We hear and read a lot about sensory bins and tubs, but I've always been one for expanding the sensory bin repertoire, so to speak. After all, bean tables have been done!
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So, when I think of sensory activities for Jack, I usually like to think of multiple skills at once. What will get me the most bang for my buck, so to speak? For us, feeding is almost always at the forefront of the skills we're working on at any given point. Not that socialization, speech, sensory, motor and cognitive skills aren't important, but a kid's gotta eat...right?
Lately, I've loved food-based sensory activities, which was why an idea hit me the other night while making a little snack. Rather than a bean, rice, or corn table, why not present a bowl of popcorn as a sensory activity?
Now, before we go any further, I should warn you that you probably don't want to do a popcorn sensory activity with children younger than 3 and that children should be closely supervised due to choking hazards (always on my mind with my swallowing disorder kiddo).
Okay...so back to set up. It's easy! Pop popcorn. Get bowl. Enjoy!
Now, what's so great about popcorn, you say? Well, for starters, it is edible, it has an interesting texture and smell...both of which can be explored in sensory play. Also, it's relatively mess-free, making it a good rainy day/indoor activity.
For kids with feeding issues, digging their hands through a bowl of popcorn with no pressure to eat is a good way for them to explore a food without the fear associated with forcing a bite on them.
So, how did we approach this activity? With Jack, had I put the bowl in front of him, it would have caused him to panic, so we started with the bowl in front of me. I offered him a piece, to which he predictably screamed. So, I gave him an alternative...he could feed Mommy, he could touch or look at the popcorn, or we could put it away. Lately, he's liked using us as his own personal garbage disposals, so he was happy to feed me. He soon realized that he had to reach very far to get a piece from the bowl, so I slid the bowl in his direction. He actually pulled it towards himself. At times, he'd just hold a piece in his hand. I invited him to smell the popcorn and I would comment for him, "Popcorn smells buttery." I invited him to kiss the popcorn, seeing that as the popcorn left his lips, he would purse his lips together, giving him both the taste and texture of the buttery salt. I would comment, "Popcorn tastes like butter. Popcorn tastes like salt."
(You may wonder why I comment so much, but it's because we're still working on basic vocabulary. I try to give Jack the words he doesn't have to help him tell others about his world.)
And so we went for a very long time. I didn't plan well and got too small of a bowl which Mason didn't mind at all, since Jack kept knocking popcorn down to the floor.
While he didn't eat a single piece and I ate more than I really wanted, Jack's comfort with the popcorn continued to rise. After all, that's the goal. Eating it will come, but comfort must come first.
As the activity progressed, I brainstormed some other ideas that I could make for a good edible sensory "tub". Remember that kids with serious tactile issues - like Jack - won't appreciate the more messy, sticky, gooey activities.
Ideas for tactile-defensive kids...
- Marshmallows (varying sizes and colors would be awesome, I could even see throwing Peeps in there if it's that time of year)
- Dry Cereal (single-flavor or mixtures, things like Lucky Charms or Boo Berry might be cute for St. Patrick's Day or Halloween, respectively)
If you want to try pushing your tactile-defensive kiddo...
- Frozen grapes (if they are old enough and have good enough chewing and swallowing skills)
- Gummy candies (gummy bears, worms, or even a mixture, could also mix sour gummies in, particularly for kids with low oral awareness)
- Cooked spaghetti or pasta (can even dye the water with food coloring for a cooler-looking noodle)
And for tactile loving kids...
- Pudding (maybe on a cookie sheet, could mix in food coloring for a "painting" experience and give clean, new brushes to tactile-defensive kids so they can participate)
- Cool Whip/Whipped Cream and Berries (hide the berries in a mound of Cool Whip for your kids to find)
And that's just what I could come up with in that moment, but the possibilities are endless! Just remember that the goal should be for your child to explore, not necessarily eat. If eating happens, bonus! If not, remember that becoming comfortable with a food is the goal here.
If you're the type that cringes at your child playing with their food, I implore you...please don't! When kids have feeding issues, the goal initially is comfort with eating and diet expansion, not table manners. Those can come later. If you are really concerned about playing with food, set up sensory food play in a location other than your primary eating space, like outside at a plastic children's table (would be better anyway, that way you can just hose messy kids and the table down).
Enjoy playing with your food and get in there with your kids! That's what counts in this exercise...fun!