Useful for Designing a Sensory Diet for Children with Sensory Processing Disorders Therapeutic Activities for Use During Treatment Sessions

1. Scooter Board Activities:

• Push scooter board to or from a designated location (sit or lie on stomach and propel with arms)

• Have the child pull him/herself up a ramp while seated or lying on stomach on a scooter board.

• Propel a scooter board across a carpeted floor.

• Push the therapist or another person around on a scooter board.

• Have someone pull a child who is sitting or lying (on his/her stomach) on a scooter board, holding onto a rope or Hula Hoop.

• Have one child use a rope or Hula Hoop to pull another child who is sitting or lying (on his/her stomach) on a scooter board, holding onto the other end of the rope or the Hula Hoop.

• Have the child pull him/herself (using hand over hand movements) by a long jump rope tied by one end to a doorknob while seated on a scooter board with legs crossed and off the floor.

• You can also have one child hold one end of a jump rope while another child, who is sitting or lying on a scooter board, pulls him/herself with the other end of the rope up to the child holding the rope.

• A variation is to play “army jungle maneuvers” where the child on the scooter board delivers secret messages to the other child, and that child (who is holding the rope) has to write a secret answer back to the commander (therapist). This could be incorporated into academics in lots of ways. For example, the first child can take a math problem to the second child, the second child solves the math problem and sends it to the commander (therapist).

• Find a hallway area and have the student lie prone on a scooter board. The student is positioned with feet on the wall behind him/her and pushes forward with hands in front to stop him/her (before crashing). Child can push back and forth from wall to wall. Obviously, students with delayed processing, motor planning difficulties, etc. are not appropriate for this activity. Also, a helmet should be worn if there is any concern that the child would be unable to react appropriately to this activity.

2. Hippity Hop Balls.

You can use two ramps that fasten together at right angles and let the children hop up one, cross to the platform of the second ramp and hop down. After about 10-15 trips, it takes all the “aggressiveness” out of them for the whole day.

3. Therapy Balls.

Push a large therapy ball across/around the room (you can purchase weighted therapy balls).

4. Heavy Ball.

Play catch, bounce and roll a heavy ball.

5. Boxes.

Push square plastic nesting boxes from one room to another. A carpeted hallway provides extra resistance. One or two of the nested boxes can be removed to decrease the weight, or small balls and/or beanbags can be added to the box to increase the weight. You can also turn the smallest box upside down over the balls and beanbags to help distracted students complete the task.

6. Wheeled Therapy Stool.

Push a wheeled therapy stool while someone is seated on it. If necessary, the person on the stool can assist by “walking” with his/her feet.

7. Bubblepack.

Use it as part of an obstacle course. The child can jump onto it or run across it.

8. Suitcase and Cart.

Pull the therapist’s suitcase on wheels or therapy cart.

9. Ramp.

Walk up a ramp or incline.

10. Theraband or Tubing.

Attach it to a door and pull it, then let it snap.
Two children can play “tug of war” with jump rope or heavy theraband. (If you use the Theraband, children need supervision so they don’t purposely let go of the Theraband and “snap” the other child).

11. Play Wrestling.

Play a game of “play wrestling”: two people lock hands facing each other and try to see who can push and make the other person step back first. Use other body parts also, but be sure to have rules (no hitting, no biting, no scratching, one person says stop then both stop).

12. Row Your Boat.

Play “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” sitting on the floor, pushing and pulling each other.

13. Stand Up.

Have two children sit on the floor, back to back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. They interlock their arms, and then try to stand up at the same time.

14.Wood Projects.

Make wood projects requiring sanding and hammering.

15. Jumping Games.

Play jumping games, such as hopscotch and jump rope.

16. Therapy Ball for 2.

Push on a large therapy ball with someone else giving resistance from the other side.

Compiled and Edited by Elizabeth Haber, MS, OTR/L and Deanna Iris Sava, MS, OTR/L