Sensory Play

For at home DIY sensory solutions, we installed a swing in my son’s doorway. This way he can tend to some of his sensory needs on his own. The swing makes him very happy.

This was a DIY hack of sorts, as we used a chin up bar and  two extra large mountain climbing hooks to connect swing. Works great and beat the cost of some of those more expensive doorway gyms.

WARNING: All the kids will want to use it. So you may experience some bickering. Also, this was a DIY Hack. If you want to try it, do it at your own risk as this is not the original purpose of the chin up bar.

AT PLAY the DIY SENSORY WAY

You may find that a great deal of sensory tools/toys are so expensive. If you do spend the money on it, there is no knowing if the child will even like it. So I want to share my DIY fixes to some of the sensory tools that are simple and affordable to make. Worth trying because you still save money though you may lose a bit of time in your day, totally worth it.

Locks & Latches Fine Motor Activity Board

This idea came from a sensory board I seen online from SensoryEdge.com. As great as it looks, I just couldn't see myself spending over $100, original price is closer to $200 for this item. So I knew I needed to come up with something that wouldn't break the bank.

Here is my solution.

At the Home Depot I purchase a precut board and had them cut that into half so I would have two perfectly square Peg Boards. I also bought a thin flash light that changes and flashes colors, clips, scrap chains, as well as zip ties. Cost me less then $30.  From there I went to the local His House and bought little items like wheels, door hinge, chain locks, slide lock for about $7. Added some other items I could find at home like sponges, paint roll and colorful bottle tops.

DIY SENSORY BOARD

We still have enough space on the board to add new items like a faucet, chain lock, etc.  This is the first one I made and I think it came out pretty good. The OT liked it so much that I donated the other board to her. The entire thing cost less then $50 and as he masters things, we can switch things out.  He loves it because I placed items I knew he was currently interested in. It's a great way for him to practice his fine motor skills while also satisfying his sensory needs.