Sensory Activities for Play & Regulation

Sensory Play

Sensory Play is an essential part of a young child's learning and development. In addition, engagement in certain sensory activities can have an impact on a child's overall regulation. Therefore, below are suggestions for sensory play activities as well as strategies that may help your child with attention and focus. And just like any activity, multiple domains of development can be addressed within a single activity. So, we have also provided suggestions on how to integrate language and vocabulary within this activities.

Mixing Spices into Paints

This video clip shows through adding scents through spices or herbs into paints or water to engage in a fine motor or sensory activity, you can provide calming or alerting sensory input for your student. (Generally, calming spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, curry, & vanilla. Alerting spices and herbs include ginger, mint, and cloves. Before incorporating these scents into an activity, together with your child smell these and observe the reaction. You want to make certain that if you are trying to have your child calm his or her body that you know that these are truly calming. Everyone is different.

Sensory Play through STEAM Activities

Car Chute with Everyday Items

Several children of all ages love cars! This activity combines this interest with an age appropriate engineering challenges. The four videos below provide some suggestions on how to structure this activity, but let your child experiment. You will be surprised with the complexity of their inventions.

Sensory Play with Balloons

This video clip is for parents and caregivers to create a sensory play activity with a balloon and a coin (dimes or pennies work best). Parents and caregivers should closely supervise their child anytime they are using balloons. Only use balloons with your child if they are NOT allergic to latex. It is difficult to find latex-free balloons appropriate for this activity.

Add some language!

Sensory activities are a great time to work on language too.

1. Try rolling the balloon back and forth, saying "ready, set, go". See if your child will fill in some of the words i f you pause.

2. Make 2 balloons, and imitate your child, while labeling the actions--for example, "lifting, shaking, dancing, etc."

3. Songs are a great way to promote language learning. Shake to some music. Animal boogie is always a hit.

DIY Items for Sensory Play

& Sensory Regulation

Sensory Play with Everyday Items

Fun with Flour[2].pdf

Sensory Table Ideas

Sensory Activities-Materials.pdf

Making Your Own Playdough, Slime, and Items for Sensory Bins

Make At Home - Sensory and Science.docx

Ideas for Fidgets

Fidgets are defined as anything that a child can hold that provides sensory input either through visual, auditory, or tactile properties. Often, children help themselves regulate by holding onto objects that have certain sensory properties. Below are a few ideas for creating fidgets or items to offer your child.

IMG-0824.MOV

I have a student that loves googly eyes. So I placed these in a container to create a fidget that has visual interest and an interesting sound. For your child, you could place anything you want in a small, plastic container for him or her to hold. Just make certain that you tape or secure the lid so that your child cannot access the items inside.

Some children prefer to hold onto favorite items such as cars or small animal toys. This picture shows a variety of fidgets that you may have at home that may also be effective for your child: (a) spinner board from a game; (b) squooshy; (c) finger puppets; (d) silly putty* (this is similar to playdough but it is harder and more stretchy); (e) magnetic toy.

Sensory Strategies

The following are strategies that tap into the body's proprioceptive system. This system gives our body's information on body position and the amount of force we are using. It is also a great regulator - engaging in activities that use our bodies in vigorous ways to push, pull, or carry items allows us to feel alert, focused, and calm. Young children engage in both active and passive proprioceptive activities throughout their play. Examples of active proprioception include jumping up and down, crashing into the couch, and bouncing up and down in chairs. Young children also seek more passive types of proprioception when they ask for hugs, lean on the table, or play on their tummies. These are all strategies to regulate their sensory system. Below are some suggestions and an article to give you ideas to integrate proprioceptive input into your child's play and daily routines.

Wall Push Ups

Wall push ups are a great way to get strong muscle input* through a child's body. To create a place for wall push ups, have your child trace his or her hands on paper, help them cut these out, and tape them to a secure wall. (*this type of active muscle movements tap into a child's proprioceptive system that helps the body be more calm and to focus on more challenging activities. Another way to engage your child in these types of active proprioceptive activities is through heavy work activities. (BONUS - lots of home activities provide heavy work opportunities for your child).

Heavy Work Activities

"Heavy work is any type of activity that pushes or pulls against the body. Heavy work activities can help kids with sensory processing issues feel centered. Heavy work engages a sense called proprioception, or body awareness." (Morin, n.d.) According to Amanda Morin, "heavy work doesn't actually have to be work".

The full article by Amanda Morin, is located within the URL below. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/heavy-work-activities

**please note, that Ms. Morin also recommends pushing and pulling a vacuum cleaner. This is a wonderful heavy work activity but often children become upset with the sound. So be mindful of your child's unique sensory profile when choosing one of these heavy work tasks. If you have questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact the occupational therapy for EIP, Yvette Mere-Cook, Ed.D., OTR/L (ymere-cook@walnutcreeksd.org)

Pushing Laundry Baskets

Pushing or pulling a laundry basket is a great way to activate your child's proprioceptive system.

Carrying Heavy Items

Have your child carry grocery bags from the door to your kitchen. You don't want the bags to be too heavy, but your child's proprioceptive system will certainly be activated with at least 5 pounds of weight.

Making Beds

This chore provides loads of heavy work: Have your child freshen up the bed by hitting the pillow on the mattress, pulling the sheets with you, and perhaps help you lift the mattress to tuck in those sheets.

Sensory Obstacle Course

This Sensory Walk combines 3 different gross motor activities: (1) modified hopscotch, (2) line walk, & (3) frog jumps. All of these activities provide strong proprioceptive input so this is a great activity to do before you have your child engage in listening to a story or completing a fine motor/visual motor activity. If you can't play outside, you can replicate this Sensory Walk using blue tape on carpet or floor inside.

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