A Summer Full of Sensory Fun!
by Anna DeHondt
OTR/L
Looking for some fun activities to support your little sunshine’s sensory needs this summer? Read on to learn a bit about your child’s various sensory systems and a few exciting opportunities to engage them.
Proprioception is the sensory system that helps us perceive the location, force, and movement of our body. Heavy work is a great way to support this sensory system.
Have your child carry the heavy watering can or hose to help water the garden.
Fly a kite! The resistance from the wind will provide good feedback for your child as they hold on to the string.
Set up a friendly game of tug-of-war during a family picnic.
Bonus! This heavy work activity will also work on developing teamwork and social skills.
Tactile is the sensory system that allows us to process the environment through light touch. Providing your child with various textures to play in will support this sensory system.
Create a summer sensory bin with sand and beach-themed items.
Set up a pretend car wash for their toy cars using shaving cream and a water bucket.
Have your child help remove seeds from a watermelon or husk the corn for a family BBQ.
Vestibular is the sensory system related to how we process information as we move through the environment. This includes running, walking, swinging, jumping, and spinning. Summer is full of opportunities to get our bodies moving.
Create an outdoor obstacle course using hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, and jump ropes.
Jump through the sprinkler or throw water balloons.
Go on a family bike ride to the local park where your child can swing, climb, slide, and spin on the equipment.
Visual is the sensory system that allows us to see, process, and interpret information in the environment.
Play i-Spy on a nature walk to exercise your child’s visual scanning and visual perception skills.
Go to the zoo and name the different features of the animals.
Visit a local garden center or botanical garden to observe all of the different colors and shapes.
Have your child point out the fireflies at night. Try counting them.
Incorporate glow sticks into nighttime play, either indoors or outdoors.
Auditory is the sensory system related to how we hear, process, and interpret the various sounds in the environment.
Play Marco Polo in the yard.
Listen to the birds during the day and the cicadas at night.
Offer your child noise-canceling headphones to wear at the summer fair or during fireworks shows.
Gustatory is the sensory system that helps you interpret and understand the various tastes and flavors.
Explore various textures, temperatures, and flavors of food using different summer treats like popsicles, fresh fruits, s’mores, and BBQ treats.
Involve your child in making different summer dishes to feel more connected to the foods they will explore.
About the Author
Anna DeHondt, OTR/
Anna is a Certified Trauma Professional. She is passionate about nature-based therapy, trauma-informed care, mental health, sensory processing, and celebrating neurodiversity.
Also a certified Basic DIR/Floortime therapist, Anna seeks to understand each child's unique neurodiversity and individual differences to provide holistic, specialized care for each family.