Sensory Skills in Early Years Training Course

Sensory development describes how babies and young children receive, organise and respond to information from their bodies and the world around them. Sensory skills are the practical abilities that grow from this process, such as tracking movement, exploring textures, judging body position, and managing reactions to sound, touch or movement. In the early years, sensory development supports how children learn, move, communicate, regulate emotions and take part in daily routines.

This free sensory online course introduces sensory development in the context of Early Years practice in England. It explains how the senses support learning and behaviour, how sensory play can be used safely and effectively, and how practitioners can create inclusive environments that meet a wide range of sensory needs.

Why Take This eLearning Course?

Sensory development is a key part of early learning and wellbeing. Babies and young children use their senses to explore, build understanding, regulate emotions and engage with others. When practitioners understand sensory development well, they are better able to plan meaningful play, notice sensory differences, reduce barriers to participation and support children in ways that feel safe and responsive.

This course will help you to:

• Understand what sensory skills and sensory development mean in the early years.
• Recognise why sensory experiences matter for babies and young children.
• Learn about key stages of sensory development from birth to five.
• Understand how sensory development links to the EYFS areas of learning.
• Explore the seven senses, including vestibular and proprioceptive processing.
• Recognise how different senses support learning, movement and behaviour.
• Identify how children use their senses during everyday play.
• Understand what sensory play is and why it supports development.
• Explore common sensory activities used in early years settings.
• Learn about age-appropriate sensory activities for babies, toddlers and preschool children.
• Recognise useful resources for sensory play.
• Understand how to create a sensory-rich environment without overwhelming children.
• Learn how observation during sensory play supports planning and assessment.
• Explore ways to extend learning through sensory experiences.
• Understand how to make sensory activities inclusive and safe.
• Recognise sensory preferences, sensitivities, and sensory-seeking or sensory-avoiding behaviour.
• Understand how sensory sensitivities can affect learning and behaviour.
• Learn simple ways to support children with sensory differences.
• Identify common risks in sensory activities and how to manage them.
• Understand basic risk assessment, hygiene and safety for sensory provision.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define sensory skills and sensory development.
• Explain why sensory experiences matter for babies and young children.
• Identify key stages of sensory development from birth to five.
• Describe links between sensory development and the EYFS areas of learning.
• Identify the seven senses.
• Explain how each sense supports learning, movement and behaviour.
• Describe ways children use their senses during everyday play.
• Define sensory play.
• Identify common types of sensory activities in early years settings.
• Describe age-appropriate sensory activities for babies, toddlers and preschool children.
• Identify resources used for sensory play.
• Describe what makes a sensory-rich environment.
• Explain the value of observation during sensory play.
• Describe ways to extend learning through sensory experiences.
• Identify inclusive and safe approaches to sensory activities.
• Explain sensory preferences and sensitivities.
• Recognise signs of sensory-seeking and sensory-avoiding behaviour.
• Describe the effects of sensory sensitivities on learning and behaviour.
• Identify simple ways to support children with sensory differences.
• Recognise potential risks in sensory activities.
• Explain basic risk assessment for sensory play.
• Describe hygiene and safety requirements for sensory resources.

Sensory Sensory Play in Early Years Course Outline

Module 1: Understanding Sensory Skills and Sensory Development
Learners will explore what is meant by sensory development and how sensory skills grow in babies and young children. This module explains sensory development as the way children receive, organise, and respond to information from the body and the environment, and describes sensory skills as the practical abilities that develop from this process, such as tracking movement, tolerating textures, and judging body position. Learners will examine why sensory experiences matter for early brain development, attention, movement, communication, emotional regulation, and wellbeing. The module also explores the key stages of sensory development from birth to five, showing how children move from early reflex responses to increasingly purposeful, combined, and organised sensory processing. Links between sensory development and the EYFS areas of learning are also introduced, highlighting the importance of sensory processing for communication, physical development, literacy, mathematics, creativity, and emotional security.

Module 2: The Seven Senses and Their Role in Learning and Behaviour
This module focuses on the seven senses used in early years practice: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, and proprioceptive. Learners will examine how each sense supports children’s understanding of the world, body awareness, movement, balance, feeding, communication, and participation in daily routines. The module also explains how the senses work together to support learning, movement, and behaviour, showing how children combine sensory information to attend, plan actions, control movement, and regulate themselves. Learners will also explore the many ways children use their senses during everyday play, such as exploring textures, testing sound, noticing movement, seeking body-based input, and using sensory experiences to calm themselves or make sense of their environment.

