According to Erika Thormahlen at Citibabes.com, there is greater opportunity in sensory play for a child to explore her self-expressive abilities because there is no right or wrong answer. The open-ended nature of the activities gives the child the chance to create or re-create pictures, shapes and designs as many times as she likes; as she approaches her desired outcome more closely, her self-esteem is reinforced. Sensory play also eliminates the fear and experience of failure, which can negatively impact a child's self-esteem.
Erika Thormahlen also claims that, when engaged in group sensory play, children often exhibit bonding behavior as they share a common experience with other individuals. This is a great way to introduce basic socialization skills to young children who do not possess the language skills necessary to understand complex interpersonal concepts. Because playing with play dough or sand does not require the use of language, even very young children can build early social ability through sensory play.
When allowed to play freely, children may ask critical questions about their experiences as they explore whichever activity they are engaged in. For example, a child playing in a sand box might wonder how high sand can be piled, what sand tastes like and how much sand is necessary to cover a hand. According to Erika Thormahlen, the very act of questioning builds critical thinking skills and investigative ability; sensory play assists in building these skills without the need for language.
Sensory play encourages the development of fine motor and coordination skills, which can increase sensory perception and familiarity with spacial relations. Additionally, as children play with free-form substances such as paint or clay, they inevitably create shapes and sequences. Something as simple as pouring water or sand into containers or through funnels builds the foundations for understanding volume.