100 Sensory Ideas: Activities for Autistic Children

Linking Sensory Ideas to Learning Intentions

We love sensory ideas, play based learning and developing engaging activities. The importance of sensory experiences in a child’s development is well-known. Engaging in sensory activities helps children build essential skills, including fine and gross motor skills, self-regulation, and emotional regulation. While vestibular activities, which stimulate the sense of balance and spatial orientation, are essential for development, some children may be sensitive to these activities or have conditions that limit their participation. For these children, it’s crucial to provide a variety of other sensory experiences to support their growth and learning.

The Importance of Messy and Heuristic Play For Autistic Children

We have written extensively on different types of play linked to sensory learning ideas and activities. This article on play types may provide you with suggestions on incorporating other targets into sensory or messy play. If you’re looking for more ideas on how to maximise the joy and learning outcomes of play, we can help you explore different play types and their benefits. With sensory play, you can engage a child’s senses and create fun and enriching experiences. Additionally, messy play can encourage creativity and provide opportunities for exploration and learning. By incorporating various targets into sensory or messy play, you can create a multidimensional learning experience that promotes cognitive, physical, and emotional development.

Linking Sensory Activities for Autism to Specific Learning Intentions.

In this article, we will explore a range of sensory resources and their learning intentions . With a focus on the tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and proprioceptive sensory areas. These activities can be easily incorporated into a child’s daily routine and support their development in line with the UK Pre-Key Stage Standards and Routes for Learning. There are many benefits to using a sensory curriculum.

Below is a table with 30 activities that focus on various sensory areas, benefits to the child, and corresponding learning intentions from the Pre-Key Stage Standards and Routes for Learning. when you are building sensory ideas into your planned learning activities, whether chid initiated or adult directed you can easily link these to your current assessment system. Of course you can just have fun but in schools we need to be able to articulate why the children are doing certain activities.

