When the Tactile Sense is fully functioning, children are secure and organized enough in their bodies to be able to attend and respond to all of the other sensory information they encounter each day. For most children, simply engaging in everyday play activities that allow for exploration, touch, and movement allows for healthy development of the tactile sense. Here are some of ideas/activitie to promote development of the tactile system through sensory play.
Small gross motor centers including:
Scissor Station- Target Practice: Moving Scissors Forward on the Paper
-Place a sticker in the middle of a piece of paper and have the child cut across until he reaches it. Using a target helps kids develop smooth forward movement of scissors and impulse control to stop when they’ve reached the target point.
-Tear a gummy bear or fruit snack in half. Push the sticky part down on the paper (it should stick there by itself) and have the child cut toward it. When they reach the snack, they get to eat it!
–Place stickers in a line across the page and have the child cut the stickers in half as they move scissors forward.
-Encourage kids to move their stabilizing hand along the page as they cut (tell them their hand should move next to their scissors).
The Bottom Line: Developing Accuracy and Control
-Again, target practice helps here! This time, draw a line on the paper first and then place the stickers along the line for kids to cut in half. This gives exposure to the concept of cutting on a line, but provides mini targets along the way
-Next, place only one sticker or your fruit snack (see above) at the end of the line and have the child cut toward the target, keeping scissors on the line.
-Make the cutting lines as thick as they need to be for your child to be successful and gradually make them thinner as the child develops better accuracy.
Get in Shape! Learning to Cut Out Shapes
-Draw a dotted line from the edge of the paper to show your child where to cut into the paper to reach the shape.
-Draw an arrow on the paper indicating which direction the child should go when cutting around the shape. Right-handed kids will cut in a counterclockwise direction, left-handed kids will cut in a clockwise direction.
-Draw a dot or place a sticker at a point past the corner of the shape, showing the child that he has to cut further than the line in order to turn the corner without snipping it off.
Pencil Power
Learn proper techniques for pencil, marker, crayon grasp
Sparkly Starfish An ocean-themed tactile craft for kids to get those Super Fingers ready for a fine motor workout!
Feed the Spider A spider’s favorite meal? Insects of course! In this fun activity, kids will get to prepare a meal fit for a spider with some sensory play along the way!
All You Need is Love In this hands-on sensory activity you and your family will create a unique piece of art that will bring a smile to your face every time you see it. You’ll want to find wall space for this one!
Making an Impression: Fun With Playdough Get some inspiration for new, creative ways to play with playdough. All of the activities are geared toward strengthening and developing fine motor skills.
Pillow Party 10 great movement games for kids to build balance, motor control, strength, and proprioception with whole-body tactile input.
Dinner at Your Child’s Fingertips Here’s a fun sensory craft to give kids exposure to descriptive language using their senses of touch and sight.
Crayonless Coloring Activity Kids will love this new twist on coloring…forget the crayons and let the fingers take over the coloring action!
Baby Bumble Bee Pairing movement with kids songs is great for a whole host of body awareness and gross motor skills – and this one gets some fine motor strengthening and tactile input in there too! This would be a perfect “make it and take it” craft for a party or playdate!
For the Love of the Birds Make bird-friendly treats while practicing fine motor skills and providing an awesome tactile experience for kids! Pinecones & Peanut Butter
Peppermint Glitter A great all-around fine motor and sensory project that allows kids to explore with their sense of touch and their sense of smell.
Hands on Tactile Farm Exploration
A Farm Fresh Feast A fun hands-on activity for kids to explore food from the farm. A great chance to talk to kids about where food comes from and full of messy sensory fun!
Lots of cute activities : http://theinspiredtreehouse.com/the-best-tactile-sensory-activities-