Young children develop cognitively when given opportunities to play, interact with others, and explore the world around them. Sensory materials such as play sand, water, play dough, and creative art experiences are not merely “fun” activities but provide enjoyable, as well as satisfying experiences for young children. Sensory activities provide active and valuable learning experiences. Sensory activities also support the growth and learning of children in multiple domains. Thus, teachers or instructors can address early learning standards, as well as observe the progress of the children in numerous fields of development through sensory experiences.
It is very significant to include sensory experiences in early childhood art curriculum because children learn best through sensory experiences. The child is in the phase of unconscious absorbent mind, from birth until the age of three years, and it is during this period that the child starts to explore the world or environment around them through the senses and movement. When the child is about three years old, his/her absorption capacity shifts to a more conscious, purposeful style, it is at this stage that the child becomes a factual and sensory explorer, where he/she notes the relationships between things and also makes comparisons between them. This results in the child classifying and refining his/her sensory experiences, where the impressions that were absorbed previously are brought to consciousness. Through this, he/she can construct the mind until it becomes capable of “memory,” the ability to understand and think.
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If children are not given access to sensory materials and activities in the early childhood, their development would not be optimally facilitated. The inclusion of sensory experiences in early childhood art curriculum refines and sharpens the senses, as well as establishes a sensory basis for further intellectual development. Therefore, early learning experiences that include sensory activities or experiences are significant for the development of children, thus, they ought to be included early childhood art curriculum.
