Helping Children Understand Emotions Through Sensory Play

As parents and caregivers, we all want to raise children who feel confident, calm, and capable of understanding and expressing their emotions. Yet, emotions can feel big especially for young children who are still learning how to navigate the world around them. One of the most effective, child-friendly ways to support this emotional development is through sensory play. When children explore different textures, shapes, colors, and patterns, they’re not just building cognitive and motor skills they’re learning how to regulate, express, and understand their own feelings.

At Edx Education, we believe that play is the foundation for emotional well being. Our toys, resources, and the Play, Learn & Create podcast all champion the idea that children learn best when their hands are busy, their senses are engaged, and their hearts feel safe.

Why Sensory Play Helps With Emotional Development

Children experience the world through their senses long before they have the words to describe their emotions. Sensory play provides a comforting, predictable, hands-on environment where they can calm their bodies and explore at their own pace.

Some of the key benefits include:

Emotional Regulation

Sensory activities help soothe the nervous system. The repetitive motion of placing, adjusting, or sorting objects provides a calming rhythm that helps children ground themselves during moments of stress or overwhelm.

Naming and Expressing Emotions

When children are engaged in sensory play, they’re often more open to conversation. This provides caregivers with natural opportunities to talk about feelings;

“This smooth piece feels calming… how does your body feel right now?”

Confidence Through Mastery

Children feel proud when they create patterns, complete a design, or experiment successfully. This sense of achievement builds resilience and encourages positive emotional expression.

Introducing Edx Education’s Abstract Magnetic Puzzles

One of our favorite tools for emotional and sensory learning is the Abstract Magnetic Puzzle Set. Designed to nurture creativity, concentration, and calmness, these colorful magnetic shapes encourage children to explore pattern-making in a therapeutic, open ended way.

Why this set supports emotional learning:

• Calming sensory feedback: Moving and placing magnets gives instant tactile satisfaction without mess or frustration.
• Open-ended creativity: Children can create faces, animals, scenes, or abstract patterns—helping them express feelings visually.
• Safe emotional distance: Sometimes it’s easier for a child to talk about how a character feels before talking about themselves. With the magnetic pieces, you can create visual stories and gently open conversations.
• Supports focus and mindfulness: The slow, thoughtful movements help anchor children in the present moment.

Try sitting beside your child and building together. You might say:

“Let’s make a happy pattern. What colors feel happy to you?”

“How would we create a calm picture? What shapes might we use?”

These gentle prompts help children link emotions to sensory experiences an essential early skill.

More Ways to Use Sensory Play to Explore Emotions

Create “Feeling Patterns”

Invite your child to arrange the magnetic pieces into patterns that represent different emotions. Spirals for excitement, zigzags for frustration, circles for calm. This helps children understand that emotions look and feel different.

Build Story Scenes Together

Use the puzzle shapes to act out stories.

Ask: “How does this character feel today?”

Naming emotions in a playful, safe context helps normalize emotional expression.

Pair With Calm-Down Spaces

Place the Abstract Magnetic Puzzle board in a quiet corner of your home. This becomes a “calm zone” a place where children can reset when feeling overwhelmed.

Play-Based Learning Builds Emotional Resilience

Every play experience offers children a chance to practice emotional skills: patience, problem-solving, confidence, independence, and communication. When we provide opportunities for sensory play, we’re giving children the tools they need for a lifetime of emotional resilience.

The Abstract Magnetic Puzzles and all Edx Education toys are designed to support this journey with love, curiosity, and creativity.

To discover more activities, expert tips, and conversations about early learning, listen to the Play, Learn & Create with Edx Education podcast or explore our free downloadable resources online.

Written by Heather Welch, Edx Education UK General Manager and author of Happy Children Play