Tactile Sensory Play
Tactile play is using the hands. Items that can be included in tactile sensory play include:
-play doh
-putty
-slime
-dry rice/pasta for a sensory bin to dig in find
-crafting with different textures of material
-water play
-building with items or craft materials using hands
See this video below for using wet textures in a ziplock bag for sensory play and learning.
Note: You can use hair gel, shaving cream, paint, or other items in the zip lock bag to practice shapes, letters and numbers with q-tip or finger. I have had children pinch a pom pom or cotton ball to also form the shapes in the bag to avoid tearing.
Vestibular and Proprioceptive Sensory Play
Movement and using muscles to push, pull, drag, lift, or jump are great for adding these types of sensory input into your child's day. You can do activities such as:
- swinging outside
- play ground equipment
- tug of war
- jumping (controlled and to specific spots)
- pushing or pulling items that require child to use some muscles (heavy work)
- animal walks around the house or outside
- pushing on playdoh with hands or rolling pin
- cooking with some resistance type item (cookie dough for example)
- rubbing your child's arms, legs and back with lotion for a gentle massage (you can also just do hands if that is preferred)
- ring around the rosey with crashing into pillows and gentle rotation
- stretching with slow and controlled movements
- 3 minute movement breaks designed by your OT staff to target these sensory needs
Movement and using muscles to push, pull, drag, lift, or jump are great for adding these types of sensory input into your child's day. You can do activities such as:
- swinging outside
- play ground equipment
- tug of war
- jumping (controlled and to specific spots)
- pushing or pulling items that require child to use some muscles (heavy work)
- animal walks around the house or outside
- pushing on playdoh with hands or rolling pin
- cooking with some resistance type item (cookie dough for example)
- rubbing your child's arms, legs and back with lotion for a gentle massage (you can also just do hands if that is preferred)
- ring around the rosey with crashing into pillows and gentle rotation
- stretching with slow and controlled movements
- 3 minute movement breaks designed by your OT staff to target these sensory needs
- Pick one activity from each color (starting with yellow, then green, then blue). Have your child complete the listed exercise for 60 seconds before moving to the next color. Example: 60 seconds of bunny hops (yellow column), 60 seconds cross Crawls bringing hands to knees (green column), and ending with Plank for 60 seconds (blue column). If they have trouble with the exercise, just tell them to rest and then get back at it until the timer goes off. You can do it with them to increase their motivation!
- Get exercise list here!
- You can do these 3 minute breaks throughout the day and there are lots of options! If you have access to printing option, you can print, cut and separate each color into a jar, box, envelope for your child to pick one of each color to do!
You can make an obstacle course with letters and numbers using chalk outside as well to work these sensory systems. See example below! Feel free to be creative in coming up with things to use in your home to make an obstacle course too!
Auditory and Visual Sensory Activities
When a child is experiencing some overload, reducing light and sound are some great things that we can do just to control the environment and help them. These videos below are some ideas of visual and calming music that may be good to try with your child for calming times (before a typical melt down might occur in your routines, before bed, prior to doing work where they need to be calm and focused).
When a child is experiencing some overload, reducing light and sound are some great things that we can do just to control the environment and help them. These videos below are some ideas of visual and calming music that may be good to try with your child for calming times (before a typical melt down might occur in your routines, before bed, prior to doing work where they need to be calm and focused).
If you have any questions or need resources/ideas, contact your OT via email by clicking the button below and locating your students OT. If you do not know who the OT is, send a contact to any of the OT staff and we will get your questions to the right person!