https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3 Made with great vibes! en-us 2019-03-19 02:54:15 UTC 2025-12-14 23:45:13 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Send.png abrenne2 https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/342679709 Water Beads:
You can buy these at the local drug store, or get them on Amazon for great prices.
Why: Smooth, squishy and great for a child's sensory need. Very soothing and satisfying
When: Awesome for students to play with in their free time once they finish up their work.
How: The link I attached shows many different ways these can be used. I also saw a student spell words using these on his own. These could be used in a formal lesson to help a student enjoy spelling.
Experience: My teacher has these out in her classroom and the kids absolutely love them. Every chance they get there is always a student playing with them.

Kinetic Sand:
You can buy a set of kinetic sand at Walmart for $14.72. There are also lots of different places online where you can order this.
Why: The feeling of the sand running through your hands makes for a great tactile experience. You can move, mold, bend and cut it; there is so many differnt ways you can use it.
How: Aside from using your hands to play with it there is also all sorts of tools that make it good to play with as well.
Experience: We had this at my house when I was younger and I always loved playing with it or even just letting it run through my hands as I was walking by. It is also in my field classroom, and much like the water beads it is a huge hit with the students.

Play-doh:
A 60 pack of Play-Doh can be found at Walmart for $19.99. A 20 pack is at Target for $14.99
There is also recipes for making play dough if you don't want to buy it from the store. Making it homemade gives the play dough a differnet texture.
Why: Play-doh is a fantastic for sensory needs because it is squishy, and forms any way a child wants.
How: There are tons of ways Play-doh can be used, much like the other two examples. Not only can it be used for sensory, it can be used for coordination skills development, and fine motor development too.
Experience: It seems like everyone grew up with play dough in their house. I always loved playing with it growing up because the possibilities are endless. Being on the educating side of it now I see why this can be so good for students. Although it is not used as much as the water beads or sand, students still love when they get a chance to get out the Play-doh.

Slime:
Slime is typically homemade.
How: You could make this in the class. It would be a fun activity for the students to do to show them how water is absorbed.
Why: Kids love playing with slime. The texture is very different than anything else they really touch, and they love forming it into different shapes too.
Experience: In the classroom I'm in there are two containers of slime. It is always being used by the students and even by the teacher sometimes.

Beads:
You can buy a huge box of these on Amazon for a $17.30.
Why: Great for sensory and fine motor. Not only are these good for a student to dip their hand in and mix the beads all around for great tactile touch, they can also work on their fine motor. Either picking the beads up using just their fingers or putting the beads on a string are great for fine motor.
Experience: The OT and PT who came into our night class showed us how these are used when testing a student. They are tested on stringing the beads and picking them up with just their fingers.

Stress Balls:
There are all sorts of different types of stress balls. On this site you can get different stress balls for about $15 per dozen. 
How and Why: When a kid gets anxious squeezing these can help release their tension for the moment. These can also be a fun thing for students to use to take their mind off something they're stressed about. 
Experience: There are tons of different kinds of these I have seen in the classroom I am in field at. One example is a baseball bat and a ball. One of my students was stressing over a doctor appointment he had later in the day and using the stress balls he became a lot more relaxed and laid back about the appointment. It seemed to take his mind off his worries. ]]> 2019-03-19 03:05:44 UTC https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/342679709 abrenne2 https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343130200 Red Solo Cups:
You can get these at just about any store. They always have them at Walmart, Dollar General or the local drug mart (or online).
Why: Behavior kids love to stack them up and crash them down. It allows them to get out some aggression and energy.
Pros: They are easy to find, cheap to buy and some students love them.
Cons: There is not a lot else these can be used for.

Handle Bouncing Balls: (Video Link)
These are not the cheapest thing to buy but they are very manageable. They can be found for $10 at Walmart.
Why: These are great for super energetic kids who act out in class. For kids who bounce of the walls, they are able to bounce on these balls and exhaust some energy.
How: These balls can be used to bounce on AND make for great seats when a student is doing work. It forces them to have to keep their balance and move around as they work.
Experience: There are three of these in my field classroom. One student specifically comes down to my room every day to bounce on the ball for five minutes. Other students bounce on these periodically when they feel like they have extra energy they want to get out.

Punching Bag:
I found one of these for $30 on ExpressGoogle online.
Experience: This is the same punching bag that is in my field classroom. I have noticed that certain kids love to use this and others don't bother using it. For the students who do use it, they seem to love punching the bag, and it takes a great amount of energy out of them too.
Cons: The only downside is you need a good amount of space so no other kids can get hit by it if they are walking by.]]> 2019-03-20 00:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343130200 abrenne2 https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343135849 Earmuffs/headphones:
You can pretty much buy these anywhere online. The price range is typically between $15 and $20. There are also more very expensive ones you could get that are around $60 or $70. 
Why: If a student is sensitive to any sound, they can wear these as they work to muffle out the sound around them. Students who are easily distracted can also wear these to help them tune out distractions and other students talking around them. 

