Fun Sensory Games To Play With Children With Special Needs

UNICEF stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child that one of a child's privileges is to engage in play and recreational activities, regardless of their abilities. Understanding the benefits of sensory activity for special needs children is important for their development. Sensory play helps with communication, creativity, and fine motor skills by stimulating their senses through fun activities.

Coming up with a fun game for kids with special needs can be quite challenging, but we have you covered. We have outlined some interesting playground games or indoor activities that you can use to meet the children's sensory needs while also keeping them engaged and entertained.

Exploring Tactile Sensations: Hands-On Activities for Enhanced Touch Perception

The body's sensations like pressure, temperature, traction, and pain are all controlled by the tactile system. Children with sensory challenges often struggle with tactile (touch) processing issues. They may have unusually high or low pain thresholds as well as specific preferences for sensory toys, clothes, and other surfaces. These tactile games are good for kids with special needs which can help improve their touch perception and fine motor skill.

Engaging Auditory Games: Fun Listening Activities for Children with Special Needs

The body's ability to hear is controlled by the auditory system which enables us to locate, recognize, and notice sounds in our surroundings. It also assists us in identifying the sounds that are important and which can be tuned out. Children with autism or other sensory issues may be delayed in developing their communication skills because they have a hard time or are unaware of hearing other tunes. Here are some auditory games that can help children develop better listening skills.

Sound Matching : Use small containers and fill them with various objects like pebbles, beans, pasta, or anything that can make different sounds. Make two of each and let the kids shake them to match their sounds. This type of game can enhance their auditory sense and attention.
Stop and Dance : Invite the kids to dance to upbeat music. While dancing, you can stop the music from playing and challenge them to freeze like a statue. Whoever moves while the music is off is out or the next “it”. This activity can improve their listening skills and body control.

Visual Stimulation Games: Bright Colors and Patterns to Captivate and Educate

The visual system is in charge of our ability to recognize and understand its environment through the use of visible light. Children with visual processing problems may find it difficult to read, identify little color or brightness changes, measure the size and distance of objects, or focus in bright, crowded spaces. Here are some sensory stimulation games for special needs kids that can help with visual perception and coordination.

Color Hunt : Ask the kids to find an object in the color that matches what you say. This playground game can enhance color recognition and observational skills. Adding a small prize or recognition each round can fire them up and do their best to look for colors within the surroundings.
Pattern Matching : Provide multiple cards with different patterns to the children and ask them to match the object to the patterns you have. Adding colorful and fun patterns to the cards can make the game more engaging. This activity can help develop their visual discrimination and matching skills.

Olfactory and Taste Games: Exciting Smell and Taste Experiences for Sensory Development

The olfactory system is responsible for the body's ability to identify and recognize scents through chemical receptors in the nasal cavity, while the gustatory system is responsible for distinguishing between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes in food. About 80% of what we taste comes from our sense of smell because our throat and nose basically share the same airway.

Children with taste problems may show unusual appetites or have specific needs when it comes to food preparation, including needing it to be at room temperature or cut into tiny pieces. Those who have problems detecting scents may find it difficult to recognize dangerous materials like gasoline or to pick up on faint smells that others may not be able to detect.

Since flavor is influenced by smell, these kids can also be extremely sensitive to the smells of food and cooking. By introducing kids to many kinds of tastes and smells, these playground games can enhance their sensory experience.

Balance and Movement Activities: Incorporating Physical Play for Sensory Integration

The vestibular system controls the body's sense of motion, balance, and spatial orientation. Kids with balance and movement issues could come across as clumsy or too animated. They may also have trouble with fine motor skills or visual object tracking. Playing is essential for children with special needs since it promotes balance, coordination, and sensory integration. Here are some fun games for kids with special needs that promote balance, coordination, and sensory integration:

Yoga for Kids: Teaching simple yoga poses and practicing them together with the kids can be fun, engaging, and promote social interaction. This therapeutic sensory activity can enhance balance, flexibility, and relaxation while incorporating playtime.
Ball Games: Playing ball games with kids like catching, throwing, or kicking balls into targets. Games with this type of sensory stimuli can encourage kids to move and help develop their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

Conclusion

Sensory activities for children can provide important benefits, especially for children with special needs. We hope that these fun therapeutic sensory activities have provided ideas to support developing your kid's sensory skills, whether it's through tactile sensations, auditory games, visual stimulation, olfactory and taste experiences, or physical activities, these special needs games for kids offer a great way to support and engage children.

Here at AAA State of Play , we offer affordable sensory play equipment that is perfect for your playground games. We are committed to providing a safe and durable play space that can suit any school, playground, or park. If you have any questions about our sensory play equipment, our team of expert representatives can guide you in creating a sensory playground that will meet your expectations.