Stimulating their senses helps a child grow cognitively and build their understanding of things around them through their hands. Tactile skills are important because children are able to manipulate items and can enhance their engagement and social skills.

To build a babies senses, you can create sensory bags. These bags can help your child learn through many of their senses - touch, hearing, sight, possibly smell and taste depending on how you use your sensory bags. You can place various items in the bags - jelly, sand, seeds, water, etc.

Below are a few bags that I have made so far for my little one with just a few food items. I placed jelly in one bag which is great because it also helps with visualizing colors. Place it in the fridge after a day of playing with it to give it a bit of a chill. Another bag contains beans which also helps with sound and sight. And the last bag has grits which are gritty and also helps with sight and sound.

You can place the bags anywhere for the baby to play and explore. Currently, I just place them on the table for my little one and allow her to pick them up and observe. But you can also tape them against a wall, desk, or just place them on the floor; especially if your child is crawling. And if he or she is biting or chewing on things, you may want to double or triple bag them.

Sensory bags are a good alternative for learning and can be added to your baby's daily schedule. So, if you have some little bouncy balls, water, beads, or lotion, make a few sensory bags without having to spend too much money.