Jornal of Practice: Sensorimotor Activities by Emily Keener

Sensorimotor Activities that could help students with balance and coordination.

ekeener3_1 — 2025-04-30 23:52:12 UTC

Stepping Stones

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:01:30 UTC

Stepping Stones are a great way to support your students with sensorimotor balance issues. These come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Prices vary between $15 and $50, depending on how many come in a pack and the quality. How stepping stones should be used is to enhance balancing skills and integrate a sensory activity into your classroom. It should be used to help support balance and coordination issues with students. When you should use it depends on the class, but a great example would be when a student finishes a work assignment, they can spend some time using the stepping stones. Why this is a wonderful resource and activity is it can be used in various ways and is an easy and engaging way for students to work on balance sensorimotor issues.

Small Trampoline

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:10:06 UTC

Small Trampolines can be a wonderful resource for students who need that sensorimotor balance and coordination. These small trampolines can be used during instruction or after students' complete schoolwork. Also, to have the student work on balance, jumping, standing on one foot, squatting, etc. When is the best time to use these is during instruction or after a child completes schoolwork. Having dedicated time each day or a few days a week to practice on the trampoline. Why this is such a great resource is that you can do a lot with it, and it is a great way for students to practice and grow in their balance, coordination, control, and muscle strengthening. Prices vary between $50 and $200.

Balloon Toss

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:17:29 UTC

An Activity that could help support students who need balance and coordination support could be balloon toss. This is a simple activity that is affordable and engaging. This activity can be done simply by tossing a balloon or balloons in the air and having students catch and toss the balloon back. When this could be done is after schoolwork, or during free time/center time. It can include just one-on-one, small group, or whole group. Why this activity could be impactful is that it encourages coordination and balance. Also, hand-eye coordination, following the balloon in the air, and making sure you catch it. This could support your students in a fun and engaging way. Prices vary between $0.50 and $5.

Balancing Boards

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:34:51 UTC

Balancing Boards come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Why is this resource great for sensorimotor balancing and coordination? It allows for growth in balancing and coordination. It also comes in different ways, so the balancing board can be harder or easier for each student and their needs. When you could use this resource is during instruction or after schoolwork. Having dedicated time for the student to practice with the balancing board. How you can use this is to create mini activities or goals, for example: stay balanced for 30 seconds. It could also be used as a tool for a student to focus as well. Prices vary between $30 and $200.

Sensorimotor Activities that help with auditory needs in students.

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:40:58 UTC

Noise-canceling Headphones

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 00:50:59 UTC

Noise-canceling headphones can come in various colors, sizes, and adaptations. Why this is a great resource for students with auditory issues is that it can help cancel out that extra noise that bothers and keeps students unfocused. When can this be used is during work time, reading time, centers, and other individual or small group work time. How you can use noise-canceling headphones by having the student put them on throughout the day to keep their focus, reduce the auditory disturbances they may experience, and allow your student to feel comfortable in the classroom. Prices vary between $20 and $100.

Telephone or Other Listening Games

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:04:35 UTC

Telephone, the game where you whisper into each other's ears a word or sentence, and the last person says what they heard. Why this activity could be beneficial to students with sensorimotor auditory deficiencies is that it is a game where you need to focus and listen, but also at a low volume. This can help the students become more comfortable with listening games in a quieter environment. You could use this activity in your spare time. You can use this activity to do it in small groups or in class. It is a way to include all students while helping your student with auditory issues.

Tennis Balls on Chairs

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:14:37 UTC

Tennis balls on chairs may seem like a silly thing to do, but it is a great resource to help children in the class with auditory issues. Why this is a great resource is that it is an easy way to keep your classroom a little quieter. Seats in the classroom can be loud and screechy, which could easily trigger a student. How you can do this is adding tennis ball slits or buying pre-split tennis balls and ending it to the legs of the seats. You can do this anytime during the year, but as soon as possible, the better. Prices vary between $10 and $100, depending on how many you need.

Olfactory sensorimotor Activities and Resources

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:22:49 UTC

Olfactory disorder impacts the sense of smell.

Guess the Scent Activity

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:35:43 UTC

This activity is done using bottles or cotton balls with different scents and allowing a child to try and guess the scent. Why this is a great activity for students with olfactory issues is that it allows them to try scents one at a time and not multiple scents at once. This allows them to become more comfortable with different smells. This activity could take place at is anytime, but it would be more beneficial at the beginning of the year.

Smelling Scents/Essential Oils

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:42:09 UTC

Having different scents in your classroom could be very beneficial for students with olfactory deficits. Why this is a great resource to have in your classroom is that certain scents can create a calming environment for students. How this can be used is finding which scents help a student calm down, relax, focus, etc. When this could be introduced is anytime your student needs it. Prices vary.

