Enhancing Early Childhood Learning Through Sensory Play

Whether it be muddy, gloopy, or messy, we LOVE sensory play at our long daycare centres.

Sensory play is a fundamental part of early childhood development and at our childcare centres, we embrace the mess and magic of sensory trays to create hands-on, engaging experiences for children of all ages.

From the squish of jelly to the crunch of leaves, sensory trays offer children the opportunity to explore textures, sounds, smells, and even tastes in a safe and fun environment.

In this week’s blog, our Educators are showcasing how these engaging provocations can support brain development, fine motor skills, and creativity in young children while encouraging holistic development.

The Benefits of Sensory Trays:

Brain Development: Sensory input helps build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, enhancing memory, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Fine Motor Skills: Scooping, pouring, pinching, and grasping all help children strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers.
Language Growth: Descriptive words fly around the room as children talk about what they feel, see, and smell.
Emotional Regulation: Sensory play can be calming and therapeutic, helping children self-regulate and manage big emotions.
Imaginative Play: With each new tray setup, children create stories, pretend scenarios, and explore their creativity.

At our centres, we use sensory trays to reflect seasonal themes, cultural learning, and educational topics. Here are just a few we’ve loved recently:

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Nerang:

Educators created a volcano-themed sensory tray using sand and bicarb soda, decorated with dinosaurs and leafy green elements. Children were given spray bottles filled with vinegar to create an exciting volcanic eruption—combining science with sensory exploration!

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Marsden:

As part of a fun staff challenge, the Management Team organised a competition where Educators created their best Christmas-themed sensory trays. Using festive, food-safe materials like sprinkles, flour, and coconut, one team crafted a playful baking-themed setup that was as creative as it was engaging.

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Collingwood Park:

The children at Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Collingwood Park recently enjoyed a bright and colourful Easter-themed “scoop and pour” tray. This tray was part of the centre’s Easter celebrations and provided a fantastic opportunity for children to practice pouring, sorting, and scooping.

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Blakeview:

To celebrate Holi, Educators designed a sensory experience using vibrant powder paints. Children explored colour and texture in a joyful, messy play session that connected beautifully with the cultural traditions of the Holi festival.

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Maryborough:

Educators created a “Pick the Fruit” fine motor skills game. Children used tweezers and tongs to pick play fruit while avoiding pom poms and sticky tape—blending sensory play with precision and control in a fun, game-like format.

Sensory play isn’t just fun, it’s foundational. Our Educators love designing trays that are not only exciting for children, but meaningful too. Whether it’s a celebration of culture, a holiday event, or an everyday exploration of science and nature, there’s always something new to discover with a sensory tray.

Interested in trying your own tray setup at home? Here are some simple sensory tray ideas to try:

Ocean Adventure: Blue jelly, shells, toy sea creatures, and seaweed (green spaghetti).
Construction Site: Crushed Weet-Bix or Coco Pops as “dirt,” trucks, pebbles, and cones.
Rainbow Rice Art: Layered colourful rice with scoops, funnels, and paintbrushes for mixing and creating.
Fruit Exploration Tray: Citrus slices, spoons, and bowls of water for squishing and squeezing.

Stay up to date with our centres on Facebook to see what sensory play trays they create next!

Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Smithfield, Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Melton, and Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Andergrove are opening soon. Follow them on Facebook to receive regular updates on their progress.

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