30 Sensory Ideas For Autism: Linked Outcomes

Activity	Sensory Area	Benefit to the Child	Learning Intention (Pre-Key Stage Standards/Routes for Learning)
Finger painting	Tactile (Touch)	Enhances fine motor skills, creativity, and self-expression	“Pupils explore a range of materials” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: materials)
Play-Doh or clay modeling	Tactile (Touch)	Develops fine motor skills, creativity, and tactile exploration	“Pupils explore and manipulate objects in a variety of ways” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Sensory bins	Tactile (Touch)	Encourages tactile exploration, fine motor skills, and imaginative play	“Pupils show curiosity about objects” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Myself and my world)
Water play	Tactile (Touch)	Stimulates touch, enhances fine motor skills, and provides calming input	“Pupils engage with water play activities” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Fidget toys	Tactile (Touch)	Reduces stress, improves focus, and supports self-regulation	“Pupils manipulate fidget toys to self-regulate” (Routes for Learning: Emotional Responsiveness)
Calming glitter jars	Visual (Sight)	Promotes relaxation and focus	“Pupils watch objects as they move” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Light table activities	Visual (Sight)	Enhances visual perception, creativity, and fine motor skills	“Pupils focus on and track sources of light” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Liquid motion toys	Visual (Sight)	Provides visual stimulation, promotes relaxation, and supports focus	“Pupils watch objects as they move” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Lava lamps	Visual (Sight)	Encourages visual tracking, relaxation, and focus	“Pupils track the movement of the lava lamp” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Watching fish in an aquarium	Visual (Sight)	Provides visual stimulation, promotes relaxation, and encourages focus – See youtube video below.	“Pupils watch and track the movement of fish” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Listening to calming music	Auditory (Hearing)	Reduces stress, improves mood, and supports emotional regulation	“Pupils show preferences for particular pieces of music” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: people and communities)
Sound bottles	Auditory (Hearing)	Enhances auditory discrimination, focus, and curiosity	“Pupils explore different sounds made by objects” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Rainsticks	Auditory (Hearing)	Provides calming auditory input, promotes relaxation, and supports focus	“Pupils listen and respond to sounds” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Ocean drum	Auditory (Hearing)	Improves auditory discrimination, relaxation, and focus	“Pupils explore the sounds of the ocean drum” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Wind chimes	Auditory (Hearing)	Enhances auditory discrimination, focus, and relaxation	“Pupils listen and respond to the sounds of wind chimes” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Aromatherapy diffusers	Olfactory (Smell)	Calms the nervous system and promotes relaxation	“Pupils recognise and respond to familiar smells” (Routes for Learning: Sensory Responsiveness)
Scented play dough	Olfactory (Smell)	Stimulates the sense of smell, enhances fine motor skills, and supports creativity	“Pupils explore a range of materials and scents” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: materials)
Smell matching games	Olfactory (Smell)	Develops olfactory discrimination and memory skills	“Pupils match objects based on their smell” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Taste testing different foods	Gustatory (Taste)	Enhances taste exploration, introduces new flavours, and supports healthy eating habits	“Pupils explore tastes and textures of different foods” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: materials)
Cooking activities	Gustatory (Taste)	Develops fine motor skills, introduces new flavours, and fosters independence	“Pupils follow simple instructions in cooking activities” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: people and communities)
Sorting by taste	Gustatory (Taste)	Enhances taste discrimination and categorisation skills	“Pupils sort and categorise foods based on taste” (Routes for Learning: Exploration and Investigation)
Texture walk	Proprioceptive	Develops body awareness, balance, and sensory exploration	“Pupils explore a range of surfaces with their feet” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: materials)
Weighted blankets or vests	Proprioceptive	Provides deep pressure, supports self-regulation, and promotes relaxation	“Pupils use weighted blankets or vests for self-regulation” (Routes for Learning: Emotional Responsiveness)
Resistance activities	Proprioceptive	Builds muscle strength, improves body awareness, and enhances motor planning	“Pupils engage in resistance activities to develop body awareness” (Routes for Learning: Physical Skills)
Deep pressure massage	Proprioceptive	Calms the nervous system, supports self-regulation, and promotes relaxation	“Pupils respond positively to deep pressure massage” (Routes for Learning: Emotional Responsiveness)
Animal walks	Proprioceptive	Enhances body awareness, motor planning, and gross motor skills	“Pupils imitate animal movements to develop gross motor skills” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Myself and my world)
Yoga for children	Proprioceptive	Improves body awareness, balance, and self-regulation	“Pupils participate in yoga activities to develop body awareness and self-regulation” (Routes for Learning: Emotional Responsiveness)
Building with blocks	Proprioceptive	Develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness	“Pupils manipulate and stack blocks or other objects” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: materials)
Gardening	Proprioceptive	Enhances fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and fosters a connection to nature	“Pupils engage in gardening activities” (Pre-Key Stage 1: Engaging with the world: people and communities)

100 Further Sensory Ideas.

Here is a more extensive list of sensory ideas that can be beneficial for autistic children. These activities are designed to stimulate their senses and offer a calming or engaging experience. It’s important to note that every child is unique, so it is crucial to personalise these activities based on their preferences and individual requirements. Check out our post on tactile sensory activities in the garden for even more ideas.

By taking the time to adapt these sensory ideas and implementing them effectively, you can help create a tremendously positive and highly supportive environment for autistic children. This nurturing environment aids in their overall development and well-being, enabling them to thrive. It is important to bear in mind, however, that what may prove effective for one child may not necessarily yield the same results for another. It is crucial to remain open-minded and flexible in modifying these suggestions to best cater to the unique needs and requirements of each individual child. You may need to try the idea at another time depending on their mood. Carefully choosing when to introduce an activity can really impact on its effectiveness.

