Young children act a lot like scientists when they learn through their senses. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates young children’s senses: smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, and explore. Spending time stimulating their senses benefits children on multiple levels.
You will need: sorting tray (I purchased the above at a local Dollar Store); various pasta, beans, marshmallows, etc. to sort.
1. There are multiple ways to introduce this sorting activity to your child(ren). For my 4 year old, I set-up the tray with the pastas, beans, marshmallows, etc. all mixed together in the various slots of the tray.
2. I then explained that she was to sort the objects anyway she wanted to (by color, size, shape, texture, etc.).
3. Sort accordingly.
4. Discuss how your child(ren) sorted the objects. Discuss why they sorted the way they did.
5. Sort again with different criteria (instead of shape, sort by color).