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    • Apr 17, 2021

Sensory Activities at Home

Written by Nicki from SENsational Families


Proprioceptive Activities

  • For body awareness in order to regulate children’s emotional and behavioural responses to sensory stimulation

  • Rolling forward and backward over gym ball

  • Completing different activities whilst laying on tummy:

  • Reading, Drawing

  • Playing xbox/board game

  • Wall mounted games (print outs of noughts and crosses, 4 in a row) whilst standing on a cushion

  • Wrapping / rolling in a duvet

  • Wall pushes (back pushes, feet pushes)

  • Feet and hand pushes – push against each other’s feet and hands for firm pressure

  • Feet massages, deep pressure body massage

  • Wearing a heavy backpack periodically – fill with items from around the home

  • Carry heaving objects such as full laundry baskets or buckets of water outside

  • Yoga Sequences

  • Baking and cooking activities-especially bread

  • Gardening tasks – watering the flowers/ plants, sowing seeds in pots

  • Family plank challenge, Wall pushes, Bear hugs

  • Cleaning windows, cupboards, fences, garden furniture

  • Electric toothbrush

  • Wear a wet heavy towel over shoulders in bath

Vestibular Activities

Linear movement is calming (back and forward)

  • Swinging linear on a swing

  • Using a scooter or skateboard

  • Riding a bike

  • Being pushed in a wheelbarrow

  • Jumping on a trampoline

  • Place a route on the floor with masking tape and walk heel-to-toe along it

Spinning / rotation is alerting

  • Spinning in circles

  • Sitting on a towel / sheet and being spun

  • Spinning on a swing

  • Bouncing on a ball / space hopper

  • Hanging upside down from the sofa

Regulating Foods

  • Crunchy snacks, such as crisps, carrot sticks, apple dry cereal and fruit

  • Chewy snacks, such as cereal bars, fizzy sweets, dried apricots

  • Drinking through a straw or sports bottle

  • Smoothies and thick milkshakes

  • Fizzy sweets (alerting)

  • Popcorn and chocolate (comfort)

Fine Motor and Tactile Activities

  • Theraputty exercises

  • Popping bubble wrap with hands

  • Paper football – flicking pieces of scrunched up paper, make a goal each end of the table and using your fingers flick the paper and try and score

  • Gardening – sewing seeds, planting flowers

  • Making slime and fairy dough

  • stretchy tactile toys – fidget toys