25 INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE YOUR CHILD’S REGULATION
Are you a parent looking for sensory processing disorder activities for your child? As parents, we play a crucial role in fostering our children’s holistic development.
One significant aspect of this development is sensory processing. Sensory activities not only engage your child’s senses but also contribute to their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being.
If your child has sensory needs, sensory processing disorder, or is participating in sensory integration therapy, encourage your child to participate in some of these sensory processing disorder activities to help improve their regulation and promote development.
This post was created by Marra Robert, OTD, OTRL, and contains affiliate links.
Hi! My name is Marra, and I’m a mama and a pediatric occupational therapist who has years of experience working with children with sensory processing disorder, autism, and other developmental needs,
I enjoy helping parents navigate the ups and downs of child development. I loved being a support person for parents learning about autism, sensory processing, and their child’s individual needs.
This post is all about sensory processing disorder activities; These activities are powerful in helping children improve their regulation and developmental skills.
25 Sensory Processing Disorder Activities to Improve regulation
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are one of my favorite sensory processing disorder activities. Create themed sensory bins filled with various textures like rice, beans, or sand.
Add small toys or objects related to the theme for a tactile exploration. These activities not only provide tactile sensory input but also promote attention and encourage imaginative play. You can rotate themes to keep the engagement level high.
MESS-FREE PAINTING
For parents who shy away from messy activities, mess-free painting is an excellent alternative sensory processing disorder activity. Use Ziploc bags and squeeze bottles filled with paint for mess-free painting.
Your child can enjoy the sensory experience of spreading colors without the cleanup hassle. This activity is ideal for introducing your child to the world of colors and patterns.
This is a great activities if your child has tactile sensitivity and does not like the feel of paint or other textures. The plastic bag creates a nice barrier so that they can explore the texture in a safe way while they still feel comfortable.
Below, I put the link to some amazing window paint that is so much for those days where you don’t mind a little mess.
Sensory Walk
Set up a sensory walk with different textures underfoot, such as foam, bubble wrap, or fabric. This activity promote balance and coordination as your child navigates through the varied surfaces.
Not only does it engage the sense of touch, but it also enhances spatial awareness. Any activities outside are incredible sensory processing disorder activities because being outside in nature is calming to the nervous system.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Take your child outdoors for a nature scavenger hunt. This multi-sensory activity encourages them to touch, smell, and observe different natural elements.
You can create a checklist of items for them to find, making it an educational and enjoyable experience.
Play Doughh
Homemade play dough provides an excellent tactile experience. Enhance the activity with scents and textures by adding ingredients like essential oils or rice.
There are so many different sensory processing disorder activities that you can do with play dough. It allows for endless creativity and fine motor skill development as your child molds different shapes and structures.
WATER PLAY
Water play is one of my daughter’s favorite activity. Whether it’s in the bath or a designated water play area, water activities can engage multiple senses.
Add bath bombs, colored water, or floating objects for added fun. Water play not only stimulates touch but also offers a calming effect, making them perfect sensory processing disorder activities for relaxation.
SENSORY STORYTIME
Choose books that incorporate sensory elements. Use props or encourage your child to act out parts of the story for a more immersive experience. Sensory storytime enhances language development, creativity, and emotional understanding.
TEXTURED COLLAGE
Collect materials with different textures, such as fabric, sandpaper, or feathers. Create a texture collage by gluing these materials onto a poster board.
This art-focused sensory activity promotes sensory exploration through touch and visual appreciation of textures.
BALLOON GAME
Play games involving balloons to stimulate visual tracking and coordination. Activities like balloon volleyball or keeping balloons afloat engage multiple senses making it a great sensory processing activity.
The sound of balloons popping and the tactile sensation of hitting the balloon provide auditory and kinesthetic stimulation. Remember to respect your child’s comfort level especially with loud noises.
MUSICAL INTRUMENTS
Explore various musical instruments with your child. Let them experiment with sounds, rhythms, and vibrations.
This activity not only introduces them to different sensory experiences but also nurtures an appreciation for music and rhythm. I’ve linked our favorite musical toy below. I like this one because it’s not too noisy.
SENSORY BOTTLES
Create sensory bottles using water, glitter, and small objects. These bottles provide visual and auditory stimulation. As your child shakes and observes the swirling patterns, they engage both their visual and auditory senses, promoting focus and concentration.
