“If your body is like a car engine, sometimes it runs on low, sometimes high or sometimes, just right.”
(Williams & Shellenberger, 1996)

Sensory Processing: The ability of the nervous system to interpret information from our environment and create an appropriate response.​

Our Senses... 

1. Proprioception >>> position in space
2. Vestibular >>> sense of balance and movement
3. Interoception >>> internal sensations – hunger, thirst, toilet use
4. Tactile >>> sense of  touch
5. Auditory >>>  sense of sound
6. Olfactory >>> sense of  smell
7. Gustatory >>> sense of taste and oral-motor
8. Visual >>> sense of vision

Sensory Play Ideas: Helping Children Be Ready Learners 

Make it Fun

• Animal walks
• Movement with head upside down  
• Games like ‘red light, green light’ - using stop/go language or red and green visual
• Explore different textures
• Jump and skip together 
•  Do wall 'push ups' 
• Safely ​wrap in a blanket and have child be a burrito then break out 

Make it Meaningful

• Provide bear hugs or shoulder squeezes for deep pressure input; ‘squish’ the child
• Teach the child to request input  or request a break

​The adult can ….

• Describe what the child’s body and actions look like - use simple words and phrases
• Help identify emotions and feelings - even when they are  happy
• Teach and do deep Breathing Techniques - ‘Belly Breathing’    

Make it Playful 

• ​Follow the child’s lead, - i.e. drive car in shaving cream , use paintbrush
• ‘Find the Timer’/Marco Polo
• Handheld buzzer
• Noise cancelling headphones (dollar store)
• Pull tubes
• Help your child learn to climb playground equipment​