Body Awareness and Proprioceptive Sensory Box

Judy Benz Duncan, Occupational Therapist

We are constantly receiving, and then processing, a variety of information from all around us, as well as information from inside our bodies. Your sense of body awareness is also known as your proprioceptive sense.

It is this proprioceptive sense that tells your body how your body and limbs are moving, where they are when you are walking, climbing, or sitting, and where your hands or feet are when you are not looking at them. This sense also lets you know how much force is needed in order to lift, squeeze, throw, push things, how far to reach for an item and still keep your balance, or how far to lift your feet to walk up steps or step over an obstacle.

Having a Body Awareness and Proprioceptive Sensory Box with you at home, or while on-the-go can give your child opportunities to work on and develop these sensory developmental skills.

Sensory Boxes can be kept in a shoe-box, a plastic container with lid, a tackle box, a lunch box, and so on. You can mark each type of box with the child’s name, type of box, place a photo of the child on or in the box if you so choose, or let the child decorate their sensory box.

If your child withdraws or becomes overwhelmed with any of the activities or media presented, move on to something else!

Your child may only tolerate one or a few of the ideas suggested – remember it’s trial and error and giving your child some control over what they will work with will help in preventing sensory overload.

Items that can be included in a Body Awareness and Proprioceptive Sensory Box include:

• Weighted items (lap blanket, weighted stuffed toys, soft hand or ankle weights)

• Compression vest or clothing

• Lycra body sock / sensory bag

• Chewy toys / “chew jewelry” / kid-safe chewable items – there are hundreds of items available on line

• Squeeze balls / stress balls / racquet balls

• Stretchy toys (be sure they are kid-safe!)

• Small rubbery bounce pads / wiggle pads

• Weighted bean bags (to toss and catch)

• Weighted soft balls (Thera-ball or exercise balls – there are a variety of “medicine balls” that are easy to hold in 1 or 2 hands)

• Electric toothbrush if they will tolerate, or

• Non-vibrating tooth cleaning items for deep pressure and sensory stim in the mouth, chewy tubes, pediatric safe oral motor stim tools, pediatric gum massagers

• Massager (manual or electric/battery operated) – small massagers may be less intimidating and more easily accepted

• Soft body friendly sponges, loofas, soft flannel pieces of fabric (for body rubs, holding, use during deep pressure activities, massages)

• Soft blanket for rolling up in, hiding under, wrapping up in; provide deep pressure and massage through the blanket

• Bubble wrap (to squeeze, walk on, pop – vary the size of the bubble wrap to allow experience with different types of pressure and force needed to “pop” the bubbles with their hands, or feet); encourage walking on bare foot

• Bag of feathers, textures fabrics, etc., to feel, walk on bare foot, rub on their bodies

• Paint brushes and sensory brushes – rub on their body if tolerated and have them tell you where you are touching them for body part identification and self-awareness; can do with their eyes closed if they will tolerate

• Bubble solution – have them blow (or you blow) and then have them try to “clap” or “kick” the bubbles to break them, or have them “blow” or “wave” the bubbles to try and keep them in the air

• Therapy type putty which will not dry out – use on non-fabric surfaces as this type of putty will sink into fabric and probably will not come out ever

• Sheet of carbon-type paper and pens/pencils – for drawing or marking – they will need to push harder on the paper in order to get the design to come out on the carbon paper underneath; If they tend to press too hard, then work so that no marks are left on the carbon paper!

• Picture books and story books showing kids in action (running, jumping, sitting, reaching, playing) and have your child try to demonstrate what they are looking at

• Rubber discs or small carpet squares to work on walking tip-toe, or walking in hands-and-feet, in a straight line or curved pattern across the floor

• Body awareness cards (purchased or you can make) where you show the picture or read off which body part your child needs to point to (head to toe)

• What other items would your child love to have in their own body awareness and proprioceptive sensory box?

For other types of Sensory Boxes you may wish to make for your child, just Click & Go on this link!

Please share with credit to TheraPlay4Kids.com

Thank you for your support!