Creating a sensory bag....

(Yes, those are gloves on his hands and feet. 

It helps him with his sensitivity to touch.)

 Have you wondered what goes in a sensory bag? When our therapist asked me to create a sensory bag I wasn't sure exactly what she was wanting. So after going through her bag of goodies, I started working on ours.

This bag has been a huge help to Joshua (and me!) and he will play sometimes for hours with it.
If you are like me (and have to many toys and junk drawers) then you probably have everything you need to create a bag of our own.

Joshua with his wonderful OT "Ms Shirley"

So thankful for all his wonderful therapists.

From www.specialchildren.about.com
Sensory bags can go from environment to environment with the child ... home to daycare ... to school ... to Grandma's ... to wherever! The idea is that if the child starts to lose composure due to sensory input or overload, the "sensory bag" can be accessed to use a sensory approach to help manage the arousal state or behaviors. While each child's "bag" should be based on his or her individual sensory needs.


When I was putting together Joshua's I wanted items that I knew he could chew on, squeeze, bang, and bounce. I started with a few of his favorites, like balls. He loves balls, but not so much textured balls, but his love of bouncing and squeezing balls helps him cope with the textures (so I looked for balls with bumps, balls with bristles, balls with legs, balls with lights, and balls that were hard and soft). 

I chose teethers and biters for him to chew on, not just because he is teething and likes to chew, but to help him when he has sensory overload. 

I added fluffy critters and crinkling things which are *NOT* his favorite things, but he has gotten better with them just because he has to touch them to get to the other toys in his bag. Every kid is different and no two bags will ever be alike. The idea is to create a bag that fits your child's unique needs and personality.

Here are the items we have in Joshua's bag....
Notice I used a small bottle bag that came with our diaper bag, but you can use any kind of bag.

Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder