Colleen Beck OTR/L

Colleen Beck, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and the owner and author of The OT Toolbox website. She manages all of The OT Toolbox social media accounts and runs the popular newsletter. Read about Colleen's experience and career as an occupational therapist, including how The OT Toolbox began on our About The OT Toolbox page: https://www.theottoolbox.com/about-us/ Colleen created The OT Toolbox in 2011 and since then has written thousands of blog posts designed to support therapy providers, educators, parents, counselors, admin, and caregivers in promoting the healthy development of kids. Check out Colleen's blog posts below:

Summer Sensory Activities and Sensory Circuits

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Summer is a time when we sometimes need to alter our sensory processing input options. In this blog post, we’ve updated the information to include Summer themed sensory play activities parents can use at home. We also wanted to include ideas for educators and therapy providers running Summer school classrooms or Summer camps. This includes info on sensory circuits. Also check out our Summer occupational therapy activities for more ideas.

I wanted to share a bit about this resource, the Summer Sensory Activity Guide. Therapists know the importance of incorporating therapeutic and developmental activities into the everyday activities that a child and family experiences.  From a trip to the playground to a day at the beach, there are so many sensory-rich experiences that summer life has to offer!

Summer Sensory Activities

First off, when you think of Summer, don’t you think of certain types of play and activities…

  • Blowing bubbles
  • Pool days
  • Lemonade stands
  • Sidewalk chalk
  • Bean bag toss
  • Wheelbarrow walks
  • Riding bikes
  • Climbing trees
  • Visiting new playgrounds
  • Water balloons

Parents often think they need expensive equipment to create sensory activities, but simple, everyday activities do the job! You can also use household items work just as well. Pair your daily sensory input strategy with easy movement activities like:

  • Carrying a laundry basket
  • Pushing a full laundry basket across the floor
  • Rolling up in a blanket burrito
  • Crab walks to the next station
  • Animal walks down the hallway
  • Pillow jumps
  • Marching while carrying stuffed animals

These simple additions provide proprioceptive and vestibular input while encouraging active play all summer long.

Then, our therapy providers and educators who are working Summer School might need activities that alert, organize, and calm. This is where a sensory circuit might come in handy. More on sensory circuits below…

Summer Sensory Activities by Sensory System

We have a lot of posts here on The OT Toolbox that focuses on lists of ideas. There’s a reason we do that. When I started out as a pediatric OT, my best handouts were the ones that had lists of activities that I could highlight or check off as ones that the parent should do at home with the child.

Parents liked these list handouts because it was like a menu of specific occupational therapy tasks that they could see was tailored to meet the specific needs of their child.

So, that’s why I wanted to put together lists of specific Summer activities that meet various needs. Some other places on The OT Toolbox that have Summer activities for sensory processing include our resources like: Sensory activities for the backyard, and these ideas for specific sensory systems using the backyard as an environment:

Below is a huge list of outdoor sensory activities, but to focus on each sensory system, check out these resources:

We have the Summer Sensory Activity lists below in handout format inside The OT Toolbox Membership.

Proprioceptive Summer Activities

Summer is a wonderful time to build proprioceptive skills through play. Proprioception is the body’s sense of where it is in space and helps children develop body awareness, coordination, motor planning, and self-regulation.

During the summer months, familiar school routines disappear, and many children spend more time on phones, tablets, or video games. Adding proprioceptive activities like carrying buckets, digging in the sand, pushing wagons, climbing playground equipment, or helping with yard work provides the heavy work input that helps organize the nervous system.

These movement opportunities support attention, emotional regulation, and readiness for learning while encouraging children to spend more time actively exploring their environment.

  • Wheelbarrow walks in the grass
  • Pulling a wagon
  • Carrying beach buckets
  • Digging in the sandbox
  • Filling watering cans
  • Pool noodle push races
  • Beach towel tug-of-war
  • Garden work
  • Building a stick fort
  • Shoveling mulch or dirt

Vestibular Summer Activities

The vestibular system helps us understand movement, balance, and head position. Summer offers endless opportunities to strengthen this system through fun outdoor play. Swinging, spinning, rolling down grassy hills, jumping through obstacle courses, scooter board races, swimming, and playground activities all provide valuable vestibular input.

Because summer schedules are often less structured, children may miss the natural movement they receive throughout the school day. Replacing some screen time with active movement experiences helps support balance, coordination, visual attention, and postural control while giving the brain the movement it needs for healthy sensory processing and regulation.

  • Slip and slide
  • Swinging
  • Playground spinning
  • Scooter board races
  • Hammock swinging
  • Rolling down grassy hills
  • Log rolling on towels
  • Obstacle courses
  • Hopscotch
  • Jump rope

Tactile Summer Activities

The tactile system helps children interpret information they receive through touch and plays an important role in fine motor development, body awareness, and emotional regulation.

Summer naturally provides countless opportunities for tactile exploration through sand, water, grass, mud, shaving cream, finger paint, bubbles, gardening, and nature play.

Incorporating tactile summer activities encourages hands-on exploration while strengthening sensory processing, finger dexterity, and confidence with new experiences. Activities like digging in the sandbox, washing toys, creating mud kitchens, exploring a sensory bin, or collecting nature treasures provide meaningful tactile input while making summer play both fun and developmentally beneficial.

  • Mud kitchen
  • Water table
  • Ice cube painting
  • Finger painting outside
  • Sand play
  • Shaving cream play
  • Washing toy cars
  • Flower petal sensory bin
  • Garden dirt exploration
  • Sponge squeeze station

Oral Sensory Summer Activities

Summer is also a great season to support oral motor development through fun foods and outdoor play. Drinking smoothies through straws, blowing bubbles, eating crunchy fruits and vegetables, enjoying frozen treats, or blowing whistles and pinwheels all strengthen the muscles used for eating, drinking, speech, and breathing.

Oral motor activities also provide calming sensory input for many children and can become an easy part of summer routines. During long summer days, it’s easy for snacking and screen time to replace active play and meaningful sensory experiences. Adding oral motor activities throughout the day encourages children to engage their bodies, regulate their sensory systems, and build skills that support feeding, communication, and attention.

  • Frozen fruit
  • Smoothies
  • Popsicles
  • Crunchy vegetables
  • Drinking through crazy straws
  • Blowing bubbles
  • Whistles
  • Pinwheels
  • Frozen yogurt bark
  • Watermelon tasting

Sensory Circuit for Summer

A sensory circuit is a different version of a sensory diet. While we love the sensory lifestyle, for some, having a set routine is really helpful. This is true for meeting sensory needs, or even having a nighttime routine or morning routine.

What is a Sensory Circuit?

Think of a sensory circuit as a predictable, structured “plan” to help kids find their balance. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a traditional, complex sensory diet, a sensory circuit simplifies everything into a quick, 10 to 20 minute routine using a simple activity menu.

The secret is all in the order. By intentionally moving through specific types of sensory input, you help a child’s nervous system step-by-step:

  1. Alert the brain and body to wake up and tune in.
  2. Organize focus, coordination, and body awareness.
  3. Calm and center the system so they are regulated and ready for the day.

It delivers all the incredible, regulating benefits of a sensory diet, but in a streamlined, bite-sized format that is much easier for busy families and classrooms to actually stick with!

A sensory circuit is a short, structured sequence of physical activities designed to help children regulate their sensory processing. The goal is to achieve the “just right” level of alertness so they can focus, learn, and handle transitions smoothly.

Summer sensory circuits

Summer Sensory Circuit Menu

Moving through these activities in a specific, 3-step order creates a natural neurological progression that helps kids settle into a calm, focused state—perfect for anchorless summer days. Spend about 5 minutes on each phase.

1. Alerting Activities (Wake Up the System)

The goal is to provide controlled vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (muscle/joint) input to energize the brain and body.

  • Water balloon toss & catch: Moving dynamically to catch water balloons or tossing them against a target.
  • Playground swings & slides: Going high on the swings or sliding down a fast slide to get that vestibular system moving.
  • Running through the sprinkler: Fast, high-energy movement combined with the sudden, refreshing sensory splash of cool water.
  • Running in the grass barefoot or jumping jacks/dance, etc.: Jumping and running barefoot on grass gives an extra layer of tactile feedback.
  • Jump along a sidewalk chalk obstacle course, hopscotch, etc.: Draw a line of lily pads or stars on the driveway for them to jump across as fast or as high as they can.

2. Organizing Activities (Build Focus & Coordination)

These activities require motor planning, balance, and timing to help children organize their bodies and thoughts.

  • The “Floor is Lava” challenge: Play the floor is lava with couch cushions at home. You can also do this at a park using a playground structure. Move from one end to the other without touching the ground, forcing them to balance, plan their grip, and step carefully.
  • Water bucket relay: Carry a full cup or bucket of water on a specific path (weaving through lawn chairs or stepping over pool noodles) without spilling a drop.
  • Pool noodle balance walk: Place pool noodles on the grass and walking across them like a tightrope. Or make a balance beam using a jump rope or items at home, like a rolled up blanket balance beam.
  • Target practice with a water hose or spray bottle: Use a spray nozzle or a spray bottle to hit specific sidewalk chalk targets on a fence or wall.
  • Ride a bike or scooter along a line or path: Ride a scooter or bike strictly along a designated path or driveway seam, practicing steering control and spatial awareness. You can use sidewalk chalk to draw a path in a driveway.

3. Calming Activities (Center & Ground)

These deep pressure and resistance activities ensure children finish the circuit regulated, centered, and ready to transition into a calm afternoon or quiet time.

  • “Heavy Work” summer chores: Pushing a full wheelbarrow, carrying heavy watering cans to the garden plants, or pushing a lawnmower (toy or real, depending on age). Here is a chores checklist you can use.
  • Pool float “squashes”: Lye on a beach towel on the grass while a parent gently presses a large, semi-deflated pool float, beach ball, or yoga ball over their back and legs for deep pressure.
  • Tug-of-war or dig in sand: A heavy resistance game of tug-of-war with a thick rope, or digging deeply in dry/wet sand using big muscle movements.
  • The “blanket burrito” using a beach towel: Wrap up tightly up in a big beach towel after water play for a calming, cozy deep-pressure hug.
  • A slow, grounded walk: A mindful walk where they hold a heavy backpack or focused, steady stepping along a path or sidewalk, or marching to notice specific sensory sights and sounds in nature.

Why does the order of activities matter in a sensory circuit?

The order is the most critical part of a sensory circuit! Moving from alerting activities to organising activities to calming activities builds a natural neurological progression.

  • Skipping or mixing up the order can have the opposite effect, leaving a child feeling dysregulated, hyperactive, or irritable instead of centered.

What are some more easy examples for each phase of a sensory circuit?

  • Alerting: Controlled bouncing on a yoga ball, jumping jacks, skipping, or drinking ice water, crunchy foods, or dancing to music.
  • Organizing: Balancing on a line or board, catching a ball while balancing, weaving through cones, or heavy animal walks (like bear crawls).
  • Calming: Deep pressure yoga ball squashes, crawling through a tight play tunnel, wall push-ups, deep breathing, or relaxing under a weighted blanket.

When is the best time of day to do a sensory circuit?

Completing a circuit first thing in the morning is fantastic for setting up the day, and right after lunch is perfect for resetting after a chaotic midday break. However, it can be used anytime a child is on a break from routines, like during summer vacation, and needs an organizing anchor for their day.

Example of a Sensory Circuit for Adults

It’s basically having a “plan” in place. This can look like just a 10-20 minute circuit of specific sensory activities (picking from a menu). The goal with a sensory circuit is to move through specific sensory input that alerts, then organizes, then calms the individual. It’s a version of a sensory diet that is likely easier to follow through than what we are used to with true sensory diets that adults may use. It’s also more clearly outlined than a sensory lifestyle may be.

For example, I know that when I wake up and go through a routine, my day usually starts off better than a day when I jump out of bed and immediately need to “put out fires” in the family. This doesn’t need to be complicated. Personally, for me, a morning sensory diet or sensory circuit that includes a couple of minutes of stretching, a drink of water, going outside for sunlight, avoiding my phone for the first hour of my day, a walk outside, eating a small healthy breakfast, and even making it to the gym or doing some type of exercise. Then I can check my calendar or planner to see what’s on the schedule for the day.

This example starts with alerting activities: waking up and stretching followed by water and sunlight.

Then organizing input: walk, chewing offers proprioceptive input through the jaw and mouth.

Then calming input: exercise.

Then, I am able to go through my schedule and make decisions for the day.

When this routine happens, it’s usually a great start to the day. This routine doesn’t always happen, and some days I can pick just a few tasks from this list. But when you take an activity analysis and look at the movement and sensory input that’s happening, it’s all very calming and regulating input that helps to organize my nervous system.

So, for our kids, having a few activities that offer input to organize the nervous system, we can put them into a place where they are regulated so when different scenarios or inputs happen, it’s a bit easier to respond.

For kids, it’s good to have a visual in place. We have a visual guide page like this in The OT Toolbox Membership.

1 minute jumping jacks

↓

Jump through sensory path

↓

Carry heavy bucket or basket of clothes

↓

Bubble blowing

↓

Balance challenge

↓

Wall push ups/chair push ups

↓

Joint compressions

↓

Deep breathing

This is just one example. You can pick just 3-4 items or you can switch them out. Pick out the coping strategies that work for your specific child and build out a circuit.

How is a sensory circuit different from a traditional sensory diet?

