F is for Feather Sensory Play (2024)

FAQs

What is the feather activity for babies? ›

In the first few months of your baby's life you can use a feather to gently tickle their skin. Use it lightly to touch their feet, legs, belly, arms, hands, neck and face. If at any point you notice your baby is showing signs that they are not enjoying it, stop.

In general, most children will be able to start engaging in sensory play from around 6 months old. As they get older, they will be able to explore more complex sensory experiences.

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates our senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It helps children interact with and make sense of the world that surrounds them.

There are some diseases (like “pigeon lung disease”) that can be spread through extensive exposure to bird feces and dander. But, again, picking up a single feather is not a risk factor for this. Basically, the chance of getting ill from a bird feather is really, really, really small.

Feather Play was a Meta-technique seen in intensive use throughout the production of Just a Little Lovin'. The technique is a manner of initiating scenes with other players through the presentation of a feather to the individual(s).

In Anishinabek culture the eagle feather teaches the importance of recognizing the whole pattern of life - its bright and dark parts. This means we should embrace both positive and negative events that happen in our lives because they are experiences that help us learn and grow.

Sensory play encourages learning through exploration, curiosity, problem solving and creativity. It helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development of language and motor skills.

Sensory toys can be introduced to your newborn baby and they are an excellent way to develop their senses from birth. Your newborn baby can focus on black, white, and red objects, track the movement of a slowly moving sensory toy, and turn towards the sound of a maraca or bell shaken to one side.

Sensory play includes just about any activity that stimulates a child's senses through new and exciting experiences. Research shows that sensory play in the early years of child development helps build neural pathways that will be needed for more complex learning tasks as your child grows.

There are five basic human senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. The sensing organs associated with each sense send information to the brain to help us understand and perceive the world around us.

How do you teach sensory play? ›

It's simple for children to enjoy sensory play when you create a sensory bin for them to explore. To create a sensory bin, simply fill a small tub or container with objects from nature such as leaves, rocks, and sand that have different textures for your little one to explore.

Sensory Calming Activities provide sensory input and help to meet your child's sensory processing needs. They can help your child to become calm, self regulated and less fidgety. These sensory calming activities can also reduce your child's stress and anxiety.

Playing with feathers is not particularly hazardous and is huge fun, but use commonsense measures to reduce risks: Ensure children wash their hands after handling 'real' found-on-the-ground feathers. If a 'found' feather looks particularly grimy then don't collect it.

Feathers, although not particularly dirty themselves, may carry bacteria or viruses that can transfer to your hands, so it is good to get into the habit of washing your hands with soap when you come in from outside.

Chances are your child will want to grab it — we all did! Luckily, it's not the worst thing in the world if they do. According to Classic Brands, a site for bird education and bird feeder sales, it's safe to touch feathers, provided that you aren't near any avian flu cases.

Playing peek-a-boo helps develop object permanence. Swaying scarves along with music can encourage self-regulation skills. Tossing scarves back-and-forth develops fine motor skills. Using scarves to hide objects helps develop focus and memory skills.

A feather is one of the soft, fringed plumes that cover the bodies of birds. Some feathers are tiny and downy, while others are large and brilliantly colored. Feathers are the main characteristic that separates birds from all other animals.

The experience. Make a hole in the box or boxes, big enough to fit your child's forearm. Fill each box (or prepare different items to re-fill one box each time) with materials of different textures. Encourage your child to reach in the box, feel and pull it out to see it closely.