Feelings and Smells

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:47:34 UTC

An activity you could use is where a students explain what smells trigger which emotions or feelings. How this is an effective activity is that it can relate smells to a student's emotions, so you and the child can understand which smells trigger negative emotions and which smells trigger positive emotions or even memories. How this could be done is by sitting down with the child as introducing smells, or just describing different smells. You can do this activity whenever, but it would be more beneficial at the beginning of the year.

Scented Marker

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 01:55:32 UTC

Scented Markers are a great resource for olfactory disorders. Why this is a wonderful resource is that it allows students to become more comfortable and used to scents while coloring/drawing. For students who need more smells, this also benefits them. How you can implement these is simply by trying one or two at a time and slowly implementing more as the student gets comfortable. When you can use these is anytime, but especially during writing or creative art time. Prices vary between $5 and $100.

Visual Sensorimotor Activities and Resources

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:04:40 UTC

Students may also have issues with visual sensory as well.

Puzzles

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:10:14 UTC

Puzzles are a great way to help students with visual sensory disorders. Why this is effective is that it allows the student to practice putting together pictures using only visuals. How you can do this is starting with simple, very simple puzzles and slowly adding more pieces. Give students guidance and demonstrations as well. When you can do these activities is during free time or small group time. Prices will vary.

Classroom Light Cover

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:15:56 UTC

Light covers are an easy way to dim your classroom lights for students with visual sensory issues. How is this effective for students? It dims the bright and harsh overhead lights in your classroom to give students with visual issues a comfortable environment if they are sensitive to bright lighting. This can be done, is by buying tarps or light covers that are made for this resource. When you can implement this is anytime, but the best result if implement at the beginning of the year. Prices vary between $20 and $50.

I Spy

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:21:33 UTC

I Spy is a simple activity you can do in the classroom to help support your students with visual disorders. How this activity works and is effective is that it has students point out a color they have seen in their environment, and the other person has to guess the object that correlates to the color they said in their environment. This is effective because it allows students to effectively visually choose objects in their surroundings based on color and also helps them try to guess objects. How this can be implemented is a demonstration and used in small group or whole group scenarios. When to implement would be anytime in the school year or school day.

Sorting Objects by Colors

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:28:47 UTC

Why sorting by coloring is a great activity for students with visual disorders is that it allows them to visualize the colors in the different objects and how they are similar. How this can be done is up to the person; there are endless ways to accomplish this for the students. You can have students sort by various objects and colors to improve their visualization of objects in their environment. When can this be implemented is also any spare time in the classroom day. It can be a short activity or a long one.

Tactile Sensorimotor Activities and Resources

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:30:38 UTC

Sensory Bins

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:39:33 UTC

Sensory bins can be a great addition to classrooms for students with tactile disorders. Why sensory bins are so effective is that they include various types of different textures, colors, and objects that are calming for students with tactile disorders. How this can be implemented is in multiple ways, using themes being learning in class, and other instructions being taught. When can this be implemented at any time during the year and create time for students to use sensory bins. Prices will vary.

Link to YouTube video on sensory bin examples and affordable options

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:42:02 UTC

Fidget Toys

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 02:49:13 UTC

Fidget toys come in a variety of different shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. How these resources are so effective for students with tactile sensory disorders is that they allow them to focus on one object and play with the different textures. This can be implemented by having a bin of different fidgets available for those students. When you can implement these is up to the educator, whether some students are allowed to use them all the time or only certain times throughout the day. Prices will vary between $5 and $50.

Weighted Vest

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 03:09:14 UTC

Weighted vests are great for students who need deep pressure and touch constantly. Why weighted vests are so effective for students with tactile disorders is that they allow them to have consistent pressure. This can be implemented is by allowing your students to try a weighted vest and see how they enjoy them. These can be worn is any time. Prices vary between $50 and $200.

Deep Pressure Squeeze Machine

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 03:21:38 UTC

A deep pressure machine is so effective for students with tactile disorders because it is a fun way for them to receive deep pressure. This can be implemented through trials with the machine and determining if it helps the child relax and focus. This can be implemented at is anytime during the school day, or when the student is stressed and needs pressure to regulate. Prices vary around $500.

Finger Painting

ekeener3_1 — 2025-05-01 03:33:40 UTC

How is finger painting effective for students with tactile disorder? Finger painting is an easy way for students to feel the paint and use their hands and fingers to create something. This can be implemented by doing a whole-group or small-group activity with the class. When you can implement this activity is anytime, you can make time for it throughout the day or allow time for students to do the activity as a break.