Folks in our sensory community swear by their crash pad! And to get you going, here are five terrific sensory crash pad activities you can do at home with your sensory kiddo.
Our guest blogger Meagan from Integrated Learning Strategies is sharing knowledge as a pediatric occupational therapist on how you can maximize your crash pad (affiliate) at home.
5 Terrific Sensory Crash Pad Activities
The importance of having a crash pad at home is to help your children build their motor planning skills, which leads to better focus and attention in the classroom.
Crash Pad Activities: Sensory Disorder
For this exercise, I’ve asked one of my best helpers to demonstrate. In the video below, you will see how Linkin uses a swing to jump into the sensory crash pad. You can do this with your kids if you have a swing set in your backyard or it’s just as easy at a local park. Kids love jumping directly into the crash pad from swings.
Another great activity Linkin shows us is how to use a small home trampoline to crash into the crash pad. Kids have many different choices with the trampoline. They can run and jump right into the crash pad or they can hop on the trampoline and then dive into the crash pad. Let the kids be creative and have fun.
Activities like these can help calm children, especially if they have anxiety or need that sensory touch to help them concentrate and listen to the teacher in school. It also organizes the brain for classroom projects and strengthens their core muscles.
Additional Activities for Home
Your kids can use crash pads in many other ways at home. Try some of these in addition to the activities you see in the video.
LEAP FROG
Have your children leap from a couch or a bed onto the pad.
ROLL OVER
Like Linkin shows us in the video above, have your kids roll back and forth on the crash pad. Rolling is great for many reasons. First, they get that sensory stimulation they need as they roll on the crash pad. This is very therapeutic. However, it also helps their hand-eye coordination for reading, writing and spelling.
RUN AND JUMP
If you don’t have a trampoline at home, just have your child run and jump in the crash pad. This keeps them entertained for hours and they can even invite friends over to try it out as well.
PUSH AND PULL
Make a game out of pushing and pulling the crash pad around your house. You could even have a small sibling sit in the crash pad while your older child pushes or pulls their sibling around. Why is this a good exercise? The crash pad is designed to help calm your child’s brain, especially if they struggle with sensory issues or a learning challenge. This allows them to focus and release all the energy they have pent up for their sensory input and output. Just as exercise is to adults, the workout your child gets with the heaviness of the crash pad releases tension, anxiety, and frustration.
HIDE AND SEEK
Hide your child’s toys under the crash pad and have them lift and go under the crash pad to get them. Again, the heaviness of the crash pad and the weight down on top of their body provides them with a sense of security and protection. This is good for any child, but especially for those with autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorders.
Want to learn how to make your own crash pad? Try this tutorial.
Read more about Sensory Processing Disorder on The Jenny Evolution. And to learn more about sensory challenges or to join our inclusive community, visit The Sensory Spectrum.
About Meagan: Meagan is part of the team at Integrated Learning Strategies, a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning disabilities achieve academic success. Their services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas.
To purchase a crash pad, consider the following affiliate links:
For further reading about exercises you can do at home, consider the following affiliate links:
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