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Sensory Play Everyday
Big changes to our daily routines as we are all experiencing right now are especially challenging. Big change can mean sensory systems out of whack, bodies that are struggling to keep it together. Here is a list of fun sensory themed play activities for you and your child to experience, explore and enjoy during this challenging time using items you probably already have in your home.
Theme One- “Play Through Touch”
1. “Go On a Touch Walk”- Talk a walk with your child in your yard, your neighborhood, a local park (keeping social distancing). Encourage your child to touch a variety of items in nature such as rocks, grass, leaves, tree bark as you talk about how they look and feel in simple terms. Bring some of the items inside to explore even more.
2. “Simple Sensory Bins”- Using items from your touch walk or other items from the pantry, create a sensory bin using a shoe box/tupperware/storage container. Include items such as spoons, cups, bowls to encourage scooping, pouring. Hide objects for more fun. SOme great sensory bin textures include rice, beams, dry noodles, sand, cotton balls. These bins are a great starting place for kiddos who prefer not to get their hands dirty
3. “Messy Bins”- Create sensory bin(s) that are a little more daring. Items in these bins will challenge your child to accept messy hands while having fun. Simple messy textures include cooked noodles, wet sand, cooked veggies, applesauce/pureed fruits. Motivate your child by adding items such as their favorite small cars, characters, play coins, beads. Try to encourage your child to stay messy for longer periods of time in between hand wiping. You can even do this activity in the bathtub or on a plastic tablecloth/shower curtain for easy clean up
4. “Messy Art”- Using some of the same messy bin textures listed above, allow your child to create art using their hands, feet, paintbrushes, Q tips, cotton balls, small cars. Encourage your child to paint with pureed fruits, smear yogurt over paper, push their small cars/characters through mashed potatoes. Great activity for picky eaters too- making food fun without the stress of having to take a bite!!
5. “Food Building”- Another activity to incorporate food into a fun play task. Have your child build towers/houses/creations out of foods such as marshmallows, crackers, cereal, carrot sticks, etc. You can even add things like yogurt/pudding/cream cheese to help the items stick together.
6. “Scented Paints”- You can make your own scented finger paint for more painting fun. Mix cornstarch and water to create the paint consistency. Add color/scent using kool aid mixes, vanilla, peppermint oil, flavored teas, spices. Adding the flavors/scents impacts additional sensory systems and is a good way to introduce new smells/flavors to the picky eaters world.
7. “Homemade Playdoh”- There are so many great recipes for home made playdoh that uses items you typically have at home. One simple one is cake mix dough: Mix one dry cake mix (any flavor) with one softened stick of butter. Add water until you reach a desired consistency. This dough smells great and is edible if they take a bite! There are so many fun dough recipes online- check out Pinterest or google “homemade play dough “ for more ideas.
Theme Two: “Keep Moving”
1. “Jump In”- Pull out all your pillows, couch cushions, bean bags and let you child run and jump into them. Mini trampolines are great but you dont need one to build some jumping into your home routine!
2. “Sensory Path”- Create an interesting path for your child to walk, crawl, roll on. You can use carpet squares, scrap materials, bath tub mats,
bubble wrap, small pillows/cushions to create a sensory path down your hallway, thru your family room, etc. Have your child go barefoot for this activity.
3. “Tunnel Time”- Create tunnels under tables, behind couches using blankets/cushions. The tighter the space the more sensory input! HAve your child crawl thru the tunnels- use light up balls, favorite objects or a cooperative small pet as motivation to crawl in one end and out the other.
4. “Blanket Swinging”- Vestibular movement can be very calming. For smaller children you can have them lie down on a blanket and then have two people grab the ends of the blanket and swing the child in all different directions- front to back and side to side. For bigger children, have them rock on rocking chairs, therapy balls, big pillows to get the same input to their brains.
5. “Just Dance”- Put on some fun music and encourage your child to move their bodies in any way they prefer. Encourage the kiddos to try to imitate some of your movements making sure to use both sides of your body and crossing midline for important input to both sides of their brain. For pre-dancers, incorporate some of our home visit movement songs into your daily routine. The Red Wagon song is great but you can make your own versions of familiar songs like Row Your Boat making fun arm and leg movements.
6. “Big Box Fun”- Before throwing away any empty big boxes you might have in your home, create some fun play spaces for your kids. Cut a door or windows out of the box and encourage your child to motor plan how to get into and out of the box. Motor planning can be challenging for young children and especially for those with sensory needs or Autism. You can also set up a path of smaller, open boxes for the kiddos to practice stepping into and out of, over, and around.
7. “Super Towers”- This activity incorporates both sides of the body which is really important for brain development. Have your child create big towers using large, safe items such as big pillows, empty boxes, canned foods, water bottles, books, etc. Kids can build the towers and then safely knock them down and build again. Empty out your tupperware cupboard and use all of the different sized containers/lids to create more towers. This task is also great for building eye hand coordination.
Theme Three: “Push It/Pull It/Lift It/Throw It”
1. “Bean Bag Toss”- Make your own weighted bean bags using an old tube sock and some rice/beans. Fill the socks with the textures and then tie the socks closed. Have your child carry, throw the bean bags for calming sensory input. They can throw the bean bags into a box, use them to knock over block towers, carry them from one room to another as a part of their daily routines.
2. “Push It”- Create heavy items for your child to push around the house, down the hall, into and out of their bedrooms. You can fill a box with books/shoes or even just use a full laundry basket. Many of our kiddos like to try to rearrange the furniture at home so this is a good alternative to get their brain the input they’re craving.
3. “Pull It”- Using the same ideas as above, have your child pull weighted objects through the house, down the hall, out on the grass. You can add rope or an old dog leash the box or laundry basket for your child to hold onto. You can also create weighted pillow cases similar to the weighted bean bags and have kids pull those around with them. Pulling items apart also provides the same input. You can have kids pull magnets off the fridge, pull apart velcro items, play tug of war with a small blanket.
4. “Squeeze Em”- Squeezing items in your hands is another way to get the same effective sensory input in a small space. Squeezing play dough, wet sponges in the bathtub, empty condiment bottles filled with water, oranges to help make juice. You can also create your own squeeze toys by filling balloons with different textures (rice/beans/sand/flour) and have your child squeeze and explore.
5. “Pillow Squishes”- Have your child lie down on the floor, couch, their bed and “squish” their body using big pillows, heavy blankets. Many kids seek out this input by getting themselves into tight spaces, squeezing behind the couch/under a small table. When you don’t have pillows or blankets nearby, give bear hugs to your child to give them the same jolt of calming input. Try these when you notice your child getting overly hyped up or looking frazzled.
6. “Use Those Muscles”- Create opportunities for your child to carry weighted objects within their environment. This can be having them pick up and throw wet towels into the drier for older kids or as simple as wearing a small backpack full of books for younger kids. You can take empty water bottles, milk jugs and fill them with rice/sand/flour/beans to create weighted items to carry from one room to another.
7. “ Sensory Snacktime”- A lot of different foods provide intense sensory input through our mouths. Offer foods that are chewy, super crunchy such as big pretzel sticks, carrot sticks, gummy bears. Have them use bug straws to “drink” yogurt or applesauce or homemade smoothies. For younger children with less oral motor skills, mesh baby feeders (small mesh or silicone food holders with a handle) are a great way to offer tougher, chewy foods safely. Try to incorporate these types of food into meals throughout the day.
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