How Sensory Toys Help Your Child’s Brain Development

During the pandemic, the toy market increased by 5%. However, many parents are still unaware of the difference between sensory toys and commercial toys.

Unlike Barbie dolls and stuffed animals, sensory toys are specifically designed to enhance your child's brain development and improve their social skills. But, what makes them so inventive? 

As we all know, children don't stay young forever, our babies grow up into toddlers and before you know it, they are adults. So it's essential that you give them the right tools and sensory experiences for brain growth. The good news is that it doesn't need to be complicated to have a benefit. 

If you buy sensory fidget toys and educate yourself on sensory benefits, your child will thrive in childhood and for the rest of their lives! 

Here's why you need to add sensory toys to your little one's bedroom collection. 

What Are Sensory Toys?

To understand what sensory toys are, you need to learn about the importance of sensory play. Basically, this type of play is intended to teach your child about the world through the senses, such as visual stimulation, vibration, and other sensations. 

The five primary senses are taste, sight, smell, sound, and touch. Children need to use their senses in unison to learn about the world to perceive different meanings and social interactions. 

Everyone has a different way of learning and taking in knowledge, so giving your child a range of sensory activities will help them figure out what works for them. 

After a while, your kid will gravitate to some toys more than others. Compared to their other toys, these special items will challenge their mind and help them discover their natural desire for exploration. 

In addition to sensory toys such as small marbles or wooden blocks, you can also come up with calming ideas that include tactile sense. For example, playdough and cotton balls are wonderful to use in the playroom when used in the right balance. 

You can also do finger-painting, fill bottles with water and glitter, and organise a scavenger hunt. These activities are perfect for encouraging your children of many ages to use their senses and engage with the activity. Engage them with craft, watch them with bedtime sensory toys, join them with spinning toys, or help them go to sleep with a mesmerising timer.

Besides brain development benefits, there are other advantages to these categories of toys. 

Benefits of Sensory Fidget Toys 

When children are growing, they need to practice expressing their thoughts and feelings as much as possible. This helps them improve their language skills and makes them feel more confident as they age and will help with focus. 

1. Improves Language Skills

If your child is shy or is struggling to talk to you, then sensory fidget toys for kids might be able to help. When they fiddle with their fidget toys, you can ask them what they're doing, how it feels, and what they see.

These questions are an excellent way to start a conversation with your child and build their confidence in speaking. Plus, there's no pressure. They can talk as much or as little as possible! 

2. Teaches Motor Skills 

Apart from building language skills, you also want your child to have good fine motor skills. For instance, important motor skills include tying shoes, zipping jackets, and writing. 

Without great motor skills, your children's brain development will be limited once they go to school. To ensure they are training these skills, you can give them sensory toys. 

In contrast to traditional textbook methods of teaching motor skills like reading books, sensory toys provide a fun and interactive way to get to know new sensory experiences.

3. Encourages Gross Motor Skills 

In comparison to fine motor skills like writing and zipping up your jacket, gross motor skills are equally important for your child's brain development. Some examples of these skills are jumping, crawling, and sitting. 

Ideally, you want your kid to feel strongly in both areas of their motor skills to interact appropriately at school and with friends. As long as they practice with sensory toys, they should have no problems in these areas. 

4. Calming Activity 

Sensation is one of the best ways to calm your central nervous system. So if your child is particularly anxious or introverted, this could be a great way to help stimulate them and regulate their emotions. 

However, sensory toys can also be beneficial to energise children who are sluggish or always in front of a screen. In addition, as most of these toys are offline, it's an excellent opportunity to give kids some quiet time off the internet. 

Combined with sensory blankets and hugs, your child should feel supported and nurtured during their early baby and toddler years. 

5. Social Advantages 

Playing has always been crucial for teaching kids key social skills. For example, when your child plays with sensory toys in groups or at a party, they can learn how to problem solve and adapt to other players. 

Bringing children together helps them feel less alone and allows them to share ideas, hobbies, and feelings with other children their age. Making friends through play is fantastic for learning to socialise!

However, if you want to try more sensory activities at home with your kids, then here is a list of the best ways to get the whole family involved: 

  • Playing with food

  • Listening to music 

  • Outside playtime 

  • Bath time 

Furthermore, if you're looking for more information on sensory toys, then take a look at our shop. You'll be able to search our shop and find the toys and other resources to make the most of your special needs during playtime.

As you can see, the benefits of sensory toys far outweigh the advantages of traditional toys. Not only are they fun to play with, but they are educational.

They offer the best of both worlds. 

Unlock Your Child's Senses With Toys 

Parenting can feel overwhelming when there are so many books on how to teach your kids that you can forget to relax and enjoy the experience.

Sensory toys allow you to support your child's development and give them something to look forward to in their day. You can take the toys wherever you go, and friends can play with them! 

They are inclusive and affordable. 

Are you interested in buying sensory toys? Or, do you want more advice on buying the right product? Then, get in touch for more details.