Ways to engage your child’s five senses:
- Talk about your different sense together and practice using them
- Try a sensory warm up (i.e. rub your hands together before playing with mud, playdough, etc.)
- Spend time outdoors to experience sights, sounds, smells, and textures
- Look for experiences that use multiple senses together
- Be aware if your child’s sensory threshold – everyone has preferences and/or dislikes when it comes to textures, sounds, etc.
- Modify activities to lessen the chance of sensory overload – sometimes giving a tool that is an intermediary helps (i.e. playing with playdough, have cookie cutters, rolling pins, etc.)
- Follow your child’s lead if they seem overwhelmed or disinterested
- Always remember, when you’re interested in an activity it helps capture your child’s attention
Adapted from Tinkergarten.
