Sensory heavy work activities can be very beneficial for children or anyone who is struggling with sensory processing difficulties. Heavy work activities are an important part of a child's sensory diet that is created by your child's Occupational therapist. A sensory diet are scheduled sensory activities for your child each day to keep them regulated.
Sensory heavy work activities are when a child uses their muscles and joints to provide deep pressure and proprioceptive input. This can be quite calming and help your child regulate their nervous system. These activities also improve body awareness and coordination.
Heavy work activities are particularly beneficial for children who have sensory processing disorder, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A sensory diet consists of sensory activities that provide different types of sensory input to help a child regulate and learn how to process sensory input.
There are a lot of different sensory heavy work activities that can be included into a child's daily routine. There are two categories for heavy work activities and that is gross motor activities and fine motor activities. Gross motor activities are when a child uses their large muscles and can include sensory activities like as jumping, climbing, pushing, pulling, and carrying heavy objects.
A child climbing on a playground or a climbing wall are heavy work activities and will provide your child with proprioceptive input to their muscles and joints. Pushing or pulling a cart or wagon with weight can provide deep pressure for your child's muscles and joints.
This can be calming on your child's the nervous system. Carrying heavy things like books or a heavy backpack can provide proprioceptive input to the muscles and joints.
Sensory fine motor activities involve your child's smaller muscles like squeezing or pinching. Some examples of fine motor heavy work activities would be squeezing a stress ball or playdough can provide deep pressure and resistance to the muscles in the hands.
This can help to improve your child's hand strength and dexterity. Opening and closing clothespins can also provide your child with proprioceptive input to the fingers and hands.
Gross motor activities are heavy work activities that include climbing, jumping, carrying, pushing.
Climbing structures, jungle gyms, jumping jacks, jumping on a trampoline, jumping rope, carrying heavy (but safe) objects like laundry baskets, pushing a shopping cart, pulling a wagon or helping parents push heavy furniture.
There are a lot of benefits when participating in heavy work activities. Heavy work helps to organize the nervous system which reduces anxiety and improving focus. This is particularly beneficial for children who have sensory processing differences such as ADHD or autism. Proprioceptive input enhances body awareness for better control and coordination.
The calming effect of heavy work can really improve focus and concentration levels. Many heavy work activities engage core muscles which leads to improved posture and overall physical strength.
Always supervise children and ensure activities are age-appropriate and conducted in a safe environment. Start with shorter durations and gradually increase the intensity and duration of activities. What works for one child may not work for another. Experiment with different activities to find what’s most effective.
Heavy work activities should always be incorporated into a child's sensory diet and routine. An occupational therapist can help to develop a sensory diet that is for your child's sensory needs. They can give you recommendations for which heavy work activities would be most beneficial for your child and their sensory needs.
Heavy work activities should be done at home and at school. When your child is at school, your child's teacher can provide opportunities for heavy work activities during classroom transitions like carrying books, pushing/pulling chairs or climbing stairs. These activities can help to improve focus and attention when your child is in their classroom. When your child is home with you, you can include heavy work activities into chores like bringing in shopping bags, raking leaves, shoveling or helping to take out the trash.
Heavy work activities are an important part of your child's sensory diet and can have so many great benefits for children with sensory processing disorder. Sensory heavy work activities provide your child with the deep pressure they need and proprioceptive input. This can help your child to stay regulated and calm.
Your child's OT will be able to help you with heavy work activity ideas for your child. If you have concerns about your child's sensory processing or self-regulation, consult with your child's occupational therapist for personalized recommendations. Heavy work activities are a powerful tool for improving self-regulation.
Falling into bean bag chair or crash mat
Jumping and rolling games
Pillow fights
Slowly roll ball over the child and apply pressure
Bounce on a hippity hop ball
Sandwich games, between bean bag chairs, mattresses, cushions with light pressure on top layer
Play catch with a heavy ball, bounce and roll the heavy ball
Push weighted boxes across the carpet
Animal walks, crab walk, bear walk, army crawl
Playing in sandbox with damp heavier sand
Have the child push chairs into table after meal or at school
Push a cart filled with cans and have child unload cans to a bottom shelf on knees position
Have the child color and draw a rainbow on a large piece of paper on the floor
Have the child play with cars under the table, have them push the car in one hand and weight in the other
Have child put things away, or pass out items in classroom and at home to family members
After a bath squeeze the child and rub them with the towel
Use heavy quilts at night or weighted blankets and tight flannel pj's
Play row row row your boat sitting on the floor rowing against each other
Rice play, koosh balls, water play, Jello play and putty
Dancing
Gymnastics
Sports activities involving running and jumping
Bath the dog
Wash the car
Carry the laundry basket
Sweep mop and wash the floors
Stack chairs
Wash table, desks or counter tops
If there is a garden project at school have them dig, or at home too
Go grocery shopping with the child's cart and have them tote it around the store
Have the child change sheets on the bed and toss dirty linens down the stairs
Fill up child's suitcase and have them push it or pull it around the house
Two adults swing the child in a sheet
Push lunch cart and carry lunches around to the cafeteria
Staple paper to bulletin boards
themselves on a scooter board with there legs crossed and off of the floor
Go camping with heavy blanket and 4 chairs and have them set up and take down the blanket
Push square plastic nesting boxes with bean bags and small balls to and from the gym at school
Push a wheeled therapy stool while someone sits on it
Have kids pull themselves by a long jump rope while the other child is pulling
Jump or climb in inner tubes
Play with medicine balls (provided by gym teachers)
Mini trampoline
Fill the laundry basket with books and have them pull it around the house
Have them push heavier ball across room (weighted large balls can be bought)
Bounce a big ball up a hill
Fill up big toy trucks with heavy blocks, push with both hands and knock blocks down and over
Run around track at school, at home or at the beach.
Swimming, have child dive for weighted sticks in the pool
Bounce a large ball
