Importance of smell and sounds during exploration and play

Messy play can sometimes feel overwhelming for children. Strong smells might make them gag, and certain materials can make noises that are hard for them to cope with. For some children, these smells and sounds can be just as challenging (or even more) than the feeling of touching different textures. These reactions can also change depending on the activity.

Here are some tips to help manage these sensory challenges.

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• Observe which materials your child is comfortable with at home and share observations with nursery or school.

• Separate different materials into different containers and let them explore these individually before combining, or combine a scented play material they can manage with a non-scented one.

•  Try making your own materials like play dough or cloud dough if your child is sensitive to the smell of shop bought ones.

• Improve ventilation by opening windows and using fans to help disperse strong smells.

• Consider low-scent brands when replacing art materials to minimise sensory impact and make the experience more pleasant for children.​

•  If squeaking, crunching, scraping or banging are sounds your child struggles with, try different mats, containers and tools that make less noise when used together.​​​​​