Being able to see the world we live in, hear the sounds, touch the objects and beings in it, smell the aromas and taste the decadence of food we eat is as important as our basic survival. Because we are able to sense our surroundings, we get to enjoy them while acquiring knowledge throughout our lives. 

Perhaps that is why more prominence is now being given to stimulating all senses as a means of holistic development of children. Sensory play is the emerging concept being recognized as an imperative part of educating children and helping them grow, irrespective of their abilities. Let’s try to understand sensory play in the context of children with special needs.

Importance of Sensory Play in Holistic Development 

In the most fundamental sense, sensory play is stimulating one or all senses with activities so that children are able to develop and enhance their command of the said senses. 

Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are the senses we are all aware of. However, there are two more senses that need to be stimulated as well. 

• The sense of balance it’s especially important for children who find it difficult to integrate space, gravity, balance, and movement information.
• Second is the sense of where each body part is in relation to the rest of the body. Its stimulation is helpful for children to overcome clumsiness and uncoordinated actions.

Every child needs some kind of help in understanding the depth of their sensory organs' abilities and using them to their maximum capabilities. While some children can comprehend their senses easily, it is difficult for others to perceive and experience different sensations and make sense of them. That’s where sensory play becomes indispensable.

The benefits of sensory play are far and many, and all of them have been proved by research.

• It boosts cognitive growth, keeping all senses at work.
• It develops motor skills, making children interact with objects and be active
• It enhances speech and language abilities through an engaging environment. 
• It encourages social skills, making children play together. 
• It promotes emotional development, giving an outlet that invokes positive emotions instead of harboring negative ones.
• It fosters self-realization, making children aware of their likes and dislikes.

Achieve Sensory Stimulation with Trampolines 

Trampolining is one of the most movement-oriented activities your children can do. It stimulates all the sensory parameters effectively. Children can perform a ton of movements together to be stimulated properly. If they feel over-stimulated, they can resort to a focused activity.

Trampolining is an activity that is also ideal for children with special needs. 

• Children with Hypersensitivity to movement can trigger their sense of balance with trampolines. 
• Children who have Autism or are on the spectrum often benefit from therapy that includes trampolines. 
• Trampoline for Sensory Processing Disorder has also proven very effective. 

It makes tackling stress, anxiety, and sensory issues easy for them. Trampolines have a rhythmic motion that translates into a soothing effect, helping the children experience calm. Jumping on trampolines has also been associated with impulse control and behavioral changes. Improved concentration and focus are other benefits. 

How is jumping on a trampoline able to achieve so many advantages for special children?

• Trampolines target motor skills 

In trampolines, because the jumping motion is made repeatedly, children improve their balance. Along with that, muscle development is improved, and your kids’ bones and joints also strengthen.

• Trampolines help children understand their bodies better

When the body is in the air during a jump, you become acutely aware of it, its individual parts, and its current situation. This helps children understand their bodies as one. 

• Trampolines make children expel energy

The force used in the jumping motion expels a lot of energy. The intake of oxygen and production of endorphins creates a calm, relaxed and happy disposition for the child. 

Altitude Birmingham For Children with Special Needs

Children with special needs have one or more of their senses affected, which impedes them from learning as quickly as a child with normal sense functions. These special children experience things very differently from the rest of us. 

That is why we have introduced Sensory Play Tuesdays, where children with special needs can enjoy Altitude without loud music or flashing lights. We are waiting to fill their sensory tank through our trampolines. 

We aimed to create a trampoline park that caters to the needs of special children. We want them to get all the benefits of sensory play in a social setting without any triggers. So, let’s meet this Tuesday and have a blast at the trampolines.