10 Ways to Use Weighted Sensory Stuffed Animals

Weighted sensory stuffed animals are a great way to help your sensory seeking child to feel calm, more relaxed and more focused. They can also be used for heavy work sensory activities without it feeling like it’s therapy.

With weighted sensory items, the extra weight gives input to the body for kids who have an under-responsive system, helping wake up the system as well give a physical outlet for extra energy. 

We use heavy work to help our kiddo calm down and focus both at home and at school. For example, at school he often helps move books or school supplies to sneak in heavy work throughout the day.

This post is part of the Sensory Summer series, hosted by Mommy Evolution in partnership with The Sensory Spectrum. I encourage you to follow us all summer and visit our Sensory Summer landing page to get the latest sensory fun for your kiddos!

10 Ways to Use Weighted Sensory Stuffed Animals

Today, Jenni from Joyful Journey Mom is sharing her 10 favorite activities for the weighted sensory stuffed bear she made for her kiddos.

1. Take your Bear for a stroll

Use a baby stroller or plastic shopping cart for the bear and go for a walk. The increased weight is great for proprioception.

2. Pushing or pulling Bear in laundry basket

We set up cones on the floor and push the bear around the cones. Or a child can push and pull around the house adding more items to the basket.

3. Rock a Bye Baby

Rocking motion is great for the vestibular system and it helps with calming. Make this part of pretend play or turn on a lullaby and pretend it’s your bear’s bedtime.

4. Tossing Bear in the Air

This is one of our favorites although it can get a little wild. Heavy work and coordination is combined in this activity.

5. Swinging Together

We have a net swing (affiliate link) and adding our new bear on my daughter’s lap makes swinging an even better calming activity.

6. Carry Bear in Backpack

I have tried placing various items in my daughter’s backpack, but she doesn’t see the fun in that.

But when it’s her bear, she does not mind at all. Just make sure your bear is not too heavy for this activity.

7. Carry Bear on shoulders

Shoulders are a great place for input and for regulation. You can walk, skip, step over objects or simply sit holding the bear in this position.

8. Dance with your Bear

Music makes everything fun. I usually model various moves like moving the bear away from the body and then back for a hug.

9. Take Your Bear to the playground

My daughter was so tired after taking her bear up and down the slide, in the swings and even going up the stairs to get to the slide. That’s heavy work at it’s best.

10. Calming down with Bear

Have bear sit on your child’s lap as you read together, watch TV or color together. The deep pressure is calming and can be a part of a daily bedtime calming routine.

More often than not, my daughter will seek this input herself and now she has a tool that doesn’t look medical or therapeutic.

Have fun discovering more ways to play with weighted sensory stuffed animals!

About Jenni

Jenni is a mother of 5 by birth and adoption. She writes about special needs, adoption and life as a transracial family at Joyful Journey Mom.

DIY Weighted Sensory Stuffed Animal

Interested in learning how to make an easy and affordable weighted sensory stuffed animal? Here’s a good tutorial.

SENSORY SUMMER SERIES

This post is part of the Sensory Summer series, hosted by Mommy Evolution in partnership with The Sensory Spectrum. I encourage you to follow us all summer and visit our Sensory Summer landing page to get the latest sensory fun for your kiddos!