Resources

Sensory Care Kit

Creating a “Sensory Care Kit” is a way to connect with your child around discussing what can feel challenging about certain sensory experiences in our external environment while also noticing what sensory experiences and strategies feel regulating.

A key part of this process is setting aside dedicated, quiet time to explore different sensory toys and strategies together, ideally without siblings present, in a comfortable space. While your child is building their kit, you’ll also create one for yourself. This is especially helpful if your child is unsure of what they like or dislike, or isn’t yet consciously aware of their preferences.

As you build your own kit, you are modeling what it looks like to notice and name sensory preferences: “I’m going to pick this squishy toy because I like how it feels when I squeeze it,” or “I’m choosing these pull tubes because I like pulling them apart and watching them snap back together.”

Once you both have your bags, focus on modeling how to use them and try to avoid prompting your child to use specific items at specific moments. For example:

Sitting on a park bench when the sun suddenly becomes bright: “Whoa, that’s really bright. It’s making me feel kind of off. I’m going to put on my sunglasses.”
Heading into a noisy, busy environment: “I’m feeling a little worried it might be too loud in there. I’m going to put in my ear plugs just in case.”
Waiting in a long line: “My body feels wiggly. I’m going to grab my squishy toy and see if squeezing it helps.”

Your child’s occupational therapist will be practicing similar strategies through play in their sessions.

It’s helpful to gather a variety of toys and tools that offer different kinds of sensory input (visual, tactile, auditory, etc.). Below are some of our recommendations, but there are so many options available. Feel free to explore and find items that feel especially appealing to your child. We strongly recommend including sunglasses and noise-canceling headphones or earbuds in every kit.