Elizabeth Jarman, Learning environments expert and author

Tactile sensory experiences explored the importance of these experiences for children’s development along with planning the environment and activities to support this. This blog builds on that knowledge to consider how to engage individual children in tactile sensory experiences to support their well-being, learning and development.

Planning and introducing tactile sensory experiences

When planning tactile sensory experiences, it is important to consider the individual child, understanding their preferences and needs. Find out what the children enjoy playing with at home, and the familiar tactile routines they like or dislike, for example self-care tasks like getting dressed, mealtimes, food types etc. Gathering information like this will inform your provision when considering tactile experiences. There are further thoughts to support you in planning the resources and experiences that you offer in the Inspiring Environments toolkit and in the CEY smart courses developed with Early Arts, such as creativity and the arts in the early years – exploring the conditions for nurturing creativity in practice.

It is also important to work with the individual child at their own pace when introducing tactile sensory experiences. Some ideas and suggestions to help you support each child to engage with tactile sensory experiences, could include:

• Start with familiar, predictable materials to gain confidence. Introduce new experiences slowly.
• Try offering smaller quantities of the resource for children to explore, which might feel more manageable.
• Allow space and time for the child to have a go when they are ready.
• Some children may prefer to observe before they join in. Play and scaffold exploration, maybe with a more confident child alongside. Keep the pressure off.
• Consider the environment and the impact of this, such as noise and light levels, for example if it is noisy or dark this might reduce engagement in unfamiliar experiences. Offering the experience in a smaller space where they have control over the surrounding play might support a child that is feeling unsure.
• Provide opportunities for children to return to experiences and grow their confidence whilst they revisit and consolidate their learning.

Supporting an unsure child

You might notice that some children are reluctant to engage in tactile sensory experiences or perhaps avoid certain surface and items. Children might just be reluctant because their stress levels are high, triggered by separating from their parents/carers and perhaps find the combination of a new environment and new tactile experiences overwhelming. Alternatively, perhaps they have had a previous tactile experience which they disliked.

It’s worth remembering that Covid and long lockdowns at home understandably may have limited ‘really messy’ sensory opportunities for many children, as they were unable to access settings where tactile sensory play was more likely.

Some children (and adults) just might not like the sensation of certain textures on their hands or other parts of their bodies. This is important to consider as it reminds us that as individuals, we all have preferences and can make choices. Some considerations for supporting children that are feeling less confident about engaging in tactile sensory activities include:

• Notice the way that individual children react and cope. An over stimulated child could show signs of distress or have a melt-down, another may retreat to a quiet area and want to be on their own.
• Make sure there is space available for the child to self-regulate. For ideas on creating a quiet calm space for solitary moments and personal space to support this explore creating effective spaces and the ideas and inspiration for managing sensory input and defining and maximising space.
• Consider how you can support children to communicate how they are feeling. PACEY members can explore CEY smart courses on supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, emotional literacy, and self-regulation skills in the You, me and us theme.
• Be aware of your role in calming and reassuring children in a heightened state.
• Remember to allow space and time for the unsure child to have a go when they are ready. The sensory reluctance case study at sensory materials and experiences provides an example of this approach to engage a child who doesn’t like touching anything messy with sensory activities at their own pace.

Another way to support an unsure child is the hand under hand approach, which gently enables the child to explore using your hands. It is important to follow the child’s own pace and comfort levels. This video from Sense explains and models the hand under hand approach to making play inclusive.

Some children could have an undiagnosed sensory processing disorder connected to touch. Indicators can vary from child to child. There is some useful information available from NHS Wales on sensory processing and sensory sensitivities, including a download on activities to assist in the reduction of tactile sensitivity for younger children. There is also information on the website for the NHS Humber Sensory Processing Hub on the touch sensory system and what is sensory processing?.

If you are concerned about a child’s development, always talk to parents, carers and professionals. Find out more about support available in the PACEY Spotlight pages on Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Wales or caring for children with SEND (England).

We know that there are many benefits to children engaging in tactile sensory experiences, use the links provided to find out more and deepen your understanding further so that you can respond with appropriate provision in a supportive way to the unique children in your setting.

Signposts

• Blog: Tactile sensory experiences
• Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Wales
• Caring for children with SEND (England)
• Inspiring Environments, including creating effective spaces, defining and maximising space, sensory materials and experiences and managing sensory input.

PACEY members can access a range of CEY smart courses on a broad range of topics including creativity and the arts in the early years - malleable and modelling materials which can be found in the Let’s get creative theme, and supporting the development of self-regulation skills in the You, me and us theme.

Further links

• NHS Humber Sensory Processing Hub, the touch sensory system and what is sensory processing?
• NHS Wales, activities to assist in the reduction of tactile sensitivity for younger children, sensory processing and sensory sensitivities
• Sense, Making play inclusive – hand under hand communication.

About the author - Elizabeth Jarman

Elizabeth is an internationally recognised learning environments expert. She is an award-winning author. Elizabeth developed The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach, which uses the environment to support communication skills, emotional well-being and physical development. Elizabeth’s work is widely recognised and respected and her thinking is professionally challenging the way that environments for children are viewed.

See www.elizabethjarman.com for more information.