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Sensory Strategies for the School Based OT

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For the child with sensory challenges, the classroom can be an overwhelming place.  All of the sensory systems are touched on in the classroom.  When sensory systems are challenged, learning is a struggle.  School based OTs are often times consulted when students struggle with physical or sensory issues that result in educational deficits.  


Previously, The OT Toolbox has shared free ways to incorporate sensory motor experiences into the classroom.   You might be looking for more resources that can be used to address many sensory needs in the classroom.  Below are sensory resources for the school based occupational therapist and strategies that can be incorporated into OT in the school. 


These are strategies to fill your therapy toolbox and address everything from inattention to sensory meltdowns.


 
School-based OTs can utilize this resource of sensory strategies for school based OT and occupational therapy intervention in schools.
 
These tong activities would be a great addition to summer occupational therapy activities and home programs!

Sensory Resources for the School Based OT

This post includes affiliate links.
 

This is a great article written on sensory integration practices in the school setting.  It includes the clinical reasoning and practices that go along with sensory practice in the school.  Of interest are sensory screening and evaluation recommendations for school settings, sensory intervention and treatment delivery options, and recommendations.  Also included is a table with approaches and sensory strategies for Occupational Therapy intervention in the classroom or school setting.  

Case studies include IEP goals or 504 accommodations related to sensory processing interventions.


Assessments for sensory needs can include direct observation of the child’s performance in the school setting.  Observing a variety of tasks during the school day can be helpful to analyze the demands of specific activities, including needs and strengths in tool use, fatigue, sequencing, spatial concepts, social interactions, physical requirements, cognitive abilities, etc.  A child transitions through a variety of settings during a school day and is challenged in various environments which might present differing needs or abilities.  The school-based OT should assess a student’s sensory and neuromuscular functioning in these various environments.  


Many students who struggle with sensory challenges benefit from a sensory diet during the school day.  This specialized diet of sensory activities and input should be designed by an occupational therapist who assesses and identifies the student’s particular needs and strengths or interests.  Sensory diets in the school can include many different tools, not limited to fidget tools, specialized seating, movement breaks, weighted lap pads or vests, calming scents, limited or structured visual adjustments, chewing tools, or other activities.  Read more about the goals of a sensory diet. 


Use this free Sensory Processing Disorder booklet for passing on sensory processing information to parents and teachers. 

Fidgeting Tools for the Classroom

Fidgeting with items can help with attention, regulation, and focus.  Try these fidgeting options in the classroom:

Adapted Seating in the Classroom

Adapted seating can be a sensory strategy that helps with fidgeting as well.  Sensory needs can overflow to wiggling, poor posture, slouching, and decreased focus.  An altered seating system is sometimes used to address a weak core strength and resulting inefficient posture as well.  Try these sensory-based seating ideas:

  • Cheap Alternative Seating Option
  • Movement seats like a disk cushion are great for allowing movement for improved attention.
  • Wobble Seat uses the idea of a therapy or stability ball in the form of a stool.  This is great for classroom use because the giant therapy balls tend to roll away from desks.
  • This Guide to Alternate Seating is a resource that can benefit many individuals in the school, including teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and school-based therapists. 
  • Special cushions
  • Bean bags
  • Intertubes
  • Therapy balls
  • Wedge seats
  • Support added to the seat
  • Etc.

Self-Regulation in the Classroom

For the child who struggles with sensory processing disorder or is challenged with impaired responsiveness, interventions in regulation can be used in the classroom:

Sensory-Based Interventions for the School Based OT

Here on The OT Toolbox site, we have a huge collection of sensory-based play and sensory experiences that meet various needs.  Find all of the sensory activities here and how these experiences can address discrimination needs, improve participation, and address sensory modulation. 


Sensory Integration Approach to School Based OT

A sensory integrative approach is based on the work of A. Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR, and identified as Ayres Sensory Integration.  For school-based practice, sensory integration and praxis needs are addressed by assessment and interventions occurring in natural sensory-rich spaces.   A sensory integration approach utilizes interactions between the OT and the student in a sensory-rich environment in a playful approach that allows for adaptation to novel challenges addressing reactivity, postural skills, praxis, and perceptual skills.  
 
Read more about sensory-based interventions and sensory integration approaches to school based OT and how these approaches look in meeting needs of students here.
 


Chewing Tools for Classroom Sensory Needs

  • Pencil Topper Chews come in a variety of textures and toughness to meet sensory needs.
  • Chewable jewelry  is often times appropriate for the classroom, because the variety of necklace or bracelet styles on the market are discreet while meeting sensory needs. 
  • Here is information on how to choose the right chew tool for addressing sensory needs.

