Sensory-friendly activities stimulate a child's senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. They can positively impact a child's physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development. An activity is considered sensory-friendly when it engages multiple senses and is enjoyable for kids with diverse sensory abilities and needs.
Children with autism process sensory information differently, and some may have altered sensory processing pathways. These can affect the ability to react to or perceive sensory stimuli. Engaging in sensory-friendly activities can help alleviate under-responsiveness or sensory overload.
Sensory play activates a child's brain, creating new neural connections and improving their ability to process sensory information. It also enhances gross and fine motor skills and strengthens hand-eye coordination. Sensory-friendly activities also help a child effectively respond to sensory stimulation, reducing overload.
Try these activities at home:
Kids can create art by dipping the paintbrush into the food and applying it to canvas or paper. Show them how it's done, and encourage them to experiment with different colors and food. While playing, ask them about the sensations they're experiencing. Do they like the smell of the food? You can enhance their sensory experience by using various scents.
Making slime can help kids improve their problem-solving skills. Ask the kids to mix corn flour and water in a big bowl. To make it even more fun, add food coloring and glitter. You can also encourage them to mold the slime into different shapes and experiment with other slime recipes.
You can develop or improve your child's ability to detect smells by using playdough and scented extracts or oils. Prepare the store-bought playdough and add lavender oil, lemon, peppermint, or vanilla. Consider blindfolding the kids to help them better focus on the scents. If you don't blindfold them, add food coloring or glitter to incorporate other sensory experiences.
Collaborative finger and foot painting encourages creativity and helps children develop their hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Use large canvases or sheets of paper and washable paint for this activity. Create a space where kids can move freely, and consider adding stimulators such as music or bubbles during the activity. Ask the kids to apply paint to their toes and fingers and create art together.
You'll need a large container, blue food coloring, ocean-themed toys and sand (for the ocean floor). Just put the materials in the container and encourage the children to explore the underwater world using their hands and senses. You can also add coconut oil scents to improve their experience.
Let your kids explore music by using various household items and craft supplies. You can use glass jars, spoons, and pots and pans as musical instruments. Beans, rice, and sand can be used to create shakers. First, you'll have to demonstrate how to create a musical instrument.
For example, you can create a percussion instrument using jars as drums and spoons as drumsticks. Shakers are containers filled with rice or beans. During the activity, encourage the children to play together and ask them what other materials they can use to create new music.
Sensory boxes allow kids to explore different textures, smells, and colors. You'll need containers filled with sensory-rich objects such as beans, sand, shells, and small toys. For scents, you can include essential oils or herbs. Just fill the container with objects and let the kids explore the boxes using their senses. Ask the kids what they see, feel, or smell during the activity to foster curiosity.
Improve kids' motor skills and enhance their sensory experience by playing Pouring Station. They can pour water into different sizes of containers or bottles or use other materials with different textures, such as sand, beans, or rice. Encourage the children to experiment with various pouring techniques, and don't forget to ask open-ended questions, such as:
Treasure hunts can enhance your child's problem-solving skills and encourage teamwork and interaction. You'll need treasures (toys or treats) and a list of clues to find them. Incorporating maps or flashlights will make the activity more engaging. Make sure the difficulty level suits the child's abilities and age.
Doing a Touch Walk activity can develop a child's tactile awareness and increase motor skills. Use leaves, soft carpets or fabric made with fur or velvet, bubble wrap and textured mats. Incorporate music and scents to enhance their experience. You can also use blindfolds and even gloves for the Touch Walk. During the activity, encourage the children to explore the different textures with their hands and feet and ask what the texture feels like.
If the child has a hearing impairment, consider using assistive technology like hearing aids. You may also use vibrating devices or flashing lights to alert them. Adjust lighting levels if they have visual problems or use magnifying glasses.
When trying the activities above, remember also to address hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity. You may need to adjust the duration or intensity of the activity to ensure it suits your child's needs.
Integrating sensory play into a child's daily routine is a powerful tool for supporting children with autism. It can positively impact their emotional, social, and cognitive development. When using sensory-friendly activities as part of your child's routine, remember to always prioritize your child's needs and abilities.
If you have a child with autism, our team at Abby Care can train you to become a better caregiver for your loved one. Contact us if you also need resources to support your child's development.
https://www.thefca.co.uk/fostering-autistic-children/sensory-activities-children-autism/
https://theplaceforchildrenwithautism.com/autism-blog/what-does-sensory-friendly-mean
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https://www.psacademyarizona.com/blog-posts/10-sensory-friendly-activities-to-try-at-home
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https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/family-activities-sensory-exposure/
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