Investigate evidence-based sensory integration strategies and therapeutic tools designed to help individuals of all ages regulate sensory input, enhance emotional regulation, and improve behavior, attention, and participation across a variety of environments.
Summer is a great time for play, but for children with developmental, sensory, or motor challenges, it can also present a risk of skill regression or sensory dysregulation due to changes in routine. This guide provides parents, caregivers, and professionals with easy-to-implement summer sensory activities using Therapro’s therapeutic tools—perfect for home use.
1. Bubbles: Oral Motor Play for Regulation and Focus
Why It Works: Blowing bubbles provides controlled oral motor input, which supports breath control, self-regulation, and speech development. According to Williams & Shellenberger (1996), oral motor activities help modulate arousal levels and improve focus.
Activity Idea: Create a “Bubble Pathway” where children walk a zigzag or hopscotch path while blowing bubbles. Add simple motor tasks to combine movement with breathwork.
2. Movement & Coordination: Full-Body Sensory Input
Why It Works:Balance boards, scooter boards, and wobble cushions provide vestibular and proprioceptive input. These are essential for organizing the nervous system and supporting sustained attention.
Activity Idea: Design a simple obstacle course with a balance board, bean bags, and a scooter board. Use it for morning movement breaks or pre-dinner wind-down time.
Why It Works: Tactile games and sensory bins offer soothing sensory input and promote calm alertness. Use them during transitions or when screen time ends to re-engage your child.
Activity Idea: Fill a bin with textured items and add task cards or sorting games. Try playing a matching game with tactile elements to enhance fine motor skills.
Make Summer Count Therapro’s at-home therapy tools are designed to be easy, effective, and fun. With consistent use, these summer sensory activities can help prevent skill loss, improve sensory regulation, and support ongoing development through the summer months.
Explore More: Visit Therapro.com for more summer sensory tools, games, and resources.
Whistle and blow toys are more than just fun — they’re powerful tools in oral motor therapy that support breath control, lip closure, sensory regulation, and multisensory integration. Whether used by occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, or other pediatric specialists, whistle and blow toys can be strategically selected and graded to match a child’s specific needs and abilities.
In the clinical guide M.O.R.E.: Integrating the Mouth With Sensory and Postural Functions, the authors explain how oral motor activities engage the sensory and postural systems simultaneously. Blowing activates the muscles of respiration and the oral-motor system while also stimulating alerting or calming effects, depending on intensity and pacing. Synchronizing breath with visual tracking or postural tasks further enhances body awareness and regulation. Selecting the right level of whistle or blow toy ensures that the activity challenges the child appropriately and supports therapeutic progress.
Understanding the Levels
Level 1 Whistles – Low Resistance, High Accessibility
These are ideal for children with reduced breath support or limited oral motor control. They require minimal pressure and allow success with less precise lip closure.
Therapro Recommendations:
Echo Microphone: Amplifies voice, building auditory feedback and confidence.
Saxoflute: Modular and playful, encourages simple exhalation.
Breath Support & Control: Essential for speech production, sustained phonation, and self-regulation.
Oral Motor Development: Enhances strength and coordination of the lips, cheeks, and tongue.
Sensory Regulation: Blowing can be alerting or calming, depending on resistance and activity structure.
Multisensory Integration: Eye-breath coordination and posture-breath synchrony help develop attention and motor planning.
Therapro’s full line of whistle and blow toys is organized to help therapists and parents choose developmentally appropriate tools that support targeted outcomes. For a deeper understanding of how oral motor input integrates with sensory and postural systems, consider addingM.O.R.E. to your resource library.
Occupational therapy (OT) plays a vital role in promoting a healthy lifestyle by supporting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. From physical activity and sensory regulation to healthy eating habits and stress management, OTs empower individuals to build routines that enhance their overall health.
This Occupational Therapy Month, let’s explore key strategies OTs use to promote healthy lifestyles and share resources to support therapists in their work.
1. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Physical Activity & Movement 🚶♂️💪
Regular movement is essential for strength, coordination, balance, and overall well-being. Occupational therapists encourage fun, engaging activities that promote motor skills and physical fitness in both children and adults.
Therapro’s Top Picks for Movement & Mobility:
🔹 Wobble Chairs & Stability Discs – Great for improving core strength and active sitting in classrooms and therapy sessions. 🔹Balance Boards & Stepping Stones– Help with coordination, balance, and motor planning while keeping movement engaging. 🔹 Therapy Balls – Ideal for vestibular input and postural control exercises. 🔹Resistance Bands – Fun ways to develop upper body strength, endurance, and proprioceptive input.
💡 Therapist Tip: Incorporate movement breaks throughout the day to help children and adults maintain focus, regulate energy levels, and reduce stress.
Balance Pods Kore Kids Wobble ChairGymnic Disc ‘O’ Sit
2. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Sensory Regulation & Mindfulness 🧘♀️
Managing sensory input and practicing mindfulness are essential for reducing stress and supporting mental well-being. OTs use sensory-friendly activities to help individuals stay calm, focused, and self-regulated throughout the day.
💡 Therapist Tip: Create a sensory toolkit for home, school, or therapy sessions, including fidgets, weighted tools, and calming visuals to support self-regulation throughout the day.
Nutrition and self-care routines are essential parts of a balanced lifestyle. OTs help individuals with feeding challenges, adaptive utensils, and personal care skills to promote independence in daily routines.
💡 Therapist Tip: Encourage families to set up predictable daily routines using visual schedules, timers, andadaptive tools to promote independence and reduce stress.
Time TimerTheraBear Drinking CupSaxoflute
4. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Social Participation & Mental Health 🤝💬
A healthy lifestyle includes building meaningful relationships, developing social-emotional skills, and managing emotions effectively. OTs support clients in fostering social communication, emotional regulation, and self-awareness to promote overall well-being.
Therapro’s Top Picks for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):
