Do you have a sensory seeking child at home? How do you know if you do? If you have a child that is constantly moving and always seems to have a ton of energy at all hours of the day? Does your child appear like they can’t seem to slow their brain or body down? Do they yell and or love loud sounds and vibration? If so, you may have a sensory seeking child. Do you have a child that seems to be dysregulated and or overstimulated a lot? Do they never appear calm? Do they constantly crave sensory input? Do they repeatedly want to touch you or other people, even other things? These can also be signs of a sensory seeking child. Typically sensory seeking children love to be touched and even have the need to be compressed. Tactile touch is their love language. Sensory seeking children also may have trouble focusing, appear hyperactive, express impulsivity, and desire adrenaline related activities.
You may ask why your child is sensory seeking. And the answer is mostly due to the way their brain processes their senses and sensations their body receives. If a child cannot mentally and physically process the sensory input their body is receiving, they seek it more until their body is satisfied. This is mostly due to vestibular sensory processing. This is why you will often see sensory seekers doing a significant amount of extreme physical activity like jumping, running, squeezing, climbing, and even crashing into objects and people. The more extreme the activity and energy it takes to do the activity, the better. It seems counterintuitive, but to calm a sensory seeking child down, it will take higher energy than their norm. Deep breathing, meditation, and other calming activities usually don’t work.
Some sensory seekers can control their need for stimulation and movement in various environments. Others cannot. Some sensory seeking behaviors can be related to Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, or even moderate sensory processing challenges. In this case, their behavior is most likely affecting them at home and at school. And they may need a Sensory Processing Disorder diagnosis. If you are concerned your child isn’t satisfied with the sensory input you can provide at home, I urge you to seek a licensed professional for an assessment and more in-depth tools.
Below are my TOP 5 Play-Based Ways to Calm Sensory Seeking Children. I talk about many play-based tools in this blog. Every tool I talk about is pictured in the photograph above. Everything is linked here for convenience.
Jumping Jacks
Who remembers having to do jumping jacks during P.E. in middle school? I hope I am not alone, but it was never a favorite activity of mine. But sensory seeking children love the movement and the pressure of jumping! They also benefit from their sensory receptors being stimulated in their hands and feet. Plus, jumping jacks takes energy, so children tire out their bodies, while calming their minds. It seems counterintuitive to do more physical activity to calm down, but even if this is done before bedtime, your child is more likely to sleep better!
Pro tip: If your child doesn’t respond well to jumping jacks, try a small indoor trampoline or moving up and down on a exercise ball! If you don’t want to spend money, your child can get a similar sensation by jumping off the bed or couch.
Joint Compression
This is honestly one of my favorite ways for children to get their sensory seeking behaviors met. A few ways you can meet this need through joint compression are via a sensory sock, a pressure massage, tight bear hugs, a calming tunnel, a bop bag, weighted blanket, and squeeze balls. All of these work really well for children that want to feel pressure or release pressure. Try giving your child a pressure massage on their arms and legs and then see if they can return the favor, it is parenting win!
Pro tip: Don’t have any of these play tools at home? Wrap your child up on a pillow case or sheet as tightly as you can making sure they can breathe (think swaddling them as a baby) and holding them tight or letting them hold it around them tightly while they roll around…or get a pillow they can hit and squeeze.
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are one of my favorite ways for children to use their senses! Sensory bins don’t need a lot of time or money to create. Once you have a bin (I like to use a simple plastic bin from Target or the Step2 Cascading Cove Sand and Water Activity Sensory Table), there are endless ways to play with a sensory bin. The more varying textures you have in your bin the better. And you can even make them themed based on your child’s favorite interests like cars, insects, or dinosaurs. Fill the bin with dried rice, dried beans, dried pasta, dried oats, un-popped popcorn, or water beads and then different items like cotton balls, pom pom balls, glitter, buttons, feathers, magnetic letters, puzzle pieces, action figures, toys, foam blocks, clothespins, shells, and other small toys. Then add small cups, funnels, tongs, spoons, empty toilet paper rolls, empty paper towel rolls, and or even an ice cube tray. Allow your child the space to get messy. Everything, including them, can get cleaned up. The messier, the better sensory experience for them, which is the point!
Pro Tip: Not a fan of messes? Try putting water and some toys in a sink or bathtub for a water play sensory experience. Want something outdoors? Have your child play in the mud or sandbox. Head to the beach to play in the sand. Or go to a local park that has a sandy area.
Scooter Board
Scooter Boards are great to use for kids seeking sensory stimulation. They can lay on their belly and scoot around the house, backyard, or driveway (with supervision of course) and not only will it tire them from the movement, but it also will meet their sensory needs. Scooter boards offer an entire body experience.
Pro Tip: Don’t have a scooter board handy? Let your child roll around on a skateboard, scooter, or rolling cart for a similar effect. You can also have them ride in a wagon or stroller – just go fast and over rocky terrain.
Obstacle Course
This is something that does take more effort than all of these other ideas, but it’s a kid favorite! I started doing this for fun with my kids during the pandemic, when we were all home during quarantine. I would set up anything I could find around the house for them to complete the course. I used a hopscotch mat (that you can also draw with chalk), a tricycle to scoot around, a play tunnel, a bop bag (punching bag), stepping stones, and a laundry bin filled with mini plastic play balls.
Pro Tip: The kids will think it’s fun no matter what, so let them help you find common items around the house to help you create the course. Anything that will help them crawl, jump, touch, and move their bodies will do the trick!
For more sensory driven ideas, hacks, and tips, please visit one of my previous blogs about sensory play, here!
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