Yesterday morning we ditched our schoolwork and attended a playgroup set up by a Mom I know in recognition of Sensory Awareness Month. It was held at a local non-profit community center in Middletown, CT, and S brought in a bunch of equipment and activities and suggestions for keeping the group of kiddos engaged with sensory-rich stimuli. Even though the day was geared towards a younger set of kids, my two had a great time and are eager to attend similar playdates in the future. (S is hoping to set them up regularly).
One popular activity (although not with Zoo Boy -- he took one look and said "I'm out of here!", retreating to the play room) was sculpting/drawing/playing with shaving cream. S also set out a bowl of cooked spaghetti (sans the sauce) for the kids to play around with. Both substances provide a unique tactile experience for them.
J works on making a shaving-cream clock. He only got one finger in the cream, but unlike Zoo Boy, he was eager to jump in and give it a try anyway. Both of my boys are what is referred to as "Sensory Defensive" -- they have sensitivities to noise, odd textures, intense lighting, etc, and try to avoid these situations. J has come a long way in overcoming some of his sensory problems, thanks to years of formal Sensory Integration Therapy and the wonderful sensory-supportive activities in the
Enki Education curriculum. Zoo Boy's still working on a lot of his issues.
Some kids' sensory issues are referred to as "Sensory Seeking", which means that they are under-stimulated by the very things my kids are over-stimulated by, and hence seek out sensory-rich activities (like spinning, crashing, rubbing up against various textures, desiring LOUD noises, etc). Amazingly, the treatment for both of these extremes is pretty much the same, because you're looking to find that common ground where the normal amount of stimulation that occurs in the world is just right for the kids' sensory systems. So bringing the children to that place where they feel centered and balanced is the goal for both types of Sensory Dysregulation.
My kids even found a few minutes to relax and read (while the other kids were trashing the kitchen with shaving cream). For the most part, though, they were engaged with the activities and other kids for the entire two hours. It's a nice space to hold this sort of thing, and we're looking forward to sharing some of our equipment next time we get together!
Yesterday morning we ditched our schoolwork and attended a playgroup set up by a Mom I know in recognition of Sensory Awareness Month. It was held at a local non-profit community center in Middletown, CT, and S brought in a bunch of equipment and activities and suggestions for keeping the group of kiddos engaged with sensory-rich stimuli. Even though the day was geared towards a younger set of kids, my two had a great time and are eager to attend similar playdates in the future. (S is hoping to set them up regularly).
One popular activity (although not with Zoo Boy -- he took one look and said "I'm out of here!", retreating to the play room) was sculpting/drawing/playing with shaving cream. S also set out a bowl of cooked spaghetti (sans the sauce) for the kids to play around with. Both substances provide a unique tactile experience for them.
J works on making a shaving-cream clock. He only got one finger in the cream, but unlike Zoo Boy, he was eager to jump in and give it a try anyway. Both of my boys are what is referred to as "Sensory Defensive" -- they have sensitivities to noise, odd textures, intense lighting, etc, and try to avoid these situations. J has come a long way in overcoming some of his sensory problems, thanks to years of formal Sensory Integration Therapy and the wonderful sensory-supportive activities in the Enki Education curriculum. Zoo Boy's still working on a lot of his issues.
Some kids' sensory issues are referred to as "Sensory Seeking", which means that they are under-stimulated by the very things my kids are over-stimulated by, and hence seek out sensory-rich activities (like spinning, crashing, rubbing up against various textures, desiring LOUD noises, etc). Amazingly, the treatment for both of these extremes is pretty much the same, because you're looking to find that common ground where the normal amount of stimulation that occurs in the world is just right for the kids' sensory systems. So bringing the children to that place where they feel centered and balanced is the goal for both types of Sensory Dysregulation.
My kids even found a few minutes to relax and read (while the other kids were trashing the kitchen with shaving cream). For the most part, though, they were engaged with the activities and other kids for the entire two hours. It's a nice space to hold this sort of thing, and we're looking forward to sharing some of our equipment next time we get together!
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