Push In or Pull Out OT Services in the School

Sensory needs can be addressed by strategies from the school based OT both in and out of the classroom.  For the child who receives occupational therapy services at school, therapy can occur in any aspect of the child’s day where needs are limiting educational abilities.  
 
OT services completed with a “push in” model allow the therapist to identify needs in the classroom. Therapists can then intervene, and provide adaptations, modifications, and tools during classroom activities.  Consultation with teachers and professionals can occur right in the classroom during daily tasks and in a natural setting.  Sensory strategies can easily be a collaborative nature with teachers and paraprofessionals when performed right in the classroom and in the natural environment of the child’s day.  
 
Therapy being competed in a “pull out” model can address sensory diet needs and development that is then utilized throughout and within the student’s daily activities at school.  Specific skill assessment and development can occur in pull out services.  
 
References:
Occupational Therapy for Children and Youth Using Sensory Integration Theory and Methods in School-Based Practice. Am J Occup Ther 2015;69(Supplement_3):6913410040p1-6913410040p20. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.696S04.
School-based OTs can utilize this resource of sensory strategies for school based OT and occupational therapy intervention in schools.
You may also be interested in the free printable packet, The Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit.
 
The Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit is a printable packet of resources and handouts that can be used by teachers, parents, and therapists. Whether you are looking for a handout to explain sensory strategies, or a tool for advocating for your child, the Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit has got you covered.
 
And it’s free for you to print off and use again and again.
 
In the Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit, you’ll find:
 
  • Fidgeting Tools for the Classroom
  • Adapted Seating Strategies for the Classroom
  • Self-Regulation in the Classroom
  • 105 Calm-down Strategies for the Classroom
  • Chewing Tools for Classroom Needs
  • 45 Organizing Tools for Classroom Needs
  • Indoor Recess Sensory Diet Cards
 
Sensory Strategies for the Classroom
 

Free Classroom Sensory Strategies Toolkit

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    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.

    Sensory Pre-Handwriting Activity Rice Table

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    Getting kids to learn to write (or want to practice handwriting skills) can be a tricky task.  It’s important to start off younger kids on a positive foot when it comes to handwriting practice.  What child wants to trace slant after slant or letter after letter on a worksheet?  This sensory pre-handwriting activity is great for younger children who are learning and developing the skills needed for written work.  From tracing lines to forming simple forms, a sensory medium can make fine motor work fun.


    We used a rice table for this activity.  It was VERY easy to set up and an activity that we will be doing again and again.  The nice thing about creating sensory modalities with items like dyed rice is that you can save them for a while and re-use them over and over again.





    Rice sensory table for pre-handwriting activity


    Sensory Pre-Handwriting Activity Rice Table

    You can make a sensory writing table with a variety of materials.  We used dyed rice.  To make the rice, simply pour a few cups of rice into a plastic bag.  Add food coloring and a few drops of water.  Seal up the baggie.  Shake it, roll it, and toss it to cover the rice with color.  This is a fantastic gross motor activity for kids.  When the rice is coated with color, spread it out on a paper towel on a counter top and allow it to dry.  

    Once the rice is dry, spread it out on a table surface.  Now, start playing!  We’ve done a bunch of writing trays in the past.  The nice thing about playing on a table top is there is no lip to a container to worry about.  An edge of a tray can interfere with hand and wrist positioning, making grasp and letter formation awkward.  if you are worried about the mess, lay a sheet down on the floor under the table.  You can also work on a large sheet of poster board.  That way, when your child is done playing, use the poster board to gently fold the rice back into the baggie. 


    Kids love this sensory pre-handwriting activity rice table for improving fine motor skills.


    Use this sensory table to work on many skills:

    Click the links below to read more about each sub-skill needed for development of pencil grasp and pre-handwriting skills:
    Bilateral coordination
    Hand grasp
    Pinch strength
    Dexterity
    Visual motor integration
    Finger isolation
    Tactile tolerance
    Letter formation
    Arch development

    Kids can spread the rice around with both hands.  Ask them to create symmetrical patterns with their hands and ask that they look at their hands and not the shape that is being made.  This activity requires peripheral vision and encourages visual motor integration.


    Sensory Pre-Handwriting Activity

    To work on pre-writing skills, write lines and shapes on a piece of paper and slide it under the rice.  Kids can seek and find the line or you can find the starting point of the form and ask them to create it.  Watch the video below for more information on this activity.


    Use a sensory pre-writing activity rice table to work on pre-writing pencil strokes.



    Pinch and grip strength pre-handwriting activity

    Use the rice to build those little muscles!  Squeezing the rice with both hands is a grip exercise with a tactile component.  Let the rice slip through the fingers and from one hand to another with a “hand funnel” (Check out the video to see this in action!).  This is a fantastic way to work on arch development in the hands.  

    Address pinch grip by squeezing the rice between the fingers and thumbs.  You can address neat pincer grasp to pinch and move individual pieces of rice, too.  

