Sensory Processing

Wet Paper Squeeze & Drop

Steps:

Tear the newspaper into small strips using both hands. Focus on strong, controlled pulls.
Fill the bucket halfway with water. Submerge the newspaper strips until they are fully saturated and mushy.
Grab a large handful of wet paper. Squeeze the paper tightly over the bucket to remove the water. Aim for maximum effort!
Squeeze the remaining damp paper firmly into dense, hard balls (your ‘fortress rocks’).
Place the empty plastic container target nearby. Hold the container steady with your helper hand.
Use your working hand to aim and drop the wet paper ball precisely into the narrow target opening. Repeat until all rocks are delivered.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure children do not place wet paper or small pieces of material in their mouths. This activity can be messy; choose a water-safe work area.

Squish Bag Stomp

Steps:

Fill several Ziplock Bags about halfway with dry oats (or rice/beans). Ensure all the air is squeezed out before sealing them tightly.
Use masking tape to secure the filled bags flat onto a low, stable floor surface, like the kitchen floor or a sturdy rug, creating a short path or line.
Encourage your toddler to take off their shoes and socks, and gently step onto the taped bags. Use encouraging language like, “Stomp! Can you feel the squish and crunch under your feet?” (For safety, hold hands if they are new to standing/walking.)

Safety Tip:
Due to the use of small materials (oats) in the bags, constant, close adult supervision is essential. Ensure the Ziplock Bags are taped completely shut before starting the activity to prevent the contents from spilling or being ingested.

Ice Cube Handwash

Preparation:

Place toys and water in an ice tray, then freeze.
Inform others that this ice tray is for playing purposes only.

Play:

Step 1: Wash hands.

Step 2: Rub ice cubes under warm water.

Step 3: Continue until all toys break free.

Step 4: Dry toys.

Step 5: Dry hands.

Step 6: (If using letter beads, spell words). Sanitize toys safely & appropriately.

Step 7: Wash hands.

Step 8: Dry hands.

Warning:

Choking hazard. Supervise and assist as needed, as safety comes first. Use a strainer to avoid toys falling into the drain.

We hope this encourages more enjoyable time spent at the sink & boosts the motivation for those self-care skills!

Easter Egg Hunt with Spoons

Hide the Easter eggs around the room.

Designate which color eggs each child gets to hunt & place each basket in a corner of the play space.

The child is only allowed to pick up an Easter egg that matches the color they were given, and they must place it on their spoon.

Children will hunt for their eggs, and once they find them, instruct them to use both hands to hold the spoon, as they walk to their designated basket to drop off the egg (to work on bilateral coordination).

If the egg falls on the way over, the child must start over.

This challenges the skills involved in patience, concentration & pacing.

If you want to challenge your children and add more sensory input, place some obstacles in the way (i.e. walking on or over pillows, walking around cones or chairs, etc.).

Therapy Mat Sensory Burrito

For this activity, you can use a blanket or a yoga mat that is flexible enough to fold and roll the child inside it.

Ask the child to lay on the blanket, leaving their head out of the blanket/mat boundaries, and roll them inside to provide both proprioceptive and vestibular input.

To make the activity engaging and playful, pretend the child is a burrito or a hot dog, and roll them in and out every time you put another “ingredient” into your warp/bun.

Variation:

Do this activity in a group, and ask the kids to wrap each other like a burrito/hot dog. This will provide the child that is rolling with proprioception input as well.