Sensory Diet Examples: 30+ Calming and Alerting Activities You Can Do at Home

Dr. Andrea Burgio-Murphy, Ph.D.Licensed clinical psychologist & autism specialist October 21, 2026

The most useful sensory diet examples are the ones you can run in a hallway with a laundry basket, which is most of them. Below are more than thirty activities drawn from the sensory chapter of the book and its planner, each tagged with the sense it feeds and sorted into the three kinds of input the book uses (calming, alerting, and organizing), then sorted a second way by time of day. At the end are two filled-in sample days, one for a child who seeks input and one for a child who avoids it. Nothing here requires equipment you'd have to order.

If you want the background first (what a sensory diet is, the eight senses, the five steps for building one), start with the autism sensory diet guide. This page is the menu.

Two ways to organize sensory diet examples

Occupational therapists usually sort sensory activities by effect, and the book uses three categories. Calming input slows down an overstimulated or anxious nervous system; alerting input wakes up a child who's sluggish or checked out; organizing input gives the nervous system structure before a hard task, during a transition, or when shifting between energy levels. As a rough rule, slow, rhythmic, predictable input and deep pressure tend to calm; fast, irregular, novel input tends to alert; heavy work, rhythm, balance, and cross-body movement tend to organize. The same child often needs all three at different points in the day. Parents live by the clock, though, so the second half of this page sorts the same activities by when you'd use them.

Calming examples

These are mostly deep pressure, slow vestibular input, and reduced input. Use them when your child is overstimulated, stuck at a transition, after a hard outing, and at bedtime. The book is plain that deep pressure input like pushing and lifting has a calming effect, especially before transitions, meals, and bedtime, which is its shorthand "heavy work = calm brain"; the bigger heavy-work jobs are listed under organizing below, where the book's planner files them.

Deep-pressure hug. Tactile and proprioceptive. Firm, even pressure around the whole body for ten to twenty seconds, and only if welcomed. A self version is the bear hug: arms wrapped around their own body, squeeze, count to ten.
Weighted lap pad or blanket time. Proprioceptive. Over the lap, shoulders, or body while sitting or lying down, ten to twenty minutes. A blanket is about 10 percent of body weight, a lap pad about 5 percent, and neither is ever forced or over the face.
Body sock or blanket roll. Proprioceptive and tactile. Your child climbs into a stretchy lycra sock, or you roll them up snugly in a blanket (head out), five to ten minutes. They have to be able to get out alone.
Pillow crash. Proprioceptive. Pile couch cushions and let your child jump or fall into them.
Squish sandwich. Deep pressure. Child lies between couch cushions that press gently, five deep breaths, only as hard as they want. The pillow crash (a pile of cushions to fall into) is the version for a child who seeks crashing.
Wall push. Proprioceptive. Hands flat on the wall at shoulder height, push steadily for a count of ten, rest, repeat three times. Most toddlers will play this endlessly.
Palm press or chair push-ups. Proprioceptive. Press palms together hard for a count of five, rest, repeat five times; or, seated, push down on the chair sides to lift the bottom slightly, hold three seconds, repeat five times. Before sitting tasks.
Slow rocking. Vestibular (slow). Rocking chair, therapy ball, or your lap, steady rhythm, five to ten minutes.
Slow-motion movements. Move arms and legs as if through thick honey, about thirty seconds, to slow the body down.
Hand massage. Tactile. Firm pressure from wrist to fingertips, three to five minutes, with unscented lotion or none.
Playdough or therapy putty. Tactile and proprioceptive. Resistance for the hands.
Chew tube or chewable necklace. Oral. A calm-corner tool for the child who mouths or chews, made for the purpose.
Slow bubble blowing. Oral and visual. Long, slow breaths to blow, then watch them float; it doubles as breathing practice.
Bend and stretch and touch your toes. Proprioceptive. The book suggests this as the last movement before bed.
Quiet tent, fort, or calm corner. Reducing input is itself a calming strategy. Blankets over chairs, pillows, a few fidgets, no screens, and never a time-out spot.
Headphones, or calming music. Auditory. Ear defenders during overwhelming noise, with your child in charge of when; or steady, low, predictable music.
Calm-down bottle. Visual. Shake a glitter jar and watch it settle, two to five minutes, paired with slow breathing.

Alerting examples

These feed the vestibular system with faster movement, add novelty, and wake up a body that isn't registering much. Use them first thing in the morning, after lunch, and when a child is zoned out. Watch for the tipping point, because alerting input that goes on too long can push a child from engaged to frantic.

