30+ Sensory Diet Activities for Every Sense!
Updated: Nov 29, 2022
Once you understand a child's sensory profile (use this guide to get a free PDF checklist), you can start to create a sensory diet. These are a carefully selected set of sensory activities that meet an individual's needs, i.e. their seeking and avoiding behaviours. Sensory diets allow children to engage in things that they like whilst also helping them gradually approach their sensory challenges whilst also giving you tips on things to avoid. Here are some activities for both seeking and avoiding profiles for each sense.
Auditory
Sound is probably one of most common sensitivities, especially in children with autism.
Auditory Seeking
Offer toys that produce lots of sounds - shakers, drums, echo microphones, musical toys
Use songs to teach concepts - ABC's, numbers, colours etc
Play music in the background whilst working
Read books aloud
Auditory Avoiding
Keep a quiet environment - consider group sizes, seating plans etc to minimise auditory input which may be stressful.
Give advanced warnings about loud environments where possible
Consider using ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones
Put a warning sticker or sticky note over automatic hand driers or toilet flushers in bathrooms to avoid sudden noise
Visual
Sound is probably one of most common sensitivities, especially in children with autism.
Visual Seeking
Offer lots of opportunities for visual stimulation
Use toys or items with lots of changing colours, e.g. LED lights
Introduce optical illusions
Use visually stimulating toys like kaleidoscopes, fidget spinners, sensory toys and view finders
Play I-Spy games
Do lots of arts and crafts, e.g. painting, connect the dots, colouring, glitter painting
Visual Avoiding
Keep clutter and mess to a minimum
Keep an environment visually calm - avoid busy displays, bright or mixed colours, lots of photos etc.
Give breaks from visual stimuli when needed
Touch/Tactile
Touch is a difficult sense to understand; that’s because six different types of sensory receptors sense different types of touch. So, you may have mixed responses because your child may be a seeker of some forms of tactile input and an avoider of others. Try different sensory strategies to find what works best.
Tactile Seeking
Engage in play that features whole body tactile input - ball pits, swimming, playing in sensory rooms
Teach new concepts using touch - for example using physical blocks to teach new shapes
Tactile Avoiding
Modify art activities, so there’s less tactile input. For example, provide a rolling pin and tools with play-doh instead of using only their hands, or provide paintbrushes instead of finger painting activities.
Allow children to line up last so that they avoid the potential of bumping into others.
Remove tags from clothing
Chewing on ice before a meal may decrease sensitivity to food textures
List specific textures children don't like and avoid any clothing or materials like those.
Smell and Taste
Smell and taste are grouped because they’re so closely related to each other. They’re both known as “chemical senses” because the sensory receptors receive messages from the molecular particles when they come in contact with them.
Smell/Taste Seeking
Use essential oils or diffusers in the home.
Paint with spices or herbs
Encourage them to get involved with cooking or baking a lot, both in school and at home
Offer foods with an intense flavour, for example sour foods or spicy foods.
Crunchy foods are great - raw carrots/celery/cucumber, crackers, pretzels
Smell/Taste Avoiding
Respect sensitivity to odours - avoid strong perfumes, room sprays, cleaning products
Use mildly scented or unscented cleaners, laundry detergents, hand soaps, etc.
Avoid mixing odors – for example, burning a vanilla-scented candle while also preparing a stir fry with Asian seasonings.
Provide snacks that are soft, or bland, depending on the child’s preferences
Use a sticker chart for trying new foods.
When cooking, use little to no seasoning or spice
Proprioception
Smell and taste are grouped because they’re so closely related to each other. They’re both known as “chemical senses” because the sensory receptors receive messages from the molecular particles when they come in c
Proprioception Seeking
Heavy work games and activities like tug-o-war, pushing and pulling heavy items, gardening
Stretching activities like yoga, pilates, Simon Says
High movement activities like trampolining, gymnastics, swimming etc. Seekers need lots of time to be active including moderate to intense physical activity.
Deep pressure like using weighted blankets, massage and large hugs
Proprioception Avoiding
Both over- and under-responsive children benefit from additional proprioceptive input but respect your child’s preferences. If they ask you to stop an activity, do so right away.
Focus on calming activities rather than active ones - gentle rocking movements, spinning, walking on sensory mats
Deep pressure massage
Allow extra time for learning new movements, teach in a 1:1 environment where they can feel safe.