While a traditional sensory diet weaves different sensory strategies throughout the entire day, a sensory circuit groups specific activities into a single, continuous 15-to-20-minute block. Because it follows a repeatable, menu-style plan, it is often much easier for parents and teachers to consistently implement.

Heavy Work Activities

We love using heavy work activities because they are powerful tools to support needs. We actually have a whole blog post on Summer heavy work ideas that really breaks this down.

Summer ideas include:

  • Carrying coolers
  • Pulling beach wagons
  • Watering flowers
  • Digging holes
  • Moving patio cushions
  • Washing windows
  • Sweeping porch
  • Raking grass clippings
  • Pulling weeds
  • Filling bird feeders

Summer Obstacle Course Ideas

An obstacle course is a great activity for Summer sensory input. The best thing is that you can do this anywhere: in the backyard, a chalk obstacle course, inside, or using playground equipment. Use movements like:

  • Hop
  • Jump
  • Balance
  • Crawl
  • Throw
  • Push
  • Pull
  • Spin
  • Run
  • Walk backwards
  • Use pool noodles, chalk, cones, buckets, towels.

Summer Brain Breaks

We also have many tools related to brain breaks here on The OT Toolbox.

Summer is the perfect season to keep kids moving with quick, engaging brain breaks that support both the body and the brain. Brain breaks are short movement activities that help children reset their attention, improve focus, and regulate their energy levels throughout the day. During the summer months, daily schedules often become less predictable, making it helpful to intentionally include movement opportunities between reading, crafts, learning activities, chores, or quiet play.

From an occupational therapy perspective, brain breaks also provide valuable sensory input that supports executive functioning, motor planning, balance, coordination, and emotional regulation. Whether you’re at home, at summer camp, or working with children in therapy sessions, adding a few minutes of purposeful movement throughout the day helps children return to activities feeling more organized, engaged, and ready to learn or play.

Ideas:

  • Flamingo stand
  • Crab walk to the tree
  • Hop like a frog
  • Walk like a bear
  • Windmill arms
  • Jump over towels
  • Pick flowers by color
  • Simon Says outside

Beach Sensory Activities

We actually have a resource on sensory diet activities for the beach. You can pull pieces of that when on vacation, or use those ideas at the pool or in the yard in the backyard.

Sensory ideas might include:

  • Shell hunts
  • Carry wet sand
  • Build sand castles
  • Dig moats
  • Barefoot walking
  • Water bucket relay
  • Seashell sorting
  • Ocean animal walks

Pool Noodle Activities

Pool noodles activities are one of the most versatile and inexpensive tools you can add to your summer sensory activities. Lightweight, colorful, and easy to cut into different sizes, they can be used to create movement games that support sensory processing, balance, coordination, and body awareness. From an occupational therapy perspective, pool noodles provide opportunities to target multiple sensory systems while encouraging active play and creative problem-solving.

Try these easy pool noodle sensory ideas throughout the summer:

  • Create a balance beam by placing a pool noodle on the grass and encouraging children to walk heel-to-toe.
  • Set up jumping hurdles by laying noodles across small cones or buckets for children to jump over.
  • Build an obstacle course that includes crawling under noodles, stepping over them, weaving between them, and hopping through noodle circles.
  • Use two pool noodles for “horse reins” while children gallop, skip, or complete animal walks.
  • Hold noodles horizontally for children to crawl under or climb over, encouraging motor planning and body awareness.
  • Practice bilateral coordination by having children hold a noodle with both hands while twisting, reaching overhead, or making large figure-eight movements.
  • Use pool noodles as targets for bean bag tosses or ring toss games to develop hand-eye coordination.
  • Create giant letters or shapes on the ground with noodles for children to jump along while practicing letter recognition or following directions.
  • Have children push a pool noodle across the yard while balancing a lightweight ball on top to encourage visual tracking and graded motor control.
  • Pair noodles with water balloons or sponges for relay races that add tactile and proprioceptive input.

These activities provide rich sensory experiences that support several developmental areas, including:

  • Proprioceptive input through pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying
  • Vestibular input through jumping, balancing, and changing body positions
  • Bilateral coordination by encouraging both hands to work together
  • Motor planning during obstacle courses and movement sequences
  • Visual motor integration while aiming, catching, and following movement paths
  • Executive functioning through remembering directions, sequencing activities, and problem-solving

One of the greatest benefits of pool noodle activities is that they can easily be adapted for children of different ages and abilities. Younger children may simply enjoy stepping over noodles or carrying them around the yard, while older children can complete more challenging obstacle courses or team games. Because pool noodles are soft and lightweight, they also provide a safe way to encourage movement confidence in children who may be hesitant to try new gross motor activities.

More ideas are:

  • Pool noodle sensory bin
  • Balance beam
  • Hurdles
  • Ring toss
  • Giant letters
  • Push races
  • Bowling
  • Obstacle course
  • Partner carries

Water Play OT Activities

Water play is one of the easiest ways to provide rich sensory experiences during the summer months. Beyond simply cooling off on a hot day, water naturally engages multiple sensory systems while encouraging children to move, explore, problem-solve, and build developmental skills through play. From an occupational therapy perspective, water activities can support tactile processing, hand strength, visual motor integration, bilateral coordination, and executive functioning, all while feeling like play instead of therapy.

The resistance and movement of water also provide calming proprioceptive input while helping children develop body awareness and motor control. Water play can be especially helpful for children who seek sensory input or become overwhelmed by the heat and activity of summer.

Easy Water Play Sensory Activities

Try these simple water activities using materials you may already have at home:

  • Fill and pour water between different-sized cups and containers.
  • Transfer water using turkey basters, eyedroppers, or squeeze bottles.
  • Wash toy cars, dolls, or plastic animals with sponges and soapy water.
  • Paint sidewalks or fences with water and paintbrushes.
  • Rescue frozen toys from blocks of ice using warm water and droppers.
  • Set up a sponge squeeze relay by transferring water from one bucket to another.
  • Create a floating and sinking investigation using household objects.
  • Practice aiming skills by spraying targets with spray bottles or water squirters.
  • Scoop floating toys with nets or slotted spoons.
  • Wash windows, outdoor tables, or patio furniture using spray bottles and cloths.
  • Fill water balloons and sort them by color or size before tossing them into buckets.
  • Build a simple water wall using recycled containers and tubing.

Occupational Therapy Benefits of Water Play

Many water activities naturally target multiple developmental skills at once. Children strengthen their hands while squeezing sponges or spray bottles, improve bilateral coordination while pouring water between containers, and develop visual motor skills as they aim, scoop, and transfer objects.

Water play also supports:

  • Fine motor coordination
  • Hand strength
  • Finger isolation
  • Bilateral coordination
  • Crossing midline
  • Eye-hand coordination
  • Visual tracking
  • Motor planning
  • Executive functioning through sequencing and problem-solving
  • Sensory processing and self-regulation

Water provides continuous tactile input that many children find calming. The temperature, movement, and resistance encourage children to notice how their bodies move while exploring different textures and sensations. Because water activities are naturally motivating, they also encourage longer periods of attention and engagement.

For occupational therapists, parents, and teachers, water play offers countless opportunities to adapt activities for different ages and ability levels. Younger children may simply enjoy scooping and pouring, while older children can complete water obstacle courses, timed challenges, or cooperative games that encourage planning, teamwork, and flexible thinking.

Best of all, water play requires very little setup, making it an easy addition to summer therapy sessions, home programs, camps, or backyard play while supporting important developmental skills all season long.

Ideas:

  • Sponge relay
  • Turkey baster races
  • Spray bottle painting
  • Water balloon target toss
  • Eyedropper transfer
  • Floating/sinking experiment
  • Cup pouring station
  • Ice rescue

Nature Sensory Activities

Collect:

Leaves

Rocks

Sticks

Flowers

Pinecones

Feathers

Acorns

Seeds

Make:

Nature collage

Nature bracelet

Leaf rubbings

Stick letters

Rock balancing

Fairy houses

Summer Sensory Bin Ideas

Include 20-30 ideas.

Examples:

  • Beach
  • Ocean
  • Camping
  • Watermelon
  • Ice cream
  • Lemonade
  • Bugs
  • Garden
  • Pond
  • Farm
  • Picnic
  • Fireflies
  • Patriotic
  • Construction
  • Dinosaur dig
  • Pirates
  • Sharks
  • Mermaid
  • Pool party
  • Sunshine

Need even more summer ideas?

~Add these hula hoop activities to therapy sessions.

~Use sidewalk chalk to support fine motor skills.

~ Print off and send home this list of 100 things to do this Summer. It’s a therapist-approved list of Summer activities!

~Print off these Summer Writing Lists to work on handwriting skills.

~Grab some of the materials in The OT Toolbox Member’s Club. There is something for everyone and Summer themed activities to support all skill levels.

~ Do some or all of the activities listed here in this Sensory Summer Camp at Home plan. All of the activities and ideas are free and use items you probably already have.

~ Sneak in handwriting practice while traveling with these motivating and authentic ideas. HERE are a few MORE natural writing experiences for summer that keep those pencils moving.

~ Try some of the activities in this Summer Activity Guide designed to encourage play and creativity in activities for the whole family.

~ Practice the motor planning and fine motor skills needed for handwriting and with a sensory twist using the ideas outlined in this Sensory Handwriting Backyard Summer Camp.

~ Try these Backyard Vestibular Activities for Summer to encourage movement and sensory experiences right in the backyard.

~ Print off this June Occupational Therapy Calendar for ideas to last the whole month. (It’s from a couple of years back so the dates are off, but the activities still work!)

~ These no-prep, basically free summer activities won’t break the bank and boost the underlying skills kids NEED, in fun ways.

~ Use sidewalk chalk to boost fine motor skills.  

~Make a summer time capsule with the whole family and create memories that can be looked back on years from now.   

~Create a summer kick-off bucket filled with toys and items for months of sensory play.     

~The kids will love these frozen fruit kabob snacks. It’s a great alerting sensory snack that doubles as a healthy summer treat.

One tool to support Summer OT home programs, OT tutoring sessions, or occupational therapy summer camps is our Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet.

These Summer sensory ideas encourage movement while keeping activities fresh and motivating during summer therapy sessions or brain breaks.

summer sensory activity guide

Summer Sensory Activity Guide

What if you could add a few activities to the summer bucket list that would promote developmental skills while encouraging the integration of sensory tasks that help with behavior, attention, self-regulation, development, and more?

The activities outlined in this Sensory Summer Activity Guide do just that!

Looking for more summer occupational therapy activity ideas? We’ve got a lot here on The OT Toolbox!    

This guide book is perfect for parents who are looking for summer activities based on sensory input.   It’s the perfect summer program for therapists to send home for activity ideas that will last all summer long.  The best news is that you can access the summer sensory guide as a special bonus to the Summer OT Activity kit.

You’ll also be interested in our new Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet. It’s a collection of 14 items that guide summer programming at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. The summer activities bundle covers handwriting, visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, regulation, and more.

Summer OT Bundle

Or, you may want to grab this massive Summer OT Bundle, instead. The 18 product collection includes $90 worth of occupational therapy resources for just $20. When you use the Summer OT Bundle in your therapy planning, OT sessions, or home programing, you can set kids up for success in handwriting, fine motor development, regulation, motor skills, and so much more. Check out the Summer OT Bundle Here.

You’ll find ideas to use in virtual therapy sessions and to send home as home activities that build skills and power development with a fun, summer theme. Kids will love the Summer Spot It! game, the puzzles, handouts, and movement activities. Therapists will love the teletherapy slide deck and the easy, ready-to-go activities to slot into OT sessions. The packet is only $10.00 and can be used over and over again for every student/client!

Grab the Summer OT Bundle HERE.

Summer activities for kids

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

Summer Sensory Stations

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Summer sensory activities

Today’s sensory resource is a self-regulation tool that is very popular among therapy professionals and educators: an all-new Summer Sensory Stations set! This set of printable sensory path activities are nice because they can be printed off, laminated (or placed in a page protector sleeve), and hung in a hallway. We’ve received so much great feedback about out other seasonal sensory stations that this summer version was a must! Add this resource to your Summer occupational therapy activities.

You’ll want to check out the other sensory station printables at the bottom of this post.

Free summer sensory stations for a DIY sensory path or self-regulation tool with a summer theme.

Summer offers countless opportunities to incorporate movement into a child’s day, making it the perfect time for summer sensory activities. Whether you’re working with children in occupational therapy, summer school, camp, or at home, sensory movement helps support attention, body awareness, emotional regulation, and motor planning. These activities also provide structured opportunities for movement during long summer days when routines often change and children need additional ways to stay regulated.

A printable sensory path is an easy way to encourage purposeful movement without requiring special equipment. Simply print the pages, place them on the floor, and let children jump, stomp, crawl, balance, and move from station to station while building important developmental skills.

Summer Sensory Stations

A DIY sensory path can include a few quick stops to add deep breathing, mindfulness, proprioception, vestibular input, eye-hand coordination, crossing midline, and whole-body movement.

And that’s just what this set of summer themed sensory stations includes!

The movement-based stops offer users to take a break at various stations and integrate movement, coordination, and visual input with deep breathing, and heavy work.

What a great way to add a quick brain break between activities or to get ready for a therapy session!

How to Use Sensory Stations

Creating sensory stations is a simple way to add movement throughout the day. Instead of asking children to complete one long activity, sensory stations encourage short bursts of movement that help reset the nervous system and improve attention before returning to learning or play.

