As we realized that we couldn’t keep letting our little guy use the couch as a trampoline or the people who sat on our couch as a jungle gym, I started to look for “appropriate alternative behavior” outlets for when he joined us for movies or family time. I loaded up a small basket with some “noiseless” sensory hand fidgets. This was a special basket I would give to him when we were sitting on the couch together or I needed him to sit still for longer than usual. He could reach in, find things and play with them quietly, then move on to the next item in the basket as he was ready for a change without anyone prompting him. As I found something new or interesting, I would change out some of the items so it was always a surprise what he would pull out. I liked the idea of a small closed/drawstring top basket, so the 5-6 items needed to be hand-held size. They also needed to be special, not things he used all the time. It kept the clutter out of our living room and could easily be stored within reach or taken with us as needed. Each person reacts to different sensory stimuli so there is no need to buy expensive items to put in your basket. Most of our items were already around our house or from the Dollar Store. Here are a few examples:
Hope this gives you some ideas for your own sensory basket. If you found something not on this lost that worked well, please share in the comments below! - Andrea Smit, 5/14/17
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