and so on.

From birth, babes are ready for sensory play. They’re professional explorers by nature – all for any kind of fun! With the right activities incorporated into their routine, your tots will never say they are bored again (well, maybe later).