Mini trampoline. Vestibular and proprioceptive. One to three minutes of jumping, holding a handle if needed, with clear landing space around it.
Jump counts. Ten jumps, counting each out loud, then high jumps and star jumps. Before learning.
Animal walks. Bear walk, crab walk (belly up), frog jumps, elephant stomps, two to five minutes. Name each animal and make its sound.
Spinning, controlled. Vestibular (fast). Sit-and-spin or office chair, one direction then the other, fifteen to thirty seconds, with you right there; stop at once for dizziness or a glassy look.
Dance party. Vestibular and auditory. One or two upbeat songs, and join in.
Freeze dance. Vestibular plus attention. Move fast, stop on the cue.
Simon Says with big movements. Jumping, spinning, arm circles, with calm moments mixed in.
Marching with knees high, or windmill arms. March in place to a count of twenty, or arms in big circles ten forward and ten back. Before focus tasks.
Wall touches. Run and touch one wall, turn, run to the opposite wall, five times, as fast as is safe.
Scooter board or riding toy. Vestibular and proprioceptive. Belly-down, pushing with the hands, on a smooth clear floor.
Blowing games. Oral. Cotton balls across the table through a straw, or keeping a feather in the air.
Cool water. Tactile. Hands alternating between a cool basin and a warm (not hot) one, or a cool splash on the face or hands at the sink followed by three deep breaths.
Flashlight and high-contrast play. Visual. In a dim room, chase the light spot on the wall; light-up toys and high-contrast books. Skip it if your child is visually sensitive.
Crunchy or chewy snacks. Oral. Apple slices, carrots, crackers, dried fruit, with the crunch pointed out; only textures your child can chew safely.
Shaving cream on a tray. Tactile. Wet and messy, so it comes after dry bins for an avoider.
Cold or textured items. Tactile. An ice cube to hold, a bumpy ball, a scrub brush on the palm, a vibrating toy.
Tiptoe reaches. Stand on tiptoes, reach high, hold five seconds, repeat five times.

Organizing examples

Heavy work, rhythm, balance, and cross-body movement. Use them before a challenging task, during transitions, between seated activities, and as the warm-up for learning or play. The book's rule: heavy work before focused tasks, movement breaks between seated ones.

Obstacle course. Cushions to climb over, a tunnel (or a chair with a blanket over it) to crawl through, a tape line to walk, ten to fifteen minutes. Build in heavy work, balance, and crawling.
Pushing and pulling. Proprioceptive. A laundry basket of books, a wagon, or a toy stroller across the room, loaded so it's heavy but movable, and pushed to wherever you're going next.
Heavy helper jobs. Proprioceptive. Carrying groceries, moving the laundry basket, stacking books, wearing a backpack with a couple of books in it, setting the table. "Special helper," not chores.
Therapy ball. Bounce gently while seated, roll over it on the tummy, or roll it over your child's body with gentle pressure.
Sensory bin. Tactile. Rice, beans, or water beads with toys hidden inside; start with dry textures if your child avoids messy play, and supervise any child who mouths.
Rhythm with music. Auditory and proprioceptive. Drums, shakers, clapping, or a pot and a spoon, to a steady beat. For sound-sensitive children the book suggests rain sticks and quiet shakers first, letting the child set the volume.
Balance beam or tape line. Walk forward, backward, and sideways along a line on the floor, holding a hand if needed.
Wall or floor push-ups. Five to ten repetitions, form over number.
Tug-of-war. A rope or sturdy fabric, one to two minutes, with safe footing.
Wheelbarrow walking. Your child walks on hands while you hold the legs, ten to fifteen feet; hold at the thighs for easier, the ankles for harder.
Crossing moves. Right hand to left knee, left hand to right knee, ten times, a little faster each round. Before focused work.
Body tapping. Firm taps in order from head to feet and back up. Before a new activity.
Follow the leader. Copy a sequence (clap, stomp, touch head), adding one move each round.
Count and breathe. In for five, hold for two, out for five. Any transition.
Straw drinks. Oral. Something thick, like a smoothie or applesauce, through a straw before a focused task.
Body tracing. Tactile and proprioceptive. Draw around your child on big paper, then name the parts.

Examples by time of day

Waking up

Most children, and especially under-responsive ones, do better with a short movement burst before being asked to sit, eat, or get dressed. The book's example day starts with alerting input, animal walks or a dance party, for three to five minutes, then an organizing heavy-helper job like setting the table before breakfast. Five minutes is enough. For a child who wakes already revved, skip the alerting and go straight to heavy work (pushing the basket to the kitchen).

Before leaving the house

The ten minutes before the door opens are for heavy work: push the basket, carry the bag. In the car, a straw cup or a chew necklace. For an avoider, headphones go on before the door opens.

After school or daycare

A child who's been holding it together in a loud, bright room for six hours is usually depleted by pickup. Resist the urge to ask questions. For an avoider, the first twenty minutes at home are decompression: quiet corner, dim light, lap pad if welcomed, snack. For a seeker, those same twenty minutes are the trampoline or the pillow crash.

Before dinner

Ten minutes of heavy work right before sitting down (blanket roll, wall push-ups, carrying plates to the table) tends to buy a calmer meal. The book also suggests building movement into the walk itself: march to the bathroom, crawl to the table.

