Casey Halper, an Occupational Therapist who works at our school, recently gave a seminar to parents to teach us about sensory balance and activities for a sensory savvy schedule throughout the day. Many kids are now diagnosed with sensory integration issues, but the more I learn about this, the more I find that sensory issues are something that we all face and can all benefit from exploring. For instance, I now realize that my engine tends to run too low and I need to work harder at energizing myself throughout the day. I have actually become more sensitive to when I am running low and have incorporated some of the activities below to help keep my energy up. I find this whole thing really interesting because I never really thought about actually trying to manipulate my energy level this way, and certainly for kids it can be invaluable as sometimes any kid can be too hyped up or having trouble getting going. I thought it would be cool to put together a list of sensory activities. While these activities all revolve around sensory stimulation, I think they are just great all-around activities for any kid, and a great list to pull up when you are stuck at home and need ideas for how to pass that last hour in the day or when you need a calming or invigorating activity when your child is stuck in a bad mood. These sensory activities are perfect for any kid from toddlers on up and some are even good for babies.
If you are interested in other sensory topics check out our posts on sensory savvy snacks and OT recommended toys or visit our Special Needs Guide to see all of our special needs posts. Sensory activities fall into different categories. Perhaps the most useful one for self-regulation is Proprioceptive Input. That’s a fancy word for “heavy work” that engages your joints. These activities make you feel grounded and can be calming for a high-running child or invigorating for a low-running kid. This first batch of activities create Proprioceptive Input:
- Jump (on a mini-trampoline, from a chair to a sofa, on the bed, etc.)
- Wheelbarrow walking or races
- Donkey Kicks
- ABC Pushups (Push-up plank position, touch chest with hand and say a letter of the alphabet, all the way up to the letter Z. Each letter said, the student changes the hand that touches the chest)
- Bear walk
- Crab walk
- Play leap frog
- Tummy time push ups (for babies)
- Toddlers can push their own stroller, the laundry or grocery cart
- Have your toddler or child carry a backpack full of their own toys and books
- Hammer ice cubes in a plastic bag (then use them for lemonade!)
- Pillow Fight
- Stuffed animal catch
- Hanging from a chin-up bar
- Bouncing on hopping ball
- Tug-of-war
- Hopscotch
- Wrestling
- Tickle fight
- Drumming
- Banging on pots and pans
- Have a parade and march
- Wiping the counters
- Sweeping
- Swiffering
- Dustbusting
- Unloading the washing machine and the dryer
- Taking out the trash
- Water balloon catch
- Beanbag catch
- Push-o-war (put palms against each other and push as hard as you can)
- Animal footsteps (Child lays down and chooses and animal and using your fingers or hands try to make it feel like that animal walking over back and limbs. Vestibular Input (swinging and spinning) is intense and long-lasting sensory input. It should be provided in doses and parents should watch and be sensitive to how their children react and help them learn to manage this type of input to keep them even.
- Swinging: Try different types of swinging to see how it feels (tire, rope, belly, etc)
- Spinning
- Run in circles
- Hang upside down
- Swing your child around from their arms or legs
- drag them on a sheet or blanket
- Rock in a rocking chair Tactile Input. Many kids are overly sensitive to tactile input. Tags, pant buttons, getting wet, or even the feeling of foods in the mouth can drive some kids batty. Doing these activities can help children get used to tactile stimulation gradually and can be fun for all kids.
- Make a kid sandwich by pressing down on him between two pillows or couch cushions
- Make a kid burrito by rolling her tightly in a blanket
- Roll out the cookie dough by rolling a big ball firmly over the back and limbs
- Make your own sandbox with a bowl full of dry beans or styrofoam peanuts.
- Pour salt on a cookie sheet and paint with your fingers.
- Spread beans out in a baking tray or pan and make a construction site for trucks.Bury small toys in rice and have them do an archeological dig
- Go on a texture walk
- Have a texture scavenger hunt at homeIn the bath: Some sensory defensive kids hate getting wet, but these activities make bathing more fun for all kids:
- Add food coloring to the water
- Ladles, cups, strainers, squirters, funnels
- Play with shaving cream
- Soap crayons or bath paints
- Rub with different textures while in the bath, a smooth or nubby washcloth, a loofah, a nail brush.
- Put shaving cream on a placemat to squish around
- Mix cookie dough or cake batter with hands
- Make play dough
- Make a touch book of different textures from your home
- Put single items in paper bags and let kids try to guess what they are
- play with face paints
- Repot the plants
- Use a vibrating toothbrush
- Sip seltzer
- Lick lemons Some kids need extra oral-motor activities, but they tend to be calming for everyone.
- Crunch ice
- Use chewelry
- Make smoothies and suck through a straw
- practice chewing gum and blowing bubbles
- Use crazy straws Breathing is especially important for kids with low muscle tone, but we can all use to exercise our lungs and benefit from the therapeutic effects of breathing deeply.
- blow whistles
- Make and blow pinwheels
- blow feathers off your hand
- play soccer by blowing a cottonball across the table scoring if you can blow it off the other person’s end.
- Have a cottonball race.
- Make bubble mountains in a bowl with a straw and soapy water
- Blow gently on each other’s faces (see who can blow the longest) Visual, Olfactory (Smell), and Auditory Stimulating Activities:
- Sit quietly and listen to nature. (You can also use nature sounds recordings)
- Play a listening game. Sit very quietly and try to guess the sounds you hear.
- Let them play with the stereo dial to experiment with loud and soft sounds.
- Play by candlelight
- Turn off the lights and play flashlight tag
- Shadow puppets
- Build a fort or tent
- Hide under a blanket and read by flashlight
- play catch with a balloon
- Do mazes or dot to dots
- Trace your body or hands
- Wear sunglasses Smells
- Explore how your child reacts to different smells. If you find some are soothing or alerting, get lotions, soaps, or candles to help regulate mood.
- Using a blindfold have them guess different smells. (peanut butter, maple syrup, apples, etc)
- Try giving a child a strong flavored candy or gum before trying a new food at dinner.
- Eat sensory savvy snacks
- Tickle Fingers (trace fingers lightly over the skin)
- Put on lotion
- Pet the cat
- Butterfly kisses (eyelash kisses)
- Give each other massages
- Make extreme faces
- Practice blowing out birthday candles on playdough cakes
- Put dollops of different colored paints in a baggie and squish around to mix the paints.
- Create a sensory savvy spot (beanbag chair or pile of pillows with soft lighting, soothing items such as books and stuffed animals, music with headphones and a snack)
Most of these activities are taken from Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Penske. This is the best book I have found on practical advice for parents on sensory issues and I think a really valuable book for ANY parent.
Most kids that I know tend to have at least one situation that makes them, well, pretty much freak. In addition to tons of advice on dealing with sensory issues, Raising a Sensory Smart Childhas great tips and advice for how to be sensitive and help children negotiate whatever their particular tough spot is, whether it’s bath time, brushing hair, getting dressed, loud noises, as well as sleeping better. This is a book worth having on every bookshelf.