Key Benefits of Sensory Rich Activities

To say we are all operating under a higher degree of stress than we did pre pandemic is a fair statement. We’re still trying to adapt to a new normal amidst constant changes in our world. So how can we build resiliency in our kiddos to help them thrive everyday? In our clinic we use sensory rich activities to help our clients overcome challenges that arise when building new skills. Perhaps you could apply these same strategies into your child’s everyday life to help them thrive? Let’s talk about it –

What Are Sensory Rich Activities?

In my practice I use sensory rich activities all the time to support my clients as they are constantly being challenged to reach their goals. These same activities can just as easily be incorporated into your daily routines & prove beneficial to your family life.

A sensory rich activity is any activity that involves multiple sensory systems. Ideally we want to shoot for 3 sensory systems, but more than two will do. Our system includes eight senses. There are our five basic senses – sight, touch, sound, smell, & taste – with the addition of three other senses that have emerged the past few years in the medical field – movement, muscle awareness, & interoception.

Although all of the senses are important, we only really focus on seven of the senses (excluding interoception) when creating sensory rich activities.

Now that we know what makes an activity sensory rich, let’s talk about what makes them so powerful (& why the heck you should prioritize incorporating them into your routines).

3 Key Benefits of Sensory Rich Activities

Examples of Sensory Rich Activities

Now that we’ve talked all about sensory rich activities, let’s brainstorm some activities together. Remember, an activity is considered sensory rich when multiple sensory systems are used at once.

For example, when we play with scented play dough we are using our muscles, our sense of smell, and our eyes all at the same time. When we dance, we are moving our body, using our muscles, and listening to the music. When we take a straw and blow down a pyramid of stacked cups, we are using our eyes, using our lip muscles to blow, and we are hearing the cups fall. 

If you already have some activities that your children really enjoy, you could also think about adding a few experiences to beef up the sensory aspect of it. For example, if your child enjoys playing video games, you could have them sit on a bouncy ball or have them lay under a weighted blanket to give their muscles more input. Obviously an off-screen sensory rich activity is preferred, but sometimes it’s about baby steps & meeting your child where they are.

You officially know my secret to keeping everyone happy & able to be their best selves. Now I’m not saying that incorporating sensory rich activities will take care of all your problems & you won’t have any challenges – I wish it was that easy! But incorporating these activities can save you a few headaches when employed correctly.

To help you apply what you have just learned, we’ve created a workbook filled with 4 weeks of sensory rich activities to make it easy as pie to take the next step & start incorporating sensory rich activities into your daily life.

In the workbook you will find a list of activities for you to experiment with over the next four weeks, supplies list included! All of these activities are really easy to implement & adjust based on your child’s interests and your available resources. I use a bunch of these same strategies in my practice on a daily basis, so I know you’re kids are going to love them. Grab your workbook here!