"Supporting children's early development together"

12 March 2024 Volume 4

Welcome to this edition where we celebrate each child as an individual with their own needs. I have the absolute joy to work with individual families and, honestly, it is the most beautiful honour to have. Each family that reaches out are sharing their vulnerability, their care and concerns and their total faith in their child.

 

On a community front, we have had another fun filled series of Play in the Park. I got a real laugh out of one littlie who confidently and repeatedly called Humpty - 'Honky Donkey'. A name I will now run with!

 

Enjoy this edition and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, ideas or insights!

 

 Deb

📨deb@elfwa.com

📞0427770531

 

Talking Sensory

.

Sensory Regulation

This is a vitally important part of each child's development. Some of us feel calm and integrated for most of the day but I think that each of us has experienced that feeling of freeze of flight when something doesn't feel right. For our children with sensory dysregulation, this is what a lot of their day can feel like. By the time they get home, they are physically and emotionally exhausted. No wonder this is often the time when it all bubbles to the surface and things get just too hard.

Firstly let's look a the value of sensory play for all children and then let's think carefully about our littlies who are very dysregulated.

 

Sensory Play for all children

Sensory play provides children with opportunities to regulate their sensory experiences. By engaging in sensory activities, such as touching, smelling, listening, and seeing, children learn to process sensory information effectively. This helps them develop self-regulation skills, understand their own sensory preferences, and adapt to different sensory stimuli.

With sensory play, we are looking for confidence, tolerance, engagement, and joy!

 

Sensory play and developmental learning

🧠 Cognitive Development: Sensory play stimulates critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. It encourages children to make connections, experiment, and learn about cause and effect. 

 🗣️Language and Communication Skills: Sensory play provides opportunities for rich language experiences. Children can describe their sensory observations, express their feelings, and engage in conversations with peers or adults.

🖐🏽 👣   Fine and Gross Motor Skills: Manipulating and exploring different textures, objects, and materials during sensory play enhances fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and muscle strength. It also encourages gross motor skills through movement-based sensory activities.

😊😯😓Social and Emotional Development: Sensory play can be enjoyed individually or in groups, promoting social interactions, turn-taking, sharing, and cooperation. It also provides a safe space for children to explore and express their emotions.

👁️👂🏽👃🏽Sensory Integration: Sensory play helps children integrate and make sense of sensory information from their environment. It supports sensory processing skills, sensory discrimination, and sensory modulation.

 

Sensory Play for regulation

Self-Exploration and Self-Advocacy: Through sensory play, individuals with sensory processing difficulties can gain a better understanding of their own sensory preferences, triggers, and needs. This self-exploration empowers them to communicate their sensory needs effectively and advocate for themselves in various environments.

Sensory play allows a safe and controlled environment for individuals to gradually expose themselves to sensory experiences that may be overwhelming or anxiety-inducing and to engage in sensory activities at their own pace.

·       Sensory Integration

·       Sensory Modulation

·       Desensitization

Body Awareness: often involve movements, body positioning, and proprioceptive input.

Sensory play can improve body awareness and coordination for individuals with sensory processing difficulties, helping them navigate their surroundings with more confidence and ease.

 Emotional Regulation:

Sensory play is a channel to express and regulate emotions. It can be calming, soothing, and stress-relieving, helping individuals manage anxiety, frustration, or sensory overload.

Attention and Focus:

Sensory play can enhance attention and focus in individuals with sensory processing difficulties. Engaging and stimulating sensory experiences can help redirect attention and improve concentration skills.

   

          

 

 

 

 

Play in the Park

engaging our senses in play

This play isn't always sufficient for our children who are very sensory seeking or avoidant and for these children, a very careful approach is essential.

We must provide these children with extra consideration.

 

So what can we do to support them - in ECEC, in school and at home?

  • Adapt the environment to accommodate the needs.

  • Talking to the family/ carers -what have they noticed? How does their child cope with different experiences at home? Do they do anything in particular to help?

  • Referral to Occupational Therapists. It's important to note that sensory play should be tailored to meet the specific needs and sensitivities of each child. Working with occupational therapists, educators, or professionals experienced in sensory integration can provide guidance and support in designing appropriate sensory activities.

