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Science

Materials:

Purple flower

Soft and textured objects that are safe for infant touch, tape, cardboard box or laundry basket.

Your Child Will Learn

How to notice that surfaces have different textures.

sensory-wall

Sensory Wall

Here's What To Do

1

Gather a combination of soft and textured objects like fabric, balls of yarn, sand paper, bubble wrap, cardboard, crinkled aluminum foil, etc.

2

Tape the objects to a cardboard box or laundry basket. Place the sensory wall in your child's play area.

3

Encourage your child to touch all the different textures.

4

Talk about the textures and the objects.

Put PEER Into Action

Mother and child play together (animated).
P

Pause:

  • Hug your baby and get on the floor with them.
E

Engage:

  • "Can you try touching these objects? What do they feel like?"
  • "The yarn is so soft and cuddly. Can you try the aluminum foil, what does that feel like?"
E

Encourage:

  • Put words to what your baby is doing. Like, "Oooh, that sandpaper is so rough and scratchy. Do you feel how scratchy it is?"
  • Smile and show enthusiasm as your baby interacts with the sensory wall.
R

Reflect:

  • When are some other times you could touch and talk about textures?

Not quite ready?

Hand differently-textured objects to your baby and let them explore.

Ready for more?

Collect household objects made out of different materials (wood, metal, plastic, etc.). Talk about what each is made out of.

Variable color muffin tins (animated)

As your child masters this skill...

They will touch different non-living objects and observe their textures.

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