By Ali Temple, Occupational Therapist and Owner of First Priority Occupational Therapy, LLC 

It’s summer– schedules are different, there’s a lack of routine, and it’s HOT out. Our kiddos are looking for fun and interactive activities that not only keep them interested, but meet their sensory needs. Sensory needs, or receiving and responding to information from our senses, guides our self-regulation and participation in everyday life.

When asked about our senses, most people can name five– sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. But there are actually EIGHT distinct senses, all playing a significant role in how we attend, focus, and respond to the world around us. Two very important senses, proprioception (external body awareness) and vestibular (sense of balance), play a large role in self-regulation and self-control for our kiddos. Oftentimes what we as adults see as “bouncing off the walls,” “won’t sit still,” or “poorly behaved” is our younger friends telling us they need more proprioceptive and vestibular input! Though their bodies (and brains) are seeking input from these two systems, their means of retrieval can be disruptive, inappropriate, and sometimes unsafe. These behaviors may look like extra wiggles at the dinner table, climbing and jumping off the couch, and/or difficulties with keeping their hands to themselves with siblings.

As an occupational therapist and owner of First Priority Occupational Therapy, LLC, I have the privilege of working with children and families on helping them explore and safely participate in sensory-motor activities to promote self-regulation in a SAFE therapeutic, individualized, and strengths based approach. As an occupational therapist, I work with families on identifying their child’s interpretation of sensory information and how we can incorporate sensory-rich information for their bodies throughout the day and across environments. Understanding the “why” to a child’s behavior not only builds rapport with them, but shows that we see them, hear them, and want to help them.

Below, I have created a list of fun, sensory-rich activities for you and your child to participate in this summer to promote turning off electronics and meeting sensory needs for overall improvements with self-regulation!

ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE…

PROPRIOCEPTIVE INPUT:

  • Push/carry/pull heavy objects
  • Wall push-ups/chair push-ups
  • Climb on playground equipment
  • ‘Animal walks’
  • Obstacle Courses (inside or outside)
  • Yoga

VESTIBULAR INPUT:

  • Scooters/scooter boards
  • Swings and slides
  • Spinning
  • Rolling and crawling on the floor
  • Bouncing on a ball
  • Playing “Head, shoulders, knees and toes” or other games with associated dance moves

Visual input:

  • Kaleidoscopes
  • Glow sticks
  • Lava lamps
  • Fish tanks
  • Sensory bottles
  • Mazes/Dot-to-dots
  • Use visual timers during activities
  • Flashlights

Auditory input:

  • Singing
  • Blow whistles
  • Listen to music
  • Rain sticks/listen to nature
  • Sound machine

Tactile input:

  • Finger paint
  • Sensory bins
  • Playing with kinetic sand, grass, or leaves
  • Vibrating pen brushing protocol, joint
  • Foam play
  • Touch and feel books
  • Water play

Olfactory input:

  • Use scented markers
  • Smell essential oils
  • Diffuser oil bracelet or necklace
  • Scented bubbles
  • Scratch and sniff sticker

Gustatory input:

  • Explore textures and tastes of foods
  • Chew gum
  • Suck apple-sauce or yogurt through a straw
  • Flavored lip balms
  • Sucking a lollipop or hard candy
  • Crunching ice

If you are in the Richmond area and think your child would benefit from an in-home, occupational therapy evaluation and therapy services, please check us out at www.firstpriorityot.com.