What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory integration is actually something we all do! We perceive sounds, images, smells and react accordingly. Just like a baby reaches for a toy and picks it up for the first time. This process determines the way babies learn about the world and interact with us.
Importance of Sensory Integration in Babies
- Development of Motor Skills: It is very important for your baby to explore the different textures of the floors to develop a sense of balance while taking their first steps. Each different texture they feel under their feet sends a new message to their brain and strengthens their nervous system.
- Social and Emotional Development: The happiness your baby feels when they see a smile on mum's face is a combination of the senses of touch and sight. In this way, your baby lays the foundation for social bonding.
- Academic Success: In the preschool period, playing with toys of different textures develops your child's hand skills while also supporting their attention and problem solving skills.
- Daily Life Skills: By allowing your baby to explore foods with different consistencies while eating, you can expand their sensory world. In this way, the eating process becomes both more enjoyable and more open to learning.
Sensory Integration Activities Children Will Love
- Tumbles with the Little Pilates Ball: Have your child do somersaults on a small pilates ball.
- Swaying in the Sheet: Place your child in a sheet and gently shake it.
- Jumping on the Bed: Let your child jump on a soft mattress.
- Rotation: Encourage your child to turn round or round you.
- Playing with Vibrating Toys: Increase your child's sensory experiences by giving them vibrating toys.
- Do not touch different surfaces: Let them touch different surfaces such as warm water, cold water, cotton, hard objects, grass and sand.
- Finding Objects in Clothes: Ask your child to find small objects hidden in your child's clothes.
- The tulle that was thrown over it came out of it: Cover your child with a light gauze or blanket and let him/her try to get out of it.
- Throwing the Ball Throw a ball back and forth with your child or have him/her throw an object at a target.
- Floor Jumping Have them jump from the bed or a cushion onto a soft surface.
- Pushing and Pulling Objects: Encourage your child to play with toys that they can push or pull.
- Don't kick the balloon with your foot: With your child lying on his/her back, have him/her tap the balloon hanging in the air with his/her feet.
- Push Through the Wall Encourage your child to push the wall with their feet while lying on their back.
- Don't Play with Heavy Objects: Encourage your child to play with heavy but soft toys that are big enough for your child to hold.
- Pillow War: Have a light pillow fight with your child.
- Painting Different Surfaces: Let your child paint on smooth and serrated surfaces.
- Carrying the Balloon with the Stick: Have your child try to get the balloon across the room with a short stick.
- Crawling on Shaggy Floors: Encourage crawling, rolling and lying on different surfaces such as carpet, plush.
- Don't Imitate Animals: Let the child imitate the gait of animals, such as crawling like a snake or going upside down like a crab.
- Sockless Movement: Let your child crawl, turn, crawl and lie on soil, grass or stony ground without socks.
- Jumping on a Soft Ball: Have your child sit and bounce on a soft ball.
- Attaching and removing clothes pegs: Develop hand skills by putting on and taking off the pegs.
- Movement Mimicry: Strengthen coordination by imitating different movements.
- Bubble Blowing: Learn breath control by blowing bubbles.
- Rhythmic Songs Listening: Listen to rhythmic children's songs during activities.
- Rhythmic Dancing: Dance to music with your child; you can hold him/her on your lap or hold his/her hands.
- Swinging on a Swing: Let your child swing on the swing.
- Standing and Walking on Unstable Surfaces: Have your child stand and walk on unstable surfaces.
- Don't Hit the Hanging Ball: Encourage your child to hit the ball hanging in the air with their hands and feet.
- Don't Pluck the Grass: Let your child pull up the grass and bury objects in the soil.
- Climbing Provide places where your child can climb safely.
- Don't Touch Animals: Encourage your child to touch and pet animals.
- Pillow and Quilt Sandwich: Make your child feel like a sandwich by wrapping them in pillows and duvets.
The Importance of Spending Quality Time
Every moment you spend with your child is an investment in their mental, emotional and social development. Toys and screens are of course important, but actively interacting with your child, laughing, learning and exploring together, makes this bond much stronger. Travelling to new worlds while reading a book together, discovering your voice through singing, spending time in nature and getting to know different smells and textures... Remember, the best toy is you! You can make your child's learning process more fun by choosing activities based on his/her interests. Even simple activities such as kneading dough together, building towers, painting, etc. will develop your child's hand skills, imagination and problem-solving skills.
Emotion Integration, A Colourful Canvas of Life
Sensory integration always moves me to see the first excitement that babies experience when discovering the world. Exploring different textures with their tiny fingers, their reactions to new sounds, the surprised look on their faces... Sensory integration is like a magic key that helps babies understand and interact with the world. Many scientific studies show the positive effects of sensory integration on children's motor skills, language development, social skills and even emotional intelligence. Quality time spent with your child will help you to use this magic key to colour their world.
For more information and tips on your baby's development Iskiliga You can visit our blog and follow our Instagram account.
