Letter from the Director!

I want to thank everyone who could join the DCDC-Bartlesville sensory family event! The turnout was phenomenal! DCDC staff really enjoyed sharing with the families why sensory play is important for your child’s development.

So, what is sensory play?

A sensory activity is anything that involves the five senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight.

DCDC teachers provide activities daily for your children to learn and engage their senses. We have aligned our lesson plans to include sensory stimulation daily. We know that research has linked sensory play to emotional, cognitive and physical development.

In each classroom, a sensory table is provided. Therefore, each child has the opportunity to play in the sensory table multiple times a day. A sensory table is basically a table full of materials that engage children in using all five senses. The table is set up to encourage children to use their senses by interacting with everything that is being presented to them.

From birth through early childhood, children use their senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. They do this by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving, and hearing. Children—and even adults—enjoy best and retain the most information when they engage their senses. Many of our favorite memories are associated with one or more of our senses; for instance, the smell of play dough or a song you memorize the lyrics to with a childhood friend. When your nostrils and your ear drums are stimulated with those familiar smells and sounds receptively, your brain triggers a flashback memory to the special times.

Providing opportunities for children to actively use their senses as they explore their world through sensory play is crucial to development. It helps to build nerve connections to the brain’s pathways. This leads to a child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks and supports cognitive growth, common language development, gross motor skills, social interactions, and problem-solving skills.

Tina McClintic

Director