If you have a new baby and have been researching mother-and-baby related activities in your local area, there is a good chance you’ve stumbled across ‘sensory classes.’ Sensory classes have become hugely popular in recent years, attracting the attention of parents with claims that they can help to develop and improve their child’s key milestones, but are they really worth the time and investment?

Well, according to experts, the answer is a resounding yes! Far from being just a fancy fad, or a simple get-together for company-starved mums, high quality baby sensory classes delivered by qualified facilitators can help babies develop foundational skills that support their social, emotional, physical, cognitive, language, and physical functions.

Why Sensory Activities Are So Important for Babies

So, what kind of activities can you expect in a sensory class and why are they so important?

During the first few months of your baby’s life their senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell – develop at a rapid pace. Sensory classes typically offer a variety of experiences to stimulate these senses. Musical instruments or rattles may be used in sound play, textured toys can encourage babies to explore the sensation of touch, and colourful objects are often used to stimulate them visually. This all helps babies to process and differentiate sensory inputs and learn about the world around them.

In fact, the power of sensory games for a babies and children can’t be overstated. A 2023 study of the development and interaction of sensory systems in babies found that ‘sensory games help infants’ and children’s academic skills along with attention, their ability to distinguish sounds-images-textures, their body awareness, hand-eye and eye-foot coordination, fine-gross motor skills, not to mention establishing healthy and safe relationships, socialisation, language and speech, self-confidence, and self-esteem.’ In short, the study concluded that ‘supporting sensory development is vital in supporting all areas of development, including brain development.’

Whilst you might get sick of singing repetitive songs and rhymes over and over in your sensory class, a study in the National Library of Medicine emphasises the importance of those little ditties to promote early language skills, finding that babies exposed to these language-rich experiences often reach milestones in language comprehension and speech production sooner.

Sensory classes can also be hugely beneficial for developing your child’s motor skills, with tummy time, play mats, and other movement-based activities proving hugely important. A 2019 study by the Australian National University that looked at the impact of tummy time and sensory stimulation on infant’s motor skills found that babies who are exposed to these types of sensory activities involving movement and tummy time often master motor skills such as head control, rolling over, and crawling faster as these sensory class actives can help to build their core strength and encourage them to develop greater muscle control.

Baby Sensory Classes Ticks All the Boxes for Parents and Babies

So, if you are on the fence about joining a sensory class, don’t be. As well as all these great benefits for bub, they are often also a great way to meet other parents, build friendships and learn new, meaningful ways to interact with your baby - strengthening your bond and helping them to flourish.