Taste safe sensory play is an important part of a child's development, especially for toddlers under 3 years old. Sensory play helps to stimulate a child's senses and improve their cognitive and motor skills. However, it is important to ensure that the materials used for sensory play are safe for children to taste, as young children often put things in their mouths. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of taste safe sensory play for toddlers under 3 and provide some fun ideas for taste safe sensory play that you can try at home.
One of the benefits of taste safe sensory play is that it helps to improve a child's fine motor skills. This is because children are using their hands and fingers to explore and manipulate different materials in the sensory bin. This can help to improve their hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Sensory play also helps to improve a child's cognitive development. It allows children to explore and experiment with different materials, which can help to build their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. It also helps to improve their memory and concentration as they are exposed to different stimuli.
Another benefit of taste safe sensory play is that it helps to improve a child's social and emotional development. Children can learn to share and take turns while playing with others, and they can also learn to express their emotions through play.
One fun idea for taste safe sensory play is a spaghetti squash noodle play setup. My toddler loved exploring the spaghetti-like texture of the cooked spaghetti squash noodles. I added different kitchen utensils and plastic food items for her to play with and explore. This setup was a hit with her and helped to improve her fine motor skills.
Another taste safe sensory play idea is to use cooked rice or beans in different colors to create a sensory bin. You can also use edible glitter, sprinkles, and other edible decorations to make it more fun and interactive for the children.
To help you with your taste safe sensory play ideas, here is a week long list of activities you can try:
Monday: Jello Sensory Bin
Tuesday: Bean Sensory Bin
Wednesday: Pasta Sensory Bin
Thursday: Edible Glitter Sensory Bin
Friday: Rice Sensory Bin
Saturday: Spaghetti Squash Noodle Play
Sunday: Edible Play Dough
In conclusion, taste safe sensory play is a great way for toddlers under 3 years old to learn and grow. It helps to improve their fine motor skills, cognitive development, and social and emotional development. Try creating a spaghetti squash noodle play setup or using cooked rice or beans in different colors to create a sensory bin. And don't forget to check out the week long list of taste safe sensory play ideas for more inspiration.
