Before or After School Meltdowns? Sensory Solutions

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[fbshare]I recall when my now 17 year old was in primary school and I would pick him up and find him to be an absolute bear.  Moody, cranky, grumpy, and on the way to melting down.  I realized that was his “safe zone”.  He held himself together the best he could all day long and now he felt safe enough to release it all, however disorganized.  I would make sure he had a nutritious snack to fill his tummy and then get him in gear for physical activity to work off the “case of the crankies”.

Little did I know then, he was just needing some good sensory input and that I was unknowingly delivering it.  Noting similar behavior with my younger set of boys, backed up with sensory processing knowledge, I am always on the prowl for fun regulating activities.  I tend to look at regular fun and find the sensory benefits within.  Nothing is more fun for a kid then an obstacle course!

Ideas for Building a Sensory Obstacle Course

If you have an early bird who rolls out of bed with boundless, disorganized energy, a backyard obstacle course may be the trick to get him organized before the start of his big day.  If you are looking for a solution to help your child get regulated after school, swinging, balancing, pulling, and crawling may be just what your little guy needs to get him back on track.

1) Rope Swing

Get an inflatable wading pool and place under a tree with a strong and sturdy branch.  Fill the pool with foam blocks.  You can find these at craft or fabric stores.  Take a sturdy rope and tie to the tree branch above the pool.  Add one to two knots at the bottom of the rope where your child will grab.  Have your child take the rope, back up to get a good running jump, lift those knees high and then release himself into the pit.  This offers multiple forms of proprioceptive input, strengthens the core and provides vestibular input at the same time! You can find more proprioceptive info here and vestibular info here.

2) Balance Beam

Head off to the lumber yard and secure an 8 foot long 2 x 4 cut of lumber.  You can lay it in the grass or raise it up on blocks.  Thinking along the lines of safety, sand the corners of the beam and add outdoor cushions to the ends where the blocks are to prevent injury.  This activity encourages balance, improves motor planning, increases focus and attention while meeting vestibular balance needs.

3) Wagon Slalom

Recycle and save those milk jugs!  Gather about 7-10 recycled one gallon milk jugs and cut the tops off.  Fill them each halfway with sand or stones.  Next, gather 7-10 colorful pool noodles and stand them up in the milk jugs filled with sand.  Lay the jugs with pool noodles out in your yard in a zig-zag pattern of two rows.  Fill your wagon with heavy items like bean bags, bag of rice & beans, toys, or anything to add weight for your child.  Have your child pull the wagon around the outside of each jug, weaving in and out.  This activity offers heavy work and meets the proprioceptive need.

4) Happy Hoops

Get about 8 plastic hula hoops and lay them out in a straight row.  Have your child jump into each hoop, then lift the hoop over their head, drop behind them, then jump to the next hoop and do the same thing.  This activity requires motor planning and organization while the jumping continues to offer proprioceptive input.

5) Walk Like a Crab

Have your child sit on the grass, bend their knees, lean back, lock their elbows and lift themselves up, turning themselves into a crab.  Establish a distance of 8-10 feet and have your child walk like a crab in a straight line to the finish line.  For an extra challenge and additional weight, add a beanbag to the belly.  This is the grand finale of motor planning and proprioceptive input.

6) Rewards

If you decide to do this activity in the morning, reward your child with a hearty breakfast.  If after school, the reward can be a healthy snack.  Incentivize your child by using a timer.  Time your child on the completion of the obstacle course and reward him with his pre-selected prize if he beats his previous record.

Guaranteed, you will have a well organized child who will have about 2-3 hours of good regulation! This should have his engine running right where it needs to be to tackle school work or homework.

Have fun!

To learn more about Tiffani Lawton, please visit her website, OUR Journey THRU Autism.