1. Tactile (Touch)

1. Finger painting
2. Play-Doh or clay modelling
3. Sensory bins (filled with rice, beans, sand, etc.)
4. Water play (with added toys, sponges, or brushes)
5. Fidget toys (stress balls, putty, etc.)
6. Squishy bags (filled with gel, hair gel, or shaving cream)
7. Texture boards (with various materials like fabric, sandpaper, etc.)
8. Exploring different fabrics (silk, cotton, fleece, etc.)
9. Foam or bubble play
10. Soft toys or plushies

2. Visual Sensory Activities (Sight)

11. Calming glitter jars
12. Light table activities
13. Liquid motion toys
14. Lava lamps
15. Watching fish in an aquarium
16. Colour sorting activities
17. Shadow play
18. Sticker art
19. Marble runs
20. Kaleidoscope or prisms

3. Auditory Sensory Activities(Hearing)

21. Listening to calming music
22. Sound bottles (filled with various items that make different noises)
23. Rainsticks
24. Ocean drum
25. Wind chimes
26. White noise machine
27. Musical instruments (tambourines, drums, xylophones, etc.)
28. Audiobooks or storytelling
29. Singing or humming
30. Rhythm games (clapping, tapping, stomping)

4. Olfactory (Smell)

31. Aromatherapy diffusers
32. Scented play dough, stickers, or markers
33. Smell matching games
34. Scented candles (be cautious with open flames)
35. Exploring natural scents (flowers, herbs, spices)
36. Scented bubbles
37. Smelling jars with various scents
38. Scented hand lotion
39. Scented sensory bins
40. Scratch-and-sniff books

5. Gustatory (Taste)

41. Taste testing different foods (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami)
42. Food art (using edible materials)
43. Cooking or baking activities
44. Drinking through fun straws
45. Popsicles or ice cream tasting
46. Smoothie making
47. Chewing gum
48. Sipping warm beverages (hot chocolate, herbal tea)
49. Scented lip balm
50. Exploring food textures

6. Vestibular (Balance and Movement)

51. Swinging
52. Trampoline or bounce house
53. Rocking chair or hammock
54. Spinning in a chair
55. Balance beams or stepping stones
56. Yoga or stretching exercises
57. Dancing
58. Obstacle courses
59. Scooter boards
60. Rolling on a therapy ball

7. Proprioceptive Activities (Body Awareness and Position)

61. Deep pressure activities (weighted blanket, bear hugs, etc.)
62. Joint compression exercises
63. Resistance bands
64. Pushing or pulling activities (wagon, shopping cart)
65. Climbing activities (playground, rock wall)
66. Jumping or stomping
67. Crawling through tunnels
68. Carrying heavy objects (backpack, weighted vest)
69. Squeezing stress balls or putty
70. Animal walks (crab walk, bear crawl, etc.)

8. Fine Motor Activities (Hand and Finger Skills)

71. Bead threading or lacing
72. Pegboard activities
73. Puzzles
74. Cutting and pasting activities
75. Tweezers or tongs for sorting and picking up small objects
76. Building with blocks or Legos
77. Buttoning, zipping, or snapping activities
78. Sticker peeling
79. Finger puppets
80. Pipe cleaner creations

9. Gross Motor (Large Muscle Skills)

81. Playing catch or rolling a ball
82. Hopping, skipping, or jumping
83. Bicycle riding or scooter riding
84. Kicking a ball or playing soccer
85. Swimming or water play
86. Running or jogging
87. Playing tag or other chasing games
88. Tug-of-war
89. Climbing stairs or hills
90. Marching or stomping

10. Social and Emotional Sensory Ideas

91. Emotion games and cards
92. Role-playing or pretend play
93. Group games or cooperative activities
94. Practicing calming techniques (deep breaths, counting, etc.)
95. Sensory Storytelling or reading books about emotions
96. Puppets for acting out social scenarios
97. Taking turns or waiting with games or activities
98. Sharing a sensory experience with a peer or caregiver
99. Expressing emotions through sensory art
100. Practising self-regulation skills (identifying personal triggers, finding calming strategies) using a SPD first aid kit.

Always keep an eye on the little ones while they’re exploring these amazing sensory ideas and activities. Feel free to tweak them to suit each child’s unique abilities and preferences. The main goal is to make sure that every sensory experience is not only fun but also highly beneficial for each child.