Activities for Tactile Integration
toto
know how to cope with some issues of sensory
integration in their children I think many of these
activities can benefit all children, so I copied these
from The Out of Sync Child to post here. Added
some activities and didn't put in all of them
I put them into a series of posts rather than all in
one, since the post would be very long
Rub a Dub Dub
Encourage the child to rub a variety of textures
against his skin. Offer different kinds of soap
in the bath, try shaving cream, use different kinds
of scrubbers that have different textures.
You can also paint with shaving cream on the kitchen
table for an interesting sensory experience (often
preschools do this)
Water Play
Fill the kitchen sink or a washtub with sudsy water
and a variety of unbreakable pitchers and bottles.
You can vary this with boats, egg beaters, funnels,
toy water pumps, sponges, dolls, etc.
Water painting
Give your child a bucket of water and some brushes
and let him paint the porch steps or the house.or
a fence. You can use a squirt bottle and let him
squirt water on - vary this by putting food coloring in
the water and letting him squirt snow in the winter
or letting him squirt it on paper hung on a fence in
the summer to make interesting paintings
Finger painting
Use commercial finger paints or make your own
paint with chocolate pudding or peanut butter or
shaving cream. You can mix some sand into the
paint for a different texture. Or add some glitter.
Finger drawing
'
Draw shapes, letters, numbers on your child's back
with your finger and ask him to guess what it was
you drew, Have him try to do simple shapes on your
back so you can guess too.
Sand play
Go to the park sandbox. Bring cars, trucks, pails, etc
and vary the toys you bring. Bury things in the sand
for him to find. You can make a small sandbox of your
own (a small washpan will do and he can sit outside
and play). Vary this by putting in other things like rice,
dried beans, pasta, cornmeal, mud (clean mud is made
from toilet paper, ivory soap and water),
Feelie Box
Cut a hole in the top of a shoe box and put in some
small objects for the child to guess by feel. Plastic
cars or animals or airplanes, spools, marbles. Try a
variety of textures and shapes
Can you find it game.
Ask your child to find a toy buried in the sandbox or
in the feelie box without looking. Show him a toy and
bury several and ask him to find the one that matches
the one he saw or touched.
Can you describe it game
Provide play objects with different textures and shapes
and ask your child to describe them. If you can get
the child to do this by touch, it is more challenging. You
may need to ask specific questions for younger or less
verbal children.. Is it round? Is it soft? Is it heavy?
Oral activities
Licking stickers and putting them in books, blowing
whistles or kazoos, blowing bubbles through straws
or wands, drinking through straws or sports bottles,
tasting new foods, chewing on gum or rubber tubing
can satisfy the child's need to use his mouth
Hands-on-cooking
Put cookie dough, bread dough or meatloaf in a
shallow pan (not a high sided bowl) and let your
child mix it up.
Make playdough in a shallow pan and let her mix
that too.
Science activities
Touching worms, egg yolks, bugs, plants, etc. provide
another sensory experience. Catch fireflies, plant
seeds in your garden, collect acorns or chestnuts or
seashells.
Handling pets
Let your child stroke a kitten, brush the dog, cradle a
rabbit. Go to a petting zoo and let him pet the animals
Box Play
Collect boxes of different sizes and let him make a
city, an obstacle course or whatever his imagination
says they can be. Big boxes make a house, boat
or car to play in. Smaller boxes can be nested or
built into towers and they won't hurt him if they tumble
over on him because they are not heavy. You can also
let him draw on them with markers or paint them to
make them into something he likes
Swaddling
Roll the child up in a blanket or carpet. A child with
sensory issues may do this himself, but it is a special
treat if a trusted adult does it to him. This provides
deep touch and pressure fhat these children really
crave
People Sandwich
Have the child pretend to be *salami* or *cheese*.
He can lie face down on a gym mat or large pillow
(the bread) with his head extended beyond the
edge. With a spreader (a sponge, pot scrubber,
basting or vegetable brush, paintbrush or washcloth)
smear his arms and legs and torso with pretend
mustard, mayonaise, relish, ketchup, etc. Use firm
downward strokes. Cover the child from neck to toe
with another piece of bread (pillow or fold the mat
over), Now press firmly but gently up and down to
squish out the excess mustard so the child feels
the deep soothing pressure. You *can* even roll
or crawl across your child as the mat will distribute
your weight.
