Tactile Activities:
Alerting: --light touch, quick, rough, cool, unexpected touch
Calming:--deep pressure touch, tight wrapping, firm rubbing, warmth, anticipated touch
Activity Ideas:
- Rubbing lotion on arms, legs and back, utilizing firm pressure-- unscented is generally best
- Slowly stroking down extremities, back or head in a soothing fashion
- Rubbing the skin briskly with a towel and wrap tightly in a towel for deep pressure after a bath
- Wrapping your child up in blankets, towels, clothing (spandex) or lycra to provide even tactile pressure
- Sandwich activities- place child in between couch cushions or a mat and provide even pressure down onto the skin
- Playing “Simon-says” that involves touching the arms, legs, back and head to provide discrimination to the tactile system
- Playing with play-doh, clay or putty
- Play with various wet textures such as finger paints, shaving cream, Jell-O, pudding, slime, sponge painting
- Hiding objects in dry tactile media such as sand, rice, beans, unpopped popcorn or other highly tactile stimuli
- Activities that involve lots of tactile sensations and use of hands or fingers to poke, draw and open and close items. Fill a ziplock bag with hair gel and draw shapes, designs into the bag which can be erased by holding the bag up and starting again.
- Make art projects using various textures such as cotton balls, glue, foam, feathers, etc.
- “Paint” body parts with a dry paint brush, large sponges or paint rollers to apply pressure touch
- Spray various body parts with water and rub dry with different textures, such as terry cloth and sponges
- Rub various textures on body parts without looking and try to identify them i.e. corduroy, velvet, cotton, to improve discrimination
- Rolling heavy therapy balls or bolsters over the body
- Rolling in the grass, over carpet, up and down carpeted ramps
- Deep hugs
- Movement through a tunnel made out of lycra material or other tight spaces to provide deep pressure to the skin
- Sitting or lying under sofa cushions
- Wearing heavy fabric
- Jumping into and being pulled through a ball bath
- Create a bin that has a variety of tactile toys, such as a variety of textured balls and fabrics to explore on the skin
- Vibrating toys such as bumble ball, vibrating bug
Vestibular Activities
Swinging: (suspended equipment - platform, hammock, net, horse/bolster, inner tube, tire gliders)
Calming: When you provide slow, predictable, rhythmic sensation you get calming. (hammock/net swing, swing in a blanket)
Alerting: When you provide rapid, irregular, unpredictable sensation you get increased arousal. (ropes, tire swing)
- Do not swing or spin a child for a long period of time as it may have negative effects
Activity Ideas:
- Have your child lie on or sit on a blanket and pull them around
- Blanket rides with your child pulling them self towards the parent utilizing a jump rope or other rope
- Log rolling on flat surfaces or up and down an incline
- Roll the child up in a blanket and unroll the child quickly
- Movement up and down slides
- Rotational movement on sit n’ spin, lazy susan disc in both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation
- Movement on scooter board while on stomach and seated to provide linear movement while the head is in a variety of positions
- Therapy ball- bouncing on it in various positions, rolling over the ball on stomach or back with supervision
- Walking across a balance beam forward, backward, sideways and crawling
- Balancing on a tilt/rocker board in standing, sitting and tall kneeling while reaching for objects or toys
- Wagon rides
- Jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline
- Dancing or marching in time to music
- Running, climbing, hanging upside-down, jumping, galloping, hopping, skipping
- Jumping jacks
- Rocking horses
- Sledding
- Roller skating/rollerblading
- Imitating head movements
- Movement on swings with the body in a variety of positions and providing both linear and rotary input
- Blanket swinging- have your child lay down in the center of a large blanket or sheet, with two adults lift up the ends of the blanket and swing them back and forth while they are laying inside of the blanket
- “Bowling” activities, but with the head inverted. Roll the ball between the legs, while standing backwards with head pointing down towards the ground
- Riding on moving equipment or surfaces – waterbeds, ride on toys, elevators
- Have child sit on a therapy ball rather than in a chair so they get a sustained challenge to their vestibular system. This can significantly enhance attention and task performance.
- Sitting on uneven surfaces such as placing a “move ‘n sit” or a slightly inflated beach ball on a chair seat
Movement can be very scary for some children that exhibit gravitational or postural insecurity. For those children, it is important that they feel safe during movement activities. Start slow and never force an activity. Make them feel safe by combining movement with deep pressure or by holding them tightly. The movement should be slow and gentle.
Proprioceptive Activities
(Heavy work activities)
- Carrying, pushing and pulling objects, such as…
Groceries, heavy backpacks, stacking or moving chairs/books, Using a watering can, shopping carts, laundry baskets, tug of war rope, toy vacuum, mop/sweep the floor, wrestling, shoveling snow, raking leaves, pushing/pulling others on a scooter board, riding bikes/scooters, roller blades
- Jumping
and bouncing on/with items such as…
On a trampoline, On an old mattress or soft area, Into a bean bag chair, On a therapy ball (with assistance), On a pogo stick, Horseback riding, With a jump rope, Happy hop ball, Backyard bouncers, Wheelbarrow walk, Potato sack/jumping bag races - Climbing/hanging
on things, such as…
On monkey bars, Hanging rings/trapeze, Rock walls, Outside on rocks or trees, a ladder or slide, climbing ropes/ nets-
- Squishing
activities
Make child “sandwich” between floor pillows or cushions. Roll child up in a mat or heavy blanket as a “hot dog". Give child heavy blankets, weighted blankets or sleeping bags at bedtime. Firm towel dry after baths, wrap up tightly. Roll a large exercise ball on top of them while they lie on the floor
- Games
Twister, Animal walks (bear, crab, snake, elephant, frog, kangaroo…), Tug of war, Hop scotch, Leap frog, Steam roller
- Working
at vertical surfaces (at/above eye level), such as…
Table top easels, erasing, coloring on a chalkboard, painting/drawing on adjustable floor easel, washing windows, wipe down the shower or tub, paint with water on side of house
- Resistive
tools or toys, such as…
Clothespins, spray bottles, use curvy cut scissors to cut play- doh, thick paper or cardboard, rolling pins to flatten cookie dough/play-doh, color/draw with crayon on textured surface, paper hole punches, spray nozzle or garden hose-
- Fidget
toys
Theraputty, silly putty, play-doh, rubber bands, stress relief balls, squeeze balls
- Resistive
surfaces
Sidewalk chalk on driveway/sidewalk/playground, color pictures taped over sand paper, use sanding block to sand wood project, brush the dog/cat