How to help your child develop their 5 senses – Some techniques for parents and children to try
To promote the development of children’s brain nerve cells, it is important to stimulate their five senses in addition to improving their intelligence. The various experiences children have when they are young hone the five senses. In this article, we will introduce techniques for polishing the five senses for parents and children to practice.
Why is it important to nurture children’s 5 senses?
The five senses are defined as the senses of taste, hearing, smell, sight, and touch. Although we are born with all five senses they need to be nurtured from a young age.
Babies, who have undeveloped eyes and ears, develop their five senses through breastfeeding, talking, and hugging. For babies, everyday events stimulate the five senses.
Stimulation of the five senses promotes full brain development, including the cerebrum and the frontal lobe. Babies and young children have almost the same number of brain cells as adults but in children, the nerve cells (neurons) are hardly connected to each other.
People learn words and movements by connecting synapses, which are the connection points of neurons. Stimulating the five senses is indispensable to connect synapses.
What are the key points for nurturing the five senses of a child?
Let’s incorporate some fun activities that stimulate the five senses when playing as a family.
Enjoy music to the fullest
Children love hearing their parents’ voices. It is a good idea for parents to sing lots of songs with their little one that develop the five senses.
Singing and playing instruments with your child will also support the development of their senses of hearing, touch, and sight. Learning music from a young age has multiple benefits for your child’s development.
Stimulate their 5 senses with outdoor play
There are many things outdoors that can stimulate your child’s sense of sight, smell, hearing, and touch. For example, if you play in the mud, you can feel the texture and smell of the soil. When playing in the forest, the sound of the wind, the voice of birds, the scenery you see, and the feeling of plants touching your palm are great stimuli.
Just going to a nearby park can be a spark of inspiration. Let’s keep this in mind and enjoy outdoor play with our children.
Encourage them to help with the cooking
Ask your child to hang out with you in the kitchen when you are preparing the daily meals. Even at the age of two, they can help with simple tasks such as tearing vegetables. Cooking helps develop children’s sense of taste, touch, and smell.
Growing plants and vegetables in fields or planters is also a good experience for young children.
For a child’s brain to develop appropriately, it is indispensable for him/her to experience activities that consciously stimulate their five senses. These play experiences allow them to pay attention to the scenery, sounds, touches, and tastes around them.
Learning through play at mommy & me classes and preschools will help their five senses develop further. Make sure to choose a school with a varied curriculum that includes singing, dancing, and English learning activities.