    There are so many ways to use this easy rice table in pre-handwriting activities!  The kids will love the open-ended play that doesn’t seem like handwriting practice. 




    See this handwriting sensory activity in action! Click to watch the video: 





    This sensory pre-handwriting activity rice table is perfect for kids working on fine motor skills.



    Try these sensory-based activities to work on letter formation, pre-writing handwriting, and play-based writing activities:


    Use Writing Trays for Handwriting




    Pencil Control Worksheets You Can Make At Home uses the sense of sight with bright and high-contrast lines for working on line awareness, pencil control, and motor planning when writing.

    Tracing Letters: Letter Formation Handwriting Practice with Chalk uses the proprioceptive and tactile senses to write with chalk on a bumpy and hard sidewalk.  Up the textures by using wet chalk!

    High-Contrast Letter Formation is one of my favorites from this blog!  Use a black material (do you know what we used?) on a white surface for high visual contrast with an olfactory power punch!

    December Sensory Processing Activities

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    These December Sensory Processing Activities are designed to provide sensory opportunities, Christmas themed sensory prompts, accommodations to holiday activities, and sensory challenges with a Christmas and winter theme.  For more Christmas themed developmental activities for Occupational Therapists, parents, and teachers, grab try this free Christmas Occupational Therapy activities printable calendar.


     
    December Sensory Processing Activities
     
    December is a time of holiday fun,
    hustle, and bustle.  Families have added
    activities, winter parties, and distant family to visit.  This time of year brings with it unusual holiday
    songs and bells, lights, different foods to smell and taste, and crowded
    stores.  For the child with sensory processing concerns, it can be a very difficult time.  


    The holiday rush brings with it, added and unusual sounds, sights, smells, visitors, scratchy holiday sweaters, and schedule changes. The holiday season can be downright debilitating for the child with sensory challenges. 
     
    The time leading up to Christmas
    can be a month-long time of sensory overload for children with sensory
    issues.  It can be confusing for sensory
    systems!  The overwhelming feelings of
    sensory uncertainty can add a whole new meaning to holiday stress.  This time of year, when even the most intentional
    parents and teachers can still cause over-stimulation or under-stimulation to
    the child who is already struggling with sensory issues. 
     
    There can be a need for additional calming
    sensory input or changes to sensory diet, additional modifications, and added
    sensory down-time.  


    When it comes to preparing for the holidays and all the adjustments it brings, a plan can help. An understanding of the sensory system and how the senses are processed can help parents, teachers, and caregivers to cope with the added sensory stress for children with sensory issues.


    Having a kit of ideas and coping strategies can be a helpful tool to prepare the child with sensory processing difficulties for the holiday season. 


    A list of sensory activities that can be added to the day…WITH a holiday theme can make all the difference in creating a holiday that the whole family will remember, all while keeping the sensory systems in mind. 


    Below, you’ll see a packet of sensory activities that has been on this site for a little over two years. This packet of Christmas Sensory Activities are bound to help families of those with sensory processing challenges to thrive this holiday season. 


    There are coping strategies for dealing with all of the added and new sensory input. 


    There are activity challenges that hit on the big sensory systems, allowing for calming or stimulating sensory input with a Christmas theme. 


    There are Christmas and holiday themed activities that can be incorporated into an established or new sensory diet, making a valuable tool for the child who is overwhelmed or underwhelmed by all that the holidays bring.


    Read more about what’s included in the Christmas Sensory Processing Activity Packet…
     

     


    Included in the Christmas Sensory Processing Activity Packet:

     

    • Each of the sensory systems are addressed in the 31 sensory activities.

     

    • There is a detailed description of the sensory system and sensory processing included in this packet.

     

    • Information is included on sensory diets and how they are needed during the holiday season. Sensory activities with a holiday theme can be added to sensory diets depending on individual sensory needs. 
     
    • Sensory challenges and modifications that can be added into daily routines this time of year.

     

    • A comprehensive list of sensory coping strategies is included for handling holiday stress and over- or under-responsiveness related to holiday travel, holiday visitors, and changes in routines over the Christmas season.

    ON SALE for 25% OFF NOVEMBER 24-27, 2017! Just click the link to access the reduced price of $3.75!

     
     
    Add these activities to your
    therapy plans this month.  The activity list
    is perfect for passing on to parents as a home program.  Parents and teachers can use these activities
    as part of an individualized plan that meets the child’s needs. 
     
    The activities are
    outlined in an easy to follow therapy plan, however as parents and therapists
    know, a day that involves children does not always go as planned.  The activities can be shifted around to suit
    the needs of the child and the family.  


    Does this sound like a resource that might help your client, child, or student? If the holidays make you want to curl up in a blanket because of the added stress and sensory challenges, this might just be the tool for you and your family! 

