Sensory play is so important! It aids in your child’s development in so many ways. Sensory play encourages cognitive development, motor skill development, coordination, curiosity, problem solving skills, and language development. The more senses involved in the experience means the more neural connections that are being made. Sensory play can help with memory, cause and effect, and problem solving skills. Since all activities with your baby are closely supervised, it gives you an opportunity to talk with your baby about what they are doing and experiencing which helps their language development. Sensory activities exercise the hand and finger muscles, and help baby practice that pincer grip. You can start sensory play activities with younger babies as tummy time activities which will promote that trunk and neck strength. As baby is able to sit and move around the tray, sensory skills will encourage baby to pull or push to a stand, kneel, crawl and creep around the tray.
Riley has really started to enjoy bath time more and more. She has discovered the fun of splashing in the tub. I had a feeling that she was going to really enjoy the water tray because she loves to splash. This activity can of course be done in the tub for less water mess in the end. I did the activity in our kitchen on the wood floor. I put down a plastic table cloth that was folded in half to help contain most of the watery mess. I used a heavy 9x13 Pyrex dish to put the water in because it would make it harder for Riley to flip over (something that she really enjoys doing).
I gave Riley her favorite bath toys, magnets from the fridge, a baby spoon, and one of her food containers to play with in the water. She enjoyed throwing her toys in and then taking them out; causing water to splash all over. She also enjoyed licking the water off her toys and dunking them back in for more. Before I knew it, Riley was climbing into the tray! She loved it!
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