Children diagnosed with autism often experience the world through a unique sensory lens. They may be hypersensitive (over-responsive) or hyposensitive (under-responsive) to sensory input, which can affect how they engage with everyday experiences. Sensory- friendly activities can provide a calming, enriching environment that allows your child to explore their senses in a way that feels safe and enjoyable.
These activities are designed to engage multiple senses, foster self-regulation, and encourage exploration; all while being mindful of sensory sensitivities. Each activity was carefully selected due to low or no cost with easily accessible materials. Supervision will be needed for children who tend to consume non-food items.
Materials Needed:
· Clear plastic bottles or jars
· Water, glitter, beads, and small toys (your choice)
· Glycerin or clear glue (to slow down movement, optional)
Instructions: Fill the bottle with water, then add glitter, beads, or small objects. Add a small amount of glycerin or glue to slow down the movement inside. Seal the bottle tightly and shake gently. Your child can watch the objects float and swirl around, providing a calming and mesmerizing sensory experience.
Fun Fact: The soft visual stimulation from the moving objects inside the bottle is soothing and low stimulation, making it ideal for children who are sensitive to overstimulation. It can be used as a tool for calming down or during transition times.
Materials Needed:
· Soft, non-scented playdough
· Cookie cutters, rolling pins, household utensils or plastic tools
· Glitter, beads, or fabric scraps (optional, may needsupervision)
Instructions: Allow your child to explore the texture of the playdough by squishing, rolling, and molding it into shapes. Provide tools like cookie cutters or small rolling pins for additional tactile interaction. You can also incorporate sensory elements like glitter, beads, or soft fabric pieces if your child enjoys textures.
Fun fact: The soft, squishy texture of playdough is gentle on the hands and provides a calming, repetitive motion. It's a great way to engage a child’s tactile senses and support their creativity, all while being soothing for sensory-sensitive children.
Materials Needed:
· A bubble solution(either store-bought or homemade)
· A bubble wand or bubble machine
Instructions: Blow bubbles and encourage your child to pop them. This activity is simple and fun, with an added bonus: bubbles offer a gentle visual and tactile experience. You can also experiment with different sizes of bubbles to see what your child prefers.
Fun fact: The bubbles are light, visual, and offer a tactile experience when popped. For children who may not like loud sounds, opt for a quieter bubble wand or machine to create a soothing, sensory experience.
Materials Needed:
· Water beads(non-toxic, may need supervision)
· A shallow sensory bin or bowl
· Small toys, figurines, or spoons/measuring cups
Instructions: Place water beads in a shallow bin and encourage your child to explore them by squishing, rolling, or sorting them. You can also add small toys or figurines for imaginative play. The smooth, cool texture of water beads offer a unique sensory experience.
Fun Fact: Water beads provide a calming, squishy, and cool tactile sensation, making them ideal for children who are tactile seeking. They're gentle on the skin and offer a soothing, repetitive experience without being overly stimulating.
Materials Needed:
· Soft pillows, blankets, or mats
· Sensory toys (e.g.,stress balls, soft fabric strips)
· Noise-canceling headphones (optional)
Instructions: Create a "calm-down corner" in your home with soft, comfortable materials where your child can go when feeling overwhelmed. Include sensory toys that they can touch or squeeze, like stress balls, textured fabric strips, or squishy toys. Noise-canceling headphones can be added if your child is sensitive to sound.
Fun fact: A calm-down corner offers a safe space where your child can retreat to when they need a break from sensory overload. The soft textures and quiet environment help your child regulate their emotions and sensory input, fostering a sense of safety.
Materials Needed:
· Uncooked rice
· Food coloring (optional)
· A shallow bin
· Small scoops, spoons, or containers
Instructions: Color the rice by adding a few drops of food coloring to the uncooked rice and shaking it in a sealed bag. Pour the colored rice into a shallow bin and provide tools like scoops, spoons, or containers for sorting and transferring the rice. Supervision will be needed for children who may want to consume the activity.
Fun fact: The soft texture of the rice provides a calming tactile experience. The gentle sound of the rice as it moves and shifts can be soothing for children who enjoy auditory input. This activity is especially beneficial for children who enjoy feeling different textures with their hands.
Materials Needed:
· A hammock, swing, or sensory rocking chair
Instructions: Encourage your child to relax and sway gently in a hammock swing or sensory rocking chair. The movement can be slow and rhythmic, providing calming vestibular input that many children with autism find soothing.
Fun fact: Gentle rocking or swinging offers proprioceptive and vestibular input, which can help calm and regulate the nervous system. It provides deep pressure and rhythmic motion, which many children with autism find comforting and grounding.
Materials Needed:
· Sensory books with different textures (or soft fabrics with various textures)
· Non-toxic markers or crayons (optional)
Instructions: Introduce books with differenttextures that your child can touch, such as fabric books orsensory board books. Encourage your child to explore the textures with their fingers or hands. You can also use soft fabrics or scarves for them to feel and explore.
Fun fact: These books or fabric items engage your child’s sense of touch without overwhelming them. The variety of textures promotes tactile exploration in a calm and controlled way, and the soft materials provide sensory input that can be soothing.
Materials Needed:
· Flashlights or LED lights
· A dark room or space with walls
Instructions: Use flashlights or LED lights to create different patterns and shadows on the walls. You can move the lights around to explore how they change the shadows. For added sensory engagement, you can play with colored light filters or light-up toys.
Fun fact: The low-light environment and gentle movement of shadows offer calming visual input. Light play can help your child focus and engage their visual senses in a non- overstimulating way. It’s an ideal activity for children who enjoy visual stimuli but are sensitive to bright or flickering lights.
Materials Needed:
· Ziplock bags
· Hair gel, cornstarch, or baby oil
· Small plastic toys or beads (optional, may need supervision)
Instructions: Fill a Ziplock bag with hair gel, cornstarch, or baby oil, then seal it tightly. Add small plastic toys, beads, or colorful objects inside. Your child can squish, poke, or press on the bag, which allows them to explore different textures and movements.
Fun fact: Squishy sensory bags are a great way for children to engage with a variety of textures in a contained, mess-free manner. The squishy, soft feeling can be calming and provides a tactile sensory experience that many children find enjoyable and soothing.
In conclusion, sensory-friendly activities provide a wonderful way for children with autism to engage with the world around them in a safe and controlled manner. These activities help children explore sensory input without becoming overwhelmed, fostering self- regulation, creativity, and emotional well-being. Whether it’s calming sensory bottles or tactile playdough, these activities are simple, accessible, and can be easily incorporated into daily routines. Most importantly, they provide a space for your child to thrive in their own unique way. Please be mindful that children diagnosed with autism might not like all these activities, so pick them based on your child’s preferences.
