Sensory
Integration
Community Paediatric Occupational Therapy Department
www.abm.wales.nhs.uk/childrensdevelopment
Introduction
This advice sheet provides activities ideas that aim to develop the child‟s ability to
integrate the sensory information their body receives into an appropriate response to
facilitate learning, playing and social interactions.
Sensory Integration is the term that refers to the way that the nervous system
receives sensory messages and turns them into responses (Miller 2006).
These senses include sight, sound, touch, hearing, smell and two other systems
called the vestibular (balance) and proprioceptive (internal body awareness) systems.
Guidelines
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Never force the child to do these activities, as they will be of no benefit if
they don‟t enjoy them;
Short sessions incorporated into their daily routine are ideal;
Be guided by the child into changing the sequence and/or varying the
activities;
The time must be fun!
The activities have been grouped according to the sensory systems. Choose one or
two activities from each section for the daily session. If daily sessions are not
possible then two or three sessions during the week will still be beneficial.
The Tactile Sense
The sense of touch is a major source of information to the brain about our
environment. It is also a feedback system for our body about our movement and
position in space.
If the child is sensitive to tactile media, it is very important that the activities you
expose them to be graded accordingly. The child‟s response to tactile stimulation will
enable you to know the appropriate type, duration and frequency of stimulation e.g.
start with dry textures before gradually introducing more wet and varied textures.
Activity Ideas:
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Sand play using hands and feet. This can be graded for children who are
sensitive to the texture of sand by providing tools e.g. spades, watering cans,
rakes etc;
Water play. Introduce different temperatures, and vary the activities by playing
with and without bubbles, spraying, splashing and squirting;
Tumbling, rolling games, crawling under blanket, through tunnels, along carpet;
„Hide and seek‟. Encourage the child to find small toys or blocks hidden in rice/
sand/macaroni/under blankets/around the home etc;
Play dough activities including pinching, kneading, rolling out, cutting and
twisting. See How to Make Playdough by Canida for homemade play dough at
the end of this sheet;
Finger painting;
Messy play with e.g. squirty cream, shaving foam etc;
Play with hand or finger puppets.
Tactile input can also have a calming effect. Here are a few ideas:
 Wrap the child up tight in a towel or blanket;
 Roll the child up in a blanket and then unroll them;
 Give the child a brisk rub with a towel after the bath or rub them down with
talcum powder or body lotion;
 Do actions along to “Row Your Boat” or play “Tug of War”;
 Give the child firm “Bear hugs”.
The Vestibular Sense
The vestibular sense refers to information that is provided by the receptors in our
inner ear. This system responds to motion or changes in our head position. It
integrates our neck, eyes and body adjustments to movement and influences our
balance, muscle tone and bilateral integration (the co-ordination of both sides of the
body e.g. hands). It has an important effect on regulating our posture and movement
in relationship to what we are doing and seeing.
If the child is sensitive to movement, it is very important that this is graded
accordingly. The child‟s response to movement will enable you to know the
appropriate type, duration and frequency of stimulation e.g. start with slow movement
back and forth before more challenging rotational movements.
Activity Ideas:
 Swinging on swings or see-saws or in a blanket held by two people;
 Spinning e.g. on a swing or an office chair. As spinning provides a high
amount of vestibular input it is important to let the child control the amount of
movement. Watch carefully for changes in their complexion (i.e. the colour of
their face from normal to pale) or distress and stop immediately if these signs
are noted;
 Jumping on a trampoline or off something high to land on something soft e.g.
from the sofa onto a pile of cushions;
 Rolling in a blanket;
 Rough and tumble play including tipping the child upside down etc;
 Riding bikes, trikes or scooters etc;
 Soft play areas, ball pools and playgrounds all provide excellent sources of
vestibular input to help calm and regulate the child‟s sensory system.
The Proprioceptive Sense
Proprioception is the unconscious awareness of sensations from our joints, muscles
and ligaments. It provides us with an internal awareness about where our body parts
are moving in space. This is necessary so that we do not have to „look‟ to „know‟
exactly where our legs or arms are when we move.
Proprioceptive activities generally have a calming effect and are often combined with
activities for tactile and vestibular stimulation.
Activity Ideas:
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Jumping on a trampoline or off something high to land on something soft e.g.
from the sofa onto a pile of cushions;
 Action songs such as „Row Your Boat‟, „Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes‟,
„Simon Says‟, „The Grand Old Duke of York‟, and „The Wheels On The Bus‟
provide good proprioceptive input;
 Encourage your child to lying on their back on the floor and kick or push a large
ball either help by you or propped against the wall. For younger children play
mats with toys suspended overhead are a good alternative;
 “Tug of War” and other pushing and pulling games;
 Hammering activities;
 Animal walks e.g. bunny hops, leap frog, crab walks, elephant walks, lion walks
etc. Doing this along to music will help and there are many children‟s music
CDs on the market for this purpose;
 Soft play areas and ball pools are excellent sources of proprioceptive input, as
are playgrounds
 Firm “Bear” hugs
 Rough and tumble play
 Hotdog: roll the child up in a duvet (the child is the „sausage‟ and the duvet is
the „bread‟!). Put „toppings‟ on the „sausage‟ by applying firm pressure with
your hands down their back, arms and legs. If your child really enjoys this try
varying the type of pressure with the topping e.g. tomato sauce could be firm
squeezing, onions could be firm patting. Always stop and ask the child if they
want more. This way they get to control the input you are giving to suit their
needs.
How to Make Playdough (Play-doh) by Canida
Playdough is a classic childhood toy everyone can have fun with, and it's so easy to
make at home following these simple steps.
Step 1: Ingredients
Basic ingredient ratios:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)
food coloring (liquid or powder)
scented oils
Step 2: Mix and heat
Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir over a low heat. The dough will begin to
thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes.
When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove the pan
from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.
Keep stirring and cooking until the dough is dry and feels like playdough.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if your playdough is still sticky, you simply need to cook it
longer!
Step 3: Knead & color
Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or silicone mat, and knead vigorously until it
becomes silky-smooth. Divide the dough into balls for coloring.
Make a divot in the center of the ball, and drop some food coloring in. Fold the dough
over, working the food color through the body of the playdough, trying to keep the raw
dye away from your hands and the counter. You could use gloves or plastic wrap at
this stage to keep your hands clean- only the concentrated dye will color your skin, so
as soon as it's worked in bare hands are fine.
Work the dye through, adding more as necessary to achieve your chosen color.
References
Miller L. J. (2006). Sensational Kids: Help and Hope for Children with Sensory
Processing Disorder. New York, NY, Putnam
How to Make Play Dough by Canida. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-MakePlaydough-Play-doh/?ALLSTEPS (last accessed 15.01.2015)
Editorial Board: Awaiting approval
Publication Date: 15.01.2015
Version:
Review Date:
Author: Paediatric Occupational Therapy