A sensory bag is exactly as it says. A bag full of sensory items for your child with Autism. They are easily made up and do not have to be expensive. You can choose the items or toys that best match your child’s needs and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
The bag can be a simple drawstring bag which is easy to carry. It’s useful to carry the bag around when you go out and if your child needs calming or an item to help soothe them , they are all to hand in their sensory bag.
Below I have comprised a list of products that I have in my sons sensory bag. There are a lot of excellent toys on the market for sensory stimulation and soothing, however these are the 5 I would personally recommend.
Click on the photos to get more detailed information and where to purchase. This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on this site at no additional cost to you.
1. Egg Timers.
I did not know how useful an egg timer could be. We often use these as countdown markers when my son is doing some homework or as an aid to transition between tasks. They are also great for timing teeth brushing. Being able to see how long he has to focus for and that after that he can choose something he enjoys, really helps his concentration.
When out and about an egg timer is a good tool for behaviour management. If having a meltdown the egg timer can be used as a visual timer. Let the meltdown run its course but once the egg timer has finished we will talk about what caused the meltdown . It sometimes works and sometimes it doesn’t. Like anything with a child on the spectrum, it’s all a bit trial and error.
My son and most children on the Spectrum like to know what’s happening next. An egg timer is an excellent time visual so he will be prepared to move onto another activity and he can anticipate when this is going to happen.
When monitoring screen time , egg timers are fantastic as a countdown timer . If your children are anything like my son , when I try to take the tablet away he will get very upset . Having a visual timer set so he knows how long he has left on the tablet , really helps.
Click on the link below for the egg timers we use.
2. Light Up Flashing Mini Spinner.
The next item on your list should be a light up spinning torch. Otherwise known as a light up flashing mini spinner. My son loves this. It’s very sensory and stimulating and actually calming at the same time.
When the torch is switched on it oscillates and vibrates. If you switch it on in a dark room it looks even more amazing. A must for any sensory space or sensory box.
The mini light up torch provides excellent visual stimulation for children and adults with autism and I would recommend this product hands down. Click on the following link for more product information and to place an order.
3.Fidget Spinner.
The next item in our sensory bag is the infamous Fidget Spinner. When my son was a baby and even now ,he loves to spin. The reason I am recommending it however is because it gives excellent sensory stimulation for people with Autism and is very popular. It’s also extremely therapeutic. I have had a go with it a few times myself and I actually love it.
Some retailers claim that the Fidget Spinner has health benefits associated with it, such as helping to combat stress, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The Fidget Spinners are available in lots of different designs and colours but this one is my personal favourite. The spinner in the picture above was from ” The Works” and it does its job, however I have recently bought the following spinner for my son and I am very impressed with this one. Click on the link below for the spinner I am talking about.
4.Rubik’s Cube.
In his sensory bag my son has the above Rubik’s Cube. Its called a gear cube and its by Maomaoyu. It’s similar to the standard cube but it moves with more speed and is more tactile and sensory than the standard Rubik’s cube. For this reason we have one and my son loves it.
When he plays with it, he is more focused on the manipulation of it as opposed to matching the colours together.
The gear shift puzzle comes with an extra surprise. Not only can you twist and turn each individual layer of the puzzle but you can also twist each layer separately. With the gear shift puzzle, the adjacent layers don’t interlock, which makes it much more pliable. For this reason I think it is particularly good for individuals with autism.
Click on the link for more information and to order one.
5. Colourful Maracas.
If your child is anything like my son, they will like making noise and listening to or making music. My son is very musical, he will often sing along to the radio in the car. He memorises lyrics of songs like a computer and he will often request a particular song to be played in the car, by singing me the words. He cannot always tell me how he is feeling but he is very specific when it comes to music and which song he would like to listen to.
I think music is calming for him. When music is playing he will focus only on that. He also enjoys making a lot of noise and will often thrash out something resembling a tune on his keyboard. For this reason we have a small Maracas in his sensory bag, which we can take out and about with us.
Maracas come in lots of different colours and varieties and are pretty easy to find. I however prefer the classic style of maracas like the one shown above. They are colourful and fun and are a lovely addition to your sensory collection. Click on the link below to have a look at the range I would recommend.
There you have the 5 products I would recommend for a sensory bag. If you are looking for just one product that you can take out and about with you, I would like to refer you to Sensory Softies.
Have a look on the website https://www.sensorysofties.com/
“Shakes was created by therapists to provide affordable sensory input for individuals of all ages and abilities. They provide support for children living with Anxiety, ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism and more. They are lightly weighted, calming vibration, fidgets and fuzzies. They are not just toys they are therapeutic”.
Actually used by therapists, this is an all in one sensory toy, with weight, vibration, different textures and fidgets. Please check out the website for more information.
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