Sensory Activities For The Holidays

Right from the beginning of life, in utero to birth and beyond, we develop and learn through sensory experiences.  Sound, touch, taste and smell are all important senses that help us evaluate the world around us, and our place within it.

Some of us struggle with this more than others, and engaging in specific sensory activities, such as music or art, can help connect us to what others perceive as normality.

Do you have a child with sensory issues, motor skills delay, or other learning differences?  Give your child the gift of connecting to others with specialised sensory activities, such as those found at The Toy Bug.

Many children are either over-stimulated or under-stimulated by one of their senses.  When these senses are not integrated properly, the world can be a scary place, especially during the holiday season such as Christmas.  With so many lights, sounds and people about, this time of year can be an anxious one for many.

Plan your holiday season early to avoid idle time with idle minds.

Have fun with a variety of sensory activities to keep the kids busy and engaged.  Great ideas can be simple ones such as these listed below.

• Baking is great for developing taste and smell.
• Arts and crafts are great for touch, sight and spatial development.
• Music whether making it, listening to it or dancing to it; is perfect for sound, movement and spatial growth.
• Head outside for active fun with balls, kites and play equipment which can help movement and balance.

"Although taking extra precautions with your 'sensational' child may lessen the number of meltdowns during the holidays, they may not be totally eliminated.  Watch for cues and remove your child from overwhelming situations whenever possible", suggests Roianne Ahn, PH.D., Psychologist in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Above all, however, the holiday season should involve fun and lots of it.

Transitions – Back To School

Well summer holidays have officially ended and school has returned to its normal schedule.  For some parents it is a relief, for parents of kids with autism it can be a time for concern as their children may experience social problems and transition issues.

The daily routine which would have changed since school ended last year will need to alter once again as kids head back to the classroom.  For many kids, it will be their first time attending school which will bring about a whole new world of issues to navigate around.

Have a look at some of our back to school products which may help your child adjust to their new surroundings.

One item which may be particularly helpful is the book entitled Arnie and His School Tools:  Simple Sensory Solutions To Build Success.  This book written by Jennifer Veenendall, a school-based occupational therapist, is useful to introduce elementary students to basic sensory tools used to help kids in classroom settings such as fidgets, chewy pencil toppers and weighted vests.

Lacing shoes can be particularly problematic for little ones and this dual action board has a set of 3 different types of footwear including a hiking boot, football shoe and sneaker to help them with their shoe tying practice.  Each shoe can be taken out and used individually.

 

The My Busy Week Magnetic Chart is designed for school age children to give them a visual view of what is happening in their school week from day to day taking out some of the surprise element.  It is also a great way to acknowledge achievements and positive behaviour throughout the day. 

As parents, we know there are going to be issues we have to face this school year and the best thing we can do is to stay as organised and as prepared as we can to deal with each and every concern as they arise.

Holidays – Keep Those Kids Busy

Most children are used to relatively structured days and activities during the school term, at pre-school or school, and can be left a little lost during the holidays. Holidays do tend to set off the “I’m bored” in kids and leave mums frazzled and annoyed.

Avoiding this frustration is as simple as organising a minimum of one structured or semi-structured activity per day. Depending on the age or dependence of your children, will depend on your level of involvement; if you’d like them happily and safely occupied whilst you attend to something you need to, make sure you structure in activities they can do mostly unsupervised as well.

Activities may include:

• Craft - cutting and pasting, painting, drawing, playdough;
• Chalk drawings - either on a footpath, garage floor or the side of the house;
• Building a cubbyhouse using sheets, blankets and the furniture;
• Bug and insect catching;
• Set up a game, challenge or obstacle course (indoor or outdoor); and
• Research - have the kids research a topic or subject they’re interested in.

Other activities that keep the kids busy and wear them out include bike rides along a specific route or excursions – particularly if you can use public transport, as this makes the day just a little more exciting for them. Or how about exploring the neighbourhood on bike or foot?

If it helps, set up a timetable of activities similar to that of a school holiday program. Get the kids involved and help you set up the program. The structure will help lessen the school holiday chaos and the kids will have no reason to be bored.