Finding something to do when you’re stuck inside can be challenging for many kids. But for kids who have sensory processing challenges, some activities work better than others. Here are eight sensory-friendly games to help meet your child’s sensory needs.
Play-dough
Using play-dough is a great activity to strengthen fine motor skills. It’s also a quiet activity, which is helpful if your child is sensitive to sounds.
Play-dough can reduce frustration and may appeal to kids who like to touch things. Try hiding small objects in a ball of dough for your child to find. Or challenge your child to roll the dough into a ball.
Some kids with sensory challenges have a strong reaction to the smell of store-bought Play-Doh. If your child does, or tends to chew on things, search online for a recipe for homemade (and even edible) play-dough.
“The floor is lava”
This is a popular game that’s fun for kids of all ages. It can help them practice the motor skills affected by sensory challenges. (These are also called the proprioceptive and vestibular senses.)
Gather safe climbable items like pillows and sofa cushions. Create an obstacle course by scattering them on the floor. Kids navigate from one piece of furniture to another without touching the floor. Make sure that the objects don’t slide— you don’t want kids to slip and fall.
Tabletop sensory boxes
It’s easy to create a mini sandbox. You can use your child’s favorite soothing “ingredient,” whether it’s sand, water, rice, dry beans, beads, shaving cream, or slime.
Pour the ingredient into a shoebox-size plastic storage container with a lid. Add some plastic spoons, tweezers, tongs, cups, and small toys, too. Scooping, pouring, and burying are all part of the sensory experience.
Puzzles
Putting puzzles together is great for kids whotend to get overexcited. The activity has a more calming effect than many people realize.
Puzzles not only work on fine motor skills, but can also help kids withvisual-spatial processingchallenges. Some jigsaw puzzles for younger kids even make sounds when you put the pieces in the right places.
It’s important to find puzzles that are the right challenge for a child’s skill level. That way you can build confidence and avoid frustration.
Finger and food painting
Finger painting is a great activity for sensory seekers. Just have your child dress in an old T-shirt while painting.
If your child is sensory avoidant, you can use the activity to introduce your child to new textures. You can also appeal to their sense of smell by using a variety of squishy foods to “paint” on a cookie sheet. For example, you can use chocolate pudding, yogurt, or applesauce with cinnamon.
Scratch-and-sniff painting
Scratch-and-sniff painting is one of the more labor-intensive activities. But it appeals to kids’ visual, tactile (touch), and olfactory (smell) senses.
Choose a few flavors of Jell-O based on your child’s color and smell preferences. Use a different plastic cup for each color. Mix 1tablespoon of white glue, 1tablespoon of water, and 1teaspoon of Jell-O powder in each cup. (The glue helps the gelatin granules stick.)
Give your child a few paintbrushes and cardboard or heavy paper to paint on. Once the painting is complete, lay it flat to dry. When it’s dry, kids can rub their fingertips over the page to reactivate the smell.
Dance party
For kids who need more sensory input and don’t like quiet or stationary games, try a simple dance party. It can appeal to your child’s need for visual and auditory stimulation. Put together a kid-friendly playlist, turn up the tunes, and let your child dance.
If your child has trouble with gross motor skills, try having them mirror your dance movements. It can help your child be more in touch with their body and learn how to coordinate their moves. And if your child likes to make their own music, add some instruments or pots and spoons as drums and cymbals.
At-home ball pit
Make an at-home version of a ball pit. You’ll need plastic ball pit balls, a small kiddie pool, and space to put the pit. An inflatable pool works well because you can easily deflate it for storage.Your child can bury themself, throw the balls, and even dig for a small toy you hide at the bottom of the pit.
Unless you want balls thrown all over your home, reduce access to the pit. Use a large bin with a lid to contain the balls when not in use. Bring the ball pit out only for a scheduled activity. When it’s over, have your kids load the bin with all the balls. Then cover it up and store the ball pit for next time.