    December Sensory Processing Activities for kids with sensory needs at Christmas time
     
    Grab the Christmas Sensory Processing Activity Packet now.
     
     
     

    The Most Creative Lacing Cards and Fine Motor Skills

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    Fine motor development is essential for so many tasks.  Kids begin their fine motor skills development as soon as they are placed in tummy time as an infant.  While the manipulation of small motor muscles in activities like lacing cards and handwriting doesn’t come until much later, the building blocks for success in tool manipulation and dexterity is established within days of birth.



    Because fine motor skills are used in so many of our daily functions, it can be frustrating for kids (and their parents or teachers!) when manipulation and dexterity of the hands and fingers are a struggle.


    Today, I’m sharing in inside scoop on how lacing cards boost fine motor skills and creative ways to further develop those skills through creation of DIY lacing cards, in unique process art ways!

    Use lacing cards to address fine motor skills with kids in the classroom, home, or therapy clinic.

    Lacing Cards and Fine Motor Skills



    When kids thread a string through a lacing card, they are doing much more than establishing a baseline of sewing skills.  The motor movements required to perform this activity are powerful.  In fact, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that many Occupational Therapists use lacing cards as a power tool, i.e. a therapy treatment tool that addresses many common goal areas in kids.

    Lacing cards and fine motor skills are great for building skills needed in tasks.

    Let’s talk about the skills needed to manage and lace up a lacing card:


    Bilateral Coordination-  In order to hold the lacing card and the string or ribbon, kids need to be able to manipulate and coordinate both hands together in a functional way.  They need to bring both hands to midline and work with one hand moving as a manipulating hand to move and thread the string.  The other hand, typically the non-dominant hand works as an assisting hand to hold the lacing card.  Both hands, wrists, and shoulders need to work together to position the card and string in a coordinated fashion.  


    Read more about bilateral coordination activities.


    Tripod grasp or Pincer grasp-  Depending on the size of the lacing card holes and the thickness of the string, different types of pinching grasps can be used with the dominant hand.  it is common for these grasps to vary during and throughout the task of lacing a single card.  One thing is consistent though and that is the fact that the fingers are working in a functional way that is beneficial for pencil grasp and manipulation of small items such as needles, beads, and clothing fasteners.  


    Here is more information about a pincer grasp and activities to address this skill.


    Separation of the two sides of the hand- When holding the string, it is useful for the ring and pinkie fingers to bend into a fist in order to stabilize the hand.  This positioning is effective for a functional grasp on the pencil when writing. In this way, lacing cards boost fine motor skills as a pre-writing tool. 


    Check out these easy ideas to address motoric separation of the hand.


    Visual Motor Skills- Coordinating visual information with motor movements of the hands is essential for handwriting, cutting with scissors, and many other tasks.  Manipulating lacing cards is an excellent way to address these needs. 


    Read more about visual motor skills.


    Motor Planning- A motor plan is functional execution of a task which is viewed with the eyes and carried out with the hands in order to complete tasks, such as mazes, walking around obstacles, cutting along a line, and writing within a space on a form.  Visual motor skills can be difficult for children with visual processing difficulties.  Identifying and organizing information is in a motor plan works on problem solving skills.  


    Read more about motor planning activities for kids.

     
     

    Process Art DIY Lacing Cards 

    This post contains affiliate links.
     
    While there are many lacing cards available on the market, it can be a lot of fun (and quite beneficial) to make your own lacing cards.  We had a blast making a big set of lacing cards recently, using inspiration from Barbara Rucci’s new book, Art Workshop for Children.  
     
    We were lucky to receive a book to check out and WOW! What a resource for developing creativity and inspiration in kids.  I loved flipping through every page with my kids as we picked out project after project to complete.  
     
    One of the art projects that stood out to me, is the watercolor lacing cards activity.  As an Occupational Therapist, I was drawn to the fine motor goldmine with this activity.
     
    We were inspired by the watercolor lacing cards in the book and HAD to make our own.  Just like the extended activity ideas that are included with every art activity in Art Workshop for Children, I had to get my kids creating by making their own colorful and creative lacing cards.
     
    So often you see printable lacing cards that are very cookie cutter.  There are so many on the market that are simple shapes and single colors or images.  These are fun and completely perfect for boosting the fine motor skills needed for functional tasks.

    Use art supplies to make your own lacing cards and address fine motor skills.

     

     
    However, when we saw the creative opportunity in Art Workshop for Children, we had to get busy with the fine motor development!
     

    Creative DIY Lacing Cards and Fine Motor Skills

    I set up our dining room table with a bunch of supplies:

    Paper plates

    Glitter Shakers 
    Glitter Glue
    You'll need just a few materials to make your own lacing cards and fine motor skill development.
     
