UNPLUG AUGUST
Sensory activities for the hot days ahead!
We are half way through the summer and the weather has been
gorgeous here on the East Coast which allows you and your children to be
outdoors most days and nights. Make sure
you stay outside, experience nature, and enjoy as many whole- body sensory and
motor activities as possible together.
Here are some suggestions for making the most out of the
remainder of the summer with your children.
1.
Play
in the sand!
If you have access to a beach that’s great,
but you can also take advantage of a sandbox or even a sand-pit. Bury your legs or arms. Make castles and forts with motes filled with
water. Carrying the buckets of sand to
provide “heavy work” along with the tactile play. Use your HANDS as much as possible for the
tactile experience of the sand. Add
tools for a change of pace and hoe, push, shove the sand. If your child cannot
tolerate the sand, add water to change the texture.
2.
Have fun with water balloons!
Fill balloons with water and throw them at
targets (if you have older kids) or into containers. Use funnels and measuring
cups to work on bilateral skills when filling up. Watch the water balloons explode. Make this into a math activity by adding up
points or multiplying your “hits”. As
you add more water to the balloons, you increase the “heavy work” your children
participate in.
3. Pick wildflowers!
Pull off
petals ( for fine motor precision) and turn them into potpourri.
Paint flowers with fingerpaint and
make abstract pictures. Varying scents
provides olfactory information to the nose.
Talk about the differences in smells.
4. Play hopscotch and boxball!
Draw
your own boards with different colored chalk.
Vary the way you play
to
challenge your motor skills. Hop more,
jump sideways, jump backwards,
spin
jump or clap while you jump. Sing songs
while moving if possible.
So
remember to get outside every day and get your senses activated in big and
small ways while inviting friends and family to join in the fun!
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