When it comes to stimulating your children’s senses you really don’t need to look much further than the great outdoors. Our local parks and open spaces are filled with jungle gyms, flora and fauna and a whole host of other things that can stimulate your children’s senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell and even taste (they are children after all and can’t resist putting things in their mouths).
Apart from a few patches of rain we have been having a wonderful week weather wise and so I decided to take my little ones to our local park after school today for a little free play. There is nothing quite like watching your children play, all the while knowing that they are developing crucial skills that will help them grow into capable young people. Now isn’t that fantastic!
I love how my daughter used her hands and feet to climb up this hill, feeling the texture of the ground and learning how the slippery, steep hill requires a little more support than two feet alone can provide.
Playing in and out the different size tunnels was lots of fun and my little ones enjoyed shouting and listening to how their voices echoed through the narrow space. Along with this, the tunnels helped promote body space awareness as my children had to bend and manipulate their bodies to fit into the various spaces.
The metal crisscross pattern was an interesting texture to walk on.
My daughter practicing her balancing skills on the half tyres.
My two year old climbing up the thin metal rungs on the ladder. I remember hating how these dug into the middles of my feet when I was a child, although she doesn’t seem too bothered.
And down the slide we go (I can never resist a good slide shot).
Jumping on the trampoline is always a hit with my little ones.
I am not sure that I have the upper arm strength to do this! Yikes!
My daughter feeling the dry, prickly grass and sticks on her bare feet.
By the time we left the park we had stimulated our senses, worked on our vestibular system, body space awareness and sense of balance (to name a few) and managed to tire ourselves out completely. Let’s hope that means a nice early night so that mom can rest and watch a movie (without falling asleep on the couch that is).