    I didn’t have to do much in the way of instruction with this creative activity.  My kids were drawn to the paints and paint brushes like kids to candy.  They got busy painting, dripping, splotting, and dumping.  It was fun to hear the comments about glitter and paint mixing and I laughed because it reminded me of the “Overheard” sidebar comments in the Art Workshops for Children book.

    Glitter and watercolors are all you need for creative lacing cards and fine motor skills development in kids.
    Use glitter glue to make creative lacing cards and fine motor skills development.
     
    Just making the watercolors were a fine motor goldmine.  Squeezing glitter glue tubes, sprinkling glitter, and painting with paint brushes of all sizes worked those intrinsic muscles of the hands. 

    Use watercolor cakes to paint lacing cards and address fine motor skills.

     

    Kids can make lacing cards for fine motor skills.

    One surprising way that we worked on fine motor skills was using old water color cakes.  I pulled the cakes right from the water color set and showed my kids how to dip them into water and then draw on the paper.  Pinching the wet and messy watercolor cake was a great sensory experience that promoted a tripod grasp.  This is a great way to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the hand and promote arch development needed for endurance in tasks such as coloring and writing.

     
    Once our paintings were dry, my oldest daughter and I cut them into large shapes and used a hole punch to create lacing cards.  We used yarn to thread around the holes.  I showed my kids how to stitch the holes in two different ways, going up and down through the holes and also around the edge of the lacing card.  Both techniques great for addressing the fine motor skills described above.

    Kids love to make their own lacing cards for addressing fine motor skills.
    Lacing cards and fine motor skills go hand in hand with creative activities.
     
    These gorgeous watercolor lacing cards are perfect for developing fine motor skills in kids and are great addition to any home, classroom, or therapy clinic…from start to finish!  We’ll save our lacing cards and use them again and again! 
     
    I am so excited to be on the Art Workshop for Children blogging team.  You can read more about the book here and read more about the creative activities in the book. 
     
    Consider adding Art Workshop for Children to your holiday shopping list!  Pair the book with art supplies for a creative and unique gift idea that kids of all ages will love.  Teachers and therapists will find this book beneficial for the classroom or clinic, too. 

    Grab the Art Workshop for Children book for creative art ideas.

    Who do you know that would love a creating art gift like this?

    Lacing cards and fine motor skills are great for developing the strength in the hands for handwriting and pencil grasp.

    Fall Tactile Sensory Activities

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    Help kids tolerate tactile sensory play with these Fall tactile sensory activities.
    This time of year, it’s fun to encourage Fall tactile sensory activities to promote and encourage the sense of touch and tactile challenges. Kids will love these Fall tactile sensory activities.  Kids and families can get involved in these fall and harvest themed activities that just might start a new seasonal tradition while encouraging sensory play!
     
    For more Fall fun, grab our free Fall Sensory Activities booklet. It’s full of sensory activities that celebrate the season AND promote motor skills through sensory experiences. The activities in this free booklet are a fun way to encourage motor movement and development through fall sensory activities. Scroll to the bottom of this blog post to grab your copy!

     

     
    Fall tactile sensory play ideas for families and kids

     

    Fall Tactile Sensory Activities

     
    This post contains affiliate links.
     
    1.     Pumpkin Seed Scoop- Carving a pumpkin is an excellent sensory experience.  When it comes to scooping out the pumpkin guts, kids can challenge their tactile sense by touching and moving the seeds.  For kids who are not able to tolerate this task, try using latex free gloves.  Kids can also try pulling off the pumpkin’s seeds from the innards using tweezers.  Once the seeds are removed, allow kids to rinse the seeds in a colander and strain them into containers.  Use scoops and spoons of different sizes to address visual motor integration skills as they move and manipulate the wet seeds. Pinching individual seeds is an excellent fine motor task.
     
    2.     Marshmallow Pinch- Kids that have made s’mores know that managing that sticky marshmallow is a messy experience.  Embrace the mess with a marshmallow pinching activity that will challenge the sense of touch.  Warm a marshmallow over a fire or in the microwave.  Allow it to cool to the touch and ask kids to pinch and pull the sticky marshmallow.  Use the pointer finger and thumb to pinch the marshmallow while addressing hand strength and pincer grasp.  Use the stringy marshmallow to create a textured sort of paint by placing the marshmallow on paper.  This is a taste-safe tactile sensory experience that kids will love.
     
     
    3.     Pumpkin Bin- Address sensory needs by creating a sensory bin with a pumpkin theme.  Use egg cartons to create pumpkins and place them in a sensory bin filled with field corn or rice.  Here is an example of how to create this sensory bin. 
     
    4.     Fall Texture Feel- Gather various textures from nature to create a multi-textural sensory experience.  Use leaves, sticks, acorns, small pumpkins and gourds, or dry corn husks for kids to explore various textures.

