Now that the warmer weather is slowly creeping in, we can all look forward to brighter, lighter days!
And, with spring just around the corner, heading to the seaside seems more and more appealing, especially when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love to be beside the seaside?
For little ones and big kids too, the seaside offers the ultimate day out! There’s just something about having the sand between your toes, the sea air hitting your face and the sound of crashing waves that instantly ignite the senses. Of course, not forgetting the unmistakeable smell of fish and chips and Mr Whippy ice creams.
Through the exploration of new tastes, smells and textures through sensory play, your little ones will discover new ways to describe objects they find in the world around them.
There are lots of ways that you can also enjoy sensory play at the seaside too including the following:
Create a seaside scrapbook
Kids love exploring and a great way to encourage sensory play at the seaside is to get them to collect objects they find at the beach to stick in a scrapbook or create a picture in the sand.
There are so many objects your little ones can find in the sand including shells, driftwood, stones, and sea glass.
Play in the sand
Whether you dig out the bucket and spade, encourage your little ones to create pictures or structures in the wet sand or even just take a stroll on the beach so your kids can feel the sand between their toes, there are so many reasons why sand is good for sensory play.
For example, letting your kids get to grips with sand can increase sensory skills, fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, creativity, and even language development.
Explore the rock pools
From tide pools and rock pools, exploring the many sights and sounds of the beach can really enhance your child’s sensory play experience. From searching for aquatic life to walking on pebbles and experiencing surfaces beneath their feet, an exploration walk can also be incredibly educational.
Jump the waves
Jumping the ways or playing catch with the waves is also a great sensory play activity. But that’s not all, this fun activity strengthens the heart, increases oxygen capacity and stimulates metabolism.
Don’t forget your sensory play mat!
One of the main benefits of sensory play mats is that you can literally take them anywhere – even the beach. Easy to transport, sensory play mats options development in children to ensure that they are building a sufficient foundation in sensory stimulation. From touch and sound to colour and smell, sensory input early in childhood lays the foundation to higher brain processing including learning, memory, attention, emotion, and movement.
The tactile nature of the seaside offers a whole host of exciting opportunities for sensory exploration with so many natural ‘touch’ objects literally at your fingertips.
