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Want to know how to make your home a enabling environment for your baby? Sensory rooms are all the rage at the moment. Here are 8 elements to include to create yours.
A dedicated play room for a baby or toddler can be a good idea if it is done properly.Babies need an area tailored to their small size and developing abilities. With a little planning, you can create a baby play room that is both safe, fun and educational for your child.
Ideas for things to include in a baby friendly sensory room
- Sounds: Play music of any kid, play nursery songs or classical music– even very young babies can appreciate a full range of sounds so it is important to play different types of music. Many babies respond to soothing melodies which can be particularly helpful in settling a tetchy baby.
- Toys: your young baby won’t be able to hold a rattle yet or cuddle a teddy bear, but you can try putting very simple toys within his grasp while he is lying on the floor or in your arms. This also encourages them to reach out and eventually to move towards items.
- Baby gym: from a very early age, your baby will enjoy lying beneath a baby gym with lots of colourful rings, rattles and toys to look at. You can get ones with sounds that play a tune or rattle or chime when baby makes contact with it.
- Floor covering: Interlocking rubber mat pieces can be purchased at toy stores or gym stockists and are ideal for a baby play room.They come in a variety of colours and some have letters, numbers or images included on the mat. They are also soft and safe to crawl around on. Surprisingly easy to clean, just a rub down with a damp cloth or some antibacterial wipes and you’re sorted.
- Larger climbing toys: Add a plastic playground slide or small climbing frame to the room. A climbing frame provides a safe way for baby to practice pulling herself up, and you can help baby with the slide once the baby is able. Climbing through, under and over is a very useful activity to develop muscle tone and boost confidence.
- Colourful Musical Toys: Brightly coloured musical toys you can leave lying about are good for a baby’s play room. Include battery operated toys which have large buttons easy enough for your baby to push on his own. These are toys that are safe and will occupy your baby’s time while in the play room. These toys can be left out for baby to enjoy when he feels like it. Smaller noisy toys like rattles, shakers, xylophones and drums are also good for babies who are able to sit independently
- Room Ornaments and decoration: Use decorations to your advantage. Hang decor that flashes, makes sounds and is colourful. These will grab your baby’s attention. Colourful items that make noise can occupy your baby more than some toys, especially at a young age. Light up strings (the outdoor kind that looks like a rope) are fabulous and not easily broken like the Christmas light type strings and can be wound around poles, along skirting boards or along shelving. Many people use lava lamps and fibre optic lamps in a darkened area to attract babies.
- Texture: include textures through different flooring areas: foam pads, grass samples, carpet, smooth flooring. Children enjoy touching the textures and using different toys for each area. You can also include different textures in the items you provide; Soft, fluffy, hard and smooth.
You can easily have a positive impact on your baby’s brain development by creating a stimulating safe and happy environment for your child to enjoy each day.
I am a preschool and primary school teacher and mum to 3 children. I have been involved in education since 1997 and have trained in a variety of educational specialist areas. It is with this expertise that I write articles to help parents and educators provide quality learning experiences for the children in their care.
