Sensory play themes by Age Group
0-6 Months Old
Sensory Development: Exploring textures, sounds, and sights.
Motor Skills: Reaching, grasping, and bringing hands to midline.
Social Engagement: Recognizing familiar faces and responding to voices.
6-12 Months Old
Fine Motor Development: Picking up small objects (pincer grasp).
Cognitive Development: Cause-and-effect learning (e.g., shaking a rattle).
Gross Motor Development: Sitting independently and crawling exploration.
12-18 Months Old
Imaginative Play: Beginning to pretend play (e.g., mimicking real-world actions).
Language Development: Babbling turning into first words with sensory play prompts.
Problem Solving: Exploring how objects work together, stacking, and sorting.
18-24 Months Old
Hand-Eye Coordination: Manipulating objects like play dough and simple puzzles.
Emotional Awareness: Expressing preferences and responding to sensory feedback (e.g., soft vs. rough).
Gross Motor Skills: Refining walking and introducing climbing and balance.
2-2.5 Years Old
Social Interaction: Parallel play and cooperative sensory play activities.
Creative Thinking: Exploring open-ended materials like sand or water.
Language Growth: Expanding vocabulary through sensory exploration (e.g., naming textures, colors).
2.5-3 Years Old
Cognitive Skills: Sorting by categories (e.g., size, color) during sensory play.
Fine Motor Strength: Developing pre-writing skills through sensory tracing or manipulating tools.
Imaginative Play: Acting out more complex scenarios using sensory materials (e.g., a pretend bakery or farm).
3-3.5 Years Old
Problem Solving: Experimenting with cause-and-effect sensory setups (e.g., water flow).
Fine Motor Skills: Improving control over small tools like tweezers or tongs.
Social Skills: Learning to share materials and collaborate in group sensory play.
3.5-4 Years Old
STEM Exploration: Engaging with science-based sensory activities (e.g., baking soda reactions).
Creative Expression: Using sensory materials for self-expression (e.g., painting or crafting).
Gross Motor Integration: Incorporating physical activities like digging or pouring during sensory play.
4-4.5 Years Old
Critical Thinking: Planning and executing tasks (e.g., building sensory structures).
Language Skills: Using descriptive language to explain sensory experiences.
Math Readiness: Counting and sorting sensory materials, practicing one-to-one correspondence.
4.5-5 Years Old
Imaginative Storytelling: Using sensory setups to create narratives.
STEM Skills: Conducting experiments with sensory tools (e.g., exploring states of matter with ice and water).
Independence: Organizing and cleaning up sensory materials, building responsibility.