     

    Fall harvest tactile sensory play ideas for kids and families

     

    More Fall and Harvest themed tactile sensory play ideas:

    Create a sensory bin with leaves.  Hide small items in the leaves for kids to feel and find.

    Make Fall Slime for messy sensory play.

    Make a Fall sensory bin like this one at Fantastic Fun and Learning.

    Fall Tactile Sensory Activities and more:

    Encourage tactile sensory tolerance this Fall AND address other sensory needs while experiencing all that the Fall season has to offer! Grab your free copy of the Fall Sensory Experiences Booklet to create sensory diet activities that meet the needs of individuals in a Fall-themed way! Enter your email address below and you will find the Fall Sensory Experiences Booklet delivered right to your inbox. Enjoy!

    Slime Writing Tray

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    Have you made slime?  I have to admit. We’ve got tons (and tons) of play dough recipes…but we have never made slime.  It’s been on our list for a long time, but we just never got around to it.  We whipped up our first batch the other day and I think I have created a family of slime monsters.  My kids were all. over. the slime.  When we started using the slime in a slime handwriting tray activity, they were even more into it!  This is a perfect addition to our writing trays for handwriting ideas. 





    (Psssst: This sensory writing activity would be perfecto in a DIY Sensory Handwriting Camp this summer!)



    They were a little hesitant to try touching the slime at first, but once they saw mom getting in on the fun, they had to try the squishy, slimy material. After a few “eeeewwww!”s, they were loving the slime!  I think we have a lot of slime in our future. 

    Have you ever wondered how to make slime? This slime recipe is super easy and a great tactile sensory play texture for kids. We used it to work on letter formation and motor control of the pencil with a sensory handwriting writing tray!

    How do you make slime?



    So, you’ve probably seen all of the awesome slime sensory play pictures all over pinterest.

    (Check out our Play Dough, Clay, Goop, and More pinterest board for tons of fun sensory play ideas.)



    But, how do you actually make the stuff?  As a newbie slime-making mom, I had to look it up.  We used this recipe and it turned out completely slimy and fabulous.  I have to tell you though: If you are a new slime maker, there is no way you can mix up a batch of slime and take pictures.  It just won’t happen.  So, I have to apologize for the lack of awesome slime-in-process pics, and even the requisite slime-falling-from-a-child’s-hands pictures. We are a ways off from those action shots in our slime journey.


    So after we mixed up our new slime baby, we had to get to playing.  


    Slime novice tip:  Slime is messy.  And by messy, I mean M.E.S.S.Y. If you are looking for a tactile sensory play activity, this is it.  It’s the coolest texture, but it is mess in a bowl.



    Slime Handwriting Tray

    After playing Slimer from Ghost-busters with our wiggly glob, we decided to try a writing tray.  This was super easy and a creative way to work on letter formation.  Plop the slime into a low edged tray.  I used a lid from a plastic bin.  Then, grab a pencil with an intact and new(ish) eraser.  Use the eraser to write letters and shapes.  


    Love writing trays? Try this easy rice writing tray to work on letter formation and number formation. 
     
    Have you ever wondered how to make slime? This slime recipe is super easy and a great tactile sensory play texture for kids. We used it to work on letter formation and motor control of the pencil with a sensory handwriting writing tray!

    Sensory handwriting idea: Try this sensory writing tray for high visual contrast letter formation.

    Have you ever wondered how to make slime? This slime recipe is super easy and a great tactile sensory play texture for kids. We used it to work on letter formation and motor control of the pencil with a sensory handwriting writing tray!
    This is a GREAT way for new writers and pre-writers to work on letter formation and pre-writing forms.  The slime maintains it’s form for just a little while, but long enough for the letter to stay visible for a bit.  It’s a nice way for kids to trace shapes with an appropriate motor plan and tripod grasp on the writing tool.  
     
    Try these handwriting activities with a slime writing tray:
    • Trace shapes, lines, and letters in the slime.
    • Copy words into the slime.
    • Practice spelling words in the slime.
    • Do single, double, and multiple digit addition and subtraction problems in the slime.
     
    Have you ever wondered how to make slime? This slime recipe is super easy and a great tactile sensory play texture for kids. We used it to work on letter formation and motor control of the pencil with a sensory handwriting writing tray!

    How would you use a slime writing tray for handwriting practice?

    A few of our favorite messy, sensory activities that you will love:

    .

                                                       Fizzy Dough Cursive Letters 
                                                        Sensory Letter Formation 

    Spring Robin Sensory Bin

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    Spring is in the air!  We’ve been lucky to have a few days of warmer weather and have been outside playing the hours away.  Of course we had to create our first outdoor sensory bin of the season!  This Spring Robin Sensory Bin is sure to get you in the mood for Spring.  We used a few items that you might have seen before on the blog and put together a quick and easy bin for sensory play.  Because nothing says Spring like minimal prep!
    Kids will love this Spring robin sensory bin with corn filler.
    This post contains affiliate links.
     

