Sensory Activities

Our sensory system allows us to understand the world around us or “aims to stimulate children's senses in multiple ways in order to engage them and support their learning and development.”

 

  • HEAVY WORK: Scooter boards, elastic bands, vacuum, mop, trampoline, bean bags, exercise ball, rearrange furniture in room, weighted vest/backpack
  • VESTIBULAR: teeter totter, playground, swings, trampoline, sit and spin, scooter board, rolling, somersaults,
  • TACTILE: slime, orbeez, sensory, floam, playdoh, water, ice/snow play, finger paint, vibration
Three kids smiling

How Does It Impact School Function

It affects the student’s ability to take in information, respond to requests, participate in social situations, write, participate in sports, and maintain a calm and ready-to-work state.

Calming & Alerting Sensory Motor Activities

Alerting activities: (fast, unpredictable movement is alerting)

  1. Dancing to music, Dance, and freeze,
  2. Silly animal walks like crab walk, seal walk, bear walk (this can also be calming for students)                                                                                                                                                                
  3. Jumping jacks
  4. Leap frog over each other.
  5. Scooter board activities: Laying or sitting on a scooter, child pushes/pulls self with arms and/or legs; pull student on scooter board using a Hula Hoop or jump rope.
  6. Sitting and bouncing on a therapy ball
  7. Whirling around the room with scarves.
  8. Log rolls, rolling over and over, keeping arms above head
  9. Jumping on a trampoline

Calming/organizing /deep pressure activities: (slow rhythmic movement is calming)

  1. Slow linear swinging
  2. Slow rocking in a rocking chair
  3. Deep pressure: Roll a ball over a child sitting in a bean bag and squish the bean bag around child
  4. Chair/wall push-ups
  5. Heavy work activities: pulling/pushing a loaded box or trash can on wheels
  6. Sweeping or mopping the floor
  7. Wash tables and chalkboards
  8. Yoga
  9. Playing with thera-putty, play-doh, foam, etc.

Tactile Activities

  • Play with Thera-putty, play-doh, foam
  • Blowing bubbles/popping them.
  • Shaving cream playing.
  • Finding items in rice, beans, etc. 
  • Color with crayons on sandpaper.
  • Play with bubble wrap.
  • Fidgets

Oral Motor Activities

  • Blowing bubbles.
  • Play with a whistle or other blow toys.
  • Blow into a straw and push cotton balls across the table.
  • Chewing gum.
  • Drink water from fancy straws
  • Eating beef jerky

Vestibular Activities

Vestibular System: The vestibular system is important for the development of normal movement reactions, motion tolerance, attention, and regulation

Importance:

  1. Allows us to coordinate our eye movements with our head movements.  This occurs in activities such as copying from a blackboard, turning our heads to watch a moving object, and looking across a page to read. 
  2. It also helps us to develop and maintain our muscle tone, which allows us to hold our body in position, to maintain positions, and to hold our heads up. 
  3. It helps us regulate our bodies. 

Activities

  • Somersaults
  • Log rolling on the floor or along the wall
  • Playing on a sit-and-spin
  • Swinging
  • Spinning on a swing
  • Going down a slide
  • Spinning in an office chair
  • Being pulled on a scooter board
  • Rocking in a rocking chair
  • Rolling over a therapy ball (on the stomach and on the back)
  • Sledding
  • Hammock (Can use a large blanket held on each end by an adult. Swing the child in side to side or from front to back.)
  • Hanging upside down on a monkey bar
  • Spinning in BOTH directions
  • Upside down bowling-with your back to the pins, bend over and roll the ball between your legs
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Tailored Solutions for Measurable Success

  • Understand the Challenge

    Begin your journey with CESA 6 through a complimentary virtual session, where our specialists dive into identifying your distinct curriculum and instruction challenges.

  • Choose the Path

    Following a thorough assessment of your needs, CESA 6 presents various customized options that align with your educational goals and the needs of your students.

  • Implement the Solution

    Our commitment to regular monitoring and adaptive feedback ensures that your curriculum and instruction strategy is dynamic and continually aligned with your goals.