Which type of activities helps children engage their senses to explore and understand the world around them?

Sensory exploration is centered around activities that specifically engage children's senses—sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell—allowing them to investigate and learn about their environment through firsthand experiences. These activities can include playing with different textures, experimenting with colors, exploring various sounds, or interacting with various scents. By actively involving their senses, children not only develop their sensory processing skills but also enhance cognitive development, as they form connections between what they experience and their understanding of the world.

While physical exploration and social interaction also contribute to a child's learning and engagement, they do not focus directly on sensory engagement in the same holistic way that sensory exploration does. Cognitive tasks might involve problem-solving or critical thinking, but they generally rely on more abstract thinking rather than the direct sensory experiences that sensory exploration provides.