Play creates an environmental context in which children acquire their sense of culture, acceptable behaviors, social norms, and language. The senses provide constant information about our bodies and our environment. Every second, whether awake or not, the brain receives thousands of bits of sensory input from all parts of the body. For example, one sensory mechanism is specially designed to detect the pull of gravity and the movements of the body in relation to the earth. Since gravity is relentless, this is always in operation.
Sensations begin in the womb as the fetal brain senses the movements of the mother's body.
This continues in infancy. As the brain organizes and processes sensory information, sensations are digested and the brain, in essence, is nourished. That is one reason why children love to be picked up, rocked, and hugged. It is also why they love to run, jump, and play at playgrounds or at the beach. Sensations are a source of nourishment for the nervous system.