R & R/Sensory Activity Checklist:
Promoting Resiliency & Self-Regulation
The checklist below is intended to support caregivers, children/youth, and young adults
in utilizing activities to promote changing how the brain processes and responds to
threat and/or stress. Points to keep in mind when implementing these items include:
 Caregiver is to provide attunement by maintaining a calm state of mind, calm
facial expression, and soothing voice. Caregivers are encouraged to engage in
parallel “play” during the activity even if little interaction is required in order to
build relational capacity.
 These patterned, rhythmic, repetitive and/or sensory-based activities should be
safe, fun, familiar, interesting, and never forced. The recommended length of
time for most activities is 7 to 10 minutes, and should be revisited at least 2 times
per day. Activities can be incorporated into grocery shopping, meal preparation,
household chores, play time, errands, appointments, after school, after dinner,
and bedtime.
Circle the preferred activities and sensory preferences of the child/youth or young adult.
Movement
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Aerobics
Animal walks
Dancing
Coloring
Stretches
Playing catch
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Soccer
Golf
Jumping jacks
Billiards
Trampoline
Fishing
Rock climbing
Bouncing on
therapy ball
Building with
Legos
Origami
Running/Jogging
Push ups
Sit ups
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Squats
Yoga
Gardening
Martial arts
Bike riding
Hacky sack
Juggling
Wood working
Tug/Push of war
Climbing on
monkey bars
Jump rope
Red light/
Green light
Freeze tag
Hiking/walking
Rocking in a
rocking chair
Carrying items
(e.g. groceries)
Ping pong
Digging/shoveling
Raking
Hop scotch
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Swimming
Weight lifting
Doodling/drawing
Washing a car
Vacuuming
Sweeping
Mopping
Shoveling snow
Cleaning
Xbox360 Kinect
games
Swinging on
playground
Sliding on
playground
Cartwheels/
Somersaults
Pogo stick
Sledding
Skateboard
Rollerblading
Hula hoop
Stair climbing
Thera-band
Adapted from Champagne 2004, McConnel-Ranch wk_6 repetitive.pdf, Biel 2008, Deb Buchanan 2012,
Ronald Klemp 2013
Touch/Deep Pressure
 Back rub
 Play Doh
 Petting a dog, cat
or other pet
 Swaddling tightly
in a blanket
 Stress ball
 Stuffed animals
Hearing/Auditory
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Silence
Singing
Humming
Being read to
Loud
environments
Vision/Looking
 Staying in
bedroom
 Building a fort
 Looking at nature
 Going to the zoo
 Watching clouds
 Looking at stars
 Looking at
magazines
 Puzzles
 Magic activities
 Board games
Oral/Taste/Smell
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Chewing gum
Deep breathing
Sucking on ice
Sucker/popsicle
Mints
Blowing bubbles
Weighted blanket
Bean bag chair
Foam roller
exercises
Playing musical
instrument
Scratch Art
Art/craft project
Fan running
Whistling
Listening to
music
Nature sounds
Mechanics work
Electronics work
Body sox
Journaling/poetry
Lining up
dominoes
Stringing beads
Word searches
Sudoku
Hidden picture
books
Speed Stacking
Chocolate
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Essential oils
Warm milk
Spicy foods
Cologne
Pottery/clay work
Washing dishes
Being in the
sunshine
Warm
bath/shower
Fidgeting with
something
Looking at photos
Photography
Reading
Chess/Checkers
I Spy
Mazes
Memory games
Sewing
Crocheting
Drawing on
labyrinths
Card games
Chewing on straw
Warm Tea
Straw blowing
games
Perfume
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Bean Bag Tosses
Instructions
Bean Bag Web: Members of the group stand at various points a few feet from each other. One
person tosses the bean bag to another person. Each person will subsequently toss the bag to
another person who has not caught it yet. When everyone has caught the bag once, the bag
will be tossed back to the original person who tossed the bag. The toss pattern will continue
with people catching the bag from the same person who threw it to them previously, then
throwing the bag to the person they threw it to previously. Do this at least 10 times. Once
mastered, add another bag into the toss pattern.
Rhythmic tossing: 2 partners face each other. Person A holds bag in right hand, then tosses it
to person B’s left hand. Person B claps bag on to right hand, then tosses to person A’s left
hand. Person A claps bag onto right hand (makes a rectangular circuit). Do this at a slow,
rhythmic pace. Do activity in the reverse direction as well. To add complexity, pass it to the
other hand behind the back instead of clapping the bag in front.
Be sure to do these activities slowly and rhythmically!
Cost: $9.99 for a pack of 4 bean bags at Dunham’s Sports
Therapeutic Value:
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Incorporates patterned, rhythmic movements, which is calming for the brain
Improves eye-hand coordination
Improves body awareness and sense of self
Improves connectedness to others
Improves focus
Engages attention for children with attention problems
Provides a sense of mastery of skill
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Animal walks and Red light/Green light
Instructions: The child will run relays using different kinds of animal walks. Animal walks
include the seal, crab, bear and frog walks. Once the relays have been completed, one parent
will be chosen to lead in a game of Red Light/Green light. The parent will stand several yards
away from the children, while the children are lined up facing the parent. Facing away from the
children, the parent calls out “Green light!” At this point, the children will do their animal walk
towards the parent. After 2 to 5 seconds, the parent will turn around and cry out “Red light!”
