The Values of Sensory Play
Physical
- Develops large and small motor skills
- Allows preschoolers to use their senses
- Helps teach responsibility as children care for plants and animals
- Develops eye-hand coordination
Mental
- Increases vocabulary
- Enhances awareness of the world God made
- Helps preschoolers learn about the natural world
- Allows preschoolers to explore questions, experiment, discover truths, and form
ideas
Social/Emotional
- Provides opportunities for social interaction and cooperation
- Stimulates conversation
- Encourages preschoolers to enjoy and appreciate God’s world
- Provides moments of awe and wonder
Spiritual
- Provides a natural venue for teachers to use Bible verses, Bible stories, songs,
and books
- Provides opportunities for learning about God by experiencing His creation
- Teaches respect for living things
- Encourages preschoolers to worship as they experience the wonder of God’s
world1
1. Thomas Sanders and Mary Ann Bradberry, Teaching Preschoolers: First Steps Toward Faith (Nashville: Childhood Ministry Publishing, 2002), 100.