Music: 
Free. You can look up music on Youtube, or Spotify/Pandora/Apple Music.
Why: Some students work best when they have some sort of background noise, especially a type of music they enjoy.
Experience: There is a student who was in my class who really loved Harry Potter. He could not manage to focus in on any of his work that he was being asked to do. So, my mentor teacher turned the Harry Potter soundtrack on for this student to have as background noise as he worked. The student got right to work and finished his work without problems when having that kind of music playing.]]> 2019-03-20 01:13:50 UTC https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343135849 abrenne2 https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343139858 Wobble Board: (Video Link)
These can be pretty expensive. Wooden ones can be around $70 on Amazon. However, there are cheaper options. Plastic wobble boards can be found at Target for about $35-$40.
Why: These boards are great to practice balance if a student struggles with their balance.
How: In the video link above there is a video that shows tons of different ways a wobble board can be used.
This is a great advantage to a wobble board, is that there are so many different activities you can do with it.

Heel to Toe Walks: (Video Link)
The great thing about this activity is it takes no resources except a student and a teacher to help guide them. You could potentially use a line of tape, and although this would be helpful, it is not absolutely necessary. 
How: The student walks forward following the line touching their heel to their toe as they walk. They do the same thing backwards.
Experience: With the PT and OT who came in we did these heel to toe walks backwards. They were not the easiest thing to do and it does take a great amount of balance to master. This is a very beneficial activity in my eyes.

Balance on Both Feet:
This is another easy activity to do with your student who may struggle with balance.
The first part is standing on both feet keeping their feet together. Be sure their anklebones are touching. Next, they will fold their arms across their chest. After this they should shut their eyes.
It is okay for them to sway a little bit but try to stay balanced and upright as long as possible. This would be great for the student's balance, and with a lot of practice they will become more coordinated as well.

Balance on One Foot:
This one can be a little more challenging than the first.
Stand on one foot in a doorway so that the student can catch themselves if they begin to fall. After they start to be successful at standing on one foot, have them shut their eyes.

Balance on the Ball of Foot (tip toes):
Standing on one foot with their hands on their hips, they should place the foot they are not standing on against the inside of the leg they are standing on. They should then raise their heel off the floor and hold the pose for as long as they can.
This activity is advanced and will be very difficult for a student, especially one who has vestibular issues.

Exercise Ball:
Exercise balls can be bought online for around $30. There are many different kinds of balls you could get but this is your typical non-weighted ball.
Why: If a student struggles with balance a lot of times that is because they have a weak core. Sitting in the exercise ball while they do their work, or just during their free time will help them a ton with their balance and core strength.
Experience: I have done work sitting on an exercise all before and it was a very good experience. One of the biggest things I noticed is how sitting on one of these balls doesn't let me sit in a position with poor posture. Also, because I have to sit with good posture and balance to sit, it helps me focus in much better than when I sit in a regular chair.  ]]> 2019-03-20 01:31:01 UTC https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343139858 abrenne2 https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343149604 Squeeze Machine: (Video Link)
These are very expensive. They can be found online for $550.
Why: This pressure that kids experience when going through the roller has a calming effect. Although some students may feel super claustrophobic from this kind of pressure, it is very beneficial for other students. Some students have a stronger need for deep touch stimulation.

Steamroller Slide:
These can be bought online for about $320 for just the platform alone (prices for the whole thing can get up to $900). These were a lot more expensive than I would have thought.
Why: These are awesome for kids who need to use energy, and have a need for a different kind of tactile sensation. The student also has to be able to climb a ladder to get up to roll down the ramp.
Experience: This is probably my favorite thing in the sensory room we have in Schar. I could definitely see a kid wanting to go up and down this thing all day. If they weren't so expensive this would be something that would be awesome for every school to have.

Weighted Blanket:
These can be found at Bed Bath and Beyond for around $100 for adult sizes. Kids sizes cost around $30 on Amazon.
Why: For much of the same reasons as the squeeze machine, these blankets are great for students who have a stronger need for deep touch stimulation. 
Experience: My dad has a weighted blanket and loves the kind of pressure it puts on him as he lays down and relaxes. I have not had the opportunity to use them myself but hearing the positive things my dad says about the blanket I believe that this would be a great thing for students who have the need for a sort of pressure. ]]> 2019-03-20 02:16:16 UTC https://padlet.com/abrenne2/q5m2o0ym3ot3/wish/343149604