Igniting the Senses

Facilitated by Emily McKenna

During development, children use their senses to explore and make sense of the world around them. We all learn best and retain information when we engage our senses. Many of our favourite memories may be associated with one or more of our senses – the smell of a campfire in winter, the feel of jumping in muddy puddles.

Providing opportunities for children to explore their world through ‘sensory play’ is crucial to their development and offers a number of benefits. In the busy lives of children (and us adults!) we can forget to take stock of our sensory experiences, ignoring them as we go about our day to day lives.

Research shows learning how to be present in the moment, in part by paying attention to what our bodies tell us, is linked to more joy and less anxiety – and don’t we…