Sensory Play with Biggo Blocks: Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorders

Sensory processing disorders (SPD) can present unique challenges for children, affecting how they interpret and respond to sensory information from their environment. Engaging in sensory play can be a powerful way to help these children process and regulate sensory input. Building blocks, like Biggo Blocks, offer an excellent medium for sensory play, combining tactile, visual, and motor skills in engaging activities. This blog explores several sensory-friendly activities using Biggo Blocks to support children with SPD.

Understanding Sensory Processing Disorders

Sensory processing disorders occur when the brain has difficulty receiving and responding to information that comes through the senses. Children with SPD might be overly sensitive to some stimuli or under-responsive to others. Activities that incorporate sensory input in a structured and safe manner can aid in their development and comfort.

Sensory-Friendly Activities with Biggo Blocks

1. Textured Block Hunt

• Biggo Blocks with various textures (smooth, bumpy, ridged)
• Blindfold or soft fabric
• Small bag or box

1. Place Biggo Blocks in a bag or box.
2. Blindfold the child or ask them to close their eyes.
3. Encourage them to feel inside the bag and identify blocks by their texture.

• Boosts tactile discrimination: Kids get better at recognizing and responding to different textures.
• Improves fine motor skills: They enhance their hand and finger coordination as they explore the surfaces.

This activity is especially helpful for children with sensory processing challenges, as it helps them become more aware of different tactile sensations and how to react to them.

2. Weighted Block Building

• Biggo Blocks
• Small weights or sandbags (designed to fit inside the hollow spaces of the blocks)

1. Insert small weights or sandbags in the open spaces of the Biggo Blocks, and secure them with adhesive tape to prevent shifting or spilling.
2. Encourage the child to build structures using a combination of regular and weighted Biggo Blocks, practicing lifting, stacking, and balancing while experiencing the difference in weight.

• Enhances Proprioception: The added weight helps children develop a better sense of body position and movement as they handle and build with the blocks.
• Boosts Coordination and Strength: The resistance provided by the weighted blocks challenges children’s coordination and strengthens their muscles as they lift and balance the heavier blocks.

This activity is particularly beneficial for children with sensory processing disorders, as it offers additional practice in body control and movement through engaging, hands-on play.

3. Color Sorting and Pattern Making

Color Sorting and Pattern Making with Biggo Blocks is a fun activity that helps kids improve their visual and organizational skills. In this game, children sort blocks by color and then use them to create patterns or sequences.

Materials:

• Biggo Blocks in various colors

Activity:

1. Mix different colored blocks together.
2. Ask the child to sort them by color.
3. Encourage them to create patterns or sequences with the sorted blocks.

What it does:

• Boosts visual skills: Kids get better at recognizing and categorizing colors.
• Enhances cognitive skills: Creating patterns helps them learn to organize and solve problems.

This activity makes learning fun and supports essential skills by combining play with valuable visual and cognitive development.

4. Sound and Sensory Bin

This is a fun, multi-sensory activity that combines sounds and textures to engage kids' senses. By filling a bin with Biggo Blocks, rice, and small sound-making objects, children get to explore different textures and sounds through play.

Materials:

• Biggo Blocks
• Rice, beans, or dried pasta
• Small bells or shakers

Activity:

1. Fill a sensory bin with Biggo Blocks, rice, and small sound-making objects.
2. Let the child explore the bin, encouraging them to find blocks and listen to the different sounds.

How it helps:

• Enhances auditory skills: Kids listen to and identify the different sounds the materials make.
• Encourages tactile exploration: They get to feel and move around the various objects in the bin.
• Develops fine motor skills: Handling small items improves their hand and finger coordination.

This activity provides a rich sensory experience, making it a great tool for sensory developmen. It makes learning through touch and sound both engaging and beneficial.

5. Block Obstacle Course

The Block Obstacle Course is a playful way to boost kids' gross motor skills and spatial awareness using Biggo Blocks. By creating an obstacle course with these blocks and other household items, children can step over, crawl under, and weave through different setups.

Materials:

• Biggo Blocks
• Household items (chairs, pillows, etc.)

Activity:

1. Set up an obstacle course using Biggo Blocks and household items.
2. Guide the child to navigate the course, stepping over, crawling under, or weaving through the blocks.

How it helps:

• Improves coordination: Kids practice moving through the course, which enhances their ability to plan and execute movements.
• Builds spatial awareness: They learn to judge distances and avoid bumping into obstacles, helping them understand how to move in their environment.

This activity not only makes exercise fun but also supports essential skills, especially for children with sensory processing challenges. It helps them navigate and interact with their surroundings in a more confident and coordinated way.

Conclusion

Using Biggo Blocks in sensory play can be a fun and therapeutic way to support children with sensory processing disorders. These activities can help enhance sensory integration, motor skills, and overall sensory regulation. By incorporating tactile, visual, auditory, and proprioceptive elements, children can engage in meaningful play that addresses their unique sensory needs.

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References

1. Lumiere Children’s Therapy - At-Home Occupational Therapy Activities for Children With Sensory Processing Issues
2. Lumiere Children’s Therapy - Child Therapy: Proprioceptive Sensory Activities
3. Raising Children Network - Sensory Play for Babies and Toddlers 
4. Miracle Recreation - Benefits of Sensory Play for Development
5. Child Mind Institute - Sensory Processing Issues Explained 
6. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing - Understanding the Sensory Integration Process