Welcome to Clumsy & Friends Sensory Play collection! These activities support children with diverse sensory needs. Whether your child seeks more sensory input or gets overwhelmed easily, you'll find ideas to create a balanced sensory diet that helps them thrive.
All Activities
Calming Activities
Alerting Activities
Sensory Plans
Printable Cards
Tactile (Touch) Activities
These activities engage the touch sensory system and help children process different textures and tactile sensations.
Calming Tactile Activities
Moon Sand: Mix 8 cups flour with 1 cup baby oil for a moldable, soothing sensory material
Weighted Activities: Using weighted stuffed animals, lap pads, or blankets (no more than 10% of body weight)
Finger Painting with Shaving Cream: Add a few drops of food coloring or washable paint
Sensory Bottles: Fill clear bottles with water, glitter, and baby oil for a calming visual
Rice or Bean Bins: Fill a container with rice or beans and provide scoops and containers
Playdough Kneading: Add calming essential oils like lavender for additional sensory input
Alerting Tactile Activities
Textured Scavenger Hunt: Hide small objects in a bin of dried pasta, pom-poms, or water beads
Sticky Table: Cover table with contact paper (sticky side up) and provide materials to stick
Ice Painting: Freeze colored water in ice cube trays with popsicle sticks as handles
Texture Collage: Provide various textured materials (sandpaper, fabric, etc.) for art projects
Water Bead Play: Supervise as these can be a choking hazard for younger children
"Mystery Box": Place items in a covered box with hand holes for guessing by touch
Proprioceptive (Body Awareness) Activities
These activities provide deep pressure and joint input to help children develop body awareness and regulation.
Calming Proprioceptive Activities
Wall Push: Have child push against the wall with hands or back for 10 seconds
Animal Walks: Bear crawls, crab walks, and frog jumps provide heavy work input
"Sandwich" Game: Press gently with pillows or cushions from both sides
Carrying Heavy Items: Let the child help carry groceries or books
Play Tug-of-War: Use a rope or blanket for a friendly game
Rolling Games: Roll child tightly in a blanket (keeping head free)
Alerting Proprioceptive Activities
Trampoline Jumping: Use a mini-trampoline with a handle for safety
Obstacle Courses: Create indoor or outdoor courses with crawling, jumping, and climbing elements
Wheelbarrow Walking: Hold the child's legs while they walk on hands
Resistance Bands: Tie around chair legs for feet to push against during seated activities
Ball Chair: Allow bouncing while doing tabletop activities
Jumping Activities: Hopscotch, jump rope, or jumping jacks
Vestibular (Movement & Balance) Activities
These activities stimulate the vestibular system which controls balance, spatial orientation, and coordination.
Calming Vestibular Activities
Rocking: In a rocking chair, on a therapy ball, or in an adult's arms
Slow Swinging: Linear (back-and-forth) swinging has a more calming effect
Gentle Bouncing: Sitting on a therapy ball with feet touching the ground
Log Rolling: Rolling slowly while wrapped in a blanket
Spinning: Gentle, slow spinning in one direction with a complete stop before changing directions
"Row, Row, Row Your Boat": Partner rowing while sitting facing each other
Alerting Vestibular Activities
Spinning: Faster spinning with frequent direction changes (monitor for overstimulation)
Playground Equipment: Merry-go-rounds, tire swings, and circular movements
Scooter Board Activities: Pulling child on a scooter board
"Astronaut" Game: Child lies on stomach on a swing and is pushed in various directions
Hanging Upside Down: Supervised hanging from playground equipment or over the side of a sofa
Somersaults and Cartwheels: On soft surfaces with proper supervision
Auditory (Sound) Activities
These activities help children process and respond to auditory information in their environment.
