We learn about the world through our five senses—touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight. From the moment babies are born, they begin to explore and understand their environment through these senses. Many parents incorporate infant sensory play into their daily routine to support early cognitive, social, and motor skill development. In this article, we break down sensory play for infants and guide you on how to incorporate it effectively.

What is sensory play?

“Sensory play refers to any activity that engages a child’s senses, as well as their sense of movement and balance,” explains Jennifer Gillette, MA, Child Development and Behavior and Parenting specialist at Summer Health. “It’s more than just fun—it’s how babies and young children make sense of the world around them.” Through sensory play, children use touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell, along with their body’s movement and spatial awareness, to gather information and make sense of their environment.

Sensory play encourages children to explore, experiment, form connections, and build neural pathways, networks in the brain that support cognitive, motor, and emotional development. Ultimately, sensory play provides the foundation for learning, problem-solving, and healthy development.

At what age can you start sensory play?

“Sensory play begins at birth,” says Gillette. “Even newborns benefit from gentle sensory experiences, like looking at faces, hearing soothing voices, or feeling different textures on their skin.” As babies grow, sensory play can become more hands-on and exploratory, with activities tailored to their developmental stage and abilities. 

Benefits of sensory play

Sensory play is more than just a fun activity. It engages their senses and encourages hands-on exploration. Here are some of the top benefits:

• Brain development: Builds nerve connections in the brain's pathways. “The more these pathways are activated through hands-on play, the stronger they become,” says Gillette.

• Fine and gross motor skills: Activities that develop fine and gross motor skills also engage children’s senses. Scooping, pouring, and manipulating small objects strengthen fine motor skills, while larger movements like splashing and crawling strengthen gross motor skills.

• Problem-solving skills: When children experiment with different textures and materials, they learn about cause and effect and develop their ability to solve problems.

• Language development: Describing flavors, colors, and sounds during play helps expand a child's expressive vocabulary and communication skills.

• Emotional regulation: Many sensory activities have repetitive nature and calming effects, which can help children self-regulate and manage their emotions.

• Creativity and imagination: Sensory play provides an opportunity for children to create and imagine.

• Social skills: When children participate in sensory play with other peers, it encourages cooperation, sharing, confidence, and listening skills.

Sensory activities for babies, by age

Tailoring sensory experiences to your baby’s age helps support their cognitive, motor, and emotional milestones in the most effective way. Here’s a guide to age-appropriate sensory activities that can stimulate their senses and encourage exploration at every stage:

Newborn to 3 months

• High-contrast black-and-white visual cards

• Soft music or sing song

• Gentle massage with baby-safe lotion

• Colorful mobiles that sway or move

4 to 6 months

• Tummy time with textured play mats

• Crinkly fabric or tag blanket

• Mirror play (baby safe-mirror)

• Rattles or toys that make sounds

6 to 9 months

• Water play (splashing in a shallow tray or plastic bin)

• Exploring soft foods (banana, avocado) with hands

• Touch-and-feel cloth and board books

• Rolling balls or textured sensory toys

9 to 12 months

• Sensory bags of sealed ziplock bags filled with paint, pompoms, water beads (supervised)

• Sand or rice play in large bowl or bin (supervised)

• Climbing cushions or soft obstacle courses

• Cause-and-effect toys (like pop-up or spinning toys)

What’s a sensory bin and is it important?

A sensory bin is typically a plastic container filled with materials like sand, beans, or rice that children can explore with their hands. These bins often include tools like scoops, cups, and funnels to enhance the play experience. Sensory bins are important because they create a safe, contained space for kids to engage in open-ended exploration (no specific end goal). They’re also easy to customize with different themes and materials, providing endless opportunities for creativity, learning, and fun.

How can parents encourage sensory play at home?

Parents can offer a variety of age-appropriate materials using everyday items like rice, dry beans, water, pieces of fabric, and play dough, as well as things found in nature such as leaves and twigs. “This helps to create a "yes" space—an area where it's okay for your child to make a mess,” explains Gillette. “This reduces your stress and allows them to explore freely.”

Gillette emphasizes that the most important thing is to follow their lead and let your child decide how they want to play, since there is no "right" way to do sensory play. Stay present and engaged by sitting with your child, describing what they're doing, and asking open-ended questions like, "How does that feel?” to encourage communication and curiosity. 

Types of sensory play

• Tactile (touch): Sand, water, slime, textured toys, dry pasta.

• Visual (sight): Light tables, color sorting, mirror play, high contrast toys.

• Auditory (sound): Shakers, music, listening games.

• Olfactory (smell): Scented playdough, herbs, spice jars, coffee bean jars.

• Gustatory (taste): Exploring safe, age-appropriate foods.

• Vestibular (movement/balance): Swinging, rolling, climbing.

• Proprioceptive (body awareness): Pushing/pulling, jumping, heavy work activities.

If you have questions about sensory play or childhood development, reach out to your local or Summer Health pediatrician for support. Summer Health is a pediatric telehealth platform offering 24/7 care, providing answers for everything from urgent concerns to everyday questions about your child’s health.