Whether you’re excitedly (and perhaps a little nervously) awaiting the birth of your child or they’ve already joined us out in the world, it’s never too early or late to pick up some necessities for them. 

This list of must-haves, of course, will include things like nappies and strollers. But have you thought about how you’re going to keep them stimulated and entertained? You’ll be there to hold them, cuddle them, and spend plenty of time entertaining them yourself, but there will be occasions where you need to step away. This is where toys and games come into play.

And there are a lot of toy options out there. So which of them should you think about getting for your beautiful bub if you want to not only entertain them but also help their development at the same time?  

Your answer lies in our suite of educational toys for kids that promote sensory play.

What exactly is sensory play

If you haven’t yet heard of it before, sensory play involves activities that work to stimulate the various senses of the child including the more well-known touch, sight, sound, smell and taste. It also can include position, balance and movement. Letting children use their senses to explore and play enables them to get a much better understanding of the world.

There are several types of sensory play, including:

• Tactile play (exploring an object with the hands)
• Proprioception sensory play (development of spatial awareness)
• Vestibular sensory play (balance)
• Visual sensory play (helps for development of sight)
• Taste and olfactory sensory play (exploration of smells and tastes)
• Auditory sensory play (helps children differentiate different sounds)

It doesn’t need to be intricate or fancy, and with the right children’s sensory toys, it doesn’t even have to be messy any more either!

The best children’s sensory toys your little one will adore

 

There are so many fantastic choices when it comes to sensory toys for kids these days - no matter what their age is. Here are just a few of our highly recommended options for babies and toddlers that will keep them busy for ages.

1. Playgro Textured Sensory Balls 

Coming in various different bold colours, textures and sizes, Playgro's air-filled sensory balls are a great way for bubs of all ages to grow their fine motor skills such as grasping and holding. They’ll absolutely love the vibrant, bright colours, that each toy ball has its own textured pattern, and because they’re super-soft, there’s no chance of any injury.

Mothercare offers these Playgro Textured Sensory Balls in a pack of 4. You can also purchase these Playgro sensory balls in a pack of 6.

2. Early Learning Centre Sensory Discovery Balls

Suitable for babies 6 months and up, the sensory discovery balls by Early Learning Centre are packed to the brim with sensory play opportunities. These include: 

• Sound (one ball rattles when shaken, another has a chime)
• Touch (each has a variety of unique textured patterns changing all around it)
• Sight (multi-coloured, and one even has a mirror on it)

These toys are also great for motor skill development, in that they help with grip strength and if you or bub rolls them away they can crawl after them to pick them up again. 

You can buy these educational Early Learning Centre Sensory Discovery Balls easily online on Mothercare Malaysia.

3. Playgro Tails Of The World Sensory Book

A wonderful sensory toy for kids aged 3 months and up is Playgro’s Tails of the World Sensory Book. Engage bub’s auditory, touch and sight senses as they explore the book and find out which tail belongs to which animal - and where each of them lives too. 

Each of the seven creatures’ tails has its own unique texture, plus there are crinkle pages for auditory stimulation and fun, bright colours to grab their attention. There’s even a teether clip they can chew on to help soothe sore gums.

4. Early Learning Centre Sensory Stacking Rings

Bubs 6 months and up will love to feel and chew on each and every one of the differently-textured rings and even the giraffe’s head on the Sensory Stacking Rings by Early Learning Centre! There are lots of different colours and patterns on this toy, and they can develop their coordination and various fine motor skills when picking up and stacking the rings. 

5. Playgro Clip Clop Sensory Garden Activity Pack 

Perfect for babies of all ages, the Clip Clop Sensory Garden Activity Pack from Playgro includes four different types of children’s sensory toys like the ever-popular Clip Clop activity friend as well as rattles and teethers galore. This is the perfect set for parents who want both at-home and on-the-go sensory toys for kids.

6. Early Learning Centre Sensory Ball Pit 

Give them their own little play area where you know they’re safe and having a great time discovering new things with the Early Learning Centre Sensory Ball Pit! Complete with 20 balls as well as soft side supports, crinkly fabric and ribbons for them to touch and pull on, they’ll be engaged for ages.

How games and sensory toys for kids help development 

There are a number of very real benefits for introducing your child to sensory educational toys from a very young age. 

1. It’s highly inclusive

As it’s an open type of play and there aren’t any right or wrong ways to do it, sensory play can benefit all kinds of children. This may include kids who speak a different language at home and those who prefer a more practical, hands-on learning method.

Additionally, it works brilliantly for kids who are still doing parallel play (solo but simultaneously with others) as well as kids who like to play with these toys alongside others.

2. Supports cognitive development

For the developing brains of babies, sensory play is a great way for nurturing this and gives them more skills to undertake learning activities that are more complex as they grow.

It helps to build the vital nerve connections in the brain that are needed for the rest of their lives.

3. Encourages motor skill development

Because educational toys specific to sensory play promote movement and participation, this can be a big help to improve their gross and fine motor skills.

This might be using a textured sensory ball and rolling it away for them to crawl after, pick up and grasp. It could be showing them how to un-stack and re-stack sensory stacking rings, then allowing them to try and do it on their own. Or perhaps just giving them the freedom to pull, push, squeeze, tap, sniff, rub and bite as they explore all the different functions of their sensory toys.

4. Promotes exploration and problem-solving skills

There are so many different ways for your child to use educational toys to further their development. As they independently explore the toys and what they do, there can be lots of opportunities for them to advance their problem-solving skills such as fitting a ring onto the stand it should go on.

5. Great support for language development 

Although they’re just a few months old, babies are essentially little sponges and will pick up on many different things you say when you’re participating in an activity with them. So using words like colours, shapes and the like can help to mould their language development.

6. Can calm down a stressed child

If your child is agitated about something, a sensory activity may be just the thing to switch their focus and calm them down by distracting them from said agitation. Sensory play can help to promote mindfulness in kids and further develop their ability to self-soothe.

7. Do it anywhere

On nice, sunny days there are a variety of sensory toys that can quickly and easily be attached to their stroller so they can take in the great outdoors while continuing their sensory development. 

And if it’s raining outside, you can stay inside away from the wet weather and give them a few of their favourite sensory toys to play with. 

8. Mix up their learning & keep things fresh 

Doing the same thing over and over again can get quite boring, can’t it? It’s the same for bub! By mixing up the different types of play with various sensory toys, you’re giving them new and interesting stimuli and providing them with lots of different learning opportunities.

9. It’s fun! 

When bub is presented with a toy that makes sounds, has lots of different loud colours and textures, and can play with it on their own, you’ll notice very quickly just how much fun they’re having! 

Mothercare brings to you some of the best educational toys in Malaysia - and much more

If you’ve been searching for educational toys for kids in Malaysia, you’ve most definitely come to the right place at Mothercare. We have a huge range of sensory toys that are simply perfect to help your child develop and grow, and all at fantastic prices too. 

And because we know how important it is to provide children with only the best educational toys, you’ll only find the highest quality when you shop with Mothercare.

But our range of products doesn’t just stop there! You’ll also find top quality boys’ apparel and girls’ clothing from newborn through to 10 years, nursery and bedroom furniture and accessories, and so much more. 

We really are your one-stop shop for everything you could ever want or need for your children. We also offer 100% free delivery for any order over MYR 400, so be sure to shop our full range of fantastic items today! 

If you’d prefer to browse our products in person, search for your nearest Mothercare store and pop in soon.

Got a question you’d like answered? We’re always happy to help! You can either call us directly on 019-9901529 or send us an online enquiry and we’ll be in touch with a response ASAP.