When it comes to childhood development and enriching activities that entertain and engage, parents have a tough job. Here at TruGreen, we want to make things a little easier with the perfect sensory scavenger hunt that gets your kids out of the house and into the fun of exploring the outdoors with intention.
Why Is Sensory Play Important?
There are a number of reasons to engage your child in sensory play as a part of their early development. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Sensory play focuses on activities that engage your child’s senses, helping them develop language and motor skills. It also helps with cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.” With all of these benefits, it is no wonder sensory play has become more prevalent in recent years. Today, we will explore how your own backyard can play a big role.
Setting up for Safe Sensory Activities
While the items on our scavenger hunt are meant for children of all ages, it is important to remember that keeping an eye on your kids is always a good idea. We recommend that this sensory scavenger hunt is supervised and that you embark on this activity alongside your little ones to ensure success as they play.
For the most engagement with our scavenger hunt, we recommend using your backyard or a local park. Any place with a variety of plants, rocks, grass and sunshine will be the perfect location to have a little fun.
Let’s Go on a Sensory Adventure
Going on a sensory adventure with your kids is relatively simple. We’ll outline the ways that you can interact with different items outdoors and their benefits. You can give your kiddos directions to hunt down these items and explore them as they see fit.
- #1 Rock Out
Since rocks come in all shapes and sizes, they are perfect for teaching your kiddo about colors, textures and more. For the first item on our scavenger hunt, explore the rocks in your yard and spend time collecting, holding, shaking and even digging with rocks to assist with developing hearing, sight and touch. - #2 Grass the Time
Your lawn is also a great place to spend time touching, walking, skipping or running. Have your little one experience the lawn and describe how it feels on their hands and feet to help develop their sense of touch. - #3 Wild With Water
Even something as simple as interacting with your sprinklers can be a great way to explore sensory benefits. Getting your kids near the water in a baby pool, sprinkler setup or with a bucket can give them a chance to feel, see and hear the water around them. Be sure to always watch your kids around water. - #4 Super Sandbox
A sandbox is another simple yet effective way to engage your child's senses outdoors. They’ll touch the sand as they dig through it, develop motor skills digging things out from the sand, and of course, feel the sunshine on their face, which according to Healthline, has a number of benefits, not limited to better sleep and happier days. - #5 Sights and Sounds
The final stop on our scavenger hunt is a pause to listen and look around. Spend some time with your child listening to the noises in the yard and asking them what they hear – insects, birds, maybe even a lawnmower in the distance. Do they smell the grass, flowers or anything else? Then give things a look, can they see the birds, identify flowers, or take a peek at the sky? This exercise will help build sight, touch, smell and hearing all at once.
These activities are intended to engage the senses and help your child develop over time. No matter how you spend time outdoors, remember that there is a whole world outside with so many things to discover and explore.
An Adventure-Ready Lawn
Our professionally trained specialists will get the lay of the land. Once a plan has been tailored to the unique needs of your lawn, you can proceed with confidence knowing that your lawn is backed by the TruGreen Guarantee®, which means that, for as long as your plan is in place, our specialist will gladly revisit your property between scheduled visits to ensure your satisfaction.
To learn more about our lawn plans and services call today at 866.688.6722 or click here.