For example, you might create stations that include:

  • Jumping
  • Animal walks
  • Balance poses
  • Cross-body movements
  • Deep breathing
  • Heavy work activities
  • Vestibular challenges
  • Visual tracking games

These sensory station ideas work well indoors or outdoors and can easily be adapted for classrooms, therapy clinics, camps, or home programs.

Free Printable Sensory Activities

One of the easiest ways to encourage movement is with free printable sensory activities. Printable sensory paths provide visual cues that guide children through a sequence of movements while supporting executive functioning and motor planning.

Unlike random movement breaks, sensory paths combine multiple sensory systems including:

  • Vestibular input through jumping and spinning
  • Proprioceptive input through pushing, crawling, and stomping
  • Bilateral coordination through crossing midline
  • Visual motor skills by following the path
  • Motor planning through sequencing movements

These printable activities can be reused throughout the summer and require very little preparation.

Summer Sensory Ideas for Home and Therapy

We like using the printable sensory path pages in the everyday of Summer. It’s a great way to add calming or alerting sensory input into the day. Print off the pages and hang them on the way. Then you can other sensory processing strategies as well.

These summer sensory ideas make excellent additions to occupational therapy sessions, summer home programs, and classroom brain breaks. Consider pairing your printable sensory path with seasonal activities like:

  • Water balloon tosses
  • Sidewalk chalk obstacle courses
  • Beach towel animal walks
  • Pool noodle balance beams
  • Bubble chasing
  • Garden scavenger hunts
  • Nature walks with movement challenges
  • Sprinkler jumping games

Combining printable movement stations with outdoor play keeps children engaged while targeting balance, coordination, body awareness, and self-regulation.

Free Sensory Station Packet

In this summer themed set of activities, you’ll find a printable page for each “station” or stop along the sensory path:

Bee path infinity loop-

The first page in the summer sensory path kit is a bee infinity loop, which is great for mindfulness, deep breathing, crossing midline, eye-hand coordination.

Tracing the infinity loop offers an opportunity for mindfulness through the summer bees’ paths as they move along the loop. This creative way to foster visual attention, self-regulation, self-awareness, coping skills, and concentration is fun for summer! By tracing the loop, hand-eye coordination and mindfulness allow the user to be more present in the moment, and more aware of themselves.

Some users may stand on an uneven surface while doing this activity to challenge balance and visual skills. Think about adding a gymnastics mat, slant board, balance pod, or other uneven standing surface.

Others may want to kneel or do a lunge while completing this activity to further challenge balance and coordination skills. The nice thing about the printable sensory station is that it can be raised or lowered on the wall easily.

Leap like a dolphin-

The next page in the sensory paths for summer is a “leap like a dolphin” activity. It’s a powerful activity for vestibular input, motor planning, and proprioceptive heavy work

Proprioception offers a way to “wake up” the joints and muscles in the body. This leaping activity can be done from a standing, kneeling, or from the floor. Proprioceptive input from the muscles and joints provides information about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement and changes in position in space, so this leaping activity adds a summer theme!

Beach ball wall push-up-

Next in the Summer Sensory Stations kit is a beach ball wall push up page. Add whole body proprioceptive input through the upper extremity: shoulder girdle, elbows, wrists, and arches of the hands. Plus wall push ups are a great strength and stability exercise for the core.

You can modify this activity to place it lower on the wall for a lunge position, or even can do the wall push-ups from a seated position to challenge seated balance. This is a great motor and sensory opportunity for wheelchair users.

Seashell trace and breathe printable-

Users love our spiral path deep breathing exercises. There is so much heavy work benefit to filling and emptying the lungs as a self-regulation strategy.

Follow the circular path from the crab to the seashell while breathing in. Then follow the path again to breathe out. This visual offers a deep breathing exercise for filling and emptying the entire lungs, which is a great interoception and proprioception exercise for mindfulness and self-regulation.

Summer Sand Squats-

Finally, the last page in the Summer Sensory Stations printable is a summer-themed squat exercise.

Users can do a certain number of repetition of squats along with the visual for a balance activity and coordination exercise. This visual is left open-ended but you could challenge users to pick up an object from the floor for more balance opportunities, or you could ask them to move their hands or keep their vision on an object for visual attention, etc.

How to Use these Summer Sensory Stations

Using these Summer sensory path stations is simple:

  • Print off the pages.
  • Laminate them or slide them into a page protector sleeve. This way the sheets can easily be cleaned with a spritz of cleanser or disinfectant spray.
  • Hang the pages in a hallway to create a DIY sensory path. Or, hang them in a corner of a room to make a sensory calm down corner.

You can use these stations as a brain break, a scheduled sensory diet activity, a calm-down activity, or a transition activity for routine sensory input. The stations are great because they can be used with all individuals, making them perfect for a groups of children at a sensory summer camp (or any type of summer camp!) or meeting individual needs during therapy sessions.

Occupational Therapy Benefits of a Sensory Path

From an occupational therapy perspective, a printable sensory path is much more than a movement game. Every stop along the path is an opportunity to strengthen skills needed for success in school and everyday activities.

A sensory path can improve:

  • Body awareness
  • Motor planning
  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Bilateral integration
  • Visual motor integration
  • Executive functioning
  • Attention
  • Self-regulation
  • Emotional regulation

Because movement activates multiple sensory systems at once, these OT sensory activities provide meaningful opportunities for children to organize their bodies before classroom learning, handwriting, reading, or other seated tasks.

Want these Printable sensory Stations?

Enter your email address into the form below. You’ll receive an email containing the PDF file. This resource is also available in our Member’s Club, where members can head to the dashboard and click a download button to immediately access the printable along with hundreds of other resources…no need to enter your email address!

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    Looking for more Sensory Stations?

    Check out these other themed sensory station printables:

    Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

    The Size of The Problem Activity Ideas

    by

    In this blog post, we’re sharing a fun way to work on problem solving skills and overwhelm in kids. The kids we’ve worked with on executive functioning skills love The Size of the Problem Activity strategies for a few reasons. It helps them to understand just how big various daily problems actually are…so they can come up with a game plan to fix the issue at hand.

    The size of the problem activity might sound like a quirky game, but it’s actually a combination of self-regulation, executive function, and metacognition that helps kids understand the magnitude of the problems they encounter and to cope with them….all while knowing that it’s ok to have problems, it’s ok to have big feelings, and it’s ok to not know what to do about them. After all, emotional regulation and executive functioning skills go hand in hand.

    One way that I’ve done this in the past is with a few fun and engaging activity ideas. These activities can be used with different ages.

    size of the problem curriculum

    What Is “the Size of the Problem”?

    Have you heard of a Size of the Problem concept? It’s a tool to help kids picture how bit their problems are.

    Size of the Problem is a social-emotional learning concept that helps children recognize the actual size of the problem they are facing and match it with an appropriate response. The goal is to teach children that not every challenge requires the same level of emotion or reaction.

    For example, dropping a crayon during art class may be a small problem that requires a quick solution and a calm response. On the other hand, a significant event such as a family emergency or a big change in a child’s life may be a large problem that requires additional support and coping skills.

    Many children who struggle with emotional regulation may become very upset by small problems or have difficulty determining which situations require larger reactions. Teaching Size of the Problem helps children develop perspective-taking, self-awareness, and problem-solving skills.

    The concept of “Size of the Problem” activity is often used in educational and therapeutic settings. It essentially helps the child to categorizing problems into different sizes based on their level of seriousness or impact. 

    The goal is to teach individuals, especially kids, to match their reactions to the size of the problem, promoting emotional regulation and effective problem-solving.

    Helping kids to identify problems by size can help them with skills like:

    Remember that this can be a tricky skill to learn and then to use! Executive function develops over a long period of time and identifying problems, finding a regulation strategy, and then using it takes time, too!

    How Does the size of the problem activity Work?

    Now, let’s take a closer look at how this activity works:

    • Identification: Kids are guided to recognize and express their feelings about a particular situation or issue. You can prompt them with questions like “How does this make you feel?” or “Why is this bothering you?” 
    • Categorization: Once the problem is identified, it is categorized based on its size:
      • Small problems: Minor issues that can be managed independently.
      • Medium problems: Require more effort, support, or coping strategies to address.
      • Big problems: Significantly impactful challenges that may necessitate assistance from adults or professionals.
    • Understanding Impact: By assigning a size to the problem, kids can better understand how it relates to their overall well-being and differentiate between minor frustrations and more substantial issues.
    • Applying Coping Strategies: Once the size of the problem is determined, appropriate coping strategies can be introduced. For instance, small problems may be addressed with simple self-soothing techniques, while bigger problems might require more complex problem-solving skills or external support.

    How to Introduce the Size of the Problem to Kids?

    Introducing the concept of the Size of the Problem to kids should be done in a simple manner. Here’s how you can make the introduction effective and relatable:

    • Start with Simple Language: Begin by explaining the concept in language that suits the age group. Use examples they can relate to, like misplacing a favorite toy, having a disagreement with a friend, or not understanding a homework assignment.
    • Use Visual Aids: Create a visual chart or use images to represent problems of varying sizes. This can be a spectrum ranging from small to large, helping kids visualize the different magnitudes of problems.
    • Open Communication: Encourage conversation by asking them questions. For example, “Can you think of a time when something bothered you? Was it a small, medium, or big problem?” This prompts reflection and allows the child to connect the concept to their own experiences.
    • Relate It to Emotions: Discuss how different-sized problems can make us feel various emotions. Connect emotions like frustration, sadness, or worry to specific examples. This helps children link the concept to their own emotional experiences.
    • Model the Concept: Model the behavior by sharing your own experiences and categorizing problems based on their size. This helps children see real-life applications of the concept.

    How to Teach Size of the Problem

    Teaching Size of the Problem works best when children are given repeated opportunities to compare situations, discuss feelings, and practice matching responses to different scenarios.

    Start by introducing categories such as:

    Small Problems

    Small problems are inconveniences that can usually be solved quickly and independently.

    Examples:

    • A pencil breaks
    • A crayon rolls off the table
    • Someone sits in your favorite chair
    • You lose a turn in a game

    These situations typically call for small reactions and simple problem-solving strategies.

    Medium Problems

    Medium problems are situations that may require help from an adult or a friend but are not emergencies.

    Examples:

    • An argument with a friend
    • Forgetting homework at home
    • Missing part of a special activity
    • A disagreement during recess

    These situations may cause someone to feel disappointed, frustrated, or upset, but they can often be resolved with support and communication.

    Big Problems

    Big problems involve safety concerns, emergencies, or significant life events.

    Examples:

    • A serious injury
    • A natural disaster
    • A family crisis
    • A major big change in a child’s life

    These situations may require adult assistance, emotional support, and more intensive coping strategies.

    Using the Size of the Problem Activity in Different Settings

    So, how does this play out in real life? Whether you’re at home, in school, or in a therapy session, the Size of the Problem activity is adaptable. It’s all part of emotional intelligence, but there are different problems that arise in different settings.

    Let’s take a quick look at how it can be used in different settings:

    Size of the Problem Scenarios At Home

    So, you can help kids to understand that different problems come in different sizes by talking through the everyday problems that come up in the day to day at home.

    We’ve all experienced issues that derail our plans, and this is true for sure, at home. For example, just this week in our house, we lost a bathing suit that is needed for swim class. A problem like this means that without her bathing suit, my daughter can’t swim in her swim class at school. She will have to either find her bathing suit in the laundry bins/stuffed in a bag/lost under the bed/etc. or she will sit out in swim class. She would then receive a zero for the day.

    On the scale of small/medium/large problems, this one is pretty big because it means she would miss swim class each day until the bathing suit is found.

    At home, parents play a huge role in the co-regulation that needs to occur as part of development. We can talk with our kids about mood and affect, emotions, and problem solving.

    Other “size of the problem” scenarios that might happen at home include:

    You need milk or another ingredient for making a meal. This problem is pretty small because there are easy options to solve the problem (ask a neighbor for a cup of milk, go to the store to get milk, make a different recipe that doesn’t require milk). However, if you need milk because a baby or toddler needs that as their primary source of nutrients, then the problem is bigger. It’s more of an immediate need. Some ways you could talk about this problem to support skill building might be:

    • Make a family meal plan so you can see what ingredients are needed. This works on planning and working memory skills.
    • Keep a checklist of ingredients that you need to pick up from the store. Getting kids involved with this (they can add items when they see the house has run out, too!). This can help kids with working memory, problem solving, and planning skills.

    Everyone got up late and now you’re running late for the school bus. This is a larger problem because it has immediate, significant consequences like being marked tardy for school and then work for the adults. It requires a more urgent and structured response (driving to school). Strategies to address this problem could include:

    • Teaching time management skills, such as setting alarms or creating a morning routine checklist.
    • Problem-solving skills to identify what caused the delay and how to prevent it in the future.
    • Emotional regulation skills to manage the stress or anxiety that might arise from running late.

    You are unable to find the remote control. This is a smaller problem. It may cause frustration or inconvenience (especially when a favorite show is on tv) but lacks significant or long-lasting consequences. The approach to this issue is more about managing disappointment or frustration and finding creative solutions. This small problem is actually a great way to teach skills to our kids, that they can use for other problems.

    • Encouraging the child to express their feelings in a constructive manner, and use self regulation strategies.
    • Teaching organizational skills or systematic ways to look for lost items.
    • Highlighting the difference in the scale of reactions appropriate for small problems versus big problems.

