As a parent, you may have heard about sensory play and its importance in programs for 2-year-olds. But what exactly is sensory play, and how does it benefit young children at this age?
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of sensory play, how it’s included in Scottsdale Early Learning Center’s curriculum for two-year-olds, and ways to encourage it at home.
What is Sensory Play?
Sensory play is a method of learning that engages children’s senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—building a foundation for essential skills like problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and independence.
For two-year-olds, sensory play is a wonderful opportunity to explore the world around them, interact with friends, and participate in classroom activities designed to boost confidence and communication.
By including sensory play in our programs for 2-year-olds, Scottsdale Early Learning Center provides children with a rich space to build problem-solving skills, enhance gross motor skills, and explore new textures and movements.
Types of Sensory Play
Here are some common types of sensory play, each stimulating specific senses to support a child’s overall development:
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Tactile (Touch) Sensory Play
Activities: Sensory bins with rice, pasta, or beans; play dough; sand; water; textured objects.
Benefits: Helps children explore different textures, improving fine motor skills, hand strength, and dexterity. Tactile play also encourages exploration and curiosity as kids feel different sensations.
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Auditory (Hearing) Sensory Play
Activities: Music and dance, instruments, sound tubes, shakers, or outdoor listening games.
Benefits: Develops listening skills, helps differentiate sounds, and supports language development. Auditory play is key in teaching children about rhythms and sounds they may encounter in their environment.
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Visual (Sight) Sensory Play
Activities: Color sorting games, light boxes, mirror play, and object-matching activities.
Benefits: Stimulates visual tracking and hand-eye coordination. It helps children learn to distinguish colors, shapes, and patterns, building skills essential for reading and writing.
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Olfactory (Smell) Sensory Play
Activities: Scented play dough, spice jars, smell-and-match games, or nature walks to smell flowers.
Benefits: Strengthens the sense of smell, which is connected to memory. Engaging the olfactory sense can also help children learn to identify different scents and connect smells to experiences.
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Gustatory (Taste) Sensory Play
Activities: Tasting different foods, flavored play activities (using edible items), and cooking or baking activities.
Benefits: Safely introduces new tastes and textures, helping picky eaters explore flavors. Taste-based play also enhances the ability to identify tastes like sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
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Proprioceptive (Body Awareness) Sensory Play
Activities: Jumping, rolling, climbing, pushing and pulling objects, and playing with weighted items.
Benefits: Helps children understand their body’s position and movements, supporting balance and coordination. Proprioceptive play builds motor skills essential for activities like running, climbing, and even writing.
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Vestibular (Balance and Spatial Awareness) Sensory Play
Activities: Swinging, spinning, sliding, dancing, and jumping on trampolines.
Benefits: Enhances balance, stability, and spatial awareness, which are key for physical activities. Vestibular play can also improve focus and body control, helping kids feel more comfortable in their bodies.
Incorporating these different types of sensory play allows children to fully engage with the world around them, promoting well-rounded development across physical, cognitive, and social domains.
Benefits of Sensory Play for 2-Year-Olds
Incorporating sensory play into early learning programs offers numerous developmental advantages for young children. Here’s how these activities support growth in a variety of areas:
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Improves Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Sensory activities such as scooping, pouring, and shaping clay help children refine both fine and gross motor skills. Tasks like these build the small hand and wrist muscles that form a foundation for later skills, like writing and creating art, and enhance physical coordination needed for dance, music, and movement.
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Enhances Cognitive Development
Sensory play supports cognitive development by encouraging problem-solving and discovery. When children pour water from one container to another or sort small objects, they begin to understand concepts of cause and effect and explore early math skills, like volume and counting.
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Builds Language Skills
Sensory play expands vocabulary as children learn to describe what they feel, hear, and see. In programs for 2-year-olds, teachers incorporate story time and music to build language abilities, enhancing children’s communication skills through a fun, interactive approach.
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Encourages Social Interaction
Group sensory play activities teach toddlers how to share and cooperate with others. By playing together in sensory bins or during group activities, children build social skills and start to develop empathy—an essential foundation for strong friendships and positive community interactions.
How Sensory Play is Incorporated in Programs for 2-Year-Olds
At Scottsdale Early Learning Center, sensory play is a central component of programs for two-year-olds, supporting their curiosity and development through carefully designed activities. Here are a few ways we incorporate sensory play to enhance exploration and growth:
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Water Play
Activities like pouring, splashing, and floating objects in water help children build coordination, control, and an understanding of basic physics. It’s a free-spirited, enjoyable way to engage toddlers in learning.
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Sand and Dirt Play
Sand and dirt play allow kids to dig, scoop, and shape materials. These tactile activities promote fine motor skills and provide children with a natural way to explore their world, helping them gain confidence in physical tasks.
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Sensory Bins
Filled with items like rice, pasta, or textured toys, sensory bins provide safe, interactive spaces for toddlers to explore. Sorting and sifting through these items introduces concepts like size, shape, and sorting—fundamental skills for future learning.
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Nature Walks
Taking children on nature walks encourages them to explore and discover through direct interaction with the outdoors. They feel textures, hear sounds, and see colors, experiencing the wonders of the world firsthand in a safe, guided environment.
Encouraging Sensory Play at Home
Parents can encourage sensory exploration at home with simple materials and activities that are safe, enjoyable, and educational. Here are some ideas to get started:
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Use Everyday Materials
Items like rice, pasta, or beans make great sensory materials. Place them in a bin for your child to scoop, sort, and explore, fostering independence and curiosity in a familiar setting.
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Include Water Play in Daily Routines
Bath time is an ideal opportunity for sensory play. Offer small cups or floating toys to encourage your child to splash, pour, and discover.
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Create Texture Boards
Attach various textures (fabric, felt, sponge) onto cardboard to let children explore different sensations. This hands-on exploration develops their sensory recognition skills.
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Encourage Exploration in Nature
Take a family nature walk. Let your child touch tree bark, smell flowers, and hear birds. These experiences allow children to connect with the world while building foundational skills.
Try Our Programs!
If you’re interested in learning more about Scottsdale Early Learning Center’s programs for 2-year-olds, we’d love to show you the benefits of our sensory-rich approach.
Contact us today for more information on our curriculum and to see how we can support your child’s growth, exploration, and development.
Final Thoughts
Sensory play is an invaluable part of programs for two-year-olds, building curiosity and essential developmental skills through hands-on activities.
At Scottsdale Early Learning Center, we prioritize sensory-rich learning environments where children can learn, engage, and thrive. Parents and teachers alike can support this learning both at school and home, creating a foundation for a lifetime of discovery and confidence.
