You know, it’s hard to pick out what sense is my favorite sense. After all, I love to feel the silkiness of my dog’s fur and the softness of my daughter’s cheek. Touching is so wonderful – whether the surface is smooth, rough, soft, scaly, feathered or downy. There is so much in the world that our toddlers can discover through their sense of touch.
The pages of a hard cardboard book; the roughness of their daddy’s stubble cheek; the softness of your own hair – and yes, your toddler will love to run their fingers through it and tug it as well. Touch and feel books abound at the bookstore and are ideal for helping your toddler to explore the different feelings out there.
There is a lot of mischief that your toddler can get into with their touching – after all you want to keep them away from sharp objects and too hot objects and too cold objects and objects that can electrocute them. On the other hand, there is so much they can learn through touching.
After all, what makes us different from the animals? Does Daddy’s skin feel different from Mommy’s? Is the leather softer than the rubber boots? What does the ball feel like? Why is one object hard and the other soft? What combinations of feelings can you find out there? What is different about the animals?
Our tactile sense can actually help reduce the amount of frustration we feel in this world. Snuggling up to a soft stuffed animal can bring us a lot of comfort. Petting an animal can sooth us. Wiggling our toes in thick plush carpet feels great. Cold tile is a wonderful sensation on hot skin and warm water can feel really good on skin.
So whether it’s hard or it’s soft or it’s in a book or in their toy box – help your toddler explore with their sense of touch and feel their way through the world.
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Baby’s 5 Senses and How They Develop over the First Year