Multisensory Experiences for Early Development
– Fion Yip, Senior Head Teacher, Victoria Playpark

In their first years of life, infants and children make meaning of the world around them by using their five senses. Most often they are required to use more than one sense at any given time. Think of all the senses in use when you cuddle up with your baby. They can see your face, hear your voice, feel your touch, smell your skin, and sense your movement. Their days are filled with the constant stimulation of sensory experiences and this is how they grow to understand the world we all live in.

Multisensory experiences promote a child’s concentration, creativity, observation, memory, and communication skills. Because each child is unique, these experiences provide a wonderful opportunity to engage all the different types of learners we have in the world.

Some simple activities that support multisensory play are:

• Guess what’s inside

A game you can play using clear bottles with lids. You may put some bubbly water, oil and water, or ice and water for the children to shake and observe.

• Tactile balloons

Use 5-10 balloons filled with different materials so children can see, feel and explore.

There are so many ways to incorporate sensory play into your child’s day. Children love to experiment with and explore water, different doughy substances, soil, paint, bells, winding music boxes, natural materials, you name it!

When your child is participating in activities that use the five senses, it is extremely important to ask open-ended questions; for example, “What do you see?” “What does it smell like?” “How does it taste?” “How does it feel?” “What can you hear?” This helps children to form connections between their prior knowledge with a deeper, more meaningful understanding of their new experiences. These open-ended questions often help ignite their curiosity, and encourage them to make new discoveries and start out on their path towards lifelong learning.

Messy play is good for child development
– Principal Gabriel Li, Victoria (Kornhill) Nursery

Look below to find some ideas for messy play, suitable for children aged 8-36 months old.

• Gloop
• Jelly
• Custard
• Play dough
• Cloud dough
• Fizzy dough
• Paint
• Water beads
• Slime

Parents might ask, “What exactly is messy play”? Well for starters, messy play should be fun! There is no right or wrong way to experience messy play. It is all about allowing children of all ages and stages of development, to explore using their hands and bodies. There are many types of activities that could be considered ‘messy play’ including painting, playing with bubbles, exploring the texture of shaving foam, playing in the sand, or getting your hands covered in gloop. All of these and many more messy play activities play a crucial role in the development of children in the early years.

Messy play can start at any age. Even from birth, babies may often experience joy when splashing in water at bath time. They also enjoy touching different materials and doing things like finger painting. Messy play is a creative activity with diverse materials that can stimulate your child’s curiosity to learn more about the world around them.

Research has shown that a child can benefit tremendously in many areas of development by engaging in messy play. This type of play will sharpen their problem-solving skills, help them learn how to classify, as well as use predictions and observations when trying new things. In group situations, it can bring children together and ignite deeper connection and cooperation, as they discuss their experiences. Cognitive ability, social cognition and emotional intelligence are always being developed and encouraged to grow through messy play.

Of course, there are some health and safety issues to consider when setting up messy play. First, it’s great to use edible resources as they are the safest. Secondly, always use non-toxic paints. Most importantly, never leave your child unsupervised during messy play and guide them how to play. It can get wet and it will get messy, so a change of clothing is essential. Whatever you do, above all else, have fun!