Sensory play is a term you’re likely to have heard a lot amongst parents and you may be wondering what this type of play involves. Sensory play refers to any activity that stimulates your baby’s five senses; touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. These types of activities should be introduced from birth, but become more beneficial for children 3 months and upwards. While many parents opt to enrol their child in a sensory class, baby sensory toys for 3 month olds and onwards can help your child explore the world around them using their senses and engage their brains in order to promote healthy mental development.
One of the most common ways to achieve this at-home, is through sensory play-mats, mobiles and sensory bouncing chairs. Sensory toys that include light, sound, colour and different textures, help to stimulate different parts of your child’s brain that have an array of benefits for their development. Keep reading as we walk you through the benefits of sensory play and shine light on some of our recommended sensory baby toys available to purchase here at Direct4Baby.
Top 3 Benefits of Baby Sensory Toys for 3 Month Olds
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Brain development and cognitive skills
Research has shown that babies who experience sensory stimulation from birth have seen significant brain development gains, specifically in relation to their sensory perception and motor skills. Sensory toys help to stimulate your child’s cognitive skills such as problem solving, memory, imagination, attention and learning, allowing them to build on their cognitive development from an early age. Studies have shown that through sensory activities and toys, babies can store these experiences in their sensory memory, which then jumpstarts the process of knowledge and understanding.
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Comforting and calming
Sensory toys for babies are not only stimulating in energetic ways but can also provide a calming and comforting environment for your baby. Sensory toys can be a useful instrument in establishing a strong night time routine, choosing calming sensory toys such as night lights, musical mobiles and rocking chairs, your baby will begin to distinguish night-time more clearly. Swaying motions, soothing music and calming visuals can help your baby feel relaxed and give them a point of focus whilst they are falling asleep.
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Awareness and alertness
Exposing your child to multi-sensory stimulation through the use of sensory toys and activities helps to create awareness and alertness as they grow. By stimulating your baby’s five senses through sensory toys it sends signals to the brain that then strengthen your child’s neural processes and encourage positive cognitive, social and emotional development. The activation of these parts of the brain will then begin to recognise patterns, understand spatial awareness and exercise their attention span and alertness.
What age are sensory toys for?
Sensory toys are suitable for children of all ages, from birth to toddler, these stimulating toys are a vital part in your child’s mental development. However, between 3 and 6 months, your child will become more inquisitive and this is when they will benefit most from sensory play. As your child grows and their brain develops, it’s imperative parents make sure they have access to a wide variety of toys that stimulate their different senses in order to keep those parts of their brain active with new activities.
What items will help you stimulate your baby’s senses?
In order to effectively stimulate your baby’s senses, choose products that incorporate colour, sound, light and texture, as these will all work to trigger your baby’s main senses. For example, choosing a night light that changes colours and plays music can help to stimulate both their sight and hearing and is perfect for helping to relax your baby. And for play time, choosing a mobile that includes different shapes, colours and textures is great for engaging your child in playful activities and stimulating their touch and imagination.
Sensory Playmats
A must-have sensory toy for every parent is a playmat or play-gym, as they are sometimes known. These brightly coloured, baby activity mats are packed with fun features that entertain and stimulate your child’s imagination. Perfect for tummy time or overhead play, these mats include a variety of sensory elements such as, mirrors, colourful plush animals, teething rings and toys that produce lights and music.
Tiny Love Gymini Deluxe Into The Forest £64.95 and Tiny Love Kick and Play Tiny Farm £74.95
Designed to stimulate all of your baby’s senses, these Tiny Love playmats include a range of unique features that are guaranteed to keep your child entertained. Transforming play time into development time, the Tiny Love Gymini Deluxe - Into The Forest features several different activities to stimulate your child’s imagination and motor skills. With unique electronic musical toys, mirrors and colourful animals made from various textures, this all-in-one sensory play-gym encourages mental progression with your child as they grow from birth to 12 months.
Equipped with baby-activated musical kick and touch panels, a peek-a-boo sun and adjustable arches, the Tiny Love Kick and Play Tiny Farm is the perfect activity mat for babies from birth and upwards. As your child grows, the Tiny Love Kick mat is designed to adjust to their different needs, whether it's for supervised tummy time or independent play, the variety of interactive toys and colourful landscapes will help keep your baby engaged. With the added feature of adjustable borders, this playmat encourages your child to move freely without the fear of sliding off, giving you peace of mind when encouraging independent playtime.
Musical Sensory Toys
Combining sound with light, a musical sensory toy can transform any nursery into a calming space for your little one. Whether you’re looking for a way to help soothe your child to sleep at night or a place for them to relax, a musical sensory toy such as a musical nightlight or projector is a multi-functional option.
Tiny Love Boho Chic Tiny Dreamer £44.95
This Tiny Love Boho Chic Tiny Dreamer is a 3-in-1 musical projector soother that includes a starry lightshow projection, a soft nightlight and a wide musical selection to help soothe and support your baby’s development from birth onwards. Used to support emotional development from 1-3 months, provide a soothing bedtime routine from 3-6 months and then a familiar comfort child as they age, this musical sensory toy adapts to grow with your child. The combination of the engaging light projection combined with gentle music helps to provide a calming sensory environment for your little one.