Back rubs
Apply deep firm pressure to your child's back and
limbs. Rub downward, the way your hair grows.
Dress up
Prepare a special carton of dress up clothes. Include
hats. shoes, gloves, furry or feathery boas, silk scarves.
Secret hideaway
Supply towels, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags, down
comforters, pillows, etc and make a tent or fort out of a
table.
--
Dorothy
There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
Outer Limits
Sue
I got all the posts that you sent and is very helpful. I personally will use
this information. Thank you for posting these. :o)
--
Sue
mom to three girls
toto <scar...@wicked.witch> wrote in message
news:bn8oivsgoa2687mgr...@4ax.com...
toto
wrote:
>Hi Dorothy,
>
>I got all the posts that you sent and is very helpful. I personally will use
>this information. Thank you for posting these. :o)
>--
>Sue
>mom to three girls
I am glad that people like the activities. Most are good no matter
what kind of child you have - you can take what your own child needs
and likes and leave any that don't fit him, of course.
Chookie
toto <scar...@wicked.witch> wrote:
> Several people have mentioned that they don't
> know how to cope with some issues of sensory
> integration in their children I think many of these
> activities can benefit all children, so I copied these
> from The Out of Sync Child to post here.
I have a question, people. DS loves sand play, water play, throwing snails,
and will happily get his hands messy with food... BUT he avoids playdough
(happily grabs real dough -- and eats it!) and painting (finger or brush, I
understand). I am trying to decide if I need to Do Anything (TM) about this.
He models with blocks and bricks of various kinds, so he does do 3D modelling
activities, and he does use other artistic media like crayons, chalk, pencils
and textas, and stickers too.
FWIW, I think playdough has a weird texture too. It doesn't handle properly
-- but then, I am used to bread dough.
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"...children should continue to be breastfed... for up to two years of age
or beyond." -- Innocenti Declaration, Florence, 1 August 1990
toto
<ehreb...@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote:
>In article <bn8oivsgoa2687mgr...@4ax.com>,
> toto <scar...@wicked.witch> wrote:
>
>> Several people have mentioned that they don't
>> know how to cope with some issues of sensory
>> integration in their children I think many of these
>> activities can benefit all children, so I copied these
>> from The Out of Sync Child to post here.
>
>I have a question, people. DS loves sand play, water play,
>throwing snails, and will happily get his hands messy with food...
>BUT he avoids playdough (happily grabs real dough -- and eats
>it!) and painting (finger or brush, I understand). I am trying to
>decide if I need to Do Anything (TM) about this.
I don't think you *need* to do anything about this since it seems to
simply be a preference. Many kids don't like to paint at first, but
he may grow out of that or go through a stage where he loves it
later. We have lots of boys in preschool who are simply too busy
to paint and who avoid it because they would rather play with
blocks or cars or little animals.
If you do want to try getting him to paint though, try dipping toy
car's wheels in paint and seeing if he will make tracks with them
or putting a glob of paint on paper on a cookie pan and letting him
roll a marble through it.
>He models with blocks and bricks of various kinds, so he does do
>3D modelling activities, and he does use other artistic media like
>crayons, chalk, pencils and textas, and stickers too.
>
>FWIW, I think playdough has a weird texture too. It doesn't handle properly
>-- but then, I am used to bread dough.
Try making your own playdough. If he can have peanut butter - you can
make edible playdough and most of what you make at home has a
different texture than the store bought stuff so he might like that.
Chookie
toto <scar...@wicked.witch> wrote:
> Try making your own playdough. If he can have peanut butter - you can
> make edible playdough and most of what you make at home has a
> different texture than the store bought stuff so he might like that.
Actually, they use home-made palydough at daycare and I made a batch here once
too.
Thank you for the other tips!
Tai
>
> I am glad that people like the activities. Most are good no matter
> what kind of child you have - you can take what your own child needs
> and likes and leave any that don't fit him, of course.
I'd like to add my thanks, too, Dorothy. I copied your activities posts and
have already tried out the "dark room and torchlight shapes" with DS2.5. He
had a ball. Actually, so did I!
Tai
toto
That's part of the point. Parents should have fun too. :)