Calming Auditory Activities
White Noise: Fans, white noise machines, or specific white noise apps
Nature Sounds: Recordings of rain, ocean waves, or forest sounds
Humming or Singing: Slow, rhythmic songs with a steady beat
"Sound Sandwich": Child sits between two pillows to dampen environmental noise
Ear Defenders or Noise-Canceling Headphones: For use in overwhelming environments
Musical Instruments with Repetitive Sounds: Rain sticks, ocean drums, or gentle wind chimes
Alerting Auditory Activities
Rhythm Games: Clapping patterns for the child to repeat
Sound Discrimination Activities: Identifying environmental sounds while blindfolded
Directional Hearing Games: Finding a ticking timer hidden in the room
Call and Response Songs: Songs where the child responds to verbal cues
Musical Movement Games: Dancing or moving to different types of music
Sound Effect Stories: Creating stories with different sounds for different characters or actions
Visual Activities
These activities support visual processing and help children manage visual stimuli in their environment.
Calming Visual Activities
Light Filtering: Using sunglasses, hats, or light-filtering overlays
Reducing Visual Clutter: Organizing play spaces and removing excessive visual stimulation
Bubble Tubes or Lava Lamps: Watching slow-moving visual elements
Light Table Activities: Using translucent materials on a light table or box
"I Spy" with Natural Materials: Finding items in a contained, natural environment
Visual Timers: Sand timers or visual countdown apps for transitions
Alerting Visual Activities
Visual Tracking Games: Following moving objects with eyes without moving head
Find the Difference: Comparing similar pictures to find differences
Flashlight Games: Following a moving flashlight beam in a darkened room
Kaleidoscopes and Prisms: Exploring changing patterns and colors
Marble Runs or Ball Tracks: Watching objects move through complex paths
Seek and Find Books: Looking for hidden objects in detailed illustrations
Calming Sensory Activities
These activities help children who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or over-stimulated.
Clumsy's Top 5 Calming Activities
Moon Sand Sculpting - The smooth, cool texture and repetitive motion help settle busy minds
Weighted Blanket Time - Deep pressure provides comfort and security
Slow Swinging - Gentle, rhythmic movement in one direction is naturally calming
Nature Sound Listening - Consistent, predictable sounds like rainfall help regulate the nervous system
Wall Push - This proprioceptive activity grounds and centers through resistance
Tactile Calming
Moon Sand: Mix 8 cups flour with 1 cup baby oil
Weighted Activities: Using weighted stuffed animals or blankets
Finger Painting with Shaving Cream: Add food coloring
Playdough Kneading: Add calming essential oils like lavender
Proprioceptive Calming
Wall Push: Push against wall with hands or back
"Sandwich" Game: Press gently with pillows from both sides
Carrying Heavy Items: Help carry groceries or books
Rolling Games: Roll tightly in a blanket (head free)
Vestibular Calming
Rocking: In a rocking chair or on a therapy ball
Slow Swinging: Linear (back-and-forth) swinging
Gentle Bouncing: Sitting on therapy ball with feet down
"Row Your Boat": Partner rowing while sitting face-to-face
Auditory Calming
White Noise: Fans or white noise machines
Nature Sounds: Rain, ocean waves, or forest sounds
Humming: Slow, rhythmic songs with steady beat
Noise-Canceling Headphones: For overwhelming places
Visual Calming
Light Filtering: Sunglasses or light-filtering overlays
Reducing Visual Clutter: Organizing play spaces
Bubble Tubes: Watching slow-moving visual elements
Light Table Activities: Using translucent materials
Alerting Sensory Activities
These activities help children who need more sensory input to focus, engage, and maintain optimal arousal levels.
