Sensory Processing Crafts - Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education - ABA Therapy

What is Sensory Input?

A sensory/automatically maintained behavior is a behavior we engage in that is not socially mediated. We do it because it simply feels good to us. Whether the sensory-seeking behavior is common or uncommon, we all engage in some form of it. This can be listening to music, scratchisng an itch, biting nails, fidgeting, or squeezing a pillow. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are doing it!

Creating a sensory focused environment

You can incorporate different sensory activities into your child’s day-to-day life with ease and often with common things found around the house. Just think of fun activities to stimulate the senses! Set up sensory bins filled with rice and beans for a cool tactile activity or make a sparkle bottle for a mesmerizing visual experience. You can even cuddle up with a weighted blanket while watching one of our story-time videos with your child.

Creating new sensory opportunities for your child can even help them expand into new experiences. With the help of your BCBA, you can help your picky eater try new foods, your home-body tolerate being in a busy community setting, or even help your child play with a new toy!

If you are interested in learning more about ABA therapy, please visit our What is ABA Therapy page. You’ll also find articles written by our BCBA and BT staff in our blog series, Learning ABA.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite activities you can make with supplies from around your house.

DIY Sparkle Bottle

Sensory bottles are an inexpensive DIY-craft activity you can make with items you probably already have laying around your house! These bottles are an amazing tool to calm an anxious mind, for sensory processing, for learning and exploring. You’ll need an old plastic bottle, glitter, beads and some food coloring. Follow along with our video to make one of your own.

Once your bottle is complete, get shaking and enjoy the show! Follow along with our one-minute tutorial video here.

Homemade Sensory Slime

Supplies:

  • A Bottle Washable Non-Toxic Glue
  • 1 Tsp Borax
  • 1 Cup water
  • Spatula
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Food Coloring

Directions:

  1. Pour 1-2 bottles of Glue into a mixing bowl
  2. Make “Activator” solution by mixing 1 tsp Borax and 1 cup of water in a separate measuring cup
  3. Add food coloring to the glue for a fun color!
  4. Slowly add in a little bit of Activator at a time while stirring until the glue is no longer sticky and becomes “slime.”
  5. Remove slime from the bowl and knead together with your hands!

*Optional Step: You can knead in glitter, confetti, jelly foam cubes, colored beads, or other fun “mix-ins” to add texture and creativity to your slime.

Store in a resealable bag when not in use. Enjoy playing with your homemade slime!!

Sensory Snow

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! Grab the kids and get ready to have SNOW much fun. Check out the link below for 6 easy ways to make sensory table snow! Explore a variety of materials and textures from sparkling sand, cotton balls, shaving cream and corn starch, soap, and potato flakes.  

Quick and easy indoor fun for the entire family!  

Get started here. https://www.prekinders.com/snow-sensory-table/  

Looking for more crafts and activities? Visit our Pinterest page! www.pinterest.com/cultivatebhe/    

More Resources from Cultivate

Cultivate offers many free resources to the community, including parent trainings and support groups, guidance on insurance and diagnostic processes, and referrals to other community services through our Community Outreach team. Many of these resources are available right here on our website or through contacting your local Community Outreach Coordinator.