Playing with goop is a great “Sensory Play” activity. Sensory Play helps children understand all
five of their senses: touch, smell, taste, see, and hear. When several senses are stimulated
during play, children get more opportunities to explore, discover, and develop their own
creativity at their individual pace.
Benefits of playing with goop!!!
Language– Sensory play allows children to use descriptive expressive language, and helps
them find a sense of meaning behind a word. Take for instance the word “gooey.” If a child
never felt goop, how would he be able to describe it? Playing with goop allows kids to
experience the texture and the sense of goo. And once they experience it, then they can
describe it with words and their own thoughts. This will build a child’s vocabulary and increase
their understanding of new words!
Cognitive – Sensory play helps children to learn problem solving by measuring, mixing, and
cleaning up. Being able to dig, dump, pour, and create helps strengthen problem-solving skills.
Social and Emotional- Skills are developed by children having control of their actions
and experiences, providing them with confidence that they can create and design…all while
having FUN!
Fine Motor– Fine Motor skills are developed while children are squeezing, pinching, picking
up, and moving the goop back and forth. This activity will not only strengthen their small
muscles, but it will help develop their pencil grip, which sets them up for greater success when
manipulating a pencil.
