Piaget proposed that children need environmental stimuli and experiences to guide their cognitive development. Through sensory play, he suggested that children digest new knowledge and store it for later reference. In essence, he argued that this type of play was key to a child’s brain development. He was perhaps the first theorist of sensory play, suggesting that there was more to “play” than we understood. His theory of play (also known as developmental stage theory) states that play involves a systematic process of learning that can even be identified by stages. 

 

In Vygotsky's view, learning is an inherently social process. Through interacting with others, learning becomes integrated into an individual's understanding of the world. His sociocultural theory also suggested that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at large were responsible for developing higher-order functions.

 

According to Bruner, play can be seen as the main opportunity for children to take risks without fear of failure. His definition also proposes that creativity and play activities are closely related. That is, if children explore and experiment in their play, the possibilities for creative outcomes are greatly enhanced without the fear of failure. For example, a toddler playing with Play-Doh can creatively explore and experiment freely as there is no right or wrong way to create and mold with this material.

 

Goodstart Early Learning 2018, Exploring the benefits of Sensory Play, viewed 08 November 2020, https://www.goodstart.org.au/news-and-advice/october-2016/exploring-the-benefits-of-sensoryplay#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20sensory%20play,to%20engage%20with%20this%20food..