The Ultimate Guide to Classroom Sensory Activities

Engaging and Calming Solutions for Every Student

Creating a classroom environment that caters to every student’s sensory needs can significantly enhance learning and emotional well-being. Sensory activities in the classroom help regulate students’ responses to sensory input. In particular, for students who may experience sensory overload or require additional proprioceptive and vestibular input. This guide provides comprehensive and actionable sensory activity ideas to help teachers and school teams. Read on to learn how to integrate sensory-friendly practices into their everyday teaching.

What are Classroom Sensory Activities?

Classroom sensory activities are structured exercises that help students process sensory input in ways that are calming, engaging, and focused. These activities can support students dealing with neurodiversity, sensory processing disorders, or general classroom challenges like restlessness or difficulty focusing.

As Christel Seeberger, founder and CEO of Sensory Friendly Solutions, with her 30 years experience supporting students, parents and schoool notes, “Classroom sensory activities provide a safe way for students to manage their sensory input without disrupting the classroom, which promotes inclusion and enhances learning for everyone.”

The Eight Senses and Why They Matter in Sensory Activities

In addition to the five traditional senses, it is important to include sensory activities engage three additional senses:

• vestibular (balance),
• proprioceptive (body awareness and movement), and
• interoceptive (internal body states).

Understanding and engaging these senses can be life-changing for students who experience sensory processing challenges or conditions like PTSD, post-concussion syndrome, or developmental disabilities.

Calming and Interoceptive Activities for the Classroom

Students often experience heightened stress around exam times, so introducing calming activities can make a big difference. Consider the following:

• Mindful Breathing Exercises: A few minutes of guided breathing helps students manage anxiety.
• Sensory Corners: A designated area with calming materials like soft fabrics, weighted blankets, and gentle lighting offers a sensory retreat.
• Soft Background Music: Playing calming music or nature sounds during independent work can help students remain focused without becoming overwhelmed by external stimuli.

Proprioceptive Activities for the Classroom

Proprioception refers to the body’s ability to sense its position and movement. Proprioceptive input helps regulate energy and emotional balance, and activities that incorporate this sense can be highly beneficial in a classroom setting:

• Chair Push-ups: Students place their hands on the seat of their chair and push themselves up, lifting their body weight. This activity provides proprioceptive feedback and improves focus.
• Wall Push-ups: Similar to chair push-ups, this simple activity provides proprioceptive input and can be done between classes to reset energy levels.
• Carrying Books: Having students carry a stack of books or other weighted objects to another room gives them proprioceptive input while allowing them to take a mental break.

Vestibular Activities for the Classroom

Vestibular activities involve movement and balance, which can be essential for students who need extra input to regulate their energy levels:

• Chair Spinning: Under supervision, allowing students to gently spin on swivel chairs can provide vestibular input.
• Balancing on One Foot: Incorporating balance exercises into classroom routines, like during transitions, can provide vestibular stimulation.

Sensory Activities for Every Age and Level of Schooling

Preschool Students

At the preschool age, children are just beginning to explore and understand their senses. Sensory activities for this age group should focus on stimulating their senses in a fun and gentle way. Furthermore it should help them to develop fine motor skills, improve coordination, and regulate their emotions.

Activity Ideas:

• Sensory Bins: Fill a bin with rice, beans, or sand, and let children explore by touching, pouring, and scooping.
• Playdough Fun: Use homemade or store-bought playdough for squishing, rolling, and shaping, which helps with tactile development.
• Water Play: Offer a water table with cups, sponges, and small toys for children to explore textures and temperature changes.
• Bubble Wrap Stomping: Lay bubble wrap on the ground. Have children pop the bubbles by walking or jumping on them.

Grade School, Primary and Elementary School Students

Elementary school students benefit from sensory activities that support focus, self-regulation, and creativity. These activities should be engaging and age-appropriate, allowing students to use their developing cognitive and physical skills.

Activity Ideas:

• Calming Bottles: Create sensory bottles filled with water, glitter, and small beads. Shaking the bottle and watching the glitter settle can help students calm down and refocus.
• Sensory Walks: Set up a path with different textures (e.g., soft mats, bumpy materials, and crunchy leaves). Encourage students to walk barefoot, stimulating different senses.
• Art with Textures: Encourage students to create art using textured materials. For instance, try cotton balls, sandpaper, and fabric, engaging their tactile senses.
• Proprioceptive Jumps: Use a mini trampoline or have students do jumping jacks to provide calming, grounding sensory input through movement.

Sensory Activities for Middle School Students, Junior High and Lower School Students

When designing sensory activities for middle school students, it’s important to cater to both their physical and emotional development. Here are a few examples of sensory-friendly activities that can be easily integrated.

Activity Ideas:

• Stretching and Yoga Breaks: These help students calm down and refocus, providing proprioceptive input.
• Fidget Tools: Allow students to engage in low-distraction activities like using stress balls or fidget spinners to help them stay engaged. Have students create and monitor rules for fidget use in the classroom.
• Weighted Lap Pads: These tools offer calming proprioceptive input, helping students feel grounded.

Secondary, Upper, Senior, Prep School, and High School Students

For high school students, sensory activities can help manage stress, improve concentration, and enhance self-awareness. Activities at this stage should allow for independence and self-regulation, offering a break from academic pressures.