  • You contribute to the profiling too - your observations of the child in a setting are highly valuable. You see the child at play, with others, at different times of the day and when engaging with a variety of materials.

  • Ensure a safe and supervised environment, considering any potential allergies or sensitivities.

  • Our children have the same range of feelings, but they do not yet have:

      a)the language to articulate and express those feelings and

b)the past experiences to know how to cope

c) the emotional literacy (i.e. knowing a range of emotions beyond

happy and sad)
 
 

One of my success stories - a work in progress.

My work with a littlie who is highly sensitive to things on her skin.

Interestingly, this tactile sensitivity is felt on the same pathway as pain so we need to consider that her response is a pain response and is incredibly intense for her.

We have been working over a few years - mainly supporting and providing an environment that is considerate of her needs. (Most of her life has been spent at home and not venturing out into the community. It has been traumatic for her and her family.)

BUT...This year is proving powerful for her...

we have been working on an individualised book I have created (>>>see some sample pages in the image to the right >>>>)

and in child friendly language she is starting to understand that she is empowered with choice and understanding.

 

🌟The most amazing thing happened🌟. After incorporating a range of strategies, including bubble blowing, breathing techniques, heavy work and craft activities, she made the choices for what she will trail at home to prepare her body...

Not yet writing but she drew her choices from the fun we had. 👀⬇️

 
Contact me if you want to know more

AGENCY MATTERS: make sure the child feels seen, heard and understood.

SO POWERFUL to engage the child in their sensory diet. Agency and choice.

 

She chose what ideas to try?

  1. Wheelbarrow walking - look at the pink pompom on her back too.

 

  1. Tug of war with tea towel -look at the green ball that we had as a marker.

     

  2. Playdough with moulds - perfect representation of the castle moulds we used.

Sensory Play at your place.

Some tips

💡Offer a variety of sensory materials like sand, water, playdough, rice, or textured objects.

💡Incorporate different senses into play, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste (where appropriate).

💡Create sensory bins, sensory tables, or designated sensory areas for focused play.

💡Observe and follow the child's lead, allowing them to explore at their own pace.

💡Encourage open-ended play, imagination, and creativity.

What playful things has ELF been up to?

 

The local CRC received a grant through Better Beginnings and the State Library of WAs to run an added monthly session to their Rhyme Time.

 

The first month ELF set up a range of sensory play ideas for 0-4 year olds following on from a gorgeous story about bugs and the usual fun songs and rhymes.

 

Parents got to hear about the value of sensory play and to discuss any concerns or questions they had.

 

⏭️Next session: 🏃🏽‍♂️The importance of Gross Motor and I can't wait.🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿 

Play in the Park

Another 4 sessions focussing on children and their parent/ carer having fun in the outdoors.

 

This series has had a more language based approach - building vocabulary through nursery rhymes and experiences.

 

Can you see the link to Jack and Jill in this play? Winding up - wrist strength, problem solving, eye-tracking, motor planning and lovely repeated language.

Childhood is a fleeting and precious time that should be cherished and protected. Allowing children to engage in play without rushing them into structured activities or overscheduling their days, fosters creativity, imagination, and a sense of wonder. It provides them with the freedom to explore, discover their passions, and develop a strong sense of self. By prioritising play and resisting the urge to rush childhood, we can let children create an environment that promotes holistic development and lifelong well-being.

 

 

 

 

 ELF is always happy to be involved in helping families and communities to ensure our youngest citizens⏭️ thrive and flourish.

 

 
Testimonials
 

 EVENTS 

Family and Community

🌳Play in the Park

🪄📖Storytime magic

🖖🏾Sensory Play

👶🏽Baby time

 

ECEC professional learning

🗣️communication

🏫early development

🥹😢behaviour

📖talking and vocabulary

🏃🏽gross motor and fine motor

 

All available in your towns and communities so please feel free to share .

 

 
Contact Us
Get our latest updates
Subscribe
Check out our site  
This email was created with Wix.‌ Discover More