Why Sensory Play Matters for Emotional Wellbeing
Sensory play helps children process emotions in ways that feel natural, especially when they can’t express their feelings in words. Activities like squishing playdough, pouring water, or listening to music calm their nervous system, reduce stress, and support emotional regulation. For children aged 2–5, these experiences are particularly helpful as they navigate big emotions and develop emotional awareness.
Key takeaways:
Calms stress: Activities like kneading dough or running fingers through sand lower stress hormones and promote relaxation.
Supports emotional growth: Sensory play helps children express feelings non-verbally, building emotional intelligence over time.
Eases anxiety: Short sessions (10–15 minutes) of sensory activities like water play or soothing sounds can reduce anxiety symptoms.
Builds coping skills: Regular sensory play teaches children strategies to manage emotions and handle challenges.
Whether at home or in early education settings like Little Dinosaurs Childcare, sensory play is simple to set up and offers long-term emotional benefits. Activities involving touch, sound, or visual stimulation provide a safe space for children to explore feelings and build resilience for the future.
How to Teach Emotional Intelligence with Sensory Strategies (Parent Guide)
Emotional Challenges Young Children Face
Preschoolers in New Zealand often grapple with expressing their emotions, managing anxiety, and adapting to new environments. These challenges stem from the fact that their verbal and emotional skills are still developing. For young children, emotions can feel overwhelming, especially when they lack the words to articulate their feelings.
Entering Te Whāriki-based settings introduces additional hurdles. Adjusting to new routines and embracing bicultural expectations can be particularly daunting, especially for children who are naturally sensitive or find transitions difficult.
According to the NZ Ministry of Health (2023), up to 20% of preschool-aged children experience significant anxiety symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. This statistic highlights how common these emotional struggles are, underscoring the importance of understanding what young children are going through. By recognising these challenges, parents and educators can better support children during this critical stage of development.
Why Emotional Development is Important
Emotional regulation in early childhood lays the groundwork for future success in relationships, learning, and resilience, as outlined in Te Whāriki. It's not just about managing tantrums or outbursts - it's about helping children develop the skills they need to interact with others, succeed academically, and maintain mental wellbeing.
The Te Whāriki framework places a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing as a key part of holistic development. Children who are guided in managing their emotions are less likely to face behavioural issues and more likely to excel socially and academically. Investing in emotional skills early on has long-term benefits, setting children up for a smoother educational journey and a more balanced life. By identifying the roots of emotional struggles, we can better understand the importance of equipping children with effective coping mechanisms.
How Stress and Anxiety Affect Young Children
Stress and anxiety in preschoolers often show up in ways that differ from adult experiences. Young children may not have the words to say, "I'm feeling anxious" or "This situation is overwhelming me." Instead, their struggles are expressed through behavioural changes, disrupted sleep, or shifts in social interactions.
In New Zealand, emotional and behavioural challenges are among the most common reasons for referrals to early childhood intervention services (NZ Ministry of Education, 2022). This highlights just how much these issues can affect a child's ability to thrive in educational settings.
Signs of stress or anxiety in young children may include clinginess, frequent tantrums, withdrawal, unexplained physical complaints, or trouble sleeping. These behaviours are often a child’s way of signalling emotional distress.
The effects of stress and anxiety go beyond immediate behaviours. Prolonged emotional challenges can lead to difficulties with attention, communication, and peer relationships, while also hindering cognitive and motor development. When a child is preoccupied with managing stress, they have less mental energy for learning and exploring. This can create a cycle where emotional struggles hinder development, which in turn exacerbates their stress and anxiety.
Regressions, such as sudden toilet accidents or increased dependence, are also common signs of emotional overwhelm. Recognising these signals allows parents and educators to respond with empathy rather than frustration. By understanding that challenging behaviours often stem from emotional overload, adults can focus on equipping children with the support and tools they need to build better coping skills.
How Sensory Play Supports Emotional Wellbeing
Sensory play creates a comforting environment where children can explore materials and emotions, helping to calm their nervous system. This process reduces cortisol levels, promoting relaxation and paving the way for non-verbal emotional expression.
How Sensory Play Helps Children Express Emotions
Young children, especially preschoolers, often find it difficult to put their feelings into words. Sensory play provides an alternative way for them to express emotions without relying solely on language. For instance, activities like playing with playdough or kinetic sand allow children to physically channel emotions such as stress, excitement, or frustration.
Sound-based activities are another effective outlet. Whether it's banging on drums or listening to calming music, these activities help children regulate their moods and connect with their feelings. Similarly, visual activities - like selecting colours or exploring light patterns in art - offer creative ways for children to express their emotional state naturally and engagingly.
Reducing Anxiety Through Sensory Activities
Sensory play can be a powerful tool for easing anxiety in young children. Activities like feeling soft textures, working with playdough, or listening to soothing sounds help children self-soothe and manage overwhelming emotions. For example, in 2023, Playful Minds Therapy (PMT) introduced structured sensory therapy sessions for children dealing with anxiety and sensory processing challenges. Over a 12-week period, these sessions reduced anxiety symptoms by 35%.
