To the editor:

I’m a local VPK teacher. I’d like to express my thoughts on play in the pre-K classroom. Specifically, sensory play activities.

What is sensory play? Any activity that involves the five senses. So all the parents out there, have you ever picked up your child from pre-K/VPK and asked them, “What did you learn today?” I bet the response went something like this… “I played.” Maybe they got a little specific, “I played with Play-doh, I painted a picture, I played with sand, I played on the swings.” You’re thinking, “I’m sending my kid to school all day to play??? Why are they just playing ALL DAY? I’m sending my kid there to learn!”

Well guess what, they are learning!

Let’s just look at those few activities mentioned above. Modeling dough, painting, sand, swings, these are all examples of sensory play. It’s more than just having fun. Many things can be learned through sensory play. For example fine and gross motor skills, letter and number knowledge, language development are some.

But let’s dig a little deeper. Exposure to sensory activities directly influences cognitive development. Self-regulation is a big one, it can be very soothing to run your fingers through sand or rice or squeeze a handful of slime. It invites exploration, it’s an open end play that allows children to investigate smells, textures, sounds, colors, shapes. This exploration helps them with problem solving, for example figuring out how to manipulate a squishy toy, or creating a sand art masterpiece. Creativity also flourishes, whether it’s through finger painting or modeling dough, the possibilities are endless.

I’ll share with you a few sensory play activities in the classroom. But parents can do them at home too! Sand and water play, dough for play, sensory bins containing rice or beans and small objects for them to find, rainsticks, instruments, Pop-Its, slime, kinetic sand, shaving cream, cornstarch and water, flashlights, bells, locks, bubbles, swings, ice, tape or contact paper, painting, squishy toys, Slinkys, cooking or baking.

These are only a few activities I incorporate into my classroom. I have such fun with the children while doing them. I’ve only scratched the surface on the subject of play in the classroom. There’s so much more. So next time your preschooler tells you they played with slime at school, go get some and play with them! They won’t know they are learning. But we know!

Brandi Hughley

Cape Coral