Sensory Activity Guide: At-home

Sensory Activities guide: At-home

These are 6 areas of at-home sensory activities listed that may help your child when it comes to sensory seeking needs.

Tactile (Touch) Activities:

1. Sensory Bins: Fill containers with rice, beans, sand, water beads, or shredded paper. Hide small toys or objects for a scavenger hunt.

   
   

2. Playdough Creations: Make your own or use store-bought playdough to encourage squishing, rolling, and shaping. Add textures like beads or pasta.

   
   

3. Textured Painting: Use shaving cream, finger paint, or pudding for mess-free or messy exploration.

   
   

4. Mystery Bags: Place various objects in a bag. Have children guess what they’re touching using their hands.

   
   
   
   

Vestibular (Movement) Activities:

1. Swinging: Use a swing or hammock to provide calming or stimulating movement.

   
   

2. Rolling Games: Roll your child in a blanket (like a “burrito”) or let them roll across the floor.

   
   

3. Obstacle Courses: Create a course with jumping, crawling, balancing, and climbing.

   
   

4. Animal Walks: Practice crab walks, bear crawls, or frog jumps to enhance coordination.

Proprioceptive (Body Awareness) Activities:

1. Pillow Pile Play: Jump into a pile of pillows or cushions.

   
   

2. Heavy Work: Push or pull laundry baskets filled with toys or books.

   
   

3. Wall Push-Ups: A simple calming activity for grounding and body awareness.

   
   

4. Therapy Ball Fun: Sit, bounce, or lie on a large therapy ball for balance and deep pressure.

   
   
   
   

Auditory (Hearing) Activities:

1. Sound Matching: Use containers filled with items (e.g., rice, coins, marbles) to create different sounds.

   
   

2. Musical Play: Make homemade instruments like shakers, drums, or rubber band guitars.

   
   

3. Listening Walks: Go for a walk and focus on identifying different sounds in the environment.

   
   

4. White Noise or Calming Music: Use these to help regulate overstimulated senses.

   
   
   
   

Visual (Sight) Activities:

1. Light Play: Explore with flashlights, glow sticks, or a DIY shadow puppet theater.

   
   

2. I-Spy Games: Use colorful toys, objects, or books to encourage attention to detail.

   
   

3. Sensory Bottles: Fill clear bottles with water, glitter, beads, or small toys for calming visual stimulation.

   
   

4. Sorting by Color or Shape: Use objects like pom-poms, buttons, or LEGO bricks for sorting activities.

Gustatory and Olfactory (Taste and Smell) Activities:

1. Edible Sensory Play: Use pudding, whipped cream, or yogurt to combine messy play with tasting.

   
   

2. Scent Exploration: Introduce scented playdough or use essential oils (diluted) on cotton balls for smell recognition.

3. Flavor Tasting: Try foods with different tastes (sweet, salty, sour) to encourage new experiences.

   
   

4. Cooking Together: Let children mix, knead, or sprinkle ingredients for hands-on sensory cooking fun.

   
   
   
   

Tips for Success:

• Adapt for Sensitivities: Adjust activities based on whether a child is sensory-seeking or sensory-avoidant.

  
  

• Supervise Activities: Especially for messy or small-object-based play.

• Create a Sensory-Friendly Space: Dedicate a corner or room to sensory exploration with calming or stimulating items.

• Follow the Child’s Lead: Let their preferences guide the type and duration of activities.