SEND Support
February 17, 2026
Sensory play gives children hands-on ways to explore their senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and movement. These experiences help them make sense of the world around them and begin to form early memories and preferences.
It’s not just messy fun – sensory play supports learning, communication, and emotional growth. It gives children a safe, engaging space to explore and grow at their own pace.
Exploring sensory materials alone helps children build confidence. They learn to make choices – discovering what they like, dislike, and how to explore without relying on others.
As children describe what they see and feel, they naturally build vocabulary. Sensory play sparks questions, storytelling, and back-and-forth conversation – key for early communication.
Scooping, pouring, squeezing – these small actions build fine motor skills. Larger movements like balancing or jumping into textures also develop coordination and strength.
Sensory activities can calm big feelings. Whether it’s running fingers through sand or listening to gentle sounds – play helps children self-soothe and feel more in control.
Playing together gives children a chance to practise sharing and cooperation. Sensory play removes pressure – helping them build confidence in group settings.
Open-ended sensory play encourages imagination. Children test ideas, solve problems, and create – supporting flexible thinking and early learning skills.
Children with sensory sensitivities – such as autism or processing differences – benefit from structured, gentle exposure. Sensory play supports calm, connection, and personal growth.
There are many simple and effective ways to support children as they explore their senses during play. Sensory activities don’t need to be complicated or expensive – everyday materials can provide rich learning experiences. Engaging children in sensory play helps them develop curiosity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. It also supports important skills such as language, motor coordination, and emotional regulation. To get started, here are five easy sensory play ideas you can try at home or in a nursery setting.
Sensory bins are one of the easiest – and most affordable – ways to introduce sensory play. All you need is a large container and a selection of objects with different textures. These might include natural materials – like rocks, leaves, or twigs – or a mix of small toys with varied surfaces. The bin can be filled with materials such as rice, water, or cotton wool – or simply left uncovered. For an extra sensory challenge, add a blindfold – encouraging children to rely on touch alone to explore and identify what’s inside.
Sensory bottles are a fantastic tool for mindfulness and self-regulation – especially during moments of stress or overstimulation. Made using water, clear glue, food colouring, and glitter, they create a calming visual effect as the glitter slowly drifts to the bottom when turned upside down. Watching this gentle movement can help children focus and settle their emotions – making them ideal for quiet time or calming corners. Just be sure the lid is securely sealed – a strong glue will help prevent any spills.
LED lights – or alternatives like lava lamps – can offer powerful visual stimulation for young children, especially in a calm, dimly lit space. Vision is often one of the first senses babies begin to explore, and soft, glowing lights provide a gentle way to engage and hold their attention. Moving lights, changing colours, or slow fades can create a soothing sensory environment – ideal for winding down or encouraging quiet, focused time. Using LED strips, night lights, or projectors around a darkened room can transform the space into a calming visual experience – helping children feel relaxed, secure, and engaged.
Slime is a versatile sensory material – and can be made in countless ways using simple, kitchen-based ingredients like bicarbonate of soda, PVA glue, and non-staining food colouring. With so many recipe variations available, it’s worth exploring different types – some slimes are soft and squishy, while others are stretchy or sticky – each offering a unique sensory experience. This variety allows children to discover different textures and consistencies – supporting tactile exploration, fine motor skills, and lots of messy fun along the way.
Messy play with food can be more than just fun – research shows it may actually increase a child’s willingness to try new foods. When separated from mealtime pressure, food becomes something to explore rather than something they have to eat. Encourage children to mash, spread, and squish different foods – helping them discover new textures through touch. If they’re curious and want to have a taste – that’s perfectly okay too – it’s all part of building familiarity and confidence with food in a relaxed, playful way.
Sensory play is far more than a fun activity – it plays a vital role in early childhood development. By engaging their senses through touch, sound, sight, movement, and even taste, children build essential skills that support independence, communication, motor development, emotional regulation, creativity, and social confidence. Whether it’s through simple sensory bins, calming bottles, glowing lights, messy slime, or playful food exploration – sensory experiences offer countless learning opportunities. Best of all, these activities are easy to create and adapt at home or in nursery settings, making sensory play an accessible and powerful tool to help every child grow, explore, and thrive.
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