When it comes to planning holiday parties or even everyday activities for autistic kids, there’s a tendency to look for sensory friendly activities. This holds true when you’re planning a sensory friendly birthday party or just looking for an afterschool or school break activity. I want to start sharing some of my favorites with you and we’ll begin with sensory friendly Valentine’s Day activities.
What is a sensory friendly activity?
So you may be wondering just what makes a sensory friendly activity sensory friendly. Well, while I can’t say for certain; I look for the following qualities. It needs to be an activity that involves the senses.
- Sight
- Touch
- Taste (sometimes!)
- Smell
- Sound
For autistic kids, some sensory activities may be preferred over others. For example, a sensory seeker may search out the tactile/touch but avoid the smell or sound.
My autistic daughter LOVES sensory bins. Anything with beans or rice, especially. But, because of her high risk for PICA, she has to be monitored closely when it comes to any sort of hands-on sensory activity.
I’ll be honest with you- I’m not a huge fan of slime. Nope.
Too much tactile for me.
I love playdough though as I find it to be quite the stress reliever.
Sensory jars? Beautiful.
But, actually putting my hands in stuff? Not so much. Or at least not anymore. When I was younger, yes. As an adult? I’ll pass.
Valentine’s Day themed Sensory Bottles & Bins
- Valentine Sensory Bin from Fantastic Fun and Learning
- Valentine Themed Sensory Bottle from Teaching Mama
- Valentine Sensory Tub
- Glitter Glue Valentine’s Sensory Bin from Little Bin for Little Hands
- Valentine’s Sensory Bin from Simple Fun for Kids
- Valentine’s Sensory Tub from The Imagination Tree
- Simple Valentine’s Sensory Bin from The Chaos and the Clutter
- Find the Hearts Valentine Sensory Bin from Gift of Curiosity
- Valentine’s Activity Bin from Happy Hooligans
- Valentine’s Pasta Sensory Bin from Life Over C’s
- Valentine’s Treasure Dig from Living, Life, and Learning
- Valentine’s Preschool Activities Sensory Bin from 3 Boys and a Dog
- Pretty Pink Sensory Bin from Life Over C’s
- Sweet Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin from Living Montessori Now
- Falling Hearts Sensory Bottle from Rhythm’s of Play
- Red Hot Slime for Valentine’s Day from Lemon Lime Adventures
- Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin with Chickpeas from And Next Comes L
- Valentine’s Ice Hearts from PreK Pages
- Valentine’s Day Sensory Board from Mama Smiles (I love this idea!)
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Hearts Sensory Play from Simple Fun for Kids
- Love Potion Chemistry Experiment from Parenting Chaos
- Valentine’s Slime Play from Little Bins for Little Hands
Looking for more sensory friendly activities for autistic kids? I’m making it a goal to bring you a new list every week!
Kori
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