    The list could go on and on (and on)! Problems are part of day to day life, because nothing is exactly like we might predict it to be. But, as parents, we can use these problems to help our kids develop real and essential skills.

    Some ways to talk about and come up with tools to “go with the flow” when problems arise at home (and they will):

    • Family Discussions: Gather the family and initiate casual discussions about daily experiences. Ask questions like, “What happened today that made you happy, and was there anything that bothered you?” Encourage kids to share and categorize problems based on their size.
    • Visual Aids: Create a visible chart or poster at home depicting the Size of the Problem spectrum. Include pictures or symbols to represent different-sized problems. This serves as a daily reminder and facilitates ongoing conversations about emotions.
    • Family Coping Strategies: Introduce and practice coping strategies as a family. Emphasize that everyone has different ways of dealing with problems, and it’s okay to seek support from one another. Make it a collaborative effort to build a positive and supportive home environment.

    Size of the Problem Scenarios In School

    You can probably see that identifying problem size and coping with that problem is actually a life skill. It makes sense that as parents we can help our kids develop these skill and that the home is a great place to work on them.

    But, we all know that problems will arise at school too! You can even include some of these concepts and ideas in a calm down area in the school. For example, using an emotions check in activity or a feelings check in activities can help with this ability.

    For example, some ways that size of the problem activities can be done at school include:

    The student is missing a school assignment. This is a larger problem in the school context because it has direct consequences on the child’s grades. Things do come up, though so missing assignments are not always going to be a big issue, and it’s up to the teacher to decide on that. How big of a problem it is might depend on if the student consistently misses assignments, or other considerations.

    This type of problem also provides an important learning opportunity about responsibility and time management.

    Addressing this problem could involve:

    • Helping the child understand the importance of deadlines and how missing them can impact their grades.
    • Developing time management and organizational skills, such as using a planner or setting reminders.
    • Working with the child to communicate with the teacher about the missed deadline and to understand the consequences and responsibility.

    The student has a disagreement with a friend at recess. This is a smaller problem (in most cases), with less long-term consequences, but it’s an important opportunity to develop social skills.

    Addressing this issue can involve:

    • Teaching the child to express their feelings and listen to others’ perspectives, fostering empathy and communication skills.
    • Encouraging problem-solving strategies to resolve disagreements, such as finding a compromise or seeking help from a teacher or peer mediator.
    • Highlighting the importance of resilience and the ability to bounce back from minor social conflicts.

    Some ways to help address various size of the problem scenarios at school include:

    • Visual Aids in Classrooms: Teachers can display visual aids representing the Size of the Problem spectrum in the classroom.
    • Role-Playing Exercises: Classroom activities can include role-playing exercises where students act out scenarios and categorize problems. This hands-on approach fosters a deeper understanding of the concept and encourages peer-to-peer discussions.
    • Classroom Coping Strategies: Integrate coping strategies into the classroom routine. You can also incorporate self-regulation strategies. Teach students various coping mechanisms and encourage them to apply these strategies based on the size of the problem they encounter.

    Teaching Size of the Problem Supports Social-Emotional Learning

    Size of the Problem is an important social-emotional learning skill because it helps children understand how emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are connected.

    Children learn:

    • Perspective-taking
    • Emotional regulation
    • Flexible thinking
    • Problem-solving
    • Self-monitoring
    • Communication skills

    These skills support success in the classroom, at home, and in social situations.

    Build Emotional Vocabulary Through Problem Solving

    A strong emotional vocabulary helps children accurately describe their feelings and experiences.

    Instead of simply saying they are mad, children can learn words such as:

    • Frustrated
    • Disappointed
    • Worried
    • Nervous
    • Embarrassed
    • Angry
    • Overwhelmed

    Expanding emotional vocabulary allows children to better communicate their needs and select appropriate coping strategies.

    Size of the Problem activities

    We covered some size of the problem strategies in the scenarios above, and these ideas can be applied to a bunch of different situations.

    Now, let’s look at some strategies that align with the Size of the Problem activities. The idea is to match the intensity of the coping strategy with the size of the problem. 

    These can be great self regulation group activities for a small group in schools.

    We do have a few printable resources that can be used:

    • For small, medium, or large problems, you can also help students to use a goal ladder to help them identify steps they need to take to reach their goals when it comes to problems.
    • Another tool is our resource to help kids break down goals.
    • Another printable resource is our drawing mind map exercises. You can use them to help kids figure out different responses and what to do about problems.

    The thing to remember is that problems mean responses. What seems like a small problem to one person might actually be a huge problem to the person actually experiencing it! And that’s totally ok! I like to think about it like the Zones of Regulation where it’s ok to not be in the green zone all of the time. It’s OK to feel emotions and have big feelings to things like losing the remote!

    As therapy providers, and as parents and educators, it’s actually our job to not argue about how much a child should be responding to a problem, but to accept those feelings and then to offer solutions. Maybe some ideas for what to do next, or what to do next time can help!

    One way to do this is with sorting problems, much like our measuring activities, only in this case, we’re helping kids to measure out the size of an issue they might be experiencing.

    Small Problems

    Small problems can use different tools that support small needs. A student can use these ideas to help.

    • Breathing Exercises: Teach deep breathing exercises for small problems. A few mindful breaths can bring a sense of calm and perspective.
    • Using a Stress Ball or Fidget Toy: Provide a small stress-relief tool. Squeezing a stress ball or using a fidget toy can be a quick and effective way to release tension.
    • Taking a Short Break: Suggest a short break from the situation. Sometimes stepping away briefly can reset their emotions for small problems.

    Medium Problems

    • Journaling: Introduce journaling as a coping strategy. Writing about their feelings and thoughts can help kids process medium-sized challenges.
    • Problem-Solving Techniques: Teach basic problem-solving skills. Guide them in breaking down the issue into smaller parts and brainstorming possible solutions.
    • Positive Self-Talk: Encourage positive self-talk. Help children develop phrases like “I can handle this” or “It’s just a small bump in the road” for minor issues.

    Large Problems

    • Seek Adult Guidance: Encourage reaching out to trusted adults. For larger problems, seeking guidance from parents, teachers, or counselors is an appropriate and essential step.
    • Create a Plan: Work together to create a plan. Break down the larger problem into manageable steps, helping kids feel more in control.
    • Professional Support: Emphasize the importance of professional support. For significant challenges, seeking help from a therapist or counselor can provide the necessary tools and guidance.
    Size of the Problem books for teaching kids about the size of problems

    Size of the Problem Books

    One way to help kids with problem solving and identifying what problems they are having…and then what to do about it…is with books. Some of the ones that I’ve used in the past (and love) include:

    When reading these books with kids, you can help them to pay attention to the problems and what the characters in the books did about them.

    Different Strategies for Different Problems

    Not every problem should be handled the same way. Teaching children to choose different strategies based on the situation helps build independence and resilience.

    Possible strategies include:

    • Taking a deep breath
    • Asking for help
    • Talking to a friend
    • Taking a break
    • Using positive self-talk
    • Problem-solving independently

    When children learn multiple coping tools, they are more likely to respond successfully to challenges as they experience life and encounter new situations.

    How Can you help kids with size of the problem

    Hopefully, these ideas gave you something to think about. The important thing to take from these ideas is that identifying the size of a problem isn’t meant to dismiss feelings we have about a problem. It’s actually normal to “feel” no matter what the problem’s size is. Helping kids to identify a problem by size is simply a tool that shapes the way kids understand and handle their emotions.

    It helps them to use the regulation strategies that work for them. And it helps them work through those emotions.

    I like that we can support kids, no matter what emotions they feel about a specific problem, and give them tools to meet those needs.

    So, if you are a therapy provider working on social and emotional regulation skills with kids, know that the curriculum isn’t always cut and dry. That part comes with skilled therapy experience. We can equip our kiddos with the skills needed to assess, understand, and effectively manage challenges. This is part of function!

    Teaching Size of the Problem as a Lesson

    Teaching the size of the problem concept is an important lesson that helps children match the size of the reaction to the situation they are experiencing. This skill supports self-regulation, social participation, and problem-solving across school and home environments.

    In this lesson, students learn to identify whether a problem is small, medium, or big, and then choose an appropriate reaction. Using a common language around problems and reactions helps children build consistency and confidence when navigating challenges.

    This approach is especially helpful for younger students, children at the elementary level, and learners who benefit from explicit teaching, including ELL students and those receiving school-based counseling or occupational therapy support.

    We made this size of the problem visual to support executive functioning skills. It can help to teach kids how to sort problems into small, medium, or large concepts. This is great for life skills and helping with safety awareness.

    Size of the Problem Visual

    To help kids learn about abstract concepts, you can use visuals to teach kids as well!

    A strong size of the problem visual helps children understand abstract concepts in a concrete way. Visual supports often include categories such as small, medium, and big problems, along with matching reactions.

    You might use:

    • Different buckets labeled small, medium, and big
    • A visual scale showing escalating problem sizes
    • Icons or pictures that represent each level

    Students can sort problem examples into the correct category and match them with an appropriate response. For example:

    • A broken pencil might go in a small problem bucket
    • Losing a turn at recess may be a medium problem
    • A serious event like a tornado or thunderstorm would be considered a big problem

    These visuals help children begin to recognize that not all problems require the same level of response.

    Size of the Problem Scenarios

    Using size of the problem scenarios allows students to practice applying the concept to real-life situations. Presenting different scenarios helps children learn to think through their reactions and build flexibility in their responses.

    Examples of scenarios include:

    • Someone cuts in line on the playground
    • A best friend doesn’t want to play
    • A game doesn’t go as expected
    • A larger life event such as a family divorce

    Students can discuss each students problem, determine its size, and decide on the size of the reaction that would be expected. This type of practice builds awareness and supports generalization across environments.

    Using Task Cards and Hands-On Activities

    Task cards are a great way to reinforce learning through structured practice. Each card can include a scenario, and students can sort it into the corresponding bucket or category.

    Hands-on activities make this concept more engaging. Try:

    • Sorting strips of paper with problem scenarios
    • Tossing scenario cards into labeled bins in a basketball game
    • Using visuals inspired by familiar themes like Incredibles characters

    These types of activities encourage participation while reinforcing learning in a meaningful way.

    Supporting Sized Reactions

    A key goal of this lesson is helping children develop a sized reaction that matches the problem. Some children may demonstrate big reactions to small problems or have difficulty identifying when a situation requires a larger response.

    Teaching strategies include:

    • Modeling calm and appropriate responses
    • Practicing matching problem size with reaction size
    • Discussing alternative ways to respond
    • Encouraging reflection on their own problems

    This helps children move toward more flexible thinking and improved self-regulation.

    Activities for Younger Students

    For younger students, it can be helpful to simplify the concept using visuals, movement, and repetition. Use clear categories and provide frequent opportunities to practice.

    Ideas include:

    • Acting out scenarios with role play
    • Sorting pictures into problem categories
    • Using simple language like “small problem, small reaction”
    • Practicing in real-life situations throughout the day

    These strategies help build understanding over time and support carryover into daily routines.

    Size of the Problem Worksheets

    Inside The OT Toolbox, we have Size of the Problem worksheets to help with this skill.

    Occupational Therapy Perspective: Why Size of the Problem Matters

    From an occupational therapy perspective, Size of the Problem is about more than behavior. It involves executive functioning, emotional regulation, perspective-taking, and self-monitoring skills. When children can accurately identify the size of a problem and choose an appropriate response, they are better able to participate in school, maintain friendships, manage frustration, and navigate daily challenges with confidence.

    As children gain these skills, they become more flexible thinkers and more successful problem-solvers in all areas of life.

    Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

    Free Anger Thermometer Printable

    by
    Anger thermometer

    Next up in our free printable series is this Free Anger Thermometer Printable for occupational therapy. An anger meter is not a new concept. However, we wanted to take this visual imagery to support areas that impact daily functional performance and the underlying areas we address in occupational therapy sessions that do impact occupational participation: Emotional regulation, Executive functioning, Self-awareness, Social participation, Impulse control, Conflict resolution, Interoception, and of course, Occupational performance.

    anger thermometer worksheets

    Measuring Anger with an Anger Thermometer

    Anger is a normal human emotion. Everyone experiences frustration, irritation, disappointment, and anger at times. The challenge is how we recognize those feelings and respond to them. Without self-awareness and regulation strategies, anger can interfere with relationships, school performance, work participation, daily routines, and overall well-being.

    This free anger thermometer printable helps children, teens, and adults identify their emotional intensity, recognize warning signs, and develop a plan for responding to anger in healthier ways. By visualizing emotions along a thermometer scale, individuals can begin to notice when feelings are building and practice stopping, thinking, and choosing an appropriate response before reaching a breaking point.

    The anger thermometer can be used as a self-monitoring tool, an emotional regulation activity, or an executive functioning support that helps individuals build greater awareness of how emotions affect participation in daily life.

    For our some clients, we need to work on naming emotions and this thermometer tool is a great way to do that.

    What Is an Anger Thermometer?

    Ok, let’s break this down. An anger thermometer is a visual tool that helps individuals identify the intensity of their emotions. Similar to how a thermometer measures temperature, an anger thermometer measures emotional intensity from calm to overwhelmed.

    Instead of viewing emotions as simply “good” or “bad,” the anger thermometer teaches that emotions occur along a continuum. This visual representation helps individuals recognize that anger often builds gradually rather than appearing suddenly.

