• Perceiving sounds: Hearing is important for finding your way in the world. It's not just about hearing loud and soft sounds, but also about being able to evaluate them. Where does a particular sound come from? Could it mean danger, for example in the form of an approaching car?

• Hand-eye coordination: Only when both visual ability and motor skills are well developed does hand-eye coordination later work automatically. Children learn the interplay of different senses during the first years of life. They are the basis for various activities, such as writing or painting.

• Sense of smell: Sensitizing the sense of smell not only helps to perceive the world better, but also to evaluate the environment. Familiar smells, unfamiliar smells or even toxic fumes can thus be assessed.

Why it is important to sharpen the senses and why sensory games help

Only when one of our senses no longer works do we realize how important sensory perceptions are for our everyday lives. When we have a cold we can't smell anything anymore – and at the same time can barely taste anything. In a power outage in the dark we can't see anything anymore – and are more than helpless. In children, the senses are still in the developmental process. Depending on their age, they work more or less well. This development cannot be accelerated. That's why the various sensory games meet children where they are in their development and playfully promote the children's perception. By the way, sensory games are not only fun for children – adults are also amazed at what the senses can master – and where they reach their limits.

Sensory games for toddlers – Discovering the world with fun

Toddlers' senses are not yet fully developed. At two to three years old, children enjoy all the new impressions they can gather. The little ones particularly enjoy games like:

Barefoot obstacle course: On the floor, a course of different materials is laid out. Fine sand, small pebbles, grass or cotton are ideal for children's feet to test how the different materials feel. For older children, the eyes can additionally be covered so the children have to guess what is under their bare feet.

Guess the sounds: Play different sounds. For toddlers, animal sounds work best, like an elephant's trumpet ('törööö') and a cow's moo. The children must guess which animal it is. With older children the sounds can be made more difficult: with a dripping tap or the sound of the sea you have to listen very carefully.

Sensory games for children aged 3 to 6 years

At kindergarten age, most children are already good at relying on their senses. Children now particularly enjoy, for example:

Sound memory: Small containers are filled with different materials such as small stones, rice, sand or sunflower seeds. By shaking the containers, pairs with the same filling should be found – not so easy!

Little mouse, say 'peep': Several children sit in a circle. One child is blindfolded. Another child quietly says 'peep'. Now the blindfolded child sets off to search for the source of the sound. In this way, children casually learn to pay attention to which direction a sound comes from.

Image credits

Toddler eating a strawberry © yoshiji - stock.adobe.com