Your sense of touch, unlike your other senses, is not limited to any particular part of your body. The sense of touch comes from the lowest layer of the skin, called the dermis.

The sense of touch is controlled by your body’s somatosensory system. It is the network of nerve endings and touch receptors in the skin that allow us to feel sensations. The touch we feel can include softness, hardness, smoothness, roughness, hot, cold, pressure, pain, tickling, itching, vibration, stickiness, slippery, damp, dry, etc.

Children learn about their body and how to communicate with others through touch. Most of the feelings we feel happen through our feet and hands. By taking part in activities during which children can feel with their feet and hands, they learn, among other things, to write, button up T-shirts, tie shoes.

Research shows that sensory play builds neural connections in the brain’s pathways, leading to a child’s ability to perform more complex educational tasks. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive development, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving skills and social interaction.