The children will stop at this point and hold their positions so they don’t get caught moving.
These steps will be repeated until a child reaches the parent.
Therapeutic Value:
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Incorporates patterned, repetitive movement which is calming for the brain
The deep pressure provided to the joints facilitates focus and calming
It fosters positive interactions with the parent
It engages the sense of balance, having a powerful, positive affect on the brain
Increases body awareness, which is important to general functioning
Enhances self-control
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Dominoes Line Up
Instructions: Everyone in the family takes turns placing dominoes in a pattern of their choice
(for example, triangles, circles, rectangles, diamonds, etc.). Stand the dominoes straight up,
approximately ½ inch apart. Afterwards, the child can knock them over. If the activity is too
difficult, simply engage the child in building with the dominoes or designing patterns with the
dominoes, laying them flat on the table.
Cost: Between $10 and $17 at Target
Therapeutic Value:
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Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
The patterned, repetitive activity is calming for the brain
Teaches turn taking
Engages connectedness with others
Facilitates self-control (child has to wait until all the dominoes are used before knocking
it over)
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Scratch Art
Instructions: Choose stencils to use with your project. Lay the stencil on the scratch art sheet.
With the stylus, scratch away the black surface. For fun, choose different themes for pictures,
i.e., your favorite hobbies, places you’d like to visit, things that help you to relax, what you’d
like to do this summer, etc.
Cost: Four 4 x 5 scratch art sheets and a stylus: $3 at Michael’s
Sand Paper: $3.97 at The Home Depot
Therapeutic Value:
 Incorporates patterned, repetitive movement which is calming for the brain
 The deep pressure of using a stylus to remove the black surface is calming for the brain
and improves focus
 Child can create projects for others, fostering relationships
 Enhances self-expression and creativity
 Incorporates parallel play that improves relationships (An example of “parallel play” is
having both the parent and child work side by side.)
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Badminton Personal Best
Instructions:
Take turns hitting the badminton birdie into the air with the badminton racquet. Try to see
how many times in a row you can hit the birdie before it lands on the ground. Keep track of
your “personal best” and try to beat it on each of your turns.
Cost: $24.99 for Halex 3-Game Combo set at Dunham’s Sports: Includes badminton, volleyball
and horseshoe games!
Therapeutic Value:
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Incorporates patterned, rhythmic movements, which is calming for the brain
Improves eye-hand coordination
Improves body awareness and sense of self
Improves connectedness to others
Improves focus
Engages attention for children with attention problems
Provides a sense of mastery of skill
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Bubble Blowing Games
Instructions:
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Game 1: One person blows bubbles while the other tries to grab as many bubbles as
possible before they reach the ground.
Game 2: After blowing a bubble, try to catch it with the bubble wand without the
bubble popping. Attempt to do this as many times in a row as possible.
Game 3: See who can blow the largest bubble!
Cost: 3 pack of 4 oz. bottles: $1.00 at Dollar Tree
Therapeutic Value:
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Breathing is incredibly calming for the brain
Blowing engages your oral muscles, which is calming for the brain
Facilitates attention and focus
Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
The patterned, repetitive activity is calming for the brain
Teaches turn taking
Engages connectedness with others
Facilitates self-control
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
The Cups and Cotton Trick
Instructions: Please see back of this sheet.
Cost: 200 pack of cotton balls: $1.89 at Target Paper Cups 10 pack: $2.00 at Target
Therapeutic Value:
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Facilitates attention and focus
Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
Engages connectedness with others by fostering positive interactions
Incorporates patterned, repetitive movements which is calming for the brain
Facilitates mastery of skill
Improves frustration tolerance
Increases body awareness/sense of self, which is important to general functioning
Enhances self-control
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Step 1: To prepare for this trick, you will need 3 paper/Styrofoam cups and four cotton balls. Stack the
three cups together, bottom side up. Place one cotton ball between the bottom and middle cup in the
stack.
Step 2: Now the trick begins. Place the three remaining cotton balls in a row on the table. Tell the
audience you will magically thrust each cotton ball through the cups. Count the cotton balls aloud.
Step 3: Count the cups. To do this, first pick up the stack of cups from the table. Hold the open end of
the stack with one hand. While holding it, remove each cup from the stack with the other hand, setting
it onto the table bottom side up. Count each cup as you set it down. Set the cups in a row directly
behind the cotton balls. The hidden cotton ball won’t fall out because gravity will have held it in place
while setting it on the table.
Step 3: Take the first cotton ball and place it on top of the middle cup. Take the cups from either side
and stack them onto the middle cup. Say a magic word, snap your fingers, whatever you’d like…then lift
the stack up. There, the hidden cotton ball will appear on the table. However, to the audience, it will
appear that the cotton ball you placed on the middle cup has actually passed through the cup.
