Sensory play & what it does for your child’s brain

Some children make a lot of noise as they move through their day. They tend to like big movements: bear hugs, wrestling, getting messy. Others are quieter. They can sometimes be bothered by subtle things: tags, temperature, too much light. These children might retreat if their senses get overloaded. Sensory preferences fall on a spectrum.

Jessica Rolph is accompanied by Dr. Allie Ticktin to talk about how to navigate these differences. Dr. Allie is an occupational therapist with a specialty in sensory integration and early childhood development. She is the author of Play to Progress, Lead Your Child to Success Using the Power of Sensory Play.

Key Takeaways:

[2:07] Allie talks about how sensory needs can vary from child to child.

[3:19] How do you know if a child’s sensory needs are within the normal realm, versus when it’s time to get extra support?

[4:07] Why is proprioception one of Allie’s favorite senses to work on? 

[5:32] Allie shares tools to provide more proprioceptive input to your child.

[9:25] What senses other than proprioceptive should be on a parent’s radar?

[11:25] How do we respect our child’s need to be clean? 

[13:40] Why do parents need to engage these senses for children’s learning?

[14:52] How can we have sensory-rich play that engages all of these senses?

[15:38] What are open-ended toys and why you should choose more of those?

[18:38] What is a sensory toolbox? Does it vary based on the child’s needs? 

[20:42] The first step is regulation; a child who is not regulated can’t learn.

[21:04] How can you tell if a child is playing with something or if it’s helping them regulate? 

[22:15] What is in the calming toolkit?

[24:14] Allie’s advice to parents: Allow your child the space to play and to explore.

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Play2Progress