We as adults usually have a lot more to do at home than just play with the kids.  When we have had enough of playing, it would be good to do something else. Let's remember that we can actually include and involve our children in everything we do. It's not just about spending time together or learning chores, but including children in household chores helps them to develop sensory integration processes. So don't feel bad about burdening your children with chores. Remember that this is beneficial for them in many ways. For us, too, by the way..

 

Sensory integration home activities:

 

-Cooking together - we can involve really young children in this activity, to the best of their abilities of course - the youngest can add, mix, knead, pour, the older can cut, mix. Being in the kitchen means a lot of tactile, olfactory and gustatory sensations, but also proprioceptive ones (kneading, mixing, cutting).

 

-Putting in and taking out clothes from the washing machine is an activity also for children of all ages, which stimulates several senses at once (touch - different textures of clothes, proprioception - taking out wet clothes, smell - washing agents). In addition, older children exercise their fine motor skills by hanging up the laundry and attaching it with clothespins.

 

-Wiping the dust - is mainly a tactile stimulation thanks to the different textures of the cloth and the furniture, but also exercises eye-hand coordination.

 

-Vacuuming - this is hard muscle work and therefore mainly proprioceptive stimulation.

 

-Window cleaning - this is also hard muscle work, plus tactile and olfactory stimulation. Plus great exercise for the arms and shoulder girdle (arm sweeps).

 

-Dishwashing - this is mainly tactile and olfactory stimulation, but also proprioceptive - the child has to adjust the appropriate force to wash or put down a dish, e.g. a cup or a pot.

 

Anna Chacińska

special educator, specialist in sensory integration