Simple sensory activities you can try at home

Sensory play isn't just fun — for many children, it's an important part of learning to process the world around them: touch, movement, sound and balance all working together. You don't need special equipment to support this at home; a lot of the most useful activities use things you probably already have.

Texture bins. Fill a shallow container with rice, dried beans or pasta and hide small toys inside for your child to find. It's a simple, screen-free way to build tolerance for different textures.

Playdough and putty. Squeezing, rolling and pinching dough builds hand strength while giving restless hands something calming to do.

"Heavy work" activities. Pushing a laundry basket, carrying books, or animal walks (bear crawls, crab walks) provide deep pressure input that many children find regulating.

Balance and movement breaks. Short bursts of jumping, swinging or spinning between quieter tasks can help some children reset and refocus.

Water play. Pouring, scooping and splashing at bath time or over a sink is an easy, low-prep sensory activity most kids already enjoy.

If your child is currently in occupational therapy, ask your therapist which of these might suit your child's specific sensory profile best — what helps one child regulate can overwhelm another, so a little guidance goes a long way.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a specific concern about your child or a family member, our team is happy to talk it through.