Build a sensory garden

For kiddos with sensory sensitivities, building an outdoor sensory walk can be a fantastic support for their growth. Gardening can be a rewarding therapeutic activity that provides a lot of opportunities for sensory exploration as well as routine making and physical activity.

To begin building, consider what your kiddo’s sensory preferences are. If their sensory preference is on the softer side, incorporate soft plants, like Lamb’s ear, mint, or lavender that feel nice to touch. If their sensory preference is a bit more tactile, try sourcing rocks, bricks, cinderblocks, or old stones that they can hop onto.

Kiddos that seek olfactory stimulation can benefit greatly from gardens, especially when fragrant herbs are incorporated. Lavender, mint, rosemary, and sage are all affordable and fragrant plants that grow crazy in the summertime. Plus, they are great for calming and can be preserved long into the winter months. Keep in mind that these plants also attract a lot of bees, so if your loved one is allergic to bee stings, this might not be for you.

Get your child involved in the building, too! Digging in the dirt, moving bags of mulch and soil, and watering the plants are perfect for engaging muscles the need heavy work and pressure to keep their sensory systems balances.

Build an obstacle course

Rough and tumble kiddos might need a bit more action than your average garden can provide. Instead, try building a small, safe obstacle course thar focuses on stomping, jumping, and tumbling around the yard.

Get imaginative with your obstacles. The garden hose can be a huge snake that must be jumped over and avoided. Use sticks to make or draw boxes in the dirt that can be raced around or hopped into. Break out the summer kiddie pool and fill it with every pillow in the house. Whatever gets their bodies moving safely (while also wearing them out for a nice long nap).

Make it bubbly

Bubbles are a fun and enchanting way for kiddos to get the sensory engagement they need. Bubble activities are visually stimulating and, depending on the size of the bubbles, exercise lots of different motor skills.

It’s also extremely affordable to make your own bubble fun! You can easily make bubble solution on your own with items you have in your home. Just stir together a ½ cup of dish soap, 1 ½ cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar and you’re ready to go. To make giant bubbles, bend a wire clothing hanger into a circle and dip it into your bowl of bubble solution, and then have fun!

Sidewalk chalk

Outdoor play just wouldn’t be the same without sidewalk chalk. Drawing on the driveway is a vastly different sensory experience from drawing on paper. When using sidewalk chalk, there’s audible feedback, sensory and tactile feedback. Outdoor sidewalk chalk can encourage hand-eye coordination, hand strengthening, and encourage creativity.

If you’re having trouble getting your hands on sidewalk chalk, you can make some yourself with this helpful tutorial: https://princesspinkygirl.com/diy-sidewalk-chalk/

Swing with it

Outdoor swinging is one of the best things about summertime. If you’ve got a strong tree branch, some rope, and a motorcycle tire (This is a tip from my tire swing queen, my mom. She says to go to your local auto-body shop and inquire if they’ll sell you a used motorcycle tire. They’re relatively inexpensive, sturdy, and just the right size for kiddos to climb into for some swing fun) put two and two together and hang your tire swing about 2 or 3 feet off the ground. This sounds high, but the branch might sink a bit with the weight of your kiddo.

Play Catch

It might sound silly, but the simple act of throwing things back and forth is amazing for young children. It’s not just throwing a ball around. Catch helps develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills, builds self-confidence, and reinforces the connection between a parent and child.

You don’t even have to use sports balls and special gloves. Toss a soft bean bag around, gently glide a frisbee through the air, or launch a few rolls of toilet paper across the yard. Don’t want to throw things? Sit on the ground and roll them instead!

Get outside

With warm weather upon us, it’s important for kiddos to take walks, play outside, ride bikes, just be kids. Sensory activities like these are a great, lasting way to make sure your kiddos have the sensory diet they might need to thrive.