Master List of "Heavy Work" Organizing Proprioceptive Input





The following are ideas of activities complied by OT's. The activities may be used at school or at home. 

It's not a sensory diet but contains many practice activities that can be incorporated to either the home or school setting, or both.

Sensory Processing Disorder is when the sensory input received is not processed or organized accurately, resulting in the sensory information being inaccurately interpreted by the person. Leading them to not respond appropriately to the sensory experience.

Likely you've come across the phrase ‘sensory diet’ while reading about sensory processing disorder. You’ve probably figured out a sensory diet is not a food diet, but an activity diet.





A sensory diet consists of performing activities that provide specific types of sensory input to help a child regulate and learn how to process sensory input more effectively.

Sensory diets are unique to the individual and their needs. Because of this, there will be some experimentation along the way to find exactly what works for your child and situation.
  
 It is important to connect with an Occupational Therapist trained in sensory integration so you can learn how to most successfully include a sensory diet in your child’s day. 







Sensory Diet Proprioceptive Activities

- rough and tumble play or play wrestling
- tug of war with rope or fabric
- crawling through tunnels and boxes
- pulling or pushing a cart or wagon
- catching and throwing a weighted ball
- wheelbarrow walking
- scooter board activities
- squishing between pillows
- squeezing stress balls
- joint compressions 
- exercise (push ups, yoga, sit ups)
- rolling out play dough 
- hanging from trapeze
- pulling apart resistant toys or objects
- gross motor activities
(obstacle courses or stretching)






Master List of "Heavy Work" Organizing Proprioceptive Input






1.  "Hot dog" game, where the child lies across the end of a blanket and is rolled (ends up in rolled up blanket)


2.  Carry heavy items (baskets with cardboard blocks, laundry, groceries with Mom, bag for teacher, etc.)


3.  Climbing activities (such as playground equipment)


4.  Swing from a trapeze bar


5.  Tug of war


6.  Push against a wall


7.  Scooter board to and from a designated location (sit and lie on stomach use arms to propel)


8.  Pull a heavy trash can


9.  Mop or sweep the floor and help out Mom


10.  Push and pull boxes with a few books in them


11.  Pillow cases with a few stuffed animals (for weight) and drag and pull them up a ramp, incline or stairs


12.  Place chairs at the desks at the end of the day, or take down at the beginning of the day

13.  Erase and wash the chalkboard


14.  Carry bean bags on head or shoulders and walk across a room, weighted vests, belts, wrist weights. Carry heavy pillow or cushions


15.  Move chairs or equipment across the room


16.  Use theraband or tubing attached to a door and let it snap (supervision required)


17.  Take cushions off of the sofas, vacuum under them and put them back. can also climb on them, hide under, jump in them and play sandwich games with them


18.  Push furniture around the house, room to room, rearrange bedroom furniture


19.  Pull other children around on a sheet or blanket


20.  Push teacher around on a wheeled chair or scooter board


21.  Pull or push someone while they sit on a scooter board holding  HULA HOOP


22.  Roller skate uphill


23.  Pull yourself up a ramp on a scooter board


24.  Walk up a ramp or incline or climbing activities


25.  Yard work, including mowing the lawn, raking grass or leaves, pushing wheelbarrow


26.  House work including vacuuming and mopping, carrying the bucket of water to clean with or water plants


27.  Shovel sand into the wheelbarrow, wheel the wheelbarrow to the spot, dump out sand and rake it flat and smooth


28.  Pull a friend or heavy items in a wagon


29.  Push a friend in a wheelbarrow


30.  Play wrestling, pushing game where two people face each other and hold hands and push (rules, no biting, no hitting, or scratching) when one says stop the game must end right away