Purflo Dream Cloud Musical Night Light £19.99
Featuring a calming, multi-coloured night light with 10 soothing lullabies and 4 nature and heartbeat sounds, the Purflo Dream Cloud Musical Night Light is a simple yet effective sensory toy that helps to ease your child into a peaceful slumber. With a colour-changing light that gradually dims after 30 minutes this cute, cloud-shaped musical nightlight can be placed either on a hanging mobile over a cot, or on a night-stand to help your child naturally drift off to sleep.
Sensory Mobiles for Cots and Pushchairs
One of the most popular ways to encourage sensory stimulation with your 3 month old and onwards is to use a hanging mobile above either a cots or pushchair. Whether you’re looking for a simple, aesthetically pleasing mobile that matches your nursery colour-scheme or a more colourful and textured mobile to attach to your pushchair, baby sensory mobiles can provide hours of entertainment for your little one.
Snuz Baby Mobile £49.95 and Tiny Love Boho Chic Musical Luxe Mobile £59.99
Simple yet effective, the Snuz Baby Mobile comes in a variety of neutral colours to match your existing nursery interiors. This adorable sleep accessory helps to encourage a calm and peaceful slumber with a point of focus on the celestial hanging mobile above their head as they drift off to sleep. Featuring plush stars, puffy clouds and a crescent moon, these scandi-inspired baby mobile accessories are perfect for providing a simple sensory experience at bedtime.
For a more interactive choice, the Tiny Love Boho Chic Musical Luxe Mobile combines cute, hanging plush characters with a rotating, musical arm to help engage your little one when awake and to provide a tranquil sleeping environment at bed time. Featuring 17 different melodies including white noise which is scientifically proven to promote a peaceful, deep sleep, this sensory mobile offers the perfect amount of stimulation to help support your baby’s development.
Tiny Love Sunny Stroll Magical Days £27.95 and Tiny Love Sunny Stroll Meadow Days £27.95
The Tiny Love Sunny Stroll mobiles provide the perfect on-the-go sensory experience for your little one, from birth and onwards. Perfect for parents who need a portable toy that is guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment, this sunny stroll toy attaches to your pushchair to help develop your baby’s eyesight, motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Featuring multiple plush animals, reflective lights and electronic musical elements that can be activated by your little one, this sensory toy is perfect for stimulating all of your baby’s developmental needs and can be attached to any brand of pushchair effortlessly.
Baby Sensory Bouncers and Rocking Chairs
A great alternative to a sensory playmat for your baby is a bouncer or rocking chair. Providing a more secure environment for your little one to play independently whilst you go about your daily tasks, a rocking chair or baby bouncer provides multi-sensory stimulation to both entertain and soothe your baby.
Joie Sansa 2 in 1 Rocker £180.00 and 4Moms Mamaroo Rocker/Bouncer 4.0 £269.00
The Joie Sansa 2in1 Rocker features a built in musical element as well as a 3 position recline and gentle vibration. The combination of nature sounds and music can help gently lull your little one into a peaceful nap in a matter of minutes, stimulating the more calming senses that a playmat doesn’t offer. Suitable for babies from birth to approximately 6 months, this sensory rocker blends soothing swaying and rocking features with a front-to-back gliding motion to provide the ultimate space to stimulate all senses.
By simulating the same motions of a parent, the 4Moms Mamaroo Rocker/Bouncer 4.0 features five unique gentle bouncing and swaying motions to replicate the comforting motion of a caregiver. With a multi-position adjustable seat, interactive overheard toys, built-in sounds and the ability to connect to any MP3 player, this bouncer perfectly balances multiple sensory elements to help soothe and entertain your little one. The ideal sensory solution for busy parents who need an extra hand, the 4Moms Bouncer comes with a handy bluetooth feature so that you can control all elements of the bouncer from your smart device without disturbing your baby.
Tiny Love Boho Chic Rocker £85.00 and Joie Wish Bouncer Petit City £45.00
If you’re looking for a more minimalist rocking chair to help ignite your baby’s sensory development from a young age, then, Tiny Love Boho Chic Rocker is the perfect choice for you. Simple, lightweight and functional, this rocker features a three-position recline and is easy to move around the house to give you a safe place to put your baby no matter where you are. With a removable overhead arch that includes a soft-to-touch plush koala, wooden rattle and crinkle leaves, this bouncer is designed to entice your baby’s cognition function and stimulate both their emotions and senses.
Providing comfort and entertainment from day one, the Joie Wish Bouncer Petit City boasts a simple-yet-effective bouncer design that provides a soothing and stimulating place for your baby to rest. Suitable from birth, this bouncer offers three different recline positions, a cosy cocoon-shaped seat and a removable padded toy bar with two plush toys and room to add more stimulating sensory toys yourself. With an additional two-speed vibration setting, this bouncer provides a simple yet effective way to stimulate your baby’s senses.