Sensory stimulation is absolutely essential to your baby’s development. Sensory play supports cognitive growth, motor skills and language development, among many other areas. Providing your baby with plenty of opportunities for sensory pay in the form of toys and activities will give them the best possible start in life, so here are some ideas for sensory activities your baby will love.

Walk Barefoot On Grass

As your baby begins to take their first steps, allowing them to explore different underfoot textures can provide them with excellent sensory experiences. Before you set your baby free on the grass, check for debris and animal droppings. Once you’re confident the area is clean and safe, crawling and walking barefoot on grass will help to optimise their sensory and motor development.

Hang A Colourful Mobile Above Their Crib

There are many valuable ways of adding sensory stimuli into your baby’s environment before they can even sit up. While a soft, neutral nursery is advised to ensure a calm, nurturing space, sensory stimulation in the form of mobiles and soft lighting can aid their development. A colourful mobile will benefit your baby’s hand-eye coordination and muscular development, helping them to meet those early milestones.

Skin-on-Skin Contact

While skin-on-skin contact provides a wonderful sensory experience for both you and your baby, it is also vital for bonding and relaxation, increasing oxytocin levels which helps to reduce blood pressure and lower stress. A robust emotional bond between baby and caregiver encourages healthy development and supports rapid brain growth, so engage in regular skin-on-skin contact to promote a loving parent-infant relationship.

Provide A Nature Treasure Basket

Allowing your baby to explore a variety of natural shapes, textures and scents will stimulate their senses and provide them with vital information about the world around them. Acquire a wicker basket and fill it with natural material objects that are safe for your baby to handle. You could include wooden spoons, sea sponges, pinecones, dried fruit slices, leather swatches and whatever else you think they’ll enjoy investigating.

Bubbles

Blowing bubbles with your baby is an exceptionally simple and cost-effective activity. Bubbles are eye-catching and distinctly mesmerising, keeping your baby engaged while assisting their hand-eye coordination. The sensation of popping bubbles on your baby’s skin offers a unique sensory experience that stimulates their tactile system. This activity also encourages your baby to move, strengthening muscles and aiding flexibility as they reach out to touch the floating bubbles.

Go On A Nature Walk

While providing sensory nature treasure baskets is a great way to offer your baby sensory stimulation, going outdoors provides an altogether wholesome experience. The sights, sounds, smells and textures of the outdoors help your baby to understand the world around them. Many all-terrain buggies are well suited for off-road adventures, so you and your baby can explore parks, forests, beaches and open landscapes of all kinds.

Fairy Lights

Many baby sensory play centres involve soft twinkling lights for a calming, mood-regulating experience. To ensure safety, enclose a string of battery-operated fairy lights in a plastic jar or container, allowing your baby to enjoy the soothing, stimulating effect. Alternatively, you could string fairy lights around your baby’s nursery, ensuring they are secure and well out of reach.

Water Play

Water play is another cheap, accessible sensory activity your baby will love. Some babies absolutely love bathtime, whereas others find the whole process positively despicable. For babies who need a little convincing, add some baby-safe bath toys to enrich the bathtime experience, so they can reap the benefits of a rich sensory experience.

Edible Messy Play

Many parents shy away from messy play due to the obvious “mess” factor. However, if you can cope with the cleanup, messy play can be a tremendously rewarding sensory activity for your baby. As all parents know, babies explore the world by putting everything in their mouths, making edible messy play the safer option. Set down a waterproof mat and allow your baby to explore the unique textures of cooked spaghetti, ice, jelly, porridge oats or yoghurt paint.

Busy Board

A busy board is a fantastic toy for developing fine motor skills - as educational as it is fun for your little one. You can purchase hand-made wooden busy boards from reputable baby toy companies and small businesses. These fantastic sensory toys feature multiple items such as buttons, switches, mirrors, handles and beads for your baby to explore and manipulate.