Tactile Awareness Activities

Below are some ideas for sensory stimulation (or experimentation) in the areas of touch and taste and may prove useful for teachers who are working with students with vision and additional impairmentseachers and who may be particularly challenging to design educational programs for.

Adapted from: ‘Early Sensory Skills’ by Jackie Cooke (Speechmark Publishing, UK 1996) by Marion Blazé, Advisory Teacher for Vision, Darwin (formerly Education Officer for students with vision impairments, Victoria)

• Try the following on various parts of the body: hands, face, legs, arms, feet
• Always tell the child what you are doing. Talk to him/her so that contact is not unexpected.
• Look for responses to the stimuli. The child may respond while experiencing the stimulus, or when it is removed. Responses may include smiling, looking, turning towards or away, blinking, stilling, pulling an unhappy face, vocalising.
• Record responses and the situation
• At a later time, see if the response is repeated
• Try to ensure the child is comfortable before embarking on an activity. If s/he has to concentrate on maintaining balance (for example), s/he may not respond to another stimulus.

Fanning

• Use a Spanish or Chinese style fan or a piece of cardboard to gently fan the child
• Vary the speed of fanning
• Hold the fan nearer or further away
• Pause for a while to see a reaction
• Move to different parts of the body
• Can try an electric fan, hair dryer, balloons, or an air-bed type pump
• Caution: be careful with powered devices. Check heat and power on yourself, first.

Spraying

• Use a garden type sprayer, and luke warm water to spray various parts of the body
• Vary the temperature of the water (but not too hot)
• Change the ‘spray’ to a ‘jet’
• Try a watering can

Splashing and plunging

• Use a bowl of luke warm water and put the child’s feet or hands into it
• Vary the temperature of the water (but not too hot)
• Put different scents in the water
• Put bubble bath in the water

Brushing and stroking

• Use large soft, thick-bristled brushes (like make-up brushes) to gently brush various parts of the body
• Brush faster and slower
• Use different amounts of pressure
• Vary the type of brush used
• Try feathers, feather dusters, tissues, cotton wool, cotton buds, powder puffs, sponges, silk scarves or your own fingers

Textured Surfaces

• Use various different textures on a lap tray by placing the child’s hands palm down on the texture
• Use your own hands to help the child feel the texture
• Use different surfaces like brick, wool, fur, velvet, suede, plastic, embossed wallpaper, braille, packaging material like bubble wrap, rubber matting, etc
• Try putting the child’s feet on the surfaces

Massage and Firm Touch

• Use talcum powder to gently massage various parts of the body
• Start with a gentle massage and become firmer
• Vary the speed of massage
• Use more or less talc
• Caution: some children may be allergic to talc or suffer from asthmatic reactions. Ask parents or carers, or experiment with very small quantities, first.

Taste Awareness Activities

Below are ideas for contrasting tastes, textures and drinks.

Caution: Beware of food allergies. Consult with the child’s usual carer to find out what s/he can or cannot eat. Avoid foods with known risks, such as nuts.

Taste

Taste

Texture

Texture

Different drinks

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