Textured Guessing Game
Place objects with different textures in opaque bags. Encourage your child to reach in, feel the object, and guess its texture.
This activity enhances tactile discrimination and promotes descriptive language skills as your child articulates the textures they feel.
Sented Play
Infuse sensory play with scents. Use scented markers, scented play dough, or scented bubbles to engage the olfactory sense.
The introduction of scents adds a new dimension to sensory play, enhancing the overall experience and memory recall.
EDIBLE SENSORY PLAY
Create safe and edible sensory materials like colored pasta, edible slime, or flavored finger paints. Edible sensory play is not only enjoyable but also provides a safe exploration of different textures and tastes.
Cooking simple meals with your child is also a great sensory processing disorder activity. It is full of new sensory experiences and allows your child the opportunity to interact with new or nonpreferred food without the pressure of eating it.
HEAVY WORK ACTIVITIES
Heavy work activities are often times the most beneficial sensory processing disorder activities. These activities provide deep-pressure sensory input, activating the proprioceptive sensory system to help calm the body and regulate the nervous system.
The link below has great heavy work activities for your child to try and see which one they like the best.
Sensory Swing
Swings are incredible beneficial and are often used in occupational therapy as sensory integration therapy activities. The sensory swing provides calming deep pressure and movement input to your child, helping to improve their regulation.
If your child enjoys swinging and seems calmer after, I’ve linked below one that you can get for your home for a reasonable price.
Tunnels
Tunnels are so beneficial for kids to play with because crawling is so important for development even for older children. Crawling through a tunnel provides deep pressure and movement input to improve regulation.
Tunnels also strengthen body awareness, an area that many children with sensory processing disorder struggle with. I’ve lined a tunnel below you can buy but you can also create your own tunnels at home.
Therapeutic Brushes
Therapeutic brushes designed for sensory stimulation. Use them to provide deep pressure touch input, which can be calming for some children.
I strongly recommend consulting with an occupational therapist before beginning this sensory processing disorder activity. Brushing activities can be incorporated into daily routines to support sensory regulation and relaxation.
Obstacle Course
Set up a simple obstacle course at home or in the backyard. Include activities that challenge your child’s balance and spatial awareness. Obstacle courses not only stimulate the vestibular and proprioceptive senses but also promote gross motor skills.
Obstacle courses are my favorite activity to do with children with all different developmental abilities. I love obstacle courses so much that I wrote a whole blog post on them. Check it out below.
KINETIC SAND
Kinetic sand offers a unique tactile experience. Let your child mold and shape the sand, enhancing fine motor skills. The sensory input from kinetic sand play promotes creativity and concentration while providing a calming sensory input.
Sensory Mats
Sensory mats are essential sensory toys, as they provide a unique tactile experience that can promote sensory exploration and integration.
These mats are designed to offer a variety of textures and sensations, allowing individuals to engage their sense of touch in a safe and controlled environment.
SENSORY crafts
Sensory crafts prove to be highly adaptable activities for individuals with sensory processing disorders. These activities offer a multitude of benefits, serving diverse purposes such as promoting relaxation, encouraging sensory exploration, and aiding in desensitization.
Sensory crafts, designed to provide tactile sensations, play a crucial role in optimizing the efficacy of therapeutic activities.
These crafts contribute to the development and regulation of sensory functions, particularly benefiting individuals with sensory processing disorder by assisting them in navigating their surroundings more effectively and participating in meaningful interactions.
YOGA FOR KIDS
Introduce simple yoga poses tailored for children. Yoga promotes body awareness, balance, and relaxation. Yoga activities engage the proprioceptive and vestibular senses, contributing to improved focus and emotional regulation.
OUTDOOR SENSORY GARDEN
If space allows, create an outdoor sensory garden with plants of varying textures, scents, and colors. This provides a multisensory experience. Outdoor sensory gardens not only connect children with nature but also offer a rich sensory environment for exploration.
CALMING SENSORY CORNER
Create a calming sensory corner with soft lighting, comfortable seating, and items like stress balls or fidget toys for relaxation. A designated calming space provides a retreat for your child to self-regulate and unwind when needed.
Incorporating sensory activities into your child’s routine not only adds joy to their day but also nurtures essential skills for their development. Remember that each child is unique, so adapt these activities to suit your child’s preference.
If your child has sensory difficulties and they are not currently working with an occupational therapist I recommend learning more about OT.