Even brief sensory play sessions - 10 to 15 minutes of water play, sand exploration, or listening to gentle music - can significantly relieve stress and reset emotional states for both children and adults. These activities provide consistent sensory input, helping anxious children feel more grounded and secure. By addressing immediate anxiety, sensory play lays the foundation for long-term emotional regulation and resilience.
Building Skills to Manage Emotions
Sensory play not only helps children process emotions in the moment but also equips them with tools to handle future challenges. Through regular sensory activities, children develop self-awareness and learn practical coping strategies, such as using sensory bins or turning to music for comfort. Over time, these experiences build emotional intelligence, resilience, and social skills.
At centres like Little Dinosaurs Childcare (https://littledinosaurs.co.nz), small group sensory activities provide opportunities for educators to observe and support each child’s emotional growth. For instance, a child who discovers that running their hands through rice calms them or that listening to nature sounds improves focus is learning lifelong strategies for managing their emotions. These activities teach children that emotions are temporary and manageable, giving them a sense of control as they navigate more complex social and emotional situations.
Sensory Play Activities and Their Emotional Benefits
Sensory play turns everyday materials into powerful tools for emotional growth. The best part? These activities are easy to set up and don’t require fancy equipment, making them perfect for both home and early childhood settings. Even short sensory sessions can have immediate effects on children’s emotional wellbeing while also offering long-term benefits. Here’s a closer look at how touch, sound, and visual activities can support emotional health.
Touch Activities: Exploring Emotions Through Texture
Touch-based activities provide children with a hands-on way to process their emotions. Take playdough, for example. Kids can pound it when they’re frustrated or roll it gently when they’re calm, using their hands to shape and mould their feelings into something tangible.
Sand trays are another fantastic option. Children can bury objects to represent their worries, draw patterns to focus their minds, or simply run their fingers through the sand for comfort. This repetitive motion activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps lower cortisol levels and promotes relaxation.
For a soothing yet engaging activity, rice bins combine texture with soft sounds. Hiding small toys in the rice and searching for them can distract anxious children from overwhelming emotions while also refining their fine motor skills.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, tactile activities like these are a core part of their learning approach. They recognise that young children, especially those aged 2 to 5, often express their emotions more effectively through touch than words, making hands-on experiences a valuable tool for emotional expression.
Sound Activities: Regulating Emotions with Music and Noise
Sound-based sensory play taps into children’s natural connection to rhythm and melody, making it a great way to help them manage emotions. Percussion instruments like shakers, drums, or wooden blocks allow kids to express feelings physically - whether it’s loud banging to release frustration or soft tapping for calmer moments.
Calming music also plays a big role in emotional regulation. Nature sounds, gentle lullabies, or soft instrumental tracks can help children transition from heightened emotional states to a more balanced mood. The steady, predictable patterns in music provide a sense of comfort and security, especially for children dealing with anxiety.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, music is woven into daily routines. Instruments like ukuleles are used to encourage emotional expression, while the combination of music and movement in activities like dance helps children release and regulate their feelings.
Even voice-based activities - like humming, singing, or making animal sounds - offer a quick and accessible way for children to express themselves without the need for any special tools.
Visual Activities: Focusing Emotions with Colour and Light
Visual sensory play engages children’s natural love for colour and light, offering another pathway to emotional regulation. Finger painting is a perfect example. It gives kids the freedom to choose colours that reflect their mood - bold strokes for big emotions or soft patterns for calm moments. The mix of tactile and visual stimulation makes it a powerful way to process feelings.
Light tables are another calming option. By arranging coloured objects, leaves, or shapes on the illuminated surface, children can focus their attention on creating patterns. This singular focus helps soothe overwhelmed minds and supports emotional balance.
Finally, colour exploration activities - using scarves, tissue paper, or coloured water - help children connect colours to emotions. Bright yellows and oranges might represent happiness, while blues and purples could reflect calm or sadness. This builds emotional vocabulary and encourages self-awareness.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, visual arts are central to the curriculum. Daily art activities give children the chance to explore their emotions through colour and light, fostering both creativity and confidence in self-expression.
The beauty of sensory play is that it works best when children are free to set their own pace. By providing a variety of materials in a stable environment, caregivers can help each child discover the sensory experiences that suit their emotional needs best.
Adding Sensory Play to Preschool Education
Sensory play isn't just about fun and games; it plays a vital role in early education. By engaging children's senses, it supports emotional, social, and cognitive growth, aligning seamlessly with key educational frameworks.
Te Whāriki: Nurturing the Whole Child
New Zealand's Te Whāriki curriculum focuses on developing children across emotional, social, cognitive, and physical areas - a vision that sensory play actively supports. Activities like digging in a sand bin or shaping playdough not only strengthen neural connections but also help kids manage emotions and develop self-awareness. These hands-on experiences encourage problem-solving and critical thinking, which are central goals of Te Whāriki.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, this curriculum comes to life through an arts-driven programme that balances child-led discovery with teacher-guided activities.