    Spring Sensory Bin Idea

    So, last year we made these egg carton robins.  They are back and made the perfect addition for our Spring sensory bin.  I kept it simple and added only a field corn and black bean filler.  You could use any of our sensory bin filler ideas.
    We have a big bin of this stuff ready to go for sensory play.  It’s a great tactile sensory material that little hands love to dig through.  I poured it all into our water table so both of my girls could play easily in the bin.  The height is perfect for my one year old.
     
    Spring sensory bin with a robin theme
    To make the robins, follow these directions.  Be sure to make the worms, because we used them in the sensory bin today.  I hid a few in the field corn and placed the rest on the top of the sensory bin.  My four year old had fun burying the worms and then scooping up big piles of corn to find them.  She practiced a few preschool math concepts like one-to-one correspondence by counting out the worms.  She put them one by one into the separate robins on the egg carton.  My 1 year old had fun just playing in the field corn.  This was a great sensory experience for her!
     
    Having our sensory bin outside on a warm spring day was so much fun and a great way to kick off Spring!
    RELATED READ: Simple Spring Sensory
    Want to see more Spring ideas for kids?  Click the button to see more from a few of my blogger friends:
    This is a fun and easy Spring sensory bin for kids
     
    Check out these sensory activities that you will love: 
    Oobleck in the Marble Run  Alphabet Discovery Bottle
    Dinosaur-Sized Sensory Feelings and Proprioception Activities
    Alphabet Discovery Bottle
    Oobleck in the Marble Run
    Fidgeting During Homework

    All the Best Crayon Play Dough Ideas

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    Crayon play dough is one of our favorite homemade play dough recipes! Here, we have all of our versions of crayon play dough recipes in one place! We know the benefits of play dough as a therapy tool, but when it comes to play dough made with crayons, there are even more!

     

     Broken crayons were taking over my house.


    A pencil case of broken pieces, a drawer full of crayon wrappers, pencil pouches with snapped colored pencils among wrapper-less crayons.  Our house could have been a candle-making factory with all of the colorful crayon bits that were everywhere.





    (Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.)


    Our day started out like any other: we had a fun book to read, about a boy with a purple crayon, and a mission to create a fun activity based on the classic children’s book.  I rifled through our craft shelves, looking for inspiration.  A broken crayon bounced on the floor.  These crayons are multiplying faster than the dust bunnies in our house! 


    Then it hit me: Crayons.  Play Dough.  And a fun activity based on a favorite book was born.  


    We made crayon play dough. And couldn’t stop.  We made crayon play dough in every color of the rainbow.  We made play dough with every color in the crayon box.  And we added fun things, too.  


    Crayon Play Dough became an instant hit in our house!  And you all loved it too.  We shared it on Facebook and Instagram and you emailed me about your concoctions.  So, I knew we needed to have all of our crayon play dough ideas in one place.  So here you are: 

    All the best crayon play dough recipe ideas for using crayons to make play dough

    How to make play dough with broken crayons:


    Each of the crayon play dough recipes below have one main ingredient…crayons! With a few additions, these play dough recipes are some very sensory-based play strategies to develop finger and hand strength in kids.

    To make play dough with broken crayons, you’ll want to start with our basic crayon play dough recipe: How to Make Crayon Play Dough is the basic recipe for using crayons in play dough.


    Harold and the Purple Crayon Play Dough was the inspiration for this idea… and started all of the crayon play dough mania!


    All the Red Crayons in the Box Play Dough used all the shades of red in the crayon box.


    Crayon Floam Dough is a super cool sensory dough recipe idea.  This is one you NEED to try!


    Gold, Silver, and Bronze Metallic Crayon Play Dough Perfect for Olympics fun with kids, this metallic play dough is sparkly for your gold, silver, and bronze exploration!


    Crayon Salt Dough Combining salt dough with our play dough recipe, this dough is a fun way to change things up a bit.


    Patriotic Crayon Salt Dough Why not make the salt dough patriotic?  We made fun star garlands with this dough.


    And not a crayon play dough, but a sensory art activity based on the children’s book, The Day the Crayons Quit: Crayon Shaving Art


    Don’t want to use your crayons to make play dough? No problem!  Broken crayons still color!  Here are the many benefits of coloring with crayons.  Because as an Occupational Therapist, I love the fine motor good that coloring with crayons brings!

