How to Create Sensory Games for Babies
Sensory games for babies are a fun and engaging way for babies to explore and learn about the world around them. You can easily create sensory activities for babies 6-12 months with extra items you have around the house!
These games are designed to stimulate the senses and help babies develop their cognitive skills, motor skills, and social skills.
The use of different colors, textures, sounds, and smells creates a rich and varied sensory experience for babies. This sensory experience helps babies process the world around them.
Engaging in sensory games for babies help develop their social skills because they learn to interact with others and communicate their needs.
The following blog post provides the process for designing sensory games and activities to cater to babies with hearing loss.
SENSORY GAMES FOR BABIES
For parents of babies with hearing loss, that joy of watching your child learn and grow often come with added challenges.
That’s where sensory games come in!
Since one of the crucial senses, hearing, is not able to be stimulated in a child with hearing loss, it’s important to work on optimizing the other senses for your baby.
Sensory games use all of a baby’s senses, including touch, smell, taste, and sight, to help them learn and discover their environment.
A. Benefits of sensory games
Playing sensory games with babies is not only tons of fun but actually beneficial for their development!
These types of games can help foster language development as babies learn to associate words with different textures, sights, and sounds.
Additionally, it’s a great way to introduce socialization skills and help babies understand the concept of back-and-forth play during a peek a boo game for babies.
But that’s not all – sensory games also promote motor skills development as babies learn to grasp, reach, and explore with their hands.
B. Impact of sensory games on babies with disabilities
When it comes to helping babies with disabilities, few things have as big of an impact as baby sensory activities.
The best part is that sensory games can be customized to fit the unique needs and abilities of each child.
Where other games might not be accessible for kids with disabilities or hearing loss, sensory activities and games can always be adapted to the current level of the child.
This helps the child to be included in the games when they can participate with everyone else!
Whether they’re playing independently or with the help of a caregiver, these games provide a safe and fun way for babies to explore their world and develop new skills.
Creating Sensory Games
One of the essential things to consider when creating these activities is to foster a nurturing and safe environment that encourages babies to explore and learn.
Incorporating colorful objects, textures, and lights that stimulate visual and tactile senses are other ways to keep the babies engaged.
Additionally, a fun way to engage other senses is through scent and taste play!
Finally, music and vibrations that can be felt through touch are also important in creating sensory games for babies.
Incorporating all these elements ensures that babies with hearing loss get to enjoy their playtime while stimulating their senses.
For more ideas about sensory activities for babies and kids, here is a round up of DIY sensory activities for deaf kids.
Examples of Sensory GAMES
As parents, we always want to make sure that our babies are getting the best possible start in life.
For those with hearing loss, it’s important to find ways to engage them beyond just verbal communication.
Little ones with hearing impairments can benefit greatly from games that engage their sense of touch, vision, and even smell.
From exploring different textures to playing with bright colors, there are plenty of sensory games out there that can help babies with hearing loss stay engaged and excited about the world around them.
Below are some ways that parents and caregivers can use sensory activities to play with their babies in your daily routine.
A. Visual sensory play
Use bright toys and multi-colored balls to promote hand-eye coordination in babies. You can create activities on the baby play mat, or put different colored toys for your baby to look at onto the floor. This also helps your baby develop their vision.
B. Tactile sensory play
Give your baby different textures to feel. This creates awareness and stimulates the touch senses. You can use any type of crinkly paper in your house, or use other materials such as shaving cream or sand play to give your baby different things to touch.
C. Smell sensory play
Find scents and flavors in your house to stimulate the sense of smell and taste. You can use different herbs in your pantry to mix with rice for your baby to touch and smell. Or even add a few drops of baby- safe essential oil to sand, play doh or rice for a sensory game rich in smell!
D. Hearing sensory play
If your baby has some hearing, then banging on some loud pots and pans might do the trick! Grab kitchen ladels and let your baby go to town on banging the pots- you might be surprised at how much they love the different noises!
For other ideas of different sensory games that you can play with babies, see this round up list of baby sensory activities for 6 months old.
It’s clear that sensory games play a crucial role in the development of babies with hearing loss.
These games not only stimulate and improve the remaining senses but also aid in cognitive development, language acquisition, and social skills.
Early interventions and exposure to sensory games can have a significant impact on a child’s overall development and success in life.
Parents and caregivers should prioritize incorporating sensory games into their daily interactions with their babies, as these simple yet effective activities can make a world of difference in the lives of our little ones with hearing loss.
By promoting the regular use of sensory games, we can ensure that children with hearing loss have the best possible opportunities for growth and development.
Don’t forget to download your free Sensory Play Guide!
More Resources for SEnsory Activities
Sensory Music Activities for Babies
