Five Sensory Engaging Activities for All Kids

I have four children ranging in ages from two to eight years old. Two of them have high sensory issues each requiring high, specific and regular sensory input through out the day. As you can imagine, it can be challenging finding activities that not only engage all of the children but also consider each of their needs, abilities and interests.

One thing I've discovered is that whether a child has sensory issues or not, he still needs his eight senses tapped into from time to time. That's how we figure out what we like, what our bodies can do and how certain sensations make us feel. That's why I include all four kids in our sensory games a couple of times per day and here are five of our favorites:

Shaving Cream Finger Fun: This was an activity that my oldest daughter, Jaimie, refused to try at first. Her highly sensitive tactile system got in the way of her willingness to get her hands dirty. Actually, she still walks around holding her hands in fists at shoulder level but she's gotten much better. But since trying this activity with her OT, she loves it. You can have your child smear it on the balcony or other window, on the kitchen table, on an easy-to-clean part of the floor or even in a designated pan. Just let your child use her imagination. Jaimie loves to tell stories while she plays, creating little pictures or characters out of the foam. Tip: This activity can be overwhelming for many kids, especially if the shaving cream has a strong scent. Start of slowly with a non-scented variety and allow your child to just poke it or play with it using a tool of some kind. Then gradually let her get closer to the cream until she's shoving her hands right in there. Eventually, you can even try different scents.

Tennis Ball Man: We actually bought this little guy already set up but you can make your own. Get a regular tennis ball and slice a mouth, preferably around the area where the brand name is stamped-that's his 'moustache'. Then have your child draw a face on him in permanent marker. Then you find some Tiddly Wink type of chips and you 'feed' the Tennis Ball Man. This is a great game for increasing hand/finger strength, eye/hand coordination and fine motor skills.

Vibrating Pen Pictures: You can find vibrating pens at many novelty, craft or specialized party stores. They come in many sizes, colors and varieties and you can also get ones with multi pen tips! Many children with sensory issues find vibration comforting. It helps with body awareness and 'wakes up' the hand/finger joints for children who need a bit more proprioception and vestibular input. We have a game of who can make the craziest picture. Again, these vibrating pens can pack a lot of power (we use ones that give of a stronger vibration as our kids need it) and some children may not be receptive at first to the sensation. Just offer it, try it out and let them take the lead.

P.U.: This is a fabulous board game that taps into the olfactory (smell) system. You can find it a most game or toy stores and if you can't, you can make your own version! Each person chooses a token, rolls the dice then sees to can get to the end of the maze first. Along the way there are various spots where players pick up scratch and sniff cards with 'Good', 'Bad', or 'Mystery' smells. If you guess right, you get another turn. There are also times where the person has to name a stinky/yummy/spicy/etc smell. It really helps give information to kids about their sense of smell. Tip: To make your own version of the game, use you and your child's own choices of various scratch and sniff stickers and create your own board. We have both versions on our Funtime shelf.

Animal Dice: This is a game we learned from our OT. All you do is cut a piece of cardstock or other heavy paper into a T-shape having three squares across and four down. What you want to do is create a dice so you'd fold the sides of the top of the T up then fold the bottom of the T around until it makes a dice. Use a good amount of tape to hold it together. After that, have your children choose six animals with funky moves such as snakes, rabbits or frogs, elephants, horses, crabs, turtles, etc. Find pictures of these animals then glue them onto your dice. To play the game, each person takes a turn rolling the dice then everyone does their very best impression of the animal. Not only does this game get bodies moving, it taps into every sensory sense including coordination, muscle strength, body awareness and balance. Try doing it to music or playing a move and freeze type of version. It's loads of fun!

Your child doesn't need to dealing with sensory issues to enjoy these wonderful activities. On top of all the wonderful sensory benefits these games offer, they also give siblings a chance to bond, connect and play together. And that's the best bonus I can think of.