 shelf.
Animal walks: Place names or pictures of different animals in a cup. Take turns selecting an animal from the cup and walking around like that animal. Focus on animal movements that require weight-bearing through all extremities, such as crawling, crab walking, jumping or bear walking (this is done by putting hands and feet on the ground while keeping legs and arms straight and moving forward!).
Hermit crab: Place a large bag of rice or beans on the child’s back and let them crawl around with a heavy “shell” on their back. Measure how far they can go without dropping it and see if they can beat their own record each time they try.
Wheelbarrow walking: Hold the child’s ankles and see how far they can go walking on their hands. If they are a young, small child, hold their ankles while they walk up the stairs on only their hands to provide even more input. Be careful!
Sensory defensiveness & fun tactile activities
Of the types of sensory input that may cause a child to demonstrate sensitivity, tactile defensiveness (overreaction to ordinary touch sensations) is most frequently reported. Examples of tactile defensiveness include children having issues wearing certain kinds of clothes, walking barefoot outside, or touching something sticky or gooey. Providing a child with a variety of new and different tactile experiences will help a child’s sensory system learn how to process less-desired information from their surroundings and help the child’s overall sensory processing. Here are some fun tactile sensory activities you can do at home:
Sensory bins: Fill different plastic storage bins with dry beans, rice and pasta. Then add cups for scooping and small plastic cars or animals for finding surprises and let your child dig, pour and play! Encourage your child to explore the different textures by hiding objects in the beads, driving cars through the beans and pretending you are mixing up your favorite meal. Demonstrating that this can be fun and will eliminate their anxiety over having new tactile experiences, making a huge difference in their sensory play success. Make sure your child is old enough to not swallow small pieces or select items that do not pose a swallowing or choking risk.
Finger painting: Many children enjoy this messy activity. If it is not a favorite, encourage your child to use one finger at a time or provide something small they can dip in the paint (such as a Q-tip or ½” pieces of a cut-up sponge) so they get used to being close to the texture. For a different tactile experience, mix a grainy material like sand into the paint or get creative with a blob of shaving cream or chocolate pudding. For a cold sensory experience, freeze finger paints in an ice cube try and let your child slide the frozen cubes around the paper!
Water play: Fill the kitchen sink or a large tub with sudsy water and a variety of unbreakable pitchers, bottles, turkey basters, etc. Pouring and measuring provide sensory input to the hands and are excellent for developing the tactile system. Be sure to watch children closely when they are near water. Even a bucket of water can pose a drowning risk.
Note: If your child’s sensory difficulties are affecting their ability to make it through normal routines on a daily basis, it may be time to seek help. An evaluation by a pediatric occupational therapist can determine if there are sensory treatment strategies that can be used to help your child engage successfully with the world.
This article is part of a CHoR series on developmental play activities. If you are interested in future articles on this topic, sign up for Tid*Bits, CHoR’s free family newsletter.