Sensory play for kids in this week’s Sweet Summertime

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Parents may be looking for ways to keep kids entertained the rest of summer and some at-home activities could do the trick.

Suzan Gage, the Executive Director for the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, joined the NewsChannel 7 Today team to talk and demonstrate sensory play for kids. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a young child’s senses: touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight, and hearing.

Suzan brought three activities for children to try:

Blowing bubbles: Bubbles are always fun, and you may think that it is just a simple activity. But did you know that blowing bubbles actually helps with language development in young children? When properly blowing a bubble, it helps to strengthen the muscles in the mouth that are used for speech.

Moon sand (playing with sand): Sand play of all types can be calming for a lot of children and can help them develop a sense of texture. We like this moon sand here because of the way you can mold and sculpt it. Playing with moon sand can strengthen the small muscles in the hand, which can help with pre-writing skills for a young child. You can find a recipe for moon sand here so you can make your own at home.

Rub-A-Dub station (water play): Bring out any wash basin or small tub and let your children wash baby dolls, toy trucks, cars, dishes, and pretty much anything will work. Bring out the soap, sponges, and washcloths. Water play calms and can help relax overwhelmed children.

To learn more from Suzan and about all the ELCNWF has to offer families, you can watch the video attached to this article.

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