Minnie Tickledust's Top 5 Alerting Activities
Textured Scavenger Hunt - The excitement of finding objects hidden in different textures awakens the tactile system
Trampoline Jumping - Bouncing provides powerful vestibular and proprioceptive input
Spinning Games - Controlled spinning (with safety precautions) is highly alerting
Rhythm Games - Clapping patterns engage auditory processing and attention
Marble Runs - The visual tracking of objects in motion increases visual attention
Tactile Alerting
Textured Scavenger Hunt: Hide objects in sensory bins
Sticky Table: Contact paper with sticky side up
Ice Painting: Frozen colored water with popsicle handles
"Mystery Box": Guess objects by touch only
Proprioceptive Alerting
Trampoline Jumping: Use a mini-trampoline with handle
Obstacle Courses: Indoor or outdoor with varied elements
Wheelbarrow Walking: Hold legs while child walks on hands
Musical Movement: Dancing to different music types
Visual Alerting
Visual Tracking: Following moving objects with eyes
Find the Difference: Comparing similar pictures
Flashlight Games: Following moving beam in dark
Marble Runs: Watching objects move through paths
Creating Custom Sensory Play Plans
For best results, combine activities from different sensory systems based on your child's specific needs:
Observe which sensory inputs calm or alert your child
Start with regulating activities (usually proprioceptive)
Then introduce activities from other sensory systems
End with another regulating activity
Be flexible and responsive to your child's changing needs
Keep sessions positive and child-led
Stop if signs of overstimulation appear
Example Morning Routine for a Sensory-Seeking Child:
Wake up with gentle joint compressions or a "sandwich squeeze"
Animal walks to the bathroom
Heavy work by carrying breakfast items to the table
Chewy or crunchy foods for breakfast
Mini-trampoline jumping before getting dressed
Weighted backpack for the trip to school
Example After-School Routine for a Sensory-Sensitive Child:
Quiet greeting without immediate questions
Access to calming corner with dimmed lights and minimal noise
Deep pressure activity like a weighted blanket or bear hug
Snack with preferred textures
Gentle movement activity like swinging or rocking
Gradual transition to homework with sensory tools available
Design Your Own Sensory Routine
Use this template to create a customized sensory routine for your child:
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Remember:
The goal is not to "fix" sensory differences but to support regulation and build adaptive responses to sensory challenges. Always follow your child's lead and respect their sensory preferences.
Printable Sensory Activity Cards
Print these cards to keep handy for quick sensory breaks throughout the day. Cut along the dotted lines to create individual cards.
Calming Card: Proprioceptive
Wall Push
Have your child stand with their back against the wall. Ask them to push back against the wall for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 3-5 times.
When to use: Before transitions, after high-energy activities, when feeling overwhelmed
Calming Card: Tactile
Moon Sand Play
Mix 8 cups of flour with 1 cup of baby oil. Let your child squeeze, mold, and play with this calming sensory material.
When to use: During quiet time, after school, before homework
Calming Card: Vestibular
Slow, Linear Swinging
Gentle, back-and-forth swinging in a straight line. Keep the movement slow and rhythmic.
When to use: To calm an anxious child, during transition times, before bedtime
Calming Card: Auditory
Nature Sound Break
Play recordings of gentle rain, ocean waves, or forest sounds. Have your child close their eyes and listen for 2-3 minutes.
When to use: During transitions, after noisy activities, when overwhelmed
Alerting Card: Proprioceptive
Animal Walks
Have your child move like different animals: bear crawl, crab walk, frog jump, elephant stomp.
When to use: Before focused activities, when energy is low, between seated tasks
Alerting Card: Vestibular
Spin and Stop
Have your child spin in place for 5-10 seconds, then stop and stabilize. Wait until they're steady before spinning again.
When to use: Before learning activities, when attention is wandering
Alerting Card: Tactile
Texture Treasure Hunt
Hide small objects in a bin of rice, beans, or water beads for your child to find using only their sense of touch.
When to use: To increase focus, during transition times, for sensory breaks
Alerting Card: Auditory
Rhythm Patterns
Clap or tap a simple rhythm and have your child repeat it. Gradually increase the complexity.
When to use: Before learning activities, to improve attention, during breaks
Remember: The goal is not to "fix" sensory differences but to support regulation and build adaptive responses to sensory challenges. Every child's sensory needs are unique—observe your child closely and adjust activities based on their responses.