31.  Open doors for people


32.  Fill milk crates with books at home or in class back and forth


33.  Chewy candy breaks, this eliminates chewing gum, there are lots of candy that takes longer to chew


34.  Squeeze toy sensory fidgets, ones that do not make noise as that is disturbing to classroom


35.  Chew on fish tank tubing


36.  Milkshake through a thin straw


37.  Help teacher move mats and hang them up, or mommy at home


38.  Sharpen pencils with a manual sharpener


39.  Cut out items for classroom displays


40.  Have student carry books in back pack from class to class or to the office (not too heavy)


41. Isometric exercise breaks 


42.  Suck apple sauce through a straw


43.  Tie therabrand around the front of a chair and have child kick into it


44.  Scrub surfaces with a brush (floor or snow off car) 


45.  Wood projects with sanding and hammering


46.  Wheelbarrow walks, tug of war, log roll races in a smaller group


47.  Work with the librarian to push the book cart at school through library and halls


48.  Chair push ups


49.  Carrying heavy cushions


50.  Falling into bean bag chair or crash mat


51.  Jumping and rolling games


52.  Pillow fights


53.  Slowly roll ball over the child and apply pressure


54.  Bounce on a hippity hop ball


55.  Sandwich games, between bean bag chairs, mattresses, cushions with light pressure on top layer


56.  Play catch with a heavy ball, bounce and roll the heavy ball


57.  Push weighted boxes across the carpet


58.  Animal walks, crab walk, bear walk, army crawl


59.  Playing in sandbox with damp heavier sand


60.  Have the child push chairs into table after meal or at school


61.  Push a cart filled with cans and have child unload cans to a bottom shelf on knees position


62.  Have the child color and draw a rainbow on a large piece of paper on the floor


63.  Have the child play with cars under the table, have them push the car in one hand and weight in the other


64.  Have child put things away, or pass out items in classroom and at home to family members


65.  After a bath squeeze the child and rub them with the towel


66.  Use heavy quilts at night or weighted blankets and tight flannel pj's


67.  Play row row row your boat sitting on the floor rowing against each other


68.  Rice play, koosh balls, water play, Jello play and putty


69.  Two adults swing the child in a sheet


70.  Push lunch cart and carry lunches around to the cafeteria


71.  Staple paper to bulletin boards


72.  Wash table, desks or counter tops


73.  If there is a garden project at school have them dig, or at home too


74.  Play with medicine balls (provided by gym teachers)


75.  Mini trampoline


76.  Run around track at school, at home or at the beach. 


77.  Swimming, have child dive for weighted sticks in the pool


78.  Dancing


79.  Gymnastics


80.  Sports activities involving running and jumping


81.  Bath the dog


82.  Wash the car


83.  Carry the laundry basket


84.  Sweep mop and wash the floors


85.  Stack chairs


86.  Jump or climb in inner tubes


87.  Bounce a big ball up a hill


88.  Fill up big toy trucks with heavy blocks, push with both hands and knock blocks down and over


89.  Fill up child's suitcase and have them push it or pull it around the house


90.  Fill the laundry basket with books and have them pull it around the house


91.  Go grocery shopping with the child's cart and have them tote it around the store


92.  Have the child change sheets on the bed and toss dirty linens down the stairs


93.  Have them push heavier ball across room (weighted large balls can be bought)


94.  Go camping with heavy blanket and 4 chairs and have them set up and take down the blanket


95.  Push square plastic nesting boxes with bean bags and small balls to and from the gym at school


96.  Have them sit in bean bag chairs for reading or doing homework. Changing positions to have consistent pressure input


97.  Push a wheeled therapy stool while someone sits on it


98.  Have kids pull themselves by a long jump rope while the other child is pulling themselves on a scooter board with there legs crossed and off of the floor


99.  Bounce a large ball


100.  Pinch, roll or pull putty, Play with balloon filled with flour


101.  Two children play tug of war with theraband (supervision only so they do not snap each other)


102.  Use bubble pack as part of a obstacle course, child can jump and run on it, They love the noise


103.  Tape a heavy phone book to the bottom of the child's seat, The teacher can have them move the seat to different areas of class for different activities or at home. Push against classroom and home walls











DISCLAIMER: I am not an Occupational Therapist. I am an adult who has Sensory Processing Disorder, a sensory parent and a Grandma. The information on this website is not medical advice and does not replace the information that your child's therapists gives you. These are just ideas and information that I have learned myself over the years of being a parent and an adult living with SPD. If you are concerned for your child, please always seek medical attention through a family doctor, pediatrician or therapist. This website is for suggestions and informational purposes only. Each child is different and what works for one child may not for another because all children have different needs. Please always consult with a professional.

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