Secrets from my Sensory Stash

If you are in the market for some fun and relatively inexpensive sensory options for your child, I have some tips for you! The internet is full of ideas concerning sensory play and products to help sensory seekers. While many of the more expensive products can certainly be helpful, I have found that some simple and lower cost options can also be very beneficial.  We have tried a number of items with our four year old and these are by far my favorites for sensory soothing gear and activities.

1. Water beads(Orbeez)- I purchased these on Amazon and they provided hours of play. I used a water table in the backyard and they were good to go for several weeks during the summer. The beads are very small and they expand once water is added. We left our beads uncovered and each time it rained the beads would expand which caused much celebration in our home. The beads are squishy and colorful and feel a little slimy to the touch. The beads are non-toxic but are obviously not meant for ingestion, so children who are oral soothers should not be left alone during play.

2. Rice in a bucket- This is as simple as it gets. I fill up a Tupperware container with rice and magnets and measuring cups and let the magic happen. The rice provides a nice texture and the tiny objects I hide beneath provides a game to play. My boy gets rice all over the place and it does not trouble me at all because a quick sweep and we are back to normal. He pours and scoops and digs and sit and I get necessary life stuff done 😉

3.  Slime- I know, I know, I know…no one wants slime in their home or on their clothes or in their hair. We have experienced all the above and I still feel like it is beneficial and worth our time and money. My boy hears a lot of “no” due to his constant need to explore and touch and be curious. I try hard to provide reasonable opportunities to get messy and be curious in a controlled setting. Slime is cheap and easy and can be made at home and stored in a zip lock bag for weeks at a time.

4. Shaving cream- If slime is too much for your stress level maybe shaving cream is a good compromise. Shaving cream is helpful for sensory seekers when practicing letters and numbers. My kiddo writes his name in the shaving cream and draws pictures and squeezes it through is little fingers. It is easy to clean up and again very inexpensive.

5. Chew bands- My buddy is very oral and often chews on things that are not meant for his mouth. We try to provide other options for him and this product is one that we are currently trying out. The chew band can be worn around the neck and used when needed. It dries relatively fast and seems to hold up well, as ours have seen the washing machine many times. My guy is not sold on the bands yet, but it has been a helpful alternative to unhealthy items in his mouth.

6. Compression shirts- If you have a child who has impulse control issues or struggles to self regulate THIS IS FOR YOU. We purchased our first compression shirt in December and he has worn one everyday since. We can tell a noticeable difference in his ability to respond to conflict and transitions if he is not wearing his “ninja shirt.” We purchased three to begin with and we have since added more to our collection. He wears a “ninja shirt” all day long and also sleeps in it at night. He is not at all bothered by the shirt unless he gets too hot while wearing two shirts in which case we allow him to lose the top shirt. We are exploring other compression options because we have been so amazed at the support this shirt offers his body.

I hope you see something on the list that might be beneficial to your sensory seeker and I hope you know how precious you are as their mom. This road can be marked with struggle and tears and I think it is so important for us to know we are not alone. Here’s hoping we can all find what works to make life a little easier for our precious babes!

P.S. If you have some other ideas that have worked for your kiddo, please share in the comments below!