As we all continue spending time at home this month, Kozie Clothes would like to join you by offering some Simple Sensory Activities that can have a powerful impact. Remember a child learns best through meaningful activity and meaningful activity to a child is play! Let’s start with focusing on gross motor development which exists as the building block foundation for fine motor tasks.
Supplies: Balloons (if you don’t have any pickup at your next grocery or pharmacy trip)
Benefits: Balloons move slowly so success is increased
Sensory skills
Motor Planning (ideation, planning, execution)
Vestibular/proprioceptive
Tactile
Sequencing movements
Motor control and coordination
Eye-hand coordination
Attention skills
Visual motor skills
Enhanced confidence
Balance
Stabilization
There are so many indoor activities you can do with balloons, but here are a few simple variations;
Standing balloon tennis (can be altered for your child’s sensory needs. Example: sitting if unable to stand, kneeling may give increased sensory input and increase difficulty): Using your hands as rackets, hit one balloon between 2+ people over a taped line on the floor as a pretend net. You can also do this activity without a net to simplify or use a higher net (tie a string across the room, for increased difficulty)
Balloon over the gate race: Place a child gate/chair etc. across a doorway. One person stands on either side of the gate and starts with an equal number of balloons. On “GO” each person hits or tosses their balloons over the gate continuously until there are no balloons left. The goal is to be the first person to get all the balloons over to the other side.
Simon says balloon in the air: A family member or friend is appointed as Simon. This individual will be calling out the instructions to the other players. Simon will call out different body parts the payers should hit the balloon with. For instance; “Simon Says hit the balloon using your left knee”. Once they hit the balloon per the instructions, each player should keep the balloon in the air however they wish until Simon gives the next direction.
Beginning skills: For simpler activities, you can simply have your child sit on the floor and toss the balloon up in the air and catch themselves or toss back and forth catching with each other. Add music or sing a song to make it more fun!
Emoji toss: Draw emoji faces on balloons, place all balloons in center of a blanket or large towel. With at least two people, stand around the blanket, each grabbing a different side. Bring the blanket up and back down, watching the balloons pop up and catching in the blanket on the way down. This can easily be played with many more people.
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