Self-Regulation and Sensory Diet Activities for a Sensory Seeker

A “sensory seeker” is someone who has a high threshold for sensory input and is actively seeking out sensory experiences throughout the day.  They seek out input to meet their needs or fill up their “sensory bucket”. When “seekers” don’t get enough input, they have a hard time focusing and participating in activities or tasks, regulating emotions, and regulating their bodies.

How Can We Help?   

Provide them with specific activities to build self-regulation.

Therapists at our pediatric clinic in Redwood City, California, like to use this  4 step process in a sensory diet in order to get some good input! We advise doing activities for 7-10 minutes for maximal effect 2-3 times in your day.

1. 1. Organized Movement
   When activities have a clear start and stop and visual boundaries they help kids organize their body keep their brain engaged in a sequence.  For example:  stepping over cones, jumping in a sequence, walking across a balance beam and tossing a ring onto a cone.
   

2. 2. Rhythmic Movement  
   Moving to a rhythm helps regulate your body and your emotions. A predictable beat organizes our body.  Try activities like bouncing on a ball, rolling forward and backward on your tummy over a ball, pumping on a swing, rocking side to side on a balance board, and moving to a musical beat.
   

3. 3. Heavy Work Activities 
   Heavy work, also known as proprioceptive input, is a term used by occupational therapy professionals to describe activities that involve pushing, pulling, or carrying heavy objects or moving your body against resistance. These activities can help children regulate and organize their bodies.  These are some heavy work activities: jumping down, pushing a box full of books while on knees, crawling through a tunnel, playing tug of war with a rope, hanging on the monkey bars, and wheelbarrow walk. 
   

4. 4. Breathwork Activity 
   Breathing techniques can help children calm their minds and bodies, and reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, or frustration. Slow, deep breaths can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which can lower heart rate and blood pressure.  Breathwork activities include:  yoga breathing, blowing bubbles through a wand, blowing through a straw to move a puff, blowing paint through a straw, and blowing through a large straw in a bucket of soap and water to make a “bubble mountain”.

   

If you want more info on how to build skills for a sensory seeker, take advantage of our pediatric therapy services in California or see our blog: https://www.developmentalpathways.com/sensory-seekers.