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Awakening the Senses Through Play
Here at BestStart Parkside, tamariki are provided with opportunities to awaken their senses through mindful play experiences. Children were provided with ice which had various kinds of flowers and lemon slices frozen throughout the blocks of ice. It was great to see all their senses awaken as they explored the freezing ice with their hands, tasting the sour lemons, pouring water on the ice to melt away and reveal the beautiful and vibrant coloured flowers which evoked joy and a sense of self-satisfaction.
This sensory experience is a simple yet creative way for children to delve into the natural world which sparks curiosity and inquiry. It develops language skills such as ice, cold, frozen, sour, slippery and grows their colour recognition skills. As children continue to play, within this experience they are using their investigation skills, further developing their ability to inquire into, research, explore, generate and modify working theories about the natural world. Sensory play is a mindful play experience that fosters skills such as calmness and to be present within the moment and task at hand.
It creates an opportunity for a child to feel happy, safe and secure within their environment. This is key to provide opportunities for self-regulation and fosters a positive emotional well-being.