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Sensory integration activities are a part of our daily lives. Without a sensory diet, my child with sensory processing disorder (SPD) can’t function properly. I direct her to appropriate activities, and now that she’s older, she often asks for what she needs. Because this is our reality, I have spent time looking for great resources to help me change up the activities we do at home. In addition to what I’ve found myself, I enlisted the help of some of my online friends to make this a truly great resource. (A huge “Thank you!” to everyone who offered your ideas and suggestions!)
Books
- The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz
- The Out of Sync Child Has Fun by Carol Kranowitz
- Squirmy Wormy: How I Learned to Help Myself by Lynda Farrington Wilson
- Arnie and His School Tools: Simple Sensory Solutions that Build Success by Jennifer Veenendall
- Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? (Dealing with Sensory Overload) by Jennifer Veenendall
- Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske
- Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow by Carol Kranowitz and Joyce Newman
- 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk
- Sensory Bins by Sharla Kostelyk
Blogs & Websites
- Sensory Processing Disorder. This website has an overview of the types of activities used in sensory integration as well as lists of ideas for activities in each category (tactile, heavy work, oral, etc.) and help with creating a home sensory diet for your child.
- Feingold Association of the United States. This explains how changing your child’s diet may help with some of the symptoms he/she experiences. (Some people have found that this helped their child. Others saw no difference. Consult your child’s doctor to determine what is best for your child.)
- Sensorize: Toys, Strategies, Therapies, Support, and Advice for Parents. This website has an explanation of what sensory integration is and offers suggestions for play, especially outside play, that will help with sensory integration.
- SPD Foundation. The home of SPD Foundation, there are lots of resources here, including a blog with great articles about various aspects of raising a child with SPD.
- More Resources for Sensory Readers & Learners is found on the Help for Struggling Readers blog. This post has a great list of resources to use in teaching a child with sensory integration issues.
- Sensory Activities and Resources from the blog We Can Do All Things is one mom’s favorite activities and resources for her daughter with Down’s Syndrome.
- Making Our First Sensory Tubs: Rainbow Rice, Fuzzies, and Dice, from the blog Our School at Home is a great step-by-step post that shows you exactly how to make a sensory tub for your child. (Use whatever you have on hand and go for it!)
- Having Sensory Integration Disorder and Being Mom is a post from Raising Arrows that explains how it feels to be the mom with SPD. Her techniques for coping are good for adults and children alike.
- Sand Turtle Sensory Bin from Ashi’s Gift Blog is a great idea for making a sensory tub your child can crawl into! There are lots of other great therapy ideas for kids with SPD there too. Take time to visit and look around.
- Finding Educational Activities in the Most Unexpected Places eBook is available from Angie at Many Little Blessings. For a reasonable price, you can download this eBook full of great ideas for kids of all ages. (Sensory integration is critical for all children and is often developed through play, so this book of activities is great whether your child has SPD or not!)
- Sensory Activities for Children is a page at Creative with Kids that has a menu of articles to choose from! Each one has specific activities you can easily do with your child.
- Sensorimotor Classroom Suggestions is a list of practical suggestions for the classroom, but many of them will work at home too!
- 40 Ways to Do Sensory Play at make, do & friend is a list of sensory integration activities you can do with things you (probably) already have at home!
- This Roll Some Brain Breaks Freebie would be ideal for older students who need breaks during assignments to get refocused.
- The Ultimate List: Home Educating with Sensory Integration Issues at Cottage Thoughts is a good resource to help those who homeschool navigate the issues involved in setting up home education for a child with SPD.
- Need an idea fast? 99 Sensory Activities for Any Child is an easy-t0-scan list of activities to do with whatever you have on hand.
- These Sensory Integration Activities from Just Play NYC include activities for motor planning.
- Creative with Kids has a Printable Kids Sensory Activities List.
- Therapy Putty Recipe. The mom who recommended this site said to add more cornstarch for firmer putty and less cornstarch for runnier putty. Decide on your texture and go!
- Sensory Modulation and Sensory Integration Activities for Home and School. This article focuses on “stimulating” activities in the tactile, proprioceptive, and motor planning areas.
- Sensory Integration Activities from OT Mom Learning Activities is a good resource with pictures to illustrate the types of activities she lists.
- Sensory Diet Activities from SensorySmarts.com explains how to create a sensory diet, possible activities appropriate for toddlers through adults, and an example of a sensory diet.
- Sensory Strategies includes a menu of “alerting” activities and one of “calming” activities, which you can choose depending on your child’s needs.
- Calming Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) has some activities I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere.
- 10 FREE Brain Gym Exercises (download). These can be done almost anywhere. Visit the Brain Gym website for more information.