The Power of Small Group Sensory Play
Smaller group settings amplify the benefits of sensory play by providing personalised attention and fostering stronger bonds between children and educators. For instance, in the 27-child environment at Little Dinosaurs Childcare, sensory activities create a safe and supportive space for exploration. This setup encourages children to share, take turns, and understand their peers' emotions during group play. A great example of this is the Dino Discovery Groups, where children engage in collaborative sensory activities, strengthening both their social skills and emotional wellbeing.
Arts and Sensory Play: A Creative Blend
Incorporating arts into sensory play offers children a unique way to express emotions and develop fine motor skills. Activities like sculpting clay provide a physical outlet for feelings while also offering calming sensory feedback. The resistance of the clay can be soothing and empowering, helping children feel more in control of their emotions. Beyond this, the creative process sparks imagination and enhances problem-solving abilities.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, the arts programme integrates sensory play with activities like painting, puppetry, drama, music, and dance. Whether it's strumming ukuleles or engaging in quick 10–15-minute art sessions, these activities stimulate auditory and tactile senses, reduce stress, and build both creative and motor skills. By weaving sensory play into daily routines, this approach not only supports emotional growth but also enriches the overall educational experience.
The Long-term Benefits of Sensory Play for Emotional Wellbeing
Introducing sensory play in early childhood lays the groundwork for emotional health and resilience that lasts a lifetime. Studies reveal that regular sensory activities equip children with the skills they need to manage relationships, handle stress, and face challenges head-on. These early interactions with sensory experiences shape a deeper understanding of emotions.
Sensory play enhances emotional intelligence by helping children identify and understand their feelings in response to various stimuli. This self-awareness is a cornerstone of emotional development. Activities like feeling different textures, reacting to music, or exploring colours allow children to process emotions in non-verbal ways. These experiences establish neural connections that support emotional regulation as they grow. Over time, children naturally develop strategies to handle emotional challenges, preparing them to better cope with the demands of school and everyday life.
The confidence gained through the cognitive and motor skills built during sensory play also contributes to emotional resilience. As children explore and master new sensations - whether through touch, sound, or sight - they develop a sense of achievement that bolsters their emotional wellbeing.
Parents can support this long-term emotional growth with simple sensory activities at home. Activities like sensory bins filled with rice or beans, squishing playdough, or splashing in water are easy to set up and offer consistent developmental opportunities. Even short sessions of 10–15 minutes can make a meaningful impact. These home-based practices work hand-in-hand with the enriched sensory environments provided by early education centres.
Centres that emphasise sensory-rich and creative learning environments - such as Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Epsom, Auckland - play a key role in fostering emotional resilience. This family-run centre combines New Zealand's Te Whāriki framework with hands-on activities in visual arts, drama, music, and sensory exploration, offering children a nurturing space to develop emotional skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
Children participating in group sensory activities today are building the social and emotional foundations needed to grow into empathetic, confident, and resilient adults in the future. These early experiences truly shape who they become.
FAQs
How can parents use sensory play at home to support their child's emotional wellbeing?
Incorporating sensory play into your daily routine can be an easy and rewarding way to support your child’s emotional wellbeing. These activities allow children to explore their feelings, build self-regulation skills, and connect with their surroundings.
You can try simple ideas like playing with playdough, feeling different textures with sand or water, or creating sensory bins filled with materials like rice or beans. Everyday activities, such as cooking together or spending time in the garden, also offer plenty of sensory experiences.
The goal is to create a calm, inviting space where your child feels secure enough to explore and express themselves. Beyond encouraging emotional growth, sensory play strengthens the bond between you and your child through shared, meaningful moments.
How can I tell if my child might need more sensory play to help with stress or anxiety?
Children can sometimes show signs of stress or anxiety in ways that are easy to miss. You might see them struggling to focus, having frequent emotional outbursts, or finding it hard to sleep. They might also seem overwhelmed in noisy or crowded places. Other behaviours, like constant fidgeting, avoiding certain textures or sounds, or engaging in repetitive actions like rocking or chewing, can also hint at underlying stress.
Incorporating sensory play into their daily routine can be a gentle and effective way to support their emotional wellbeing. Activities like playing with sand, water, or playdough offer a calming outlet for their feelings, helping them process emotions while improving their focus and self-confidence. If these behaviours sound familiar, adding sensory play could bring a sense of calm to your child’s day.
How does sensory play help children build emotional resilience and develop social skills?
Sensory play is an important part of helping young children develop emotional resilience and social skills. By engaging their senses - like touch, sight, sound, and smell - kids can learn to process their emotions, manage stress, and build self-regulation skills. For instance, activities such as playing with sand, water, or textured objects provide a safe and creative outlet for children to explore and express their feelings.
On the social side, sensory play often involves group-based activities where children practise sharing, taking turns, and communicating with peers. These experiences promote teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving, creating a strong base for forming meaningful social connections as they grow. At Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Epsom, Auckland, sensory play is woven into the curriculum with care, supporting emotional and social growth while encouraging creativity and preparing children for the transition to school.
