Our babies are amazing! Everything is a new experience, and every new experience fills baby's senses with new sights, sounds, smells, feelings, movements, positions in gravity, & tastes.
The brain is constantly organising these new sensations, integrating them to create a fuller understanding of the world around us. In little people this is so important!!
Not only are they learning about their environment, but within the brain these sensory messages are converted into electrical impulses which travel to the spinal cord & brain, are combined, and produce some very important things - posture, movement skills, co-ordination, emotions, thoughts, memories & learning. The brain really is a fantastical place!
The sensory system doesn't just develop by itself, it needs to be stimulated. This happens every time a child has a sensory experience! By the age of ten, the growth of sensory connections in the brain is mostly finished with - which is why is it so very important to offer loads of sensory opportunities to our little people. In a child under 7, the brain's primary job is as a sensory processing machine - over 80% of the nervous system is totally dedicated to organising the many sensory experiences had!
Find ways to offer your baby a variety of wonderful sensory experiences!
A favourite around here is holding Jarvis above the oregano and letting him dance on the leaves...his toes feel the texture & coolness of the plant, his eyes see the green shiny leaves, his nose and mouth are filled with the aroma of the herbs, his vestibular system is being stimulated by being upright, and these are only a few of the wonderful things going on!
Check back in a few days for more interesting information about the importance of the senses in our wonderful babies, and pleeeeeease feel free to share any of your ideas, I really would love to hear them! Sensory experiences are infinite & limited only by the imagination!
Have a musical day!
Kath & Jarvis
We had a rather odd sensory experience on the weekend. Issac met some twins!! His 2nd cousins who are 34... He was fascinated by them and kept looking from one to the other over an over (about 20 times). You could see him trying to work it out. They were wearing different shirts but had on the same kind of sunnies and both were a couple of days overdue for a shave. Our babies are a lot more perceptive than we give them credit for....
ReplyDeleteThat is so gorgeous! I love it that he realised they were the same...but double! Little people definitely see a whole lot more than we give them credit for :)
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