4 Ways to Introduce Sensory Integration Activities at Home

1. Encourage Tactile Stimulation

You can have a lot of fun finding activities that are appropriate for tactile stimulation. A little creativity and a willingness to get on the floor and play are all that is required. In the beginning, some children may be hesitant to touch different textures. This is okay. You can help by allowing your child to wear gloves or by putting messy items into plastic bags. The goal is to stimulate your child's sense of touch using a variety of textures and materials.

Use items you have around the house to introduce different textures. Food staples such as rice and dried beans can be put into bins along with spoons, cups and funnels for playing. You can make play dough or simply involve your child when you cook and bake. Rolling pins, cookie cutters and utensils are good tools for your child to use.

Games are another excellent way of introducing tactile stimulation. You can place a variety of textures and objects into a shoe box and have your child guess what item he's touched. Swatches of material, pieces of carpet, sandpaper, wax paper and styrofoam could go inside.

Common art activities such as painting, gluing, modeling clay, cutting and using sand are also beneficial. Try using glitter, dry pasta, foam beads, feely stickers, tissue paper and beads to introduce different textures.

2. Promote Motor Planning Skills

Other sensory integration activities focus on your child's ability to plan and execute fine motor and gross motor skills. Exercise balls are good for this. You can put the ball between your child and a wall and have him move the ball across the wall using his stomach. Jump ropes are also good tools. Simply place a jump rope on the floor and have your child jump or hop over it, walk along it or walk on all fours over it.

The whole family can get involved in playing follow the leader. Introduce different motions or different silly walks to get your child moving.

3. Proprioceptive Stimulating Activities: Improving Body Awareness

Children who benefit from sensory integration activities typically have poor body awareness and low muscle tone. Moving around a lot is one way of dealing with these issues. Carrying heavier weights is another way. There are many activities that are appropriate for this kind of stimulation. Playing on the monkey bars strengthens the arms. Doing wheelbarrow walks does too. Jumping on a trampoline is a good form of movement, as are games like tug of war or catch. The use of weights or weighted blankets is frequently recommended to create greater pressure feedback and strengthen muscle tone.

4. Focus on Vestibular Stimulation

The vestibular system regulates a person's sense of balance and orientation. Some children have difficulty with their perception of movement and can benefit from vestibular stimulation. Encourage your child to uses a stationary bike, the treadmill or even the swing at the park. Sitting or bouncing on an exercise ball is also helpful. Rolling games, hopping and balancing on one foot are fun vestibular activities. Your child might also enjoy roller skating or riding on a scooter.