Enjoy A Summer Full of Sensory Activities!

By: Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley Occupational Therapy Department

“Summer is a great time to explore a large variety of playful sensory input types for children. From messy play and crafts to outdoor activities, children and families can immerse themselves in expanding their touch, sound, sight and movement-based sensory options,” shares Andrea Sagel, MS, OTR/L, Director of Occupational and Developmental Therapy.

SPLASH INTO SUMMER WITH NEW ACTIVITIES!

Simple activities in the bathtub or going to a splash pad or playground can provide fun opportunities to play while improving a child’s visual processing, hand strength and more!

Water Play!

Photo Credits: Liveabout.com

Walking or running in water increases resistance and helps with awareness.

Crawling on hands and knees in water increases a child’s muscle mobility and strength.

Bath Time Fun!

Suggested items to put together into a bag to play with in the tub/pool to develop hand strength and coordination as well as visual motor skills.

Photo Credit: Uline.com

• Use sponges or washcloths to fill- up with water and squeeze them out.
• Fill mist or squeeze bottle up with water and watch the mist appear.
   
• An eye dropper is a great tool to squeeze picking up water and releasing it into another container.
• Use squirt toys such as traditional water guns or super soakers!

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

• Traditional squirt guns which need a thumb and index finger to use with a squeezing motion.  These develop palm strength.

Messy Boats: Sticky, Yummy Toddler Play!

Let your toddler explore the world around them and learn about their senses with messy activities! Read more about this messy boats activity involving gelatin along with a great clean-up strategy from from Busy Toddler here!

Photo Credit: busytoddler.com

Hand-Eye Coordination Activities

These activities enhance motor skills which helps movement in eyes, hands, and feet while performing different tasks. Some of these activities at the playground can involve many different input types, such as visual processing and hand eye-coordination.

Photo Credit: PromptedEducation.com

Velcro Ball and Mitt Sets!

Simply pulling balls off mitts helps with eye-hand coordination and upper-body strength!

Playground Fun!

Hang on a bar for a count of 3 and increase as your child is able!

Photo Credits: Playgroundboss.com

On a swing: name a body part, i.e., arms or legs, and have them bring that part forward for you to tickle, push, etc.

ARGH!

Walk the Plank Activity from “Tools to Grow”!

Photo Credit: Nickgowman.com

Make a simple balance beam or wood beam 4 inches wide. Walk backwards, forward, and even sideways! Test your balance skills or time how long before you fall off. Set goals and accomplish them.

Find more of these activities’ day by day in the “Tools to Grow” website! The site has daily activities for caregivers to do with kids each day for the summer targeting different areas of cous like visual motor skills. (Level 1 is for Preschool- 1st grade and Level 2 is for 2nd grade – 4th grade.)

Floor is Lava Hopscotch Activity!

To provide a child with increased proprioceptive input, motor planning, tactile processing, and handwriting: try Hopscotch or drawing a “floor is lava” course with chalk. This can be done on the driveway or on the sidewalk. Families can use a hose or spray bottle to spray away the chalk when done!

Photo Credit: http://www.hopscotchin.com

For more summer sensory ideas, or ways to adapt these activities to your child’s needs and goals, ask an occupational therapist at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. For more information about our occupational therapy services, visit our website.

Enjoy your summer!