Module 3: Sensory Play in Early Years Practice
Learners will explore what sensory play is and why it is an important part of early years provision. This module explains sensory play as activities that focus on exploring sensations such as texture, sound, movement, and smell, and shows how it can support active exploration, problem solving, language development, emotional regulation, and social learning. Learners will examine common types of sensory activities used in early years settings, including messy and malleable play, movement-based play, and body-based sensory experiences. The module also explains how sensory activities can be adapted for babies, toddlers, and preschool children so that experiences remain safe, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate. A range of resources used for sensory play is also covered, including base materials, tools, containers, natural items, sound and light resources, and calming supports.

Module 4: Creating and Using Sensory-Rich Environments
This module focuses on how to create sensory-rich environments that support curiosity, participation, and regulation without overwhelming children. Learners will examine the features of a balanced sensory environment, including active and quiet zones, predictable layouts, natural materials, sound awareness, and accessible resources. The module also explores the importance of observation during sensory play, helping practitioners notice what draws children’s attention, how they regulate themselves, and how their learning behaviours develop. Learners will examine how sensory experiences can be extended through descriptive language, comparison, tools, maths ideas, shared attention, stories, songs, and early science thinking. The module also emphasises the importance of inclusive and safe sensory activities, with attention to choice, control, boundaries, adapted sensory levels, safe resources, hygiene, and effective supervision.

Module 5: Sensory Preferences, Sensitivities, and Supporting Participation
Learners will explore how children differ in their sensory preferences and sensitivities and how these differences affect learning, behaviour, and participation. This module explains the difference between sensory preferences, which are the sensations a child seeks or enjoys, and sensitivities, which are stronger reactions to sensory input that may cause distress or avoidance. Learners will examine signs of sensory-seeking and sensory-avoiding behaviour, such as seeking movement, deep pressure, or sound, or avoiding noise, mess, touch, or busy spaces. The module also explains the effects of sensory sensitivities on attention, activity choice, stress responses, social interaction, movement, feeding, and self-care. Learners will explore simple ways to support children with sensory differences through predictability, choice, calm spaces, planned movement, and sound or light adjustments, so that children can take part more comfortably alongside their peers.

Module 6: Risk, Hygiene, and Safety in Sensory Play
In the final module, learners will explore the main risks linked to sensory activities and how to manage them safely in early years settings. This module explains potential risks such as choking and ingestion, allergy and skin reactions, and slips, trips, or impact during movement and messy play. Learners will examine how basic risk assessments for sensory play can be used to match activities to children’s ages and needs, identify hazards, plan control measures, organise supervision, prepare environments, and review practice over time. The module also covers hygiene and safety in sensory resources, including cleaning and drying equipment, separating food and play materials, hand hygiene, resource rotation, and allergy awareness. Together, these areas help ensure that sensory provision remains enjoyable, inclusive, and safe for all children.

Target Audience

This course is suitable for:

• Early years practitioners.
• Nursery and preschool staff.
• Childminders and childminding assistants.
• Reception staff and teaching assistants.
• SENCOs and staff supporting inclusion.
• Managers and supervisors.
• Anyone involved in supporting sensory development in babies and young children.

No previous specialist knowledge of sensory development is required.

FAQ

Is this course relevant to Early Years practice in England?

Yes. The course is designed for Early Years practice in England and links sensory development to the EYFS, inclusive practice, observation-led planning and safe provision.

Does the course explain more than the five traditional senses?

Yes. It explains the seven senses, including vestibular and proprioceptive processing, because movement and body awareness are central to children’s development and regulation.

Will this course help with sensory play planning?

Yes. It covers common sensory activities, age-appropriate resources, environmental planning, observation and ways to extend learning through sensory experiences.

Does it include support for children with sensory differences?

Yes. The course explores sensory preferences, sensitivities, sensory-seeking and sensory-avoiding behaviour, along with simple strategies to support participation and comfort.

Is safety covered?

Yes. The course includes potential risks in sensory activities, basic risk assessment, hygiene routines, allergy awareness and safe supervision.

Does the course support inclusive practice?

Yes. It explains how to adapt sensory activities, offer choice and control, and create environments that are accessible and manageable for children with different sensory needs.

How long does the course take?

The course is self-paced and typically takes 1 hours to complete.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.

Is the course CPD accredited?

Courses are not currently CPD accredited, but accreditation is planned.

A strong understanding of sensory development helps early years practitioners create environments where babies and young children can explore, regulate and learn with confidence. By planning safe, inclusive and responsive sensory experiences, practitioners can support children’s wellbeing, participation and development across the whole early years curriculum.

Enrol now to build your understanding of sensory development in Early Years practice.