    For example, we like to use numbers on the thermometer to grade levels of feelings:

    • Calm (0–2)
    • Irritated (3–4)
    • Agitated (5–6)
    • Angry (7–8)
    • Overwhelmed or Rage (9–10)

    Recognizing these levels helps individuals develop emotional awareness and identify opportunities to use coping strategies before reaching the highest levels of distress.

    It’s another option to naming how we feel in the moment, a lot like using the levels of how our engine is running in the Alert Program. Another example is the red, yellow, blue, or green colors of the Zones of Regulation. The difference is that with this particular emotions thermometer, we are talking about anger.

    Why Self-Awareness Matters

    One of the most important components of emotional regulation is self-awareness.

    Many children, teens, and adults do not recognize early signs of anger until emotions become overwhelming. They may notice the emotion only after yelling, arguing, shutting down, withdrawing, or engaging in impulsive behaviors.

    The anger thermometer encourages individuals to pause and ask:

    • How am I feeling right now?
    • What is happening in my body?
    • What thoughts am I having?
    • What behaviors do I want to do?
    • What choices can I make instead?

    This process develops metacognition, or the ability to think about one’s own thoughts and actions.

    The Executive Functioning Connection

    The anger thermometer is also a powerful executive functioning tool.

    Executive functioning skills help individuals monitor emotions, control impulses, solve problems, and make thoughtful decisions. When emotions become intense, executive functioning skills often become less efficient.

    The anger thermometer supports:

    Self-Monitoring– Recognizing changes in emotional intensity.

    Inhibitory Control– Stopping before reacting impulsively.

    Emotional Control- Managing strong feelings appropriately.

    Cognitive Flexibility- Considering alternative responses.

    Metacognition– Reflecting on thoughts, behaviors, and reactions.

    Problem Solving– Choosing strategies that help improve a situation.

    For many individuals, emotional regulation difficulties are closely tied to executive functioning challenges. Teaching children and adults to monitor emotional intensity helps strengthen these important cognitive skills.

    Understanding Body Clues

    Anger often appears in the body before it appears in behavior.

    The anger thermometer encourages individuals to identify physical warning signs that occur as emotions increase.

    Examples may include:

    • Tight muscles
    • Clenched fists
    • Jaw tension
    • Increased heart rate
    • Feeling hot
    • Stomach discomfort
    • Restlessness
    • Rapid breathing

    These body clues act as early warning signals that emotions are beginning to escalate.

    When individuals learn to recognize these signals, they can begin using coping tools sooner.

    Identifying Triggers

    Triggers are situations, demands, interactions, or experiences that increase emotional intensity.

    Common triggers may include:

    • Conflict with peers
    • Changes in routine
    • Academic demands
    • Sensory overload
    • Feeling misunderstood
    • Being corrected
    • Waiting
    • Transitions
    • Difficult conversations
    • Work-related stress

    The anger thermometer worksheet includes space to identify personal triggers and reflect on patterns that contribute to emotional escalation.

    This awareness helps individuals prepare for situations that may require additional coping supports.

    Coping Strategies for Anger

    Once individuals recognize their anger level, the next step is choosing an appropriate coping strategy.

    The most effective coping tools are often used before anger reaches the highest levels.

    Strategies may include:

    The goal is not to eliminate anger. The goal is to respond in a way that supports participation and prevents negative consequences.

    How Occupational Therapists Use an Anger Thermometer

    Occupational therapists frequently address emotional regulation because emotions influence participation across occupations.

    The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, Fourth Edition (OTPF-4), recognizes that emotional regulation, social interaction skills, and environmental factors influence occupational performance.

    The anger thermometer can support intervention in:

    Social Participation

    Managing peer interactions, friendships, family relationships, and community participation.

    Education

    Following classroom expectations, handling frustration, participating in learning activities, and managing transitions.

    Work

    Maintaining professional relationships, accepting feedback, managing stress, and responding appropriately to workplace demands.

    Activities of Daily Living

    Completing self-care tasks despite frustration or emotional challenges.

    Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

    Managing IADL responsibilities, household routines, finances, and community participation.

    By helping clients recognize emotional intensity and develop regulation strategies, occupational therapists can support improved participation across daily activities.

    Anger and Social Interaction Skills

    Strong emotions can significantly impact social relationships.

    When anger increases, individuals may:

    • Interrupt others
    • Argue
    • Withdraw
    • Blame others
    • Become defensive
    • Avoid problem-solving
    • Misinterpret social situations

    The anger thermometer provides a framework for discussing social situations and helping individuals identify alternative responses.

    It can be especially helpful during social skills groups, counseling sessions, school-based occupational therapy, and executive functioning interventions.

    Reflecting on Occupational Performance

    One of the most valuable sections of the anger thermometer worksheet asks individuals to self-reflect on how anger affects participation in meaningful activities.

    Questions may include:

    How does anger affect my:

    • Relationships?
    • School performance?
    • Work responsibilities?
    • Daily routines?
    • Community participation?
    • Health and well-being?

    These reflections help individuals connect emotions with real-life participation and identify areas where additional supports may be helpful.

    Creating an Anger Action Plan

    The worksheet also includes an anger action plan that helps individuals prepare coping strategies before they are needed.

    For example:

    When my anger is at a 3–4:

    I will take a short break and use deep breathing.

    When my anger is at a 5–6:

    I will step away and talk to a trusted adult.

    When my anger is at a 7–8:

    I will use my coping toolbox and avoid making important decisions.

    When my anger is at a 9–10:

    I will move to a safe space and seek support.

    Planning ahead increases the likelihood that coping strategies will be used successfully during emotionally challenging situations.

    Building Lifelong Emotional Regulation Skills

    The free anger thermometer printable helps individuals develop self-awareness, executive functioning skills, emotional regulation strategies, and problem-solving abilities that support participation across daily occupations.

    Whether used in occupational therapy, counseling, school settings, mental health programs, or at home, this tool encourages individuals to pause, recognize their emotions, and make thoughtful choices that support meaningful participation in everyday life.

    Learning to recognize emotions before they become overwhelming is a skill that can strengthen relationships, improve school and work performance, and promote greater independence throughout the lifespan.

    This printable is in the OT Toolbox Membership Level 1 and in the Level 2 membership, we have a version just for teens/college age students/adults.

    Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

    Coping Skills for Anxiety

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    Today we are covering a list of coping skills for anxiety. This includes a printable strategies list to help you or the person you are working with in a professional manner find strategies that really help. We decided to create this coping strategies list specifically to target coping for anxiety after working on a side project, our Daily Cup Reset Project, a social media tool for simple strategies for nervous system regulation and self regulation. You can find this on Facebook, Instagram, and integrated into our TikTok account.

    coping skills for anxiety

    Coping Skills for Anxiety

    Anxiety looks different for every person. Some people experience racing thoughts and difficulty concentrating. Others notice physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, stomach discomfort, restlessness, or fatigue. Anxiety can affect sleep, social participation, work performance, executive functioning, and daily routines. Because anxiety can present differently from person to person, coping strategies that work for one individual may not work for another.

    This free coping skills for anxiety printable is designed to help individuals explore strategies, trial them intentionally, and document what actually works.

    Rather than trying random techniques and hoping something helps, this worksheet encourages a more structured approach. It allows you to identify strategies you have tried, notice patterns, and create a personalized coping toolbox.

    For occupational therapists, counselors, educators, and adults using the worksheet independently, this printable can become a practical tool for self-reflection and emotional regulation.

    Why Coping Skills Matter

    Coping skills are actions, routines, and strategies that help manage stress responses and support regulation. Effective coping skills do not eliminate anxiety completely. Instead, they can help lower the intensity of symptoms and improve participation in meaningful activities.

    Coping strategies can support:

    • Emotional regulation
    • Executive functioning
    • Self-awareness
    • Interoception
    • Sleep routines
    • Attention and concentration
    • Stress management
    • Social participation
    • Daily functioning

    The goal is building awareness of what helps your body and mind function at their best.

    Grounding and Mindfulness Strategies

    Grounding strategies help bring attention back to the present moment. Anxiety often pulls thoughts into future worries or repetitive thinking patterns, and grounding activities can interrupt that cycle.

    Deep breathing helps regulate the autonomic nervous system and may reduce physical symptoms associated with stress responses. You could add in any other relaxation breathing techniques as well.

    The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique asks individuals to identify:

    • 5 things you see
    • 4 things you feel
    • 3 things you hear
    • 2 things you smell
    • 1 thing you taste

    This technique works because it redirects attention toward sensory information and away from racing thoughts.

    Mindfulness activities encourage awareness without judgment and can help individuals notice emotions and body signals before they become overwhelming.

    Movement and Physical Well-Being Strategies

    Physical movement influences emotional regulation and nervous system functioning.

    Exercise increases endorphins and may reduce physical tension associated with stress. Movement does not have to mean intense exercise. Walking, stretching, yoga, or even changing environments can provide regulation support.

    Movement strategies may include:

    Heavy work activities can be particularly helpful because they provide proprioceptive input that often supports calming and body awareness.

    These are types of things that can be used then within a sensory lifestyle or sensory diet.

    Thinking and Emotional Regulation Strategies

    Anxiety frequently affects thinking patterns, or mindset. Individuals may experience catastrophizing, repetitive worries, negative self-talk, or difficulty shifting attention. All of this is part of emotional regulation. We use these tools to improve a growth mindset.

    Journaling can help organize thoughts and externalize worries. Writing often reduces the mental effort required to hold multiple thoughts at one time.

    Positive self-talk helps challenge automatic negative thinking.

    Gratitude exercises can shift attention toward positive experiences and strengths.

    Cognitive reframing involves asking:

    • Is this thought completely true?
    • What evidence supports this?
    • Is there another way to view this situation?

    Social and Support Strategies

    Humans regulate through relationships. Supportive social connections can reduce emotional load and increase feelings of safety.

    Strategies may include:

    • Talking with a trusted person
    • Asking for help
    • Setting boundaries
    • Spending time with supportive people
    • Joining support groups

    Many adults feel pressure to handle stress independently, but social support remains one of the strongest protective factors for emotional well-being.

    Lifestyle and Self-Care Strategies

    Daily routines significantly affect anxiety symptoms.

    Sleep patterns, hydration, nutrition, and routines all influence nervous system functioning.

    Strategies might include:

    • Consistent sleep routines
    • Balanced meals
    • Drinking enough water
    • Limiting caffeine
    • Creating bedtime routines
    • Building regular movement into the day

    These routines may appear simple, but foundational habits often create meaningful improvements over time.

    Trialing Strategies: How Long Should You Try Them?

    One of the most common challenges is trying a strategy once and deciding it does not work.

    Some coping tools provide immediate effects, while others need repeated practice before benefits become noticeable.

    Immediate strategies often include:

    • Deep breathing
    • Grounding activities
    • Movement breaks
    • Sensory tools

    These may create changes within minutes.

    Other strategies often require repeated use:

    • Journaling
    • Mindfulness
    • Exercise routines
    • Sleep routines
    • Gratitude practices

    For longer-term strategies, trialing for approximately one to two weeks may provide more useful information before deciding whether the strategy helps.

    Consistency matters. A strategy used once during an overwhelming moment may feel ineffective even if it could become helpful through repeated practice.

    What to Notice While Trialing Coping Strategies

    As individuals trial strategies, encourage them to notice both emotional and functional changes.

    Questions to consider include:

    • Did I feel calmer afterward?
    • Did I focus better?
    • Did I fall asleep more easily?
    • Did I feel less overwhelmed?
    • Did my body feel different?
    • Did I recover from stress more quickly?
    • Did I complete daily tasks more easily?
    • Did I participate more comfortably in work, school, or social situations?

    Sometimes the effects are subtle.

    A strategy may not remove anxiety entirely but may help someone feel slightly more regulated, more focused, or more able to continue participating in daily activities.

    How to Document Results on the Printable

    The Results/Notes section of the worksheet helps transform the printable into a personalized data collection tool.

    Instead of writing:

    “It helped.”

    Encourage specific observations such as:

    “Felt calmer after five minutes.”

    “Still worried but I focused better afterward.”

    “Felt less tension in my shoulders.”

    “Helped me fall asleep faster.”

    “Did not notice much change.”

    “Worked better when I paired it with walking.”

    Over time, patterns begin to emerge. Individuals may discover that movement strategies help more than breathing techniques, or that sensory tools work better than journaling.

    The goal is to build an individualized coping toolbox based on real experiences rather than guessing.

    Free Coping Skills Strategy Tool

    There is no single coping strategy that works for everyone. Emotional regulation and anxiety management often involve exploration, flexibility, and self-awareness.

    This coping skills for anxiety printable provides a structured way to try strategies, notice patterns, and build a personalized toolbox that supports participation in daily life.

    Use it in therapy sessions, counseling, classrooms, or independently. This printable can help transform coping strategies from a long list of ideas into meaningful tools that support emotional well-being and everyday functioning.

    This is one of the tools in our Coping Skills Toolbox.

    Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

    Heavy Work Activities

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    Heavy work activities for Summer

    Did you know the important role that heavy work activities play in our ability to learn, focus, attend, and participate in everyday tasks? It’s true. We all need calming and organizing sensory input in the form of heavy work tasks that provide proprioceptive input through the muscles and joints. Here, we’ll cover what heavy work is, when heavy work is needed, and specific heavy work strategies that kids of all ages can do at home, in the classroom, or in their therapy session.

    Heavy work is a powerful support for organizing input in self-regulation. The heavy work resources here can be added to your self regulation strategies.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Heavy Work Activities

    WHAT is HEAVY WORK?

