Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/squeaky-clean-elephants-opportunities-for-learning-through-sensory-play/5027388/
On an otherwise unremarkable weekday morning, the library meeting room is transformed into a sensory wonderland. Wriggling babies and toddlers, fresh from their slumber, enter the room alongside disheveled caregivers grasping their cups of joe. They are here for a special program, the first of its kind at our library – Sensory Exploration.
I give each caregiver a handout and wait until all strollers and diaper bags are situated. Then it is time for the tour.
“Let me show you our seven sensory stations. On your handout, you will find ideas for engaging with your child at each station and the corresponding developmental goals.”
As we approach the Wash the Elephant station, a toddler, newly mobile, dares to go first. He picks up a plastic toy elephant and tosses it into a small wading pool filled with water.
“Aidan’s showing us how to wash the elephants,” I say with a smile. “He can use the terry cloths and scrubbies to clean them, an excellent way to practice his fine motor skills.”
I lead the group to a wall covered in clear adhesive paper and hand a piece of green tissue paper to a girl, about 2 years old. “Can you crumple this up and ...