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining two cotton balls.
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Straw Blowing Games
Instructions: Have several contests using straws and cotton balls!
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Game 1: Each participant uses a straw to blow 5 cotton balls onto a target on the table.
Whoever blows all 5 on to the target wins.
Game 2: Each participant sucks air into the straw, picking up each of the 5 cotton balls,
and placing them on to the target. Whoever moves all 5 onto the target first wins.
Game 3: Blow the cotton ball off the opponent’s side of the table. To block the cotton
ball, only use air blown with the straw. Don’t block with the straw itself or your arms.
Cost: 200 pack cotton balls: $1.89 at Target
100 pack of straws: $1.64 at Target
Therapeutic Value:
 Engages deep breathing, which is incredibly calming for the brain
 Blowing through a straw and sucking through a straw engages your oral muscles, which
is calming for the brain
 Facilitates attention and focus
 Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
 The patterned, repetitive activity is calming for the brain
 Teaches turn taking
 Engages connectedness with others
 Facilitates self-control
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Bean Bag “H-O-R-S-E” Toss
Instructions
This game is similar to the “Horse” game played in basketball. Everyone takes turns tossing a
bean bag into a bucket. However, you must do so in “silly” ways. They can include:
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Tossing with eyes closed
Tossing from underneath your legs while standing with back towards the bucket
Tossing bean bag while standing and facing away from the bucket
Tossing with your NON-dominant hand
Placing bean bag on your foot and using foot to toss it into the bucket
Tossing bag while standing on one foot
Feel free to make up different stances!
Each time a player misses a bucket, the player receives a subsequent letter from the word
“horse.” If a player gets all of the letters, spelling the word “horse,” that person is out of the
game. The last person standing wins!
Cost: $9.99 for a pack of 4 bean bags at Dunham’s Sports
Therapeutic Value:
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Incorporates patterned, rhythmic movements, which is calming for the brain
Improves eye-hand coordination
Improves body awareness and sense of self
Improves connectedness to others
Improves focus
Engages attention for children with attention problems
Provides a sense of mastery of skill
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Bracelets
Instructions: String beads to make a bracelet for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
Cost: 1 container of beads: $2.17 at Wal-Mart
Spool of Stretch Magic Bead and Jewelry Cord: $13.69 at Wal-Mart
Therapeutic Value:
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Facilitates attention and focus
Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
The patterned, repetitive activity is calming for the brain
Engages connectedness with others
Facilitates self-control
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Simon Says Yoga
Instructions: Lead your children through a variety of Yoga exercises using Simon Says. Simon
Says activities would include standing on one leg for the count of 10, taking a deep breath,
giving self a bear hug, stretching arms to the sky, touching toes, 3 frog jumps, crab stands,
making a big smile and holding it, clapping hands ten times, drumming legs with hands for 10
seconds, pressing hands together for 10 seconds. Please see the pictures on the opposite side
of this page for doing the following yoga positions: “Downward Dog”, the “Plank,” the “Tree,”
the “Cobra,” and the “Cow.” Do the deep breaths every so often during the session. Take
turns with the children allowing them to lead the activity as well.
Cost: Not applicable
Therapeutic Value:
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Facilitates attention and focus
Facilitates body and spatial awareness
The deep muscular pressure is calming for the brain
Engages connectedness with others
Facilitates self-control
TREE
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
COBRA
DOWNWARD DOG
COW
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Two Strings Magic Trick
Instructions: Please see back of this sheet.
Cost: Wal-Mart: Spool of cotton string-$4.17
Therapeutic Value:
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Facilitates attention and focus
Engages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills
Engages connectedness with others by fostering positive interactions
Incorporates patterned, repetitive movements which is calming for the brain
Facilitates mastery of skill
Increases body awareness/sense of self and tactile awareness, which is important to
general functioning
 Enhances self-control
 Improved mood
When to use it:
 Before or after a stressful event
 Before doing homework-helps the brain to “get ready” for homework
 A designated time of day in which the caregiver spends quality time with the child
Step 1: To prepare for this trick, you will need cotton string. Cut off about 1 foot of string.
Fold it in half. At the fold in the string, you will notice that the string is made up of several
smaller strings. Separate the smaller strings into two sections. Twist the two new sections of
string. Hold the string between your forefinger and thumb with the two sections of separated
strings hanging out towards the audience and the two “real” ends of the string dangling
towards you.
Step 2: Now the trick begins! Introduce the “2 strings” to the audience, being careful to
conceal the fold where you have already separated the string. Announce that you will place the
2 strings into your fist and magically join the two into one.
Step 3: Carefully place the string into your opposite hand. Make a fist, and flip your hand over
so that the back of your hand is facing up. With your free hand, gently tug both sides of the
string. You will be able to feel the separated strings return to their original state.
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013
Step 3: Once you are confident that the strings are no longer separated, reveal the entire string
to the audience.
Ron Klemp, OTR
St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc.
©2013