    WHEN TO DO HEAVY WORK

    Why Heavy Work?

    How to use heavy work activities

    Pushing Heavy Work Activities

    Pulling Heavy Work activities

    Jumping heavy work Activities

    Lifting heavy work strategies

    Chewing and Sucking heavy work input

    More Heavy Work Tools

    Free Heavy Work Activities Printable

    FREE Information Packet on Heavy Work Activities

    WordPress Table of Contents by Topic
    heavy work ideas for calming and regulation

    Heavy work can be so many things! Below you’ll find ideas for pushing, pulling, lifting, jumping, chewing, and other ideas for adding organizing proprioceptive input.

    Want printable versions of these activities to use at home, in the classroom, or therapy? Try our Heavy Work Activity Cards for easy access to movement-based sensory input.

    Heavy Work Activities

    In a different world children would be ready to learn at all times. In an alternate universe children would not have temper tantrums or meltdowns in shopping centers. In another time and place all of us would be well-regulated all day and all night!

    But that’s not how things work and anyone spending time with children will know that there are moments when they are out-of-sync and not quite with the program.

    We all experience dysregulation at one point or another! We cover more on this in our recent blog on on the Alert program, which also has ideas for heavy work input.

    And that’s all part of their journey of growing, developing and learning. You will be happy to know that when you are faced with these rather challenging times there is a powerful tool you can use to help children become more regulated…heavy work!

    heavy work

    You can rely on heavy work to help you out to organize a dysregulated nervous system.

    WHAT is HEAVY WORK?

    Heavy work is activity that requires effort from our muscles and these tasks usually involve activation of the muscles and joints of the body through the proprioceptive system by movements such as pushing, pulling or lifting. The movement activities create resistance input to the muscles and this feedback is ultimately what calms and regulates the sensory system.

    The sensory system that is activated during heavy work activities is called the proprioceptive system. The proprioceptive system receives messages when the muscles move to do work. These messages flow back and forth to the brain. The brain decides how much force a muscle should use based on the task at hand.

    This allows children to use the correct amount of force when they need to hold something gently or when they need to lift something heavy.

    It’s a complex system that is constantly adjusting to make sure the brain is getting the right information from all the joints and muscles in the body and as well as making sure the muscle output is appropriate to the task. This concept is also known as body awareness and allows us to know where our body is in space and how to move our body.

    The take away message about the proprioceptive system is that it is a universal and powerful regulator.

    By working with the proprioceptive system you can even out disturbances in other sensory systems. You can increase energy levels if you need to and you can reduce high energy levels to help children reach a calm, comfortable space to interact with the world.

    Heavy work activities for kids to impact self-regulation, attention, and functioning.

    So when is heavy work appropriate to support learning and participation in daily tasks?

    WHEN TO DO HEAVY WORK

    The beauty of heavy work is that they are really easy to incorporate at home, in the classroom and in therapy settings. Adding heavy work to a child’s daily routine will contribute to the development of their sensory processing.

    Children will also gain valuable tools that they can use when the feel that they need to regulate themselves. How often you use heavy work input will depend on the individual child. Be guided by the child’s enjoyment and response to the activity that you introduce.

    Consider including a heavy work activity in the morning before going to school and again in the afternoon when children arrive home from school. Heavy work can also be incorporated into bedtime routines to help the sensory system feel calm and restful.

    At school, heavy sensory input for the whole class can be incorporated at regular intervals during the day. Incorporating heavy work (and other sensory system input) into daily functional tasks, or setting up a sensory lifestyle, are all concepts covered in the book The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook.

    Here is more information on proprioception, or heavy work and it’s impact on attention and learning.

    Strategies like pushing a ball or heavy basket, or wall push ups and chair push ups are some examples of heavy work. Heavy work offers effort from the muscles and joints and requires the proprioceptive sensory system. The resistance provides feedback through the receptors in the muscles, joints, and ligaments. This is what is calming and regulating because the movements are organizing.

    Why Heavy Work?

    If you look at the iceberg image above, you’ll notice that the image depicts an iceberg with activity words above the water level. These tasks depict the heavy work actions that we see in action.

    Heavy work may include:

    • Pushing
    • Pulling
    • Lifting
    • Carrying
    • Chewing
    • Jumping
    • Carrying
    • Squeezing
    • Climbing
    • Pinching
    • Brushing
    • Any other actions that use the muscles and joints with weight of the body or object

    Under the water level, you’ll notice words and phrases that depict underlying skills. These are the components of heavy work that you might not “see” in action, but they are occurring with and through heavy work.

    These are skills that we need for everyday tasks. Heavy work involves these components, and are what makes body awareness and movement happen. These are the skills that contribute to the organizing and regulating capacity of heavy work. The potential of these underlying components to contribute to the effectiveness of heavy work activities.

    These underlying components include:

    We like to say that it’s like the chicken and the egg saying. The underlying and contributing factors of heavy work contribute to the heavy work actions and the heavy work actions contribute to the underlying contributing factors.

    How to use heavy work activities

    Now you are ready to use heavy work sensory input to create happy, well regulated children!

    Specific children may be given opportunities to engage in additional heavy
    work activities during the day if they are struggling with sensory processing and attention the classroom.

    Some deep pressure work activities require no equipment and very little space. Others may require some props and a bit of space. Select your heavy work activity according to the space and items available to you.

    And have a few options available. Each child has a different sensory make up and preference and will respond differently to the heavy work input that you introduce. You will soon discover the activities that they enjoy and the activities that help them to feel calmer and more regulated.

    heavy work pushing activities like wall push ups and chair push ups.

    Pushing Heavy Work Activities

    Pushing or pulling heavy objects, like a wagon, a weighted sled, or a suitcase, engages the muscles and joints of the proximal leg joints and the large muscle groups of the legs. These activities also engage the proximal joints and shoulder girdle of the upper extremity, as well as core strength and stability.

    • Wall push ups- stand an arm’s length away from a wall and place both hands on the wall at shoulder height. Bend your elbows and lean into the wall until your nose is touching the wall. Return to the original position. Repeat ten times.
    • Chair push ups- sit in a chair with you palms on the seat of the chair at either side of you. Push on your arms and lift your bottom and legs off the seat of the chair for a few seconds.
    • Pushing a box across the room- fill a box with books or toys and kneel in front of it. Push the box across the room.
    • Fill a laundry basket with laundry and ask your child to push it through the house.
    • Push a large therapy ball or medicine ball along the floor and up the wall as high as you can go
    • Push a wheelbarrow or trolley
    • Wheelbarrow walking
    • Pulling a wagon or sled
    • Pushing someone on a swing
    • Pushing off a wall or object while on a sensory swing
    Pulling heavy work activities include yoga, tug of war, pull ups, and more.

    Pulling heavy work activities include activities like some yoga moves, playing tug of war, doing pull ups, and more.

    Pulling Heavy Work activities

    Closely related to pushing, pulling heavy work uses the upper and lower extremities and the core.

    • Pulling on a rope- tie a rope to a tree, pole or secure door handle. Hold the rope and see how far you can lean back while pulling on the rope. You only need one person for this tug-of-war game!
    • Tug of war- if two or more children are available have a game of tug of war
    • Pull up bar- it may be tricky for children to perform pull ups but just hanging from a bar is great work for muscles.
    • Pulling and stretching a piece of theraband or stretchy material.
    • Wall push-Ups- Have children perform wall push-ups by pushing against a wall with their hands. This provides resistance and helps build upper body strength.
    • Chair push-ups- Seated push ups from the seat of a chair. This is a nice sensory strategy for the classroom.
    Jumping heavy work activities include playing on a trampoline, jumping jacks, star jumps, and other jumping games.

    Jumping is a great organizing heavy work activity and ideas include using a trampoline, doing jumping jacks, rocket jumps, or star jumps, and other jumping games.

    Jumping heavy work Activities

    Jumping activities add heavy work through the hips, knees, and feet.

    • Trampoline- this provides endless hours of heavy work activity. Wonderful proprioceptive input while children enjoy the pleasure of jumping.
    • Jumping on a mattress on the floor or couch cushions placed on the floor.
    • Rocket jumps- crouch down and place your hands on the floor next to you. Count down from ten and leap into the air raising both hands up to the sky. Repeat the rocket launch a few times.
    • Star jumps / jumping jacks are great for co-ordination and heavy work.
    • Sitting on a small therapy ball and bouncing up and down.
    • Hopper balls with handles are also a fun way to bounce around.
    Lifting heavy work activities include carrying a stack of books, doing laundry, and yoga.

    Lifting heavy work activities include carrying a weighted backpack or stack of books, doing laundry, and yoga.

    Lifting heavy work strategies

    Lifting weighted items or carrying heavy objects such as books, backpacks, or baskets of laundry offer heavy work. In addition to holding weighted items, lifting can involve the body weight as well.

    • Carrying bags- allow children opportunities to carry bags of groceries or laundry at home
    • Weighted backpack- place a few magazines in a backpack and encourage your child to walk around with the backpack for a few minutes.
    • A message could be placed in the backpack and your child could deliver this message to a family member at home or to another teacher at school.
    • Carry a stack of books
    • Carry a full laundry basket
    • Carry a full tote bag
    • Weighted stuffed animal
    • Leg lifts, raising arms over head, holding a bridge position
    • Yoga positions use lifting strategies as well

    Chewing and Sucking heavy work input

    Oral motor exercises and input through the mouth and face offer heavy work through the jaw, cheeks, tongue, and neck. These can be very organizing and regulating strategies.

    • Chew gum, dried mango, or other dry fruit
    • Drink think liquids through a straw e.g. yogurt, thick milkshake
    • Specially designed necklaces, bracelets and toys are available for chewing.
    • Chew on a straw
    • Blow through a straw
    • Eat crunchy snacks
    • Drink a smoothie through a sippy cup with a straw-type top
    • Use a “crazy straw” in a cup.  The smaller opening is great for oral motor input.
    • Play “Simon Says” with mouth exercises: Suck cheeks in/puff cheeks out/Make a big “O” shape/Stretch out the tongue. Use these printable Simon Says commands to target oral motor skills.
    • Chew gum
    • Use a straw to suck and pick up pieces of paper.  Transfer them carefully to a cup using only the straw.
    • Drinking through a sports water bottle

    Try this resource for more information on heavy work through the mouth.

    More Heavy Work Tools

    Animal Walks

    Activities like bear walks, crab walks, or crawling like a snake can engage the muscles and joints while being fun for kids.

    Climbing Activities

    Encourage climbing on playground equipment, climbing walls, or indoor climbing gyms. Other ideas include using playground equipment for sensory input, or climbing up a slide, when safe and appropriate.

    Climbing provides heavy work for the upper body and core muscles.

    Squeezing Activities

    Using stress balls, therapy putty, or hand squeezers can help improve hand strength and provide sensory input.

    Other squeezing heavy work activities include:

    Weighted Blankets or Vests-

    Weighted vests and compression garments can be used during quiet times or when sleeping to provide continuous deep pressure to the body.

    Another idea is using a regular blanket as a sensory burrito.

    Yoga and Deep Pressure Poses-

    Some yoga poses, like downward dog or child’s pose, provide deep pressure to specific body parts and can be calming for children.

    You can also include partner yoga poses in small groups for added heavy work.

    Digging in the Garden-

    Gardening activities, such as digging holes or moving soil, engage the muscles and joints. Check out our post on sensory gardening for more information on these benefits.

    Bouncing on a Therapy Ball-

    Sitting or bouncing on a therapy ball engages core muscles and provides sensory input.

    1. For a great resource filled with heavy work activity ideas, grab this set of heavy work activity cards that offer themed brain break cards, in 11 pages of themed heavy work activity cards, with 8 activities for each theme.
    2. Here are free (Spring themed) heavy work cards to get you started.
    3. Creating an individualized sensory diet with scheduled heavy work sensory activities (and other sensory input as needed) is part of a sensory diet. Read this resource for what a sensory diet is and this resource on how to create an effective sensory diet.
    4. This free slide deck offers a strategy to add heavy work in teletherapy sessions with children.
    5. Here are construction truck themed heavy work tasks.
    6. Kids love these dinosaur themed heavy work activities.
    7. Here are outdoor heavy work activities that can be done right in the backyard.

    You will quickly discover how powerful heavy work as sensory input is and how much fun the children have when they engage in these activities. In addition to heavy work, there are various other sensory based tools that you can use to assist children who may have more complex sensory needs.

    Children with sensory processing difficulties benefit from sensory diet which introduces a variety of specific sensory experience that assist with regulation.

    Want to use themed heavy work activities in therapy, home, the community, games, and the classroom? Grab the Heavy Work Activity card set:

    Heavy work activity cards

    Use these heavy work cards to help with building body awareness, motor planning abilities, proprioceptive input, or a movement activity as a brain break to pay attention between learning activities. Included in the pack are:

    1. Trucks Heavy Work Activities
    2. Insects Heavy Work
    3. Sea Animals Heavy Work Exercises
    4. Farm Animals Heavy Work Ideas
    5. Jungle Animals Heavy Work
    6. Woodland Animals Heavy Work Tasks
    7. Superheros Heavy Work Exercises
    8. Sports Heavy Work Activities
    9. Monsters Heavy Work
    10. Summer Heavy Work Ideas
    11. Butterfly Life Cycle Heavy Work

    Each activity page includes 8 movement and heavy work cards in that theme.

