The Benefits of Baby Sensory Classes

Children have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, but we’re not born adept at them. In fact babies require a lot of practice to develop these skills that we see as natural. For a long time, we just waited for them to develop, and they will come eventually. But reaching them as goals doesn’t need to be such a long process. Which is why sensory play is such an up and coming essential for new parents, as it takes opportunity in the neural plasticity of newborns and provides babies and toddlers that chance to develop themselves.

What is Sensory Play 

Sensory play is any form of play or activity that stimulates and develops the senses of a baby/toddler. Whilst the term is modern the activity has been going on at least as long as playdough, with textural toys dating back decades and games such as peekaboo, testing object permanence for centuries. Believe it or not, there’s never too early to start engaging in sensory play, from the moment they leave the womb our children are ready to start exploring new forms of engagement.

What are the Benefits of Baby Sensory Classes

From increased baby cognisance to meeting new parents, there is such a wide range of reasons to take a baby sensory class. 

Sound Distinction 

Studies have shown that from as early as 4 months old, babies can distinguish between the sounds of any language in the world when they are four months old, but by the time they are eight months old they have lost this ability because the brain synapses that carry this knowledge disappear when they are not used. Which is why it’s so important to engage in sound play when children are babies, so that they can maintain their sound distinction skills and really expand on these neural networks, rather than letting them recede. 

Accelerated Motor Development

Baby Sensory Classes often include guided tummy time, baby yoga poses and more physical activities. Research shows that providing infants with targeted movement opportunities can accelerate motor development. Additionally, infant massage, a common component in baby sensory classes, has proven effective at increasing advanced motor development. 

Sensory Processing and Cognitive Development

Research in child development shows that sensory play creates connections in the brain that support more complex learning later on. Which means that activities like playing with blocks, hearing melodies and seeing new toys can help children map their sensory information. Additionally, the multisensory nature of these classes can also boost cognitive growth, as studies have confirmed multisensory stimulation can positively affect infants’ learning and attention. 

Meeting New Parents

Whilst you may expect all the benefits to be for your bub, one of the most significant benefits are for you as the parents. We see so many parents that attend our classes end up meeting and making a new friend by the time they leave. It’s the perfect environment to find new friends, especially in a time of your life that you may find isolating. Beyond just the friends you make as well, it’s a skill that you can carry into later parenthood. Having an early judgement free environment to relate to and befriend other parents allows you to hone skills for meeting more parents at schools, sporting activities and more later down the line.

Getting Out of the House

It can be really hard to motivate yourself to leave the house after having a newborn, especially with modern conveniences decreasing the necessity to go out and hunt and gather supplies. Which is why it’s great to have a booked opportunity to go out and engage with the world at large. Similar to a gym membership when you’re in a rut, knowing that this is to your benefit and you’ve committed to it can be really beneficial for your mental health. 

Where can you Find and Attend Baby Sensory Classes? 

If you’re looking for a baby sensory class in Melbourne, look no further than MiniTown. We provide on off classes as well as scheduled programs of baby and toddler sensory classes to get your toddler engaged. But if you’re elsewhere in Australia, you may need to search around the internet or your parenting circle to find a venue that hosts these classes.