Activity Ideas:

• Weighted lap pags: Provide weighted lap pad during quiet reading or study time to promote relaxation and a sense of security.
• Fidget Tools: Encourage the use of fidget spinners, stress balls, or putty during long study sessions to help students stay focused.
• Sensory Yoga: Introduce basic yoga stretches and poses. Combine them breathing exercises to help students become more mindful of their body and breath.
• Essential Oils: Offer scented oils or lotions, such as lavender or peppermint. Different scents can help students unwind or refresh depending on their needs.

Post-Secondary

In post-secondary education, students often experience sensory overload due to the fast-paced and demanding nature of academic life. Sensory activities for this age group should be simple and easy to integrate into their daily routines. The goal is to help to reduce stress and enhance focus.

Activity Ideas:

• Deep Breathing and Meditation: Encourage students to practice deep breathing exercises or guided meditation to calm their mind and reduce sensory overwhelm.
• Study Break Walks: Taking short, mindful walks outdoors during study breaks can help reset the senses and improve focus for the next session.
• Noise-Canceling Headphones: Recommend the use of noise-canceling headphones or calming music to block out distracting background noises during study sessions.
• Sensory Break Zones: Suggest setting up a quiet corner with soft lighting, cushions, and calming objects to create a sensory-friendly space where students can relax between classes.

Each age group has different sensory needs. These activity ideas can help support development, focus, and emotional regulation, making learning environments more inclusive and supportive for all students.

Sensory Activities for Adult Learners

Adult learners often face sensory challenges, especially when balancing work, family, and education. Sensory activities for this group should focus on reducing stress, increasing focus, and enhancing overall well-being. Simple and practical activities that fit into their daily routines can make learning more comfortable and effective.

Activity Ideas:

• Mindful Breathing Exercises: Encourage adult learners to take short breaks for deep breathing exercises. Find ways to help them center themselves and manage stress during long study or work periods.
• Stretch Breaks: Integrate gentle stretches or movement into study sessions to relieve physical tension and refocus the mind.
• Tactile Stress Relievers: Provide small sensory tools like stress balls, textured objects, or fidget cubes that can be used discreetly during class or while studying to improve focus.
• Calming Spaces: Suggest creating a quiet, sensory-friendly study environment. For instance include dimmable lighting, comfortable seating, and minimal distractions to enhance concentration and reduce sensory overload.
• Scented Candles or Diffusers: Introduce calming scents like lavender or citrus through candles or diffusers. The goal is to create a relaxing atmosphere during study time or class.

For adult learners, sensory activities are about finding balance and incorporating small moments of self-care to improve focus and manage stress effectively in their learning journey.

FAQs About Classroom Sensory Activities

How can I integrate these activities into a regular school day?

Incorporating short, structured sensory breaks—like fidget tools or proprioceptive activities—into transitions or independent work time can be highly effective.

What are sensory breaks?

Sensory breaks are short intervals during the school day where students can engage in activities that provide necessary sensory input, helping them refocus and re-energize.

Why are sensory activities important in the classroom?

Sensory activities support students’ cognitive, emotional, and physical development. They can help students focus, calm down, or energize, making it easier for them to participate in learning activities. Sensory activities are particularly helpful for students with sensory processing challenges, ADHD, or autism.

How can sensory activities be integrated into the classroom without disrupting learning?

Sensory activities can be incorporated as part of classroom routines, such as short breaks between lessons, morning sensory activities, or during transitions. These activities should be designed to fit smoothly into the daily schedule and used as tools to support learning rather than distract from it.

Do all students benefit from sensory activities?

Yes, sensory activities can benefit all students by helping them focus, calm down, or re-energize. While some students, particularly those with sensory processing challenges, may need sensory activities more frequently, many students find them helpful in improving attention and reducing stress.

How can I create a sensory-friendly classroom environment?

To create a sensory-friendly classroom, consider using soft lighting, quiet areas, and access to sensory tools like stress balls, weighted lap pags, or noise-canceling headphones. Offering sensory breaks and being mindful of sensory triggers like loud noises or bright lights can also make the environment more comfortable for all students. Dive deeper in our blogs:

• Fidgets: More Than Just Child’s Play
• Everything You Need to Know About Weighted Lap Pads and Blankets   
• Chair Socks, Chair Glides and Tennis Balls for Chairs
• A Guide to Ear Protection, Headphones for Autism, and Sensory Sensitivity
• The Importance of Classroom Greetings

How can I transform my classroom with sensory-friendly tools?

Start by reading our blog: Sensory Equipment for the Classroom. You’ll discover essential items that can help create a more inclusive and comfortable learning environment for all students.

Discover Sensory-Friendly Solutions for Your Classroom

At Sensory Friendly Solutions, we provide teachers with the tools and training they need to create sensory-friendly classrooms.

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Get started today with our Sensory Friendly 101 course, included in our training membership. This course offers everything you need to understand the basics of sensory-friendly environments.

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Our Training Membership offers affordable access to all our courses, designed to help you create inclusive environments for all students. Watch this short video from our founder, Christel Seeberger, to learn more!

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