    These heavy work strategies can be added to home programs, teletherapy activity plans, or used as brain breaks during learning and play.

    Click here to get your collection of Heavy Work Activity Cards.

    Free heavy work activities printable list of sensory ideas

    Free Heavy Work Activities Printable

    Need heavy work ideas to use on the go? Need sensory strategies to offer to a parent or caregiver? Want to print this information so you can use the printed material to educate parents, caregivers, teachers? Want a printable list of heavy work activities?

    Enter your email address into the form below to grab this free printable information packet.

    FREE Information Packet on Heavy Work Activities

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      Another great information graphic that I love is this way of describing self regulation strategies. Heavy work is one of the important ways to weave self regulation and emotional regulation into the day. Other ideas include play, imagination toys, and building an emotional vocabulary. This comes from our resource on self regulation strategies for preschoolers.

      We all have sensory needs and heavy work is a great tool to have in your toolbox to meet these preferences.

      I hope this resource has been a helpful way to better understand heavy work as a tool that we all need!

      Printable Heavy Work Activities to Support Sensory Needs in Kids

      Heavy work provides deep pressure input to the joints and muscles, which can have a calming and organizing effect on the nervous system. This type of proprioceptive input is often used in occupational therapy to help kids with regulation, attention, and body awareness. Our Heavy Work Activity Cards make it easy to implement these strategies. So, if you’re building a sensory lifestyle, supporting a child before transitions, or just looking for ways to help kids feel more grounded during the day.

      Heavy Work Activities for Summer

      We wanted to add some information to this article, as a way to support families and caregivers of kids who are home from school during the Summer months. This can be a time when routines are off and there is more screentime. We know that screens can be a regulating tool for some kids. Most of us get that, right? When you feel dysregulated, it’s calming to take some time and scroll. While that can work and be something we all use as a coping mechanism, for some kids it can be too much, especially when the screen time becomes ongoing throughout the day.

      So, as an addendum to this article on heavy work, I wanted to add some tips I give to parents who have kids at home for the Summer once school is out.

      Heavy work activities provide proprioceptive input that can help children:

      • Improve body awareness
      • Support self-regulation
      • Increase attention and focus
      • Develop motor planning skills
      • Build core and upper body strength
      • Prepare for transitions and daily routines

      These are heavy work strategies for Summer.

      Summer heavy work activities

      Summer Heavy Work Activities for Kids

      Summer is the perfect time to use what you have in the home or yard to practice incorporating proprioceptive input into daily routines. This is what we’re talking about when we say the phrase “sensory lifestyle” as a way to incorporate sensory diets into the day to day.

      Heavy work activities provide resistance to the muscles and joints, helping children develop body awareness, motor planning, regulation, and attention. The best part is that many heavy work activities can be incorporated into everyday summer fun and family routines.

      We broke this next section down into different types of Summer heavy work strategies. Some ideas are specific to chores. Others are more outdoor ideas. Still others are play-based. So when the kids are bored this Summer, this is a list to pull ideas from. You can find a printable list of these ideas in The OT Toolbox Membership (level 2 members). Or, you can get a different list, our 101 things to do this Summer for a printable fridge list. That list does incorporate heavy work, but it’s not as specific as this below.

      Outdoor Chores and Yard Work

      First, I have a list of chores that incorporate heavy work. This is good for year-round because the chores never end. But, during the Summer months, it’s a good time to have a list of tasks kids need to do before they hop on their screens or go out to play with friends. These chores add heavy work input, so it’s calming and organizing as a warm-up activity for the day:

      • Pull weeds from the garden. If you don’t have a garden or plants, pull weeds from a lawn.
      • Carry watering cans to water flowers and plants. Or pull the hose to water a garden, grass, or plants.
      • Push a wheelbarrow filled with mulch, soil, or garden tools. Or, take out the trash cans each week. Then pull them back into their place after the garbage truck has come.
      • Rake leaves, grass clippings, or garden debris.
      • Help move bags of mulch, potting soil, or bird seed.
      • Bring groceries into the house.

      Community-Based Heavy Work

      These ideas involve the community. Heavy work options can be built into outings into the community.

      • Carry library books
      • Help carry groceries for an older family member
      • Push the shopping cart or carry a shopping basket in stores
      • Use a reusable tote bag to carry items in stores
      • Walk to destinations carrying a backpack
      • Volunteer to help set up chairs at church or community events
      • Help stock shelves at a food pantry

      Backyard Play Activities

      We have an older article on backyard sensory diet activities you may want to check out. These ideas below are great for outdoor play:

      • Set up and carry pieces of an obstacle course
      • Push and pull a wagon loaded with toys
      • Carry buckets of water for water play
      • Build a fort using lawn chairs, cushions, pool noodles, and blankets
      • Play tug-of-war with a rope

      Pool and Water Play Heavy Work

      Summer means going to the pool, playing in the sprinkler, and Slip and Slides. The great thing is that all of these summer water activities are heavy work activities, too!

      We have some beach sensory diet activities that incorporate water play and sensory input. Be sure to check out those ideas too.

      • Carry pool noodles, kickboards, and pool toys
      • Fill and dump large buckets during water play
      • Push floating toys or inflatable rafts across the pool
      • Move water using large sponges or watering cans
      • Help set up and put away sprinklers and water toys
      • Pull the hose out to the middle of the yard. Use it to spray and play in the water. Then when done, pull the hose back or wind it back up.
      • Use a lawn sprinkler. Jump, run, and play in the sprinkler.

      Household Heavy Work Activities

      These are more chore idea, but geared toward indoor tasks. We love having a chore list for incorporating gross motor tasks with heavy work input.

      • Carry laundry baskets to and from the laundry room
      • Help unload groceries and put items away
      • Push a vacuum cleaner across carpeted areas
      • Wash outdoor furniture using a scrub brush
      • Move dining room chairs.
      • Sweep floors
      • Dust furniture
      • Make beds
      • Wipe down windows and doors using firm pressure

      Play Ideas with heavy work input

      Next are heavy work activities designed around play. These are great for Summer days.

      • Dig in a sandbox or garden
      • Climb playground equipment
      • Ride a scooter uphill
      • Carry beach gear to and from the car
      • Build sandcastles using wet sand
      • Help wash the family car
      • Push a toy lawn mower
      • Collect and carry sticks for a campfire
      • Pick up and stack firewood
      • Move rocks during landscaping projects

      Because summer often includes changes in schedules and routines, incorporating heavy work into play, chores, and outdoor activities can be an easy way to support a child’s nervous system while keeping them active and engaged.

      Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

      Eco Map in Occupational Therapy: How Relationships Impact Participation

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      One tool we can use in occupational therapy is an eco map. This visual graphic organizer is a way to explore relationships that can impact our clients’ functional performance of occupational therapy.

      Relationships influence nearly every aspect of daily life. The people around us can support our success, create opportunities for participation, provide emotional encouragement, help us complete daily tasks, or sometimes create challenges that make participation more difficult. In occupational therapy, understanding these relationships is an important part of understanding the whole person.

      eco map

      This free Eco Map Worksheet helps individuals identify the people in their lives, explore how those relationships influence daily activities, and recognize areas where additional support may be beneficial. Whether used with children, adolescents, adults, or older adults, an ecomap provides a visual representation of the social environment that surrounds an individual and impacts occupational performance.

      What Is an Eco Map?

      An ecomap is a visual tool, much like a mind map, that helps a person identify important relationships and connections within their environment. The individual places themselves in the center of the map and then identifies people, groups, organizations, and support systems that play a role in daily life.

      Unlike a family tree or genogram, an ecomap focuses on current relationships and how those relationships affect participation, well-being, and functioning. It helps illustrate both supportive and stressful connections while highlighting resources that may strengthen occupational engagement.

      We can use an eco map in OT sessions to help our clients recognize how the people in their lives help them, support them, or maybe impair function. This gives them a visual snapshot of the person’s support network and the environmental factors that influence daily occupations.

      Why Relationships Matter in Occupational Therapy

      The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, Fourth Edition (OTPF-4), identifies supports and relationships as an environmental factor that can significantly influence participation and performance. Environmental factors include the physical, social, and attitudinal environment in which people live and engage in occupations.

      We can use an eco map with our clients AND we can use it on ourselves to help identify supportive relationships to target burnout as a professional.

      In functional occupations, supports and relationships include:

      • Immediate and extended family
      • Friends and peers
      • Neighbors and community members
      • Teachers and educational personnel
      • Coworkers and supervisors
      • Healthcare providers
      • Personal care assistants
      • Community groups and organizations
      • Online communities and virtual supports
      • Service providers and support professionals

      These relationships can act as facilitators that support participation or barriers that limit engagement in meaningful activities.

      Social Participation as an Occupation

      The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework identifies social participation as an occupation. Social participation includes activities involving interaction with family, friends, peers, coworkers, community members, and other social groups.

      Examples include:

      • Community participation
      • Family participation
      • Friendships
      • Intimate partner relationships
      • Peer group participation

      These occupations are often overlooked when discussing daily functioning, but they play a critical role in overall health, quality of life, and participation.

      The ability to establish, maintain, and navigate relationships affects educational participation, work performance, leisure activities, self-care routines, and emotional well-being.

      Relationships and Activities of Daily Living

      Many individuals rely on support systems to successfully complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs).

      Supportive relationships may help with:

      Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

      • Bathing
      • Dressing
      • Feeding
      • Grooming
      • Functional mobility
      • Personal hygiene

      Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

      • Meal preparation
      • Household management
      • Transportation
      • Medication management
      • Financial management
      • Shopping
      • Community participation

      For example, an older adult may depend on adult children for transportation to medical appointments. A teenager may rely on caregivers to establish routines that support independence. A college student may depend on peer support while learning independent living skills.

      The ecomap helps identify these relationships and the ways they support participation.

      Relationships and Work Performance

      Relationships also influence occupational participation within work environments.

      When we look at the task of “work”, it’s important to understand the things that impact participation. This is important for burnout that happens in the therapy professions. These components can include:

      • Creating, producing, and distributing products and services
      • Maintaining work skills and patterns
      • Managing time use
      • Managing relationships with coworkers, managers, and customers
      • Following leadership and supervision
      • Initiating and completing work tasks
      • Complying with workplace expectations
      • Seeking and responding to feedback

      Success in work environments often depends on social interaction skills, communication abilities, problem-solving, collaboration, and support from others.

      An ecomap can help individuals identify:

      • Workplace mentors
      • Supervisors
      • Coworkers
      • Job coaches
      • Professional supports

      These relationships may significantly impact work performance and job satisfaction.

      Using an Eco Map to Screen for Strengths and Areas of Need

      One of the most valuable uses of an ecomap in occupational therapy is as a screening and discussion tool.

      While it is not a standardized assessment, it provides insight into a client’s social environment and support systems.

      As clients complete the map, therapists can observe:

      • Availability of support systems
      • Diversity of social connections
      • Community involvement
      • Social participation opportunities
      • Areas of isolation
      • Relationship strengths
      • Sources of stress
      • Potential barriers to participation

      Patterns often emerge quickly. Some individuals may have strong family support but limited community involvement. Others may have extensive social connections but lack practical supports for daily activities.

      These observations can guide intervention planning and goal development.

      How to Use the Eco Map Worksheet

      Begin by placing the name of the client in the center circle of the map.

      Next, identify important people and supports within the individual’s life. These may include:

      Family

      • Parents
      • Siblings
      • Grandparents
      • Extended family

      Friends and Peers

      • Close friends
      • Classmates
      • Teammates
      • Social groups

      School and Work Supports

      • Teachers
      • Supervisors
      • Coworkers
      • Mentors
      • Job coaches

      Healthcare and Service Providers

      • Occupational therapy providers
      • Counselors
      • Physicians
      • Support staff

      Community Supports

      • Faith communities
      • Volunteer organizations
      • Clubs
      • Recreational groups

      Online Supports

      • Virtual communities
      • Support groups
      • Online learning communities

      For each relationship, the individual can record:

      • Who the person is
      • Their relationship to the client
      • How they provide support
      • Whether the relationship feels supportive, neutral, or stressful

      Reflection Questions for Occupational Therapy

      Eco maps are common in the social work field. However, we don’t really use them much in the OT profession. Yes, we look at relationships in our assessments. But really working through how these supports impact our clients with an eco map worksheet isn’t a common practice. That’s why we wanted to make one that has reflection questions related to function. We wanted to create an eco map that’s specifically designed for occupational therapy.

      After completing the ecomap, reflection questions can help deepen insight and guide treatment planning.

      Consider discussing:

      • Who supports you the most?
      • Who helps you participate in daily activities?
      • What occupations are easiest when support is available?
      • Where do you wish you had more support?
      • Which relationships create stress?
      • What community resources might strengthen participation?
      • What supports would help you reach your goals?

      These discussions often reveal intervention opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.

      Supporting Occupational Performance Through Relationships

      Occupational therapy recognizes that participation does not occur in isolation. People engage in occupations within environments that include relationships, expectations, supports, and social systems.

      The Eco Map Worksheet provides a practical way to explore those connections and understand how relationships influence daily life. By identifying strengths, barriers, and opportunities for support, therapists and clients can work together to build stronger pathways toward participation in meaningful occupations.

      Whether the goal is increased independence, improved social participation, greater success at work or school, or stronger community engagement, understanding the role of relationships is an important step toward achieving meaningful outcomes.

