Why Sensory Play Matters (and How to Get Started)
As an occupational therapist, I’ve worked with hundreds of families navigating milestones like emotional regulation, language development, and toilet training. And time and time again, I return to one powerful strategy: sensory play.
Whether your toddler is squishing, scooping, splashing, or spinning, these playful, hands-on moments are building far more than messes - they’re laying the foundation for confidence, learning, connection, and self-regulation.
If you’re new to sensory play or just wondering how it fits into your child’s development, this blog breaks it down - why it matters, how it supports real growth, and how you can get started with just a few sensory tools at home.
🌈What Is Sensory Play?
Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, sound, movement (vestibular), or body awareness (proprioception). These experiences are how young children explore the world, process information, and begin to understand themselves in it.
Think of it like a child’s version of a science lab - it’s all trial, discovery, and growth.
And from a developmental lens? Sensory play is the foundation of child development - enhancing everything from brain wiring to executive functioning to emotional regulation.
🧠 Why Sensory Play Matters (Especially in the Early Years)
Here’s what sensory play supports:
Brain Development
Tactile and movement-based experiences help form and strengthen neural connections - especially critical during the first five years when the brain is growing rapidly.
Fine & Gross Motor Skills
Scooping rice, pouring water, or balancing on a wobble cushion all support physical coordination. These experiences lay the groundwork for everyday tasks like dressing, drawing, and climbing.
Language and Communication
As children describe textures (“squishy!”), actions (“I’m spinning!”), and sensations (“too loud!”), they build both expressive language and comprehension.
Emotional Regulation
Sensory-rich experiences help children identify their own arousal states, find calming strategies, and process overwhelming input - something I support daily in goals around self-regulation and behaviour.
🛁 Easy Sensory Play Ideas (That Don’t Require Fancy Toys)
You don’t need fancy equipment to introduce sensory play at home. Here are a few beginner-friendly ideas:
🧺 Sensory Bins
A shallow container filled with rice, oats, pasta, or water becomes a playground. Add scoops, cups, and figurines for storytelling or pretend play.
🍃 Nature Walk & Texture Hunt
Head outside and collect leaves, bark, petals, and stones. Ask: “Is it rough or smooth?” “What does it smell like?” This boosts sensory awareness and vocabulary.
Bubble Play
Blowing bubbles helps with oral motor coordination while chasing and popping them supports visual tracking and gross motor development milestones.
🌀 Playdough or Kinetic Sand
Great for building hand strength and emotional regulation. Let your child lead, or model pretend play like cooking or building roads.
Looking for even more sensory play inspiration? Check out my other blog post here!
🎉 Want More Sensory Play Ideas?
If you're looking for practical ways to make sensory play part of everyday life, I’ve created age-specific Toy & Activity Guides for 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds—designed with busy, thoughtful parents in mind.
Each guide includes:
✅ Sensory play ideas tailored to developmental needs
✅ Focus areas made easy - like fine & gross motor skills, sensory play, communication, and emotional growth
✅ 40+ OT-approved toy and activity ideas
✅ A smart guide to buying toys that grow with your child’s learning style
✅ A developmental checklist and simple planner for tracking progress and planning play intentionally
It’s all evidence-informed and experience-backed, designed to help you feel empowered—not overwhelmed—when choosing toys that truly support learning through play.
👉 Click here to explore the Toy & Activity Guides
(No affiliate links, no fluff—just the tools I use and recommend as a paediatric OT).