    All the best crayon play dough recipe ideas for using crayons to make play dough

     

     

     

    Frozen Play Dough with Candy Play Dough

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    frozen play dough

    This candy play dough recipe is a fun homemade play dough to use in fine motor activities, and we love to use this recipe to freeze the play dough for more resistance in manipulating the homemade dough. While we love this particular candy play dough, you can use any dough recipe in the freezer to add more resistance for hand strengthening.

    Candy Play Dough

     If you’ve been following for a while, you know we make a ton of sensory play dough.  We’re back for another year of sensory play dough recipes, and by looking at the list (you’ll find all of the upcoming play dough recipes for 2016 at the bottom of this post!), it’s going to be a fun year of tactile sensory play.


    This month’s challenge was frozen dough.  I’m not talking about the movie that’s been everywhere for years now…I’m talking about put-it-in-the-freezer-until-it’s-frozen-solid dough.  

    We decided to take a fun spin on the theme and make frozen Pixy Stix dough. We had a bunch of pixy stix candies in the house from who-knows-when.  So, instead of tossing them, we first made Pixy Stix frozen dough…a fun candy play dough!

     

     
     
    This sensory play dough recipe is so cool! Its made with Pixy Stix candy and smells amazing. The best part is freezing the dough-its such a great fine motor strengthening activity and great for proprioceptive input to the hands.
     
     

     

    Candy Play Dough

     
    This post contains affiliate links.
     
    To make Pixy Stix dough, you’ll need a few ingredients:
    1 cup flour
    1/2 cup salt
    2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
    Pixy Stix
    (we used about 10 of each color)
    1 teaspoon oil for each color
    1/2 cup water for each color.
     
     
    How to make candy play dough:
     
    1. To make the dough, I first combined all of the dry ingredients into a bowl.  I then separated it into four bowls because I wanted to make four different colors of dough.  

    2. In each bowl, pour in one color of the candy.  This was a job that my four year old loved.  She carefully snipped each paper tube and made sure not a particle of sugar escaped the bowls.

     
      
    3. In a sauce pan, combine one teaspoon of oil and 1/2 cup of flour.  
     
    4. Then, stir in the dry ingredients.  
     
    5. Stir until the dough forms a ball.  
     
    6. Place it on a cutting board and once it is cool enough to touch, knead it for a few minutes.
     
    We found that some of the colors were stickier than others.  If your dough seems sticky, knead in a bit of flour.
     
    This sensory play dough recipe is so cool! Its made with Pixy Stix candy and smells amazing. The best part is freezing the dough-its such a great fine motor strengthening activity and great for proprioceptive input to the hands.
     
    We played with our Pixy Stick play dough for a while at this point.  The scent from the candy is really strong and it’s a fun, soft dough to play with.  
     
    My oldest daughter didn’t want to stop playing with the Pixy Stix dough.  
    In fact, she played with it while doing her homework.  There’s nothing wrong with a little scented dough DIY fidget toy play during homework!
     
    This sensory play dough recipe is so cool! Its made with Pixy Stix candy and smells amazing. The best part is freezing the dough-its such a great fine motor strengthening activity and great for proprioceptive input to the hands.
     

    Frozen play dough can be made with any play dough recipe.

    Frozen Play Dough

    After a while, we moved on to the frozen part of our frozen play dough.  
     
    I pulled out a (Amazon affiliate link) water bottle ice cube tray and we filled up the sections with pieces of dough.  My four year old popped the tray into the freezer.  
     
    Side note:  Carrying the tray to the freezer was SUCH a big deal for my little girl.  I wish I had a picture of the giant smile on her face as she carried that tray.  She was a BIG girl doing an important job of freezing our play dough.  It was perfect to see her light up like that!
     
     

     

    Use frozen play dough for proprioceptive and strengthening of the hands!
     
    Later in the day, we pulled out the tray of frozen dough. It was not completely solid (due to the salt in the recipe), but it was very firm and nice and cold.
     
     It was such a neat tactile experience to play with the frozen play dough.  Honestly, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before:  freeze play dough for a proprioception work activity for the hands!  
     
    OTs: Make frozen play dough for your clients.  It is a great way to work on strengthening with more resistance than typical play dough.  
     
    Read more about proprioception and the hands here.
     
    A proprioception activity like manipulating the frozen dough “wakes up” and provides feedback to the hands.  
     
    Try working with frozen play dough as a warm up exercise to handwriting.
     
    I hope you try this play dough recipe!  It is one we’ll be making again.  Let me know if you make pixy stix play dough or freeze your own version.  I would love to hear about it!
     
     
     
     
    This sensory play dough recipe is so cool! Its made with Pixy Stix candy and smells amazing. The best part is freezing the dough-its such a great fine motor strengthening activity and great for proprioceptive input to the hands.
    More of our favorite sensory dough recipes you will love:

     

    Crayon Play Dough
    Body Wash Play Dough
    Proprioception Marshmallow Dough

    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.