I used to work at daycares for many years before I became a mother and started to homeschool and sensory play was a huge part of what we did. It does really encourage children to explore their environment and it is really great for their cognitive development as stated above.

My children now love getting their hands wet and dirty and feeling all kinds of different textures. My one year old loves letting water run through his hands and trying to grab it lol :D Thanks for a nice article!