toddlers – Grow

Sensory Tips for Holiday Meals

The holidays are here! While many of us are looking forward to the endless buffets of casseroles and pies, if you’re a parent of toddlers, picky eaters, or kids with significant sensory needs, these holiday meals can be highly stressful.

As pediatric occupational therapy practitioners, we’ve spent years helping children with feeding and sensory processing differences. Here are 5 simple tips that can help alleviate some of that holiday mealtime stress:

If possible, arrive early to gatherings so kids have a chance to acclimate to the space before it gets busy.
Provide noise-cancelling headphones or designate a quiet room for kids to go when they feel overwhelmed by sights and smells.
Keep serving sizes small, especially with unfamiliar foods. A good place is start is one tablespoon, and no more than one tablespoon per year of age.
Limit to 3-4 foods on the plate at one time to avoid visual overstimulation.
Always have at least 1 “safe” food on the plate that you know your child will eat.

We know table manners are important to a lot of people, but we often encourage kids to play with their food, especially towards the end of a meal. Learning happens through play, and food is no exception. Kids are more likely to eat something if they’re familiar with it.

Eating is arguably the most complex thing that children do, so these recommendations just scratch the surface. If mealtimes are consistently stressful, your child eats fewer than 10 foods, or your child avoids foods in a specific food group, he or she might benefit from occupational therapy. Our office is available for free 15-minute consultations either by phone or in person. You can request an appointment online or call us at 706-310-8383.

Easy Button Sandwich

There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest using felt to create buttoning activities. However, if you aren’t super crafty, you can easily transform pre-made felt foods (like these sandwich pieces from Melissa & Doug) into a fun way to practice buttoning skills.

Here’s how we created a button sandwich!

1. Sew a strip of ribbon to the center of one slice of bread.

Tip #1: Longer ribbons are easier to manipulate compared to shorter lengths. We used 3-inch strips, but you can use shorter pieces to increase the challenge.

2. Sew a button to the other end of the ribbon.

Tip #2: Large buttons are easiest, but just make sure the slits are large enough! We found these big 1.5” buttons at Joann.

3. Use sharp scissors or an xacto knife to create a slit in the center of the felt that is slightly larger than the button. Thick felt with extra details might be too challenging to slit, so you’ll likely want to put those pieces aside.

Since it was full of stuffing, instead of creating a slit in the second piece of bread, it can just sit on top. If your end pieces are thin felt, feel free to slit those too!

4. Enjoy your new button sandwich!

Aside from buttoning, here are some other ways to play:

Practice color and shape identification or letter sounds when sorting the food to develop academic skills
Take sandwich orders from family members and have your child remember the ingredient list to enhance short-term memory skills
Scan for ingredients scattered on the floor to promote visual perceptual skills

Easy enough, right? If you try it, show us your finished product!

PS – Let us know if you want to see more posts like this!

Halloween Tips & Tricks for Kids with Sensory Needs

Halloween can be fun, or it can be a night of fright for parents and kids with sensory challenges.

Here are some tricks for making your Halloween a treat!🎃

1.) Talk to your child about your Halloween plans. Details might include places you’ll go, who you’re going with, things they might see (costumes, spooky decorations), ways to stay safe, and how to say “trick or treat.” You can also read social stories with your child; here’s a list of some free stories about Halloween!

2.) Sensory-proof your child’s costume. Allow your child to try on his or her costume and wear it for an extended period of time (ex: 1 hour) to ensure they will feel comfortable for the duration of whatever Halloween event you attend. Common irritations can include tags, elastic, Velcro closures, or certain fabric textures.

3.) Opt for smaller events. You might also choose to stay home & pass out candy, or pick 1 familiar street for trick-or-treating. This decreases the likelihood of sensory overload or meltdowns.

4.) Know your child’s limits. Be mindful of his or her signals indicating overstimulation and fatigue. Have a backup plan if your child becomes upset, especially if you’re with a group of other children.

Do you have other tips? Let us know how you survive Halloween!