Parents - Tactile/Sensory

• Introduce “touchy-feely” books with different textures as you read stories to your baby. Move the baby’s hand along the various textures as you describe each one. You might say, “This is soft. Feel how soft this is.”

• Take baby outside and let him explore in a safe area. Hang a birdfeeder, and sit together on a blanket and watch the birds. Blow bubbles and allow baby to try to catch them. Tie streamers to a tree and watch them blow in the breeze. Let baby crawl on a safe part of the grass and feel the grass with their hands and feet.

• Using a child-sized table with a washable surface, put a small amount of washable paint directly on the table and cover the whole table with plastic wrap. Tape the plastic wrap under the table so your toddler can’t remove it. Allow your toddler to “paint” by moving his hands around the plastic wrap.

• Fill a plastic bucket with damp sand. Invite your child to explore the sand with her fingers. Show her how to draw circles and shapes with her fingers, and how to make the writing disappear with a swipe of her hand.

• Make play dough for creative play. Add different items such as glitter or sand to your dough to create interesting textures. You might also add different scents, such as lemon or mint extract or a few drops of scented shampoo.