Looking for more fun ideas? Check out other sensory activities, likehow to make a sensory bottle or how to make slime.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in sensory processing challenges and activities for kids, I can provide information related to the concepts mentioned in this article. Let's dive into each concept and discuss them in detail:
Play-dough
Play-dough is a great activity for kids with sensory processing challenges. It helps strengthen fine motor skills and can be a quiet activity, which is helpful for children who are sensitive to sounds. Additionally, play-dough can reduce frustration and appeal to kids who enjoy tactile experiences. You can make play-dough more engaging by hiding small objects in a ball of dough for your child to find or challenging them to roll the dough into a ball. If your child has a strong reaction to the smell of store-bought Play-Doh or tends to chew on things, you can search online for a recipe to make homemade (and even edible) play-dough.
"The floor is lava" game
"The floor is lava" is a popular game that can be beneficial for kids with sensory challenges. It helps them practice motor skills, specifically the proprioceptive and vestibular senses. To play this game, gather safe climbable items like pillows and sofa cushions and create an obstacle course by scattering them on the floor. The goal is for kids to navigate from one piece of furniture to another without touching the floor. It's important to ensure that the objects don't slide to prevent any accidents .
Tabletop sensory boxes
Tabletop sensory boxes are easy to create and provide a variety of sensory experiences for kids. You can use your child's favorite soothing "ingredient," such as sand, water, rice, dry beans, beads, shaving cream, or slime. Pour the chosen ingredient into a shoebox-size plastic storage container with a lid. Add some plastic spoons, tweezers, tongs, cups, and small toys for scooping, pouring, and burying. These activities help enhance sensory experiences and fine motor skills.
Puzzles
Putting puzzles together is a great activity for kids who tend to get overexcited. It has a calming effect and helps develop fine motor skills and visual-spatial processing. It's important to find puzzles that are the right challenge for your child's skill level to build confidence and avoid frustration. Some puzzles for younger kids even make sounds when the pieces are put in the right places.
Finger and food painting
Finger painting is an excellent activity for sensory seekers. It allows kids to explore different textures and can be a fun and messy experience. If your child is sensory avoidant, you can use finger painting to introduce them to new textures. You can also engage their sense of smell by using a variety of squishy foods, such as chocolate pudding, yogurt, or applesauce with cinnamon, to "paint" on a cookie sheet. Just make sure your child is dressed in an old T-shirt to protect their clothes .
Scratch-and-sniff painting
Scratch-and-sniff painting is a more labor-intensive activity but provides a multisensory experience for kids. It appeals to their visual, tactile (touch), and olfactory (smell) senses. To create scratch-and-sniff paintings, choose a few flavors of Jell-O based on your child's color and smell preferences. Mix 1 tablespoon of white glue, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 teaspoon of Jell-O powder in each plastic cup. Give your child paintbrushes and cardboard or heavy paper to paint on. Once the painting is complete and dry, kids can rub their fingertips over the page to reactivate the smell .
Dance party
A simple dance party can be a great sensory activity for kids who need more sensory input and enjoy visual and auditory stimulation. Put together a kid-friendly playlist, turn up the tunes, and let your child dance. If your child has trouble with gross motor skills, you can have them mirror your dance movements to help them be more in touch with their body and learn coordination. Adding instruments or using pots and spoons as drums and cymbals can also enhance the sensory experience.
At-home ball pit
Creating an at-home version of a ball pit can provide a fun sensory experience for kids. You'll need plastic ball pit balls, a small kiddie pool, and space to set up the pit. Your child can bury themselves, throw the balls, and even dig for small toys hidden at the bottom of the pit. To prevent balls from being thrown all over the home, you can use a large bin with a lid to contain the balls when not in use. Bring out the ball pit only for scheduled activities and have your kids load the bin with all the balls when the activity is over.
I hope these sensory-friendly game ideas help meet your child's sensory needs and provide enjoyable activities for them while they're stuck inside. If you're looking for more fun ideas, you can explore other sensory activities like making a sensory bottle or slime.
