Sensory soft play toys offer a range of benefits for children, helping with physical and cognitive development and also as a calming aid for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sensory toys range from small soft nursery toys to larger toys, soft play centre equipment and even outdoor equipment. You can find large sensory play equipment at all sorts of children’s play centres, including family adventure parks in Pinner.
What are sensory soft play toys?
Most sensory toys work by engaging at least one of the four non-taste senses (sight, smell, sound and touch). Toys will either make interesting sounds, feature contrasting textures, have a different smell to other toys or have different looking features, often with interesting colour patterns and contrasts. They range from small, handheld toys to large soft toys aimed at babies and toddlers, together with large play equipment that you might find in a park, nursery or soft play centre.
How sensory toys stimulate the senses and aid cognitive development?
These sensory elements of the toy will heighten the child’s brain to one or more senses and will actually aid their cognitive development. It does this by helping them hone their ability to make distinctions of sights, sounds, feel and smell.
How sensory toys can aid physical development
Small sensory toys, even soft toys, can aid a child’s physical development in the form of fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are involving our hands and wrists for certain activities. Developing fine motor skills is an essential part of a child’s development. Many small sensory toys, including fidget toys, can help with this.
Sensory soft play toys help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sensory toys have been proven to help children with autism spectrum disorder. These toys enable them to regulate their sensory needs whilst also engaging their senses and providing sensory feedback. Primarily, they help to keep children with autism spectrum disorder feeling calm.
Sensory soft play toys help children relax
In fact, it’s not just children with ASD who can benefit from sensory toys. All children, from babies to pre-teens, will find sensory toys relaxing and may also find that they can be a good way to distract them from overwhelming thoughts and make them more capable to deal with emotions.
Making your own sensory toys
It’s actually surprisingly easy to save money by making your sensory toys, from scented homemade playdough to shakers, drums and rattles. You can even play sensory taste games using a blindfold, a good way to engage the one sense that can’t be engaged with sensory toys. In fact, children can be involved in creating their own sensory toys. Some children are more drawn to certain senses than to other ones, and you may want to make toys that specifically help them engage with this sense. Let your child lead the way when it comes to making your own sensory toys, just make sure the toy is safe and without small parts.
Large sensory soft play at family adventure parks in Pinner
Small toys aren’t the only way children can engage in sensory exploration. Children’s sensory rooms, soft play centres and adventure parks, such as family adventure parks in Pinner, can all help with children’s cognitive and physical development. Large sensory toys and equipment can aid the development of large motor skills. Large motor skills refer to the way we use the muscles in our arms, legs and torso. Developing these skills throughout childhood is really important for a child’s overall physical development.
Many adventure parks and soft play centres feature sensory rooms that have lights and music. These are reasons enough to take your child to an adventure park or soft play, but it’s good to know that this is also a great way to burn energy, increase cardiovascular fitness, develop social skills and for encouraging imaginary play.
As you can see, sensory toys, in the form of small ‘fidget’ toys, soft toys and large soft play equipment, can all offer a multitude of benefits to a child. This includes the development of both fine and large motor skills, as well as providing a child’s brain with important sensory feedback and helping them distinguish between different sounds, feelings, smells and patterns. This weekend, consider visiting a soft play area or one of the family adventure parks in Pinner and you’ll be doing more for your little one than simply letting off steam.