      References

      American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (4th ed.). The framework identifies supports and relationships as environmental factors and recognizes social participation, work, education, ADLs, and IADLs as occupations influenced by social contexts and interpersonal relationships.

      Free Eco Map

      Want a free printable eco map? Print off this worksheet and use it to analyze supports in your clients’ lives.

      This worksheet is inside The OT Toolbox Membership. Log in and use the orange search bar inside the membership to search for “eco map”.

      Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

      Free Reset Menu-Resetting Your Nervous System

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      free reset menu

      In this blog post, we are talking all about a nervous system reset, using a simple printable reset menu we’ve created…much like picking a meal, you can pick regulation strategies that help to calm your body in everyday situations.

      What’s A Nervous System Reset?

      Our nervous system is constantly taking in information from the environment. Noise, schedules, social interactions, school demands, work responsibilities, and even excitement can impact how regulated we feel.

      When the nervous system becomes overloaded, we may notice:

      • Difficulty focusing
      • Irritability
      • Emotional outbursts
      • Increased anxiety
      • Restlessness
      • Fatigue
      • Difficulty completing tasks
      • Trouble transitioning between activities

      A nervous system reset helps bring the body and brain back into a more regulated state so that learning, participation, and meaningful activities can happen more successfully.

      It’s like this; Have you ever had one of those days when everything feels overwhelming? Maybe your thoughts are racing, your body feels tense, or you find yourself becoming frustrated over small things. Children experience these feelings too. In fact, many kids struggle to recognize when their nervous system is overloaded and need support finding effective ways to regulate.

      That’s what a nervous system reset is. It helps to calm down your body and thoughts so you can do what you have to do.

      nervous system reset menu

      Let’s talk about a Reset Menu

      That’s where a reset menu can help.

      A reset menu is a collection of simple activities that help support resetting your nervous system, improving self-regulation, and creating opportunities to return to a calm, organized state. Think of it like a restaurant menu. Instead of choosing food, you’re choosing activities that help your body and brain feel more balanced.

      You’ve probably heard the term, sensory diet. It’s kind of like using those sensory diet tools that work for the individual to help meet sensory needs. With a reset menu, we’re talking about a similar strategy…just different terms.

      Whether you are a parent, teacher, therapist, or someone looking for strategies to support emotional well-being, a reset menu can provide practical tools for managing stress and improving regulation throughout the day.

      What Is a Reset Menu?

      A reset menu is a visual list of sensory and regulation activities that individuals can select when they need a break, feel overwhelmed, or want to improve focus and attention.

      Unlike a checklist that requires completing every item, a reset menu offers choices. The goal is to help children and adults learn which strategies work best for their unique nervous systems.

      One day you may like one strategy, another you may like a different one.

      Some people feel better after movement. Others need quiet, deep breathing, or a few minutes outdoors. A reset menu encourages self-awareness and independence by allowing individuals to choose the activities that help them feel their best.

      You can self-reflect on what works, what you need in the moment and make choices based on what you see about yourself.

      Understanding Regulation Through the Nervous System

      From an occupational therapy perspective, regulation is not simply about behavior. It is about how the nervous system responds to experiences and whether a person feels safe, organized, and ready to engage.

      When we are regulated, we are more likely to:

      • Learn new information
      • Problem solve
      • Communicate effectively
      • Participate in daily activities
      • Connect with others

      When we are dysregulated, the brain shifts its focus toward protection and survival rather than learning and engagement.

      A reset menu helps bridge that gap by offering activities that support the nervous system and encourage regulation.

      Creating Your Own Reset Menu

      The most effective reset menus include a variety of sensory and regulation strategies. Consider organizing activities into categories so individuals can choose what feels helpful in the moment.

      Movement Menu

      Movement is one of the fastest ways to support nervous system regulation.

      Try:

      • Jumping jacks
      • Animal walks
      • Wall push-ups
      • Stretching
      • Dance breaks
      • Yoga poses
      • Obstacle courses
      • Taking a walk
      • Climbing stairs
      • Marching in place

      Heavy Work Menu

      Heavy work activities provide proprioceptive input that many people find organizing and calming.

      Try:

      • Carrying books
      • Pushing a laundry basket
      • Pulling a wagon
      • Moving chairs
      • Wheelbarrow walks
      • Resistance bands
      • Bear hugs
      • Tug-of-war
      • Kneading play dough
      • Building with large blocks

      Calm and Relaxation Menu

      These strategies help slow the body and support emotional regulation.

      Try:

      • Deep breathing
      • Listening to calming music
      • Guided imagery
      • Reading
      • Progressive muscle relaxation
      • Looking at nature
      • Coloring
      • Journaling
      • Quiet time
      • Meditation

      Sensory Reset Menu

      Sensory activities can help organize the nervous system and improve attention.

      Try:

      • Drinking cold water
      • Chewing crunchy foods
      • Using a fidget tool
      • Wrapping up in a blanket
      • Smelling calming scents
      • Playing with sensory bins
      • Using textured materials
      • Taking a warm shower
      • Looking at calming visuals
      • Using a weighted lap pad

      Social Connection Menu

      Co-regulation is one of the most powerful regulation tools available.

      Try:

      • Talking with a trusted adult
      • Playing a game with a friend
      • Reading together
      • Sharing a joke
      • Asking for help
      • Taking a walk with someone
      • Giving a hug
      • Spending time with family

      How Occupational Therapists Use Reset Menus

      Occupational therapists frequently use reset menus to support self-regulation and sensory processing. Rather than telling a child what they must do, therapists often help children identify which activities help them feel calm, alert, focused, or organized.

      Over time, children learn to recognize their own needs and independently select strategies that support participation in school, home, and community activities.

      This self-awareness is a critical component of lifelong regulation skills.

      Teaching Kids to Use a Reset Menu

      Introducing a reset menu works best when children practice using it before they become overwhelmed.

      Some helpful tips include:

      • Review the menu during calm moments.
      • Model using the strategies yourself.
      • Allow children to personalize their menu.
      • Offer choices instead of directives.
      • Reflect on which strategies helped after using them.

      The goal is not perfection. The goal is helping children build a toolbox of regulation strategies they can use throughout life.

      Free Reset Menu Printable

      Our free Reset Menu printable provides a simple way to introduce sensory and regulation strategies at home, in the classroom, or during therapy sessions.

      Use it as:

      FREE Nervous System Reset Menu

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        Built with Kit

        Remember that every nervous system is unique. What works for one person may not work for another. The power of a reset menu is that it encourages exploration, choice, and self-awareness.

        When children learn how to support their own regulation, they develop skills that can improve participation, learning, emotional well-being, and independence for years to come.

        Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

        The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook
        The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook

        The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook walks you through sensory processing information, each step of creating a meaningful and motivating sensory diet, that is guided by the individual’s personal interests and preferences.

        The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is not just about creating a sensory diet to meet sensory processing needs. This handbook is your key to creating an active and thriving lifestyle based on a deep understanding of sensory processing.

        Making Friends Worksheet

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        This Making Friends Worksheet was designed to support social emotional learning and executive functioning skills, for use in therapy or at home. We have other friendship activities on our website that you’ll also want to check out.

        making friends worksheet

        Helping children develop friendship skills is an important part of supporting participation in school, community, and daily life. This free making friends worksheet is designed to help kids build social awareness, and the social skills needed for communication skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving abilities through simple and meaningful reflection activities. Whether you are a therapist, teacher, counselor, or parent, this printable can be used in many different ways to support social emotional learning across settings.

        Making Friends Worksheet

        Friendship skills are often connected to much more than simply “being social.” Children use executive functioning skills, emotional regulation, perspective taking, flexible thinking, and self-monitoring when interacting with peers. For some students, making and keeping friends can feel overwhelming because of anxiety, impulsivity, difficulty reading social cues, or trouble initiating conversations. These are very real examples of using self regulation skills in social situations.

        This worksheet helps break those skills into manageable pieces while encouraging positive social participation.

        The making friends worksheet can be used as an individual activity, small group discussion, classroom counseling tool, or therapy warm-up. Students can reflect on what makes a good friend, practice conversation starters, identify ways to solve social problems, and create personal friendship goals. The simple format allows children to explore friendship-building skills without the pressure of direct social interaction in the moment.

        This is a great tool for social emotional development that I like to use in OT sessions because we can also sneak in handwriting and coloring!

        Using a Making Friends Worksheet in Occupational Therapy

        Occupational therapy practitioners often address social participation as part of functional performance in school, play, and community engagement. Friendship skills impact recess participation, classroom collaboration, group projects, self-confidence, and emotional well-being. Social participation is recognized within the American Occupational Therapy Association Occupational Therapy Practice Framework as an important occupation for children and adolescents.

        This making friends worksheet can support occupational therapy sessions by helping students:

        • Develop social problem-solving skills
        • Practice emotional awareness
        • Improve self-reflection
        • Build communication strategies
        • Increase participation in peer activities
        • Strengthen self-regulation skills during social interactions

        The worksheet also naturally supports handwriting, visual motor skills, and pencil control when students complete written responses, checklists, and drawing activities.

        Executive Functioning and Friendship Skills

        Many social challenges are closely connected to executive functioning. Children rely on executive functioning skills during nearly every social interaction. For example, students use working memory to remember conversation details, inhibition to avoid interrupting, cognitive flexibility to handle disagreements, and emotional control to manage frustration during peer interactions.

        A child who struggles with executive functioning may appear shy, impulsive, overly controlling, withdrawn, or emotionally reactive during social situations. Sometimes these students want friendships but lack the planning, initiation, or flexible thinking needed to maintain interactions successfully.

        This making friends worksheet can help support executive functioning by encouraging children to:

        • Think through social situations before reacting (and using coping strategies when needed)
        • Generate possible conversation starters
        • Reflect on social outcomes
        • Identify calming strategies during conflicts
        • Practice perspective taking
        • Develop self-monitoring skills

        Pairing social emotional learning activities with executive functioning supports often creates more meaningful carryover into real-life situations.

        Screening for Social Emotional Needs

        This worksheet can also help therapists and educators informally observe social emotional needs. While it is not a standardized assessment, it can provide valuable insight into how a child thinks about friendships, communication, and emotional responses.

        As students complete the worksheet, observe:

        Students who have difficulty answering open-ended social questions, identifying emotions, or generating social strategies may benefit from additional support in social emotional learning, self-regulation, or executive functioning intervention.

        Therapists can also compare verbal responses versus written responses. Some children demonstrate stronger social understanding verbally but struggle to organize thoughts on paper due to executive functioning or written expression difficulties.

        Ways to Use the Making Friends Worksheet

        This making friends worksheet works well across a wide range of ages and ability levels because it can easily be adapted and graded based on student needs.

        For younger children or students with developmental delays, adults can read the questions aloud and complete the worksheet together through discussion. Students may circle answers, draw pictures, or role-play responses instead of writing full sentences.

        For older students, the worksheet can become part of deeper conversations about friendship challenges, emotional regulation, peer pressure, conflict resolution, or self-advocacy. Therapists and teachers can expand the activity by practicing real-life social scenarios or creating role-play situations connected to classroom routines, recess, group work, or extracurricular activities.

        The worksheet also works well in:

        • Lunch bunch groups
        • Counseling sessions
        • Push-in classroom support
        • Social skills groups
        • SEL centers
        • Executive functioning intervention groups
        • Speech and occupational therapy co-treatment sessions

        Because the activity is flexible, it can be used repeatedly while targeting different social goals.

        Grading the Activity for Different Needs

        One of the easiest ways to grade this activity is by adjusting the level of support provided.

        For students who need more support:

        • Use visual examples
        • Provide sentence starters
        • Complete responses together verbally
        • Use role-playing instead of writing
        • Limit the number of questions completed

        For students who need a greater challenge:

        • Ask for multiple solutions to social problems
        • Encourage perspective taking
        • Have students explain why a strategy works
        • Practice real-life social scripts
        • Add writing prompts or journaling extensions

        Therapists can also incorporate movement, sensory supports, or regulation breaks while completing the worksheet to help students maintain attention and emotional regulation during social discussions.

        Supporting Functional Participation Through Friendship Skills

        Friendship development affects much more than social interaction. Positive peer relationships influence classroom participation, emotional well-being, confidence, self-advocacy, and school engagement. Children who feel successful socially are often more willing to participate in learning activities, collaborative tasks, and group problem-solving situations.

        This making friends worksheet provides an approachable way to begin conversations about social participation while supporting executive functioning, emotional regulation, and communication skills in a functional and meaningful context.

        Whether used in occupational therapy sessions, counseling groups, classrooms, or at home, this printable can help children build greater confidence in navigating friendships and social interactions.

        Research supports the connection between social emotional learning, executive functioning, and school participation. Emotional regulation and executive functioning skills contribute significantly to peer relationships and classroom success. Social participation and self-regulation are also recognized as foundational components of child development and occupational performance within pediatric occupational therapy practice.

        We have a great resource that was developed by therapists and early childhood educators, Exploring Books Through Play, that supports friendship.

        This digital, E-BOOK is an amazing resource for anyone helping kids learn about acceptance, empathy, compassion, and friendship. In Exploring Books through Play, you’ll find therapist-approved resources, activities, crafts, projects, and play ideas based on 10 popular children’s books. Each book covered contains activities designed to develop fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory exploration, handwriting, and more. Help kids understand complex topics of social/emotional skills, empathy, compassion, and friendship through books and hands-on play.

        Click here to get your copy of Exploring Books Through Play.

        social emotional activities for kids