- Calming Activities for Sensory Processing Disorder at Sensory Processing Disorder Made Simple has a great list of activities. I especially like the heavy work activities for the jaw.
- Activities for Sensory Processing Disorder has games to play with your children that also help with sensory integration.
Last but not least, for all of you Pinterest lovers, I found more sensory integration activities on . . .
Pinterest Boards
Check out these great “sensory” boards by:
- Denise Bornodaro
- Sheila Shea
- Angie Stringer
- Stephanie Bigham
- Katya
- Virginia Chronakis
- Debbie Stietenroth
- The Sensory Spectrum
If you’re looking for therapy ideas for children on the spectrum, check out my friend Tabitha’s post: Ultimate Guide to Autism Home Therapy!
Proud to promote and attend Teach Them Diligently Marketplace:
This post is part of the Ultimate Guides at iHomeschool Network. You’ll want to visit and bookmark all of them!
Thank you for thus post. We are just realizing that our youngest has some sensory issues. thwse resources really help.
I am bookmarking this post so I can always find it! Thanks, Jennifer!
Tons of great resources…. I can’t wait to read through them.
Thank you! Thank you! You’ve shared such an awesome collection of useful helps. I can’t wait to explore them all.
Jennifer, this has been an amazing journey, watching you grow and learn how to help your family…you inspire me and motivate me to be a better Mom!
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This is a great list of resources, Jennifer! I’m sure it will bless many many mothers!
Good resource…. and fun for the kids….mom like them too….
Thank you!! We’re just learning more how our 3yr old struggles with sensory issues (and speech as well) — this is incredibly helpful!
Great list! I don’t struggle with such things but it’s great to know who I can turn to if I should need advice or encouragement… or when someone asks me! Lots of great resources you’ve provided!
You are a great example of what a strong woman looks like. Thank you for being my friend… and always being there for me! Love you! Hope to be able to hug your waist… hehehe… just kidding… your neck in Nashville {2013}!!!
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This is a wonderful collection! I will be coming back again and looking through more of the links.
Thank you very much, Jennifer, for including above here our general blog link to “Help for Struggling Readers” and that of our article entitled “More Resources for Sensory Readers & Learners” @ http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2012/06/more-resources-for-sensory-readers.html . It is certainly a privilege to be included in your “Ultimate Guide to Sensory Integration Activities.”
Many thanks for all you do to help homeschooling and special needs families. Please continue your good work!
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This is truly a wonderful collection of resources. I’m definitely going to keep this list and refer to it in the future. Great to keep on hand for other parents who are looking for available help as well.
Thank you, Carol! I’m glad you found it helpful and would love for you to share it with others who need the information!
Hi Jennifer, This is a great list and I will link to it for Jenny. Please check out Jenny’
s SPD Connection website. It has a wealth of good information, and many articles, links, and products and parent contributions recommended by Jenny. Unique products by Jenny Clark include, two DVDs, Two Books, A complete resource kit for the sensory classroom, and a weigh cool bracelet that Jenny invented. I have recently updated the entire website to make it W3c compliant with html5. Check out the new print feature that allows you to print just the content on standard paper without special formatting efforts.
Regards,
Vincent Clark
Thank you, Vincent! That looks like a great site. Thanks for sharing it with me. There is a lot of good information there!
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Thank you for all the time you took to compile so many resources into one space. Four of our kids have SPD and I try to incorporate as many sensory activities as I can. Every week we have a sensory bin and I try to gear my units around how I can best incorporate sensory activities into them. Yesterday, my kids had the opportunity to “model” for the new innovaid.ca website (sensory items such as weighted blankets, vests, toys, etc.) and they were in Heaven trying out all the new stuff! It’s funny because neurotypical kids probably wouldn’t enjoy it at all and they were totally loving every minute of it!!!
I’ve pinned this for future reference…thanks again!
You’re welcome, Sharla! Thank you for the kind words, and thanks for pinning!
I’m sure my daughter would LOVE modeling for those products too. That sounds like so much fun! I need to do more sensory bins and similar activities for my daughter. I love that you plan units around sensory activities! You rock!
Thanks for this post. I have one daughter with sensory issues, and I love that I can have all these amazing resources in one place.
You’re welcome, Kori! I’m so glad that it is a help to you. As I researched and wrote it, I hoped there would be many like you who feel the same way.
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I am learning about this in terms of my two smallest kids!! Soooo glad I remember you did this list!! My brain is on over load- but it’s helping us understand our kids sooo much better!! Who knew?
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Wow! Thank you for the amazing ideas! I need this for a few kiddos and am so happy to have found such a wonderful list!
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Angela! Enjoy the time spent helping those kiddos!
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