Sensory development occurs naturally in childhood. As children go about their daily lives, they seek out opportunities to use their five senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. They receive, sort and make use of a constant stream of stimulus – from the calming feeling of sand running through their fingertips to the excitement of skidding down a mud bank, or watching the clouds float past as the wind touches their cheek.
Every encounter in a child’s life is a sensory experience, it could be argued, which is why nurseries are laden with texture-rich materials, engaging exploratory resources, opportunities for spontaneous and planned messy play and large-scale equipment that stimulates children’s motor skills and ‘hidden’ senses.
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