DIY Travel Sensory Tub for Under $40

First of all, let me preface this post by saying that nothing can replace a good occupational therapist! Both of my boys have been blessed with amazing OT's through the years, and they have made a HUGE impact on how our boys interact with the world around them. 

As parents and caregivