Heavy Work Activities
What is it and why is it important?
Whole body actions involving pushing, pulling, lifting, playing, and moving
Use of hands for squeezing, pinching, or "fidgeting"
Oral actions such as chewing, sucking, and blowing
This resistive input obtained through heavy work activities is generally organizing and can improve attention, arousal level, body awareness and muscle tone.
Proprioception
Proprioception is a form of sensory input to the muscles and joints which makes us aware of our "position in space" (i.e., where we are in relation to other objects or people). Children who have difficulty interpreting proprioceptive input have trouble grading and planning their movements and regulating their level of arousal.
You may see a child who accidentally breaks things often, appears clumsy and uncoordinated and may have an excessive need to crash and bump into objects, walls and people.
If they are seeking out excessive proprioceptive input, they are looking for a way to calm and organize their nervous system. They may seem disruptive, full of excessive energy, or even unsafe. These are the crashers, jumpers, movers, and shakers! These are the children we ABSOLUTELY want to target with heavy work activities. It WILL make a difference in them!
The following is an extensive list of heavy work activities/proprioceptive activities that may help regulate a child's arousal level, concentration, ability to fall asleep or sit still and attend to a task.
It is also important to note which activities calm your child, arouse them, or over arouse them. This is very unique to each individual and must be observed and treated as such!
Gross Motor Activities
Carrying objects, such as...
groceries
backpacks
kids fanny pack
stacking or moving chairs/books
watering can/hose
ANYTHING with weight to it
Pushing or pulling objects and activities, such as...
toy shopping cart
laundry basket
kids wagon
tug of war rope
rainbow putty press (flatten putty on wall or desk/table)
toy vacuum
mop/sweep floor with a mop, broom and dustpan for kids
wrestling
shoveling snow with a kids snow shovel
raking leaves, dirt etc. using a kid's wheelbarrow and Brio Garden Tools: rake, spade, shovel and broom
pushing/pulling self or others on a jumbo scooter board
Thera-Band
"push of war" between partners (with ball, have to cross over line)
riding bicycles / scooters
kids roller blades
Jumping and bouncing on/with items, such as...
on a trampoline
on an old mattress or soft area
into bean bag chairs
on a therapy ball (with adult assistance of course)
on a pogo stick
moon shoes
on a hopping ball
horseback riding
with a jump rope
foam hopscotch pads
ankle twister jump ropes
floor gymnastics
happy hop ball
Wheelbarrow walk relays
Potato sac/jumping bag races
Lizard crawl (belly on floor, push self with elbows)
Climbing/hanging on things, such as...
on jungle gyms/Geo-Dome
monkey bars
jungle climber with swings
hanging rings and trapeze
outside on rocks or trees
up ladder and/or slide
climbing/cargo nets
Walking/running/playing in the sand
“Sandwich"/ Squishing activities...
make a child "sandwich" between floor pillowsor cushions
roll child up in mat or heavy blanket as a "hot dog"
give child heavy blankets, weighted blankets, or sleeping bags (for children) at bedtime
bear hugs
firm towel dry after baths, wrap up tightly
roll an giant gym/exercise ball on top of them while they lay on the floor
Twister
Crabwalk (hands and feet on floor, belly up) games, such as...
relays
soccer
volleyball (in crabwalk position kicking balloon with feet in air)
Fine Motor Activities
Working at vertical surfaces (at/above eye level), such as...
with tabletop easels
erasing, coloring on chalkboard
painting/drawing on adjustable floor easel
washing windows
wipe down shower or tub
paint with water on side of house
Resistive tools or toys, such as...
clothespins
spray bottles
use curvy cut scissors to cut putty, play-doh, thick paper or cardboard
Play Doh Factory presses and molds
use rolling pins to flatten cookie dough/play-doh
color/draw with crayon on textured surface or rubbing plates
bingo/dot markers
paper punches
spray nozzle on garden hose
Fidget or play with stretchy/squishy items, such as...
Theraputty (hide and seek with coins, tug of war, cut and flatten to make cookies, roll out to make letters, etc.)
play-doh
rubber bands
Morf stress relief balls
relaxable squeeze balls
"squishies" (fill two balloons, inside each other, with flour or sand)
Resistive surfaces, such as...
sidewalk chalk on driveway/sidewalk/playground
color pictures taped over sandpaper
use sanding block to sand wood project
brush the family dog
Use weighted pens, pencils or utensils
Multi-person parachute games and activities
Cooking activities, such as...
stirring
pressing
kneading
Dig and play in the sand with a homemade toy backhoe , or with some cool beach and sandbox toys using sand and water tables or, wooden covered sandboxes
Oral Motor Activities
Chewy foods such as...
dried fruit
gummy bears/worms etc.
licorice
beef jerky
bagels
cheese
granola bars
gum
raisins
taffy
soft pretzels
popcorn
Resistive sucking using items such as...
through thin curly straws/krazy straws
sports bottle with long straw
lollipops
popsicles
drink milkshake with a straw
hard candies
peanut butter
Blowing activities, such as...
wind instruments
bubbles
balloons
whistles/slide whistles
"snake"/blower party favors
make splatter paintings (use thin paint on paper... blow air through a straw and watch the paint move! can also use chocolate pudding thinned with milk on freezer paper)
Blow tropical fish bubbles in the bath
kazoos, whizzers, and other noise makers
SOURCE: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com