Bedtime

Slow, rhythmic, deep pressure, in the same order every night. Bend and stretch, then a firm back rub or a squish between pillows if welcomed, then slow rocking with a book, lights low. The predictability is doing as much as the input.

The activity menu, printable.

Every activity on this page in a printable grid, one page each for calming, alerting, and organizing: activity, sense it feeds, how to do it, and the book's suggested durations.

One email with the PDF, plus occasional early-intervention tips from Andrea. Unsubscribe anytime.

Sample sensory diet for a sensory seeker

Imagine a three-year-old who climbs everything, crashes into furniture, chews his shirt collars, and can't sit through a meal. His day might run like this:

7:00 wake: Three minutes on the mini trampoline, then bear crawl to the kitchen.
8:15 before leaving: Push the laundry basket to the door. Straw cup in the car.
4:30 pickup: Straight to the yard or the hallway obstacle course for fifteen minutes. No questions until afterward.
5:30 before dinner: Blanket roll twice, then he carries the unbreakable plates to the table. Carrot sticks available during the meal.
7:00 bedtime: Pillow squish, slow rocking, book.

He's getting the input his body was going to seek anyway, but on your schedule and ahead of the moments that used to go wrong. For a seeker, the goal is enough proprioceptive input that he isn't manufacturing it by crashing into his sister.

Sample sensory diet for a sensory avoider

Now imagine a two-year-old who covers her ears at the blender, screams at the bath, refuses most clothing, and shuts down at daycare pickup. Her day:

7:00 wake: Slow start. Lotion massage on arms and legs (if she accepts it) while still in bed, then a gentle stretch. Tagless, seamless clothing laid out the night before.
8:15 before leaving: Headphones on before the door. Chewy necklace. The same song in the car every day.
4:30 pickup: Headphones on walking in. At home, twenty minutes in the quiet corner with the glitter jar before anyone talks to her much.
5:30 before dinner: Playdough at the table for ten minutes (dry, resistive, predictable), then dinner at the same spot with the same plate.
6:45 bath: Warm the bathroom first. Dry rice bin play beforehand to get hands used to texture. Pour water over her hands before her body. Firm towel rub after, which many avoiders find calming once the bath is over.
7:15 bedtime: Deep-pressure back rub if welcomed, slow rocking, book, same order every night.

Her plan is mostly about reducing load and front-loading calm, with small doses of tactile input introduced on her terms. An avoider's progress is measured in tolerance: the bath that lasts two minutes longer, the new shirt that stays on.

Safety notes

Deep pressure is offered and never imposed; if your child pulls away from a squish or a hug, that's the end of that activity for now. Weighted items have rules: a blanket is about 10 percent of body weight and a lap pad about 5 percent, never over the face, never on a child who can't push it off alone, and not for children under two; a weighted lap pad during a supervised seated activity, only if your child welcomes it, is the toddler-safe version. Spinning should be in fifteen- to thirty-second bursts with you right there, and a stop the moment your child looks glassy, flushed, or unsteady. Anything that goes in the mouth should be made for that purpose, and small items in bins need supervision with any child who still mouths objects.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (Zimmer and Desch, 2012) advises families using any sensory-based approach to set a specific functional goal and a time limit, then judge honestly whether it's helping. Pick a goal (a calmer pickup, a longer bath), run the plan for two weeks, and keep what works. If meltdowns are the moment that's breaking you, the meltdown vs tantrum page covers what to do once one has started.

Frequently asked questions

What are good sensory diet activities for toddlers?

The most useful ones for toddlers are heavy work in disguise: pushing a loaded laundry basket, carrying a small weighted backpack, heavy-helper jobs, pillow crashes, and blanket rolls. Add a few alerting options for the morning (trampoline, animal walks, crunchy snacks) and calming options for bedtime (slow rocking, firm back rub). Keep each to five or ten minutes.

How do I know if an activity is calming or alerting for my child?

Watch the ten minutes afterward. If your child is more settled and able to sit, it calmed them; if they're more awake and responsive, it alerted them; if they're more able to start the next thing, it organized them. The categories above are typical, but some children find spinning calming or deep pressure irritating. Your two weeks of notes outrank any chart.

Where can I get a sensory diet activities PDF?

The activity menu above lists every activity on this page with its sense, how to do it, and the book's durations, one page each for calming, alerting, and organizing, and you can print it from the email. For the observation checklist and weekly planner to go with it, see the sensory diet checklist.

The activity menu, printable.

Every activity on this page in a printable grid you can stick on the fridge and circle what works.

One email with the PDF, plus occasional early-intervention tips from Andrea. Unsubscribe anytime.

The full sensory chapter, with the calming strategies, the hyposensitivity activities, and the Home Sensory Toolkit by system, is in the book, and the kit's Home Sensory Diet Planner and printable Sensory Break Cards are where most of the activities above come from. If transitions and meltdowns are your hard moments, the hard moments guide shows how the sensory pieces fit with the behavior tools; the book and kit bundle includes both.