Have you ever watched a baby squish food between their fingers, splash in bathwater, or mouth everything within reach? What might look like messy chaos is actually crucial brain development in action. Sensory play—any activity that stimulates the senses—is one of the most important types of learning during early childhood. Through sensory exploration, babies build the neural pathways that support all future learning.
During the first three years of life, a baby's brain forms more than one million new neural connections every second. Sensory experiences help strengthen these connections, creating the foundation for complex thought, language, and motor skills.
Understanding the Seven Senses
When we think of senses, most of us think of the classic five: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. But there are actually seven sensory systems that work together to help us navigate the world. Understanding all seven helps us provide more complete sensory experiences for our babies.
The Classic Five
Visual (Sight): From birth, babies are drawn to high-contrast patterns and faces. Vision develops rapidly over the first year, with colour perception, depth perception, and tracking abilities all maturing. Providing varied visual stimuli—colourful toys, patterned objects, and moving mobiles—supports this development.
Auditory (Hearing): Babies are born with well-developed hearing and quickly learn to recognise familiar voices. Exposure to varied sounds—music, nature sounds, spoken language, and the sounds of toys—helps develop auditory discrimination, which is crucial for later language development.
Tactile (Touch): The skin is the largest sensory organ, and babies learn extensively through touch. Different textures—soft, rough, squishy, smooth—provide valuable tactile input. Mouthing objects adds another dimension, as the mouth is highly sensitive to texture and temperature.
Olfactory (Smell): Often overlooked in play, smell is actually one of the most developed senses at birth. Babies can recognise their mother's scent within days. Introducing varied safe scents through play—lavender, vanilla, citrus—enriches sensory experiences.
Gustatory (Taste): While we typically think of taste in relation to food, sensory play can also engage this sense. Food-based sensory activities allow safe exploration of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes alongside textures.
The Lesser-Known Two
Vestibular (Balance and Movement): This sense, centred in the inner ear, tells us where our body is in space and whether we're moving. Rocking, swinging, bouncing, and spinning activities develop this crucial sense, which supports physical coordination and even attention regulation.
Proprioception (Body Awareness): This sense, detected through muscles and joints, tells us where our body parts are without looking. Heavy work activities—pushing, pulling, carrying—develop proprioception, which is essential for coordinated movement and motor planning.
Multi-Sensory Learning
When multiple senses are engaged simultaneously, learning is stronger and memories are more durable. The best sensory play activities engage several senses at once.
Benefits of Sensory Play
The benefits of sensory play extend far beyond simple entertainment. Research consistently shows that rich sensory experiences in early childhood support development across multiple domains.
Cognitive Development
Sensory play builds the brain's architecture. When babies explore different textures, temperatures, and weights, they're making comparisons, forming categories, and building concepts. Cause-and-effect learning happens naturally—what happens when I squeeze this? What sound does that make? These early experiments lay the groundwork for scientific thinking.
Language Development
Sensory experiences give babies something to communicate about. Describing sensory play—"The water is cold!" "That feels squishy!"—builds vocabulary. The rich neural connections formed during sensory exploration also support the brain networks needed for language processing.
Motor Skill Development
Manipulating sensory materials strengthens both fine and gross motor skills. Scooping, pouring, squeezing, and grasping different textures develop hand strength and coordination. Larger sensory activities—crawling through tunnels, balancing on different surfaces—build gross motor skills and body awareness.
Social-Emotional Development
Sensory play often has a calming, organising effect on the nervous system. Many children find activities like water play or playdough soothing. Shared sensory experiences also provide opportunities for social connection and turn-taking. For some children, sensory play serves as a safe outlet for big emotions.
Every baby has their own sensory preferences. Some love water play while others prefer dry textures. Some enjoy loud sounds while others are sensitive to noise. Observe your baby's reactions and offer more of what they enjoy.
Sensory Play Ideas by Age
0-6 Months
Young babies explore primarily through vision, hearing, and touch. Appropriate sensory activities include:
- High-contrast cards and mobiles for visual stimulation
- Soft fabric books with different textures
- Crinkle toys that make sounds when manipulated
- Gentle massage with baby-safe oils
- Water play during bath time (supervised carefully)
- Music and singing, including lullabies and play songs
- Tummy time on different textured surfaces
6-12 Months
As babies become more mobile and can sit independently, sensory exploration expands dramatically:
- Treasure baskets filled with safe, varied objects to explore
- Food-based sensory play (cooked pasta, jelly, mashed banana)
- Water play with cups and pouring toys
- Cause-and-effect toys that light up or make sounds
- Sand or rice tray exploration (supervised closely)
- Finger painting with edible paints
- Pop-up toys and activity centres
12-24 Months
Toddlers can engage in more complex sensory activities and begin combining materials creatively:
- Playdough (homemade or commercial)
- Sensory bins with themed contents (farm, ocean, construction)
- Painting with brushes, sponges, and fingers
- Bubble play—blowing, popping, chasing
- Music and movement activities
- Outdoor sensory exploration—leaves, sticks, mud
- Simple cooking activities (stirring, pouring)
Creating Sensory-Rich Environments
You don't need expensive toys to provide sensory stimulation. Many of the best sensory experiences come from everyday household items and natural materials. The key is variety—offering different textures, sounds, sights, and movement opportunities throughout the day.
At Home
Your home is already full of sensory opportunities. Kitchen items like wooden spoons, metal bowls, and dry pasta provide varied textures and sounds. Fabric scraps, cardboard boxes, and empty containers become sensory exploration tools. Bath time and meal times are natural sensory experiences that can be enhanced with intention.
Outdoors
The natural world offers unmatched sensory richness. Grass, sand, water, leaves, and flowers provide textures no toy can replicate. Wind, bird songs, and the feeling of sun on skin engage senses in ways that support brain development and emotional wellbeing. Whenever possible, take sensory play outside.
Always supervise sensory play closely. Ensure materials are non-toxic and age-appropriate. Avoid small items that pose choking hazards for children under 3. For food-based play, be aware of allergies.
Supporting Sensory-Sensitive Children
Some children have heightened sensitivity to sensory input. They may dislike certain textures, be overwhelmed by loud sounds, or avoid messy play. Others may seek intense sensory experiences, constantly touching, mouthing, or moving. Both patterns are normal variations in sensory processing.
For sensitive children, introduce new sensory experiences gradually. Offer tools (brushes, spoons) before expecting hand contact with messy materials. Respect their preferences while gently expanding their comfort zone. Never force sensory experiences that cause genuine distress.
For sensory-seeking children, provide ample appropriate opportunities for sensory input. Heavy work activities, movement breaks, and access to textured materials can help meet their sensory needs in constructive ways.
Embrace the Mess
Sensory play is often messy, and that's okay! The benefits far outweigh the cleanup. Set up a dedicated space, use smocks and tarps, and remember that washable messes are temporary but brain development lasts a lifetime.
Sensory play isn't an extra activity to fit into busy days—it's fundamental to how babies learn about their world. Through touching, tasting, listening, moving, and exploring, children build the neural foundation for all future learning. By providing varied, safe sensory experiences, you're giving your child one of the best possible starts in life. So roll up your sleeves, embrace the mess, and explore the wonderful world of sensory play with your little one.