Why is Sensory Development So Important?
Babies learn through their sense of touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. Research has shown that newborn babies begin to learn about the world around them from birth. Each day your growing baby will learn more about the big wide world around them through their senses. As a parent or caregiver you can support your baby through baby sensory activities by providing an enriched environment where your baby can learn how to use these newly acquired senses.
At our classes for babies our parent and baby led activities help promote their sensory development as well as other natural areas of development.
Sense of Smell
When babies are in the womb they are surrounded by amniotic fluid which has its own smell. research has shown that within hours of being born a baby will recognise the smell of their mother over other women. The sense of smell then develops as they grow.
Activities you can replicate at home
Lavendar bags in a treasure basket
Introduce your baby to the smell of citrus fruit by holding in front of them
Sense Of Taste
Babies sense of taste starts during the gestational period. A babies taste buds are very sensitive and you will notice that your growing baby will want to put everything into their mouth. The reason for this is that they are exploring it’s taste and touch. This is how they learn about the world around them, at ourBloom baby sensory classes we ensure all our equipment is clean and not shared, to allow your baby to learn in a sensory rich atmosphere.
Activities you can replicate at home
Try mixing your babys favourite yogurt with some edible finger paint so baby can explore the taste and texture whilst mark making!
Sense Of Touch
Touch helps us to bond with our babies it encourages parent-baby attachment. Touch also aids your baby’s wellbeing and cognitive development. Through touch we can teach baby how to deal with stress. At Bloom Baby Classes we incorpate baby massage into our Caterpillar Club class. Baby massage can support the development of a babys newvous system, it can also aid wind and colic and also help teething babies.
Activities you can replicate at home
Daily massage particularly at bedtime can help relax your little one and unltmately help them sleep better.
For older babies a treasure basket put together with lots of heuritistc items can keep baby occupied for hours. Items such as nail brushes, pine cones, wooden spoons, rainbow teethers and egg shakers go down well in our classes for babies!
Sense of Sight
When babies are born their site is the last sense that is as well developed as the others. This is because the womb was dark and so newborn babies can only see things close to them and their vision strengthens in the first 3 months. Babies tend to have a prererecne for high res black and white images. Babies also love exploring your face and facial expressions. Eye contact also aids bonding as well as giving baby a good focus on certain parts of your face such as your nose, hairline and mouth.
Activities you can replicate at home
Introduce baby to flash cards, speak to baby about what is on the card so they can hear your voice.
Use an object as a tracking tool, hold a rainbow ribbon teether or pom pom near baby and move from side to side. Let baby track the item following it with their eyes.
A game of peekaboo with a scarf or blanket.
Bloom Baby Classes provide a range of baby sensory activities to aid the natural development of infants from 0-14 months. For more baby play ideas head over to our Youtube channel HERE
