TACTILE SENSORY PLAY IDEAS

Tactile sensory needs, which can be used at home or at our classes

Textured Toys and Objects

   - Fidget Toys: Provide a variety of fidget toys, like spinners, squishy balls, or textured silicone toys.

   - Textured Fabrics: Allow access to a range of fabrics with different textures, such as velvet, silk, fur, or rough materials like burlap.

   - Playdough/Clay: Encourage molding and squishing with materials like playdough, clay, or putty, which provide both tactile and proprioceptive input.

Messy Play

   - Slime: Playing with slime, or similar materials that stretch and mold.

   - Sensory Bins: Create bins filled with various materials like sand, rice, dried beans, or water beads for digging and exploring.

   - Finger Painting: Encourage finger painting or other art activities where hands can directly touch paint, shaving cream, or foam.

Textures in Nature

   - Sand Play: Playing in a sandbox or at the beach, digging hands into the sand, or using sand to create structures.

   - Mud Play: Allowing for messy outdoor play with mud or wet dirt.

   - Gardening: Gardening or digging in the soil provides rich tactile experiences.

Weighted and Compression Tools

   - Weighted Blankets/Stuffed Animals: Use weighted blankets or stuffed animals that provide deep pressure touch.

   - Compression Clothing: Wearing snug or compression clothing that provides consistent tactile feedback.

Craft and DIY Activities

   - Beading and Stringing: Stringing beads, pasta, or other small objects on string or pipe cleaners.

   - Sewing or Weaving: Engaging in simple sewing, weaving, or knitting projects that require finger dexterity.

   - Textured Collages: Making collages using various textured materials like sandpaper, cotton balls, feathers, or leaves.

Bath Time Fun

   - Bath Sponges/Loofahs: Use different types of sponges or loofahs during bath time for scrubbing.

   - Textured Soap Bars: Provide soap bars with textures or embedded objects to explore while washing.

   - Water Play: Experiment with different temperatures, add bubbles, or use bath toys that provide varied tactile experiences.

Tactile-Based Games

   - Sensory Hide-and-Seek: Hide small toys or objects in a box filled with rice or beans and have the person find them using touch alone.

   - Texture Hunt: Go on a texture hunt around the house or outdoors, touching and identifying different surfaces like bark, grass, or stones.

   - Tactile Puzzles: Use puzzles with different textures on the pieces to engage touch while solving.

Massage and Physical Touch

   - Hand/Foot Massage: Give gentle massages to the hands or feet using lotion or oils for added sensory input.

   - Brushing Therapy: Use a sensory brush for brushing therapy, which can help provide tactile stimulation in a controlled way.

   - Deep Pressure: Engage in activities like bear hugs, or roll up in a blanket for a "burrito" wrap to provide deep pressure touch.

Food-Based Tactile Activities

   - Cooking and Baking: Get involved in activities that involve kneading dough, mixing ingredients, or forming shapes with hands.

   - Texture Tasting: Explore foods with a variety of textures, such as crunchy vegetables, smooth yogurt, or sticky honey.

Daily Routines

   - Clothing Choices: Allow the individual to choose clothing with preferred textures, such as soft cotton or smooth silk.

   - Hand Lotion: Apply hand lotion or body lotion as part of a routine to provide soothing tactile feedback.

These activities can be tailored to your child’s preferences and needs, providing a variety of tactile inputs that can be both soothing and stimulating.

At Moo, we cover lots of activities to reach all sensory seeking developmental needs throughout our classes or at The Secret Garden