It’s no secret that learning is greatly enhanced when one’s senses are engaged — this is especially true for impressionable babies, whose senses are interacting with the world around them for the very first time. This is why sensory books are a staple in many a baby gift hamper, as they play a crucial role in your baby’s development in their early years and beyond. By the time your baby is about 3–6 months old, they should be starting to show interest in books and other things in general, which is where sensory books can come in handy. Here are several reasons why they are important for babies.
Learn more: 6 Simple & Fun Activities to do with your Newborn.
Encourage Interaction Through Touch & Feel Panels
Touch and feel books are board books with textures built within their pages. These textures help your child understand the story by engaging their sense of touch to get a deeper understanding of the story and words used. As a parent, this is also a great opportunity to introduce new words based on the textures whilst keeping in mind to use easy-to-understand words, such as “rough”, “smooth”, or “soft.” These books are highly popular amongst toddlers and can be found in our range of newborn hampers in Singapore as you prepare your little one for the years ahead.
Stimulate the Development of the Senses
Like the namesake suggests, sensory books offer a wide range of appropriate stimulation according to your child’s age. This helps regulate their attention and develop a greater tolerance for stimuli, which is extremely helpful for children with difficulties such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who are either hypo or hypersensitive to stimulation. Above all, children mostly learn through seeing, hearing, doing, and touching as their bodies begin to interact with the world around them.
Build Vocabulary
Your child’s ability to express oneself is highly dependent on their vocabulary, and knowing how and when to use those words. Sensory books found in our baby gift hampers help your baby or infant expand said vocabulary by developing their familiarity with letters and sounds. In sensory books, this usually takes place when your child learns to associate the textures they feel with the corresponding words that they describe. This also allows them to better understand and remember new words learned as they can associate those words with a memorable sensory experience.
Promote the Recognition of Colours, Shapes, and Sizes
As mentioned earlier, sensory books are designed to engage your child’s senses. This allows them to experience the content they’re consuming instead of merely observing it as a bystander. This is an effective way to promote the learning of different notions like shapes, contours, colours, and sizes. Your child is able to touch and interact with the elements in the book instead of merely observing them.
When it comes to early childhood development, holistic learning is arguably the most effective way to introduce your child to new surroundings and sensations whilst also being a better narrator of the stories at hand. This is why here at Pineapple!, we’ve made a wide range of sensory books available through our customisable newborn hampers in Singapore as every child should have the best possible tools to develop and grow.
