Autism Sensory Activities
Sensory play is a great way to keep children with autism occupied and focused. It can help them develop sensory awareness, which helps them feel comfortable in their environment, and it also allows them to explore new sensations safely. Autism Sensory Activities play also helps children with autism develop confidence and a stronger sense of self.
Children with autism often have sensory processing difficulties, which can make certain stimuli overwhelming or unpleasant. Sensory play can provide a safe and controlled environment for children to explore and engage with sensory experiences, helping to build their tolerance for various stimuli and develop new skills.
When children with autism engage in sensory activities, it can help reduce anxiety and fearfulness, improve attention span, increase social skills and build motor skills. At home, you can use sensory items such as water bottles, soft cloths and towels, balloons, sponges and brushes to create fun activities for your child.
Here are examples of Sensory Activities to play at home:
- Play catch with your child using soft balls or bean bags.
- Fill a bucket or bathtub with warm water and let your child play with sponges, brushes and other items. Let your child squeeze and squish a sponge to explore the texture, or make sounds with sponges.
- Put on music that makes you feel happy, then dance around the house with your child. Ask them to copy what you are doing or come up with their moves.
- Blow bubbles outside on a windy day. Some children may have difficulty with the motor skills required to blow bubbles so use a bubble machine or bubble blower instead of blowing bubbles manually.
- Fill a water bottle with different coloured water and let your child squeeze the bottle to make the colours mix together. You could try adding different sensory elements like glitter or pieces of foam to the water to create a visually stimulating effect.
- Play with squeaking balloons.
- Use a soft cloth or towel to create different textures with paint, shaving cream or even pudding.
- Place balloons on the floor, and have your child stomp on them for fun. An option to make this even more fun is to fill the balloons with different materials to create different textures and sounds. For example, you could fill some balloons with sand or rice to create a crunchy texture, while others could be filled with water to create a squishy sensation.
- Lay out a towel on the floor and let your child roll around on it. You could also add scented oils or play calming music to create a relaxing atmosphere while the child rolls around.
- Place some plastic bottles in the bathtub and fill them with water so they won’t leak when tipped over. You could also add food colouring to the water to create a visually stimulating effect.
- Give your child a ball of play dough to squeeze and manipulate into different shapes, then let him or her make imprints on paper using this “paintbrush” creation.
- Let them take turns tossing a ball back and forth with you. Use different types of balls, such as soft foam balls or bouncy rubber balls, to provide a variety of sensory experiences.
- Give your child a washcloth and let them rub it on different surfaces such as the floor, table, walls and furniture.
- Rolling a towel on their back or stomach.
- Give your child a small rubber ball or stress ball and let them squeeze it. Use balls with different textures, such as spiky or bumpy balls, to create a tactile sensation. You could also add scents to the ball, such as lavender or peppermint essential oils, to create a relaxing or energizing effect.
- Place some sand from the sandbox in a plastic bag so your child can shake it around.
- Put some rice in a large container and let your child shake it until all of the grains are separate, or place rice in a bowl and let your child draw on the rice.
- Give your child some play dough to roll into balls, then flatten them out again using their hand or another object such as a rolling pin or bottle cap.
- Have your child dip his/her feet in a bucket of water and then slowly pour it out onto a towel.
- Give your child some tape, scissors and paper to cut out shapes from. Pre-cut for them if they are not yet ready to ue scissors. Then, let them stick them onto a wall or piece of paper.
- Place some plastic bottles filled with water on the floor and have your child roll them around. Add glitter to make this even more fun.
- Give your child a piece of paper and let them draw lines on it with crayons or markers. Use different textures of paper to draw on, such as wax paper, or tissue paper (with watercolours works like magic), to create a tactile sensation. Use different types of writing tools, such as chalk, pastels, or watercolour paints, to create different textures.
- Add food colouring in the water to make colourful designs on a plate. Use a brush to mix the colours together.
- Help your child make mud pies by mixing dirt with water in a bowl.
- Have your child take turns dropping a ball into a container filled with water, or give your child a toy to shake and then drop it into a plastic container with liquid.
- Create a textured collage by gluing different materials like yarn, fabric scraps, and feathers onto a piece of paper.
- Play with water balloons. Your child can feel the sensation of the water inside the balloon and also enjoy the popping sound.
- Put out some ice cubes for your child to touch and feel how cold they are.
- Create a sensory bin by filling a container with materials like rice, beans, or sand. Add small toys or objects for your child to search for and discover.
In conclusion, these 31 autism sensory activities are just a sample of the various methods to assist autistic children and their particular sensory requirements. Parents, carers, and educators can help children with autism develop crucial skills, lessen anxiety, and improve their overall quality of life by including these activities in daily routines and playtime.
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