Activities for Tactile Integration

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. )
--
Sue
mom to three girls

toto wrote in message
...
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. 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

In article ,
toto 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 wrote:


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

On Thu, 7 Aug 2003 20:21:55 +1000, "Tai" wrote:

toto wrote:


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

That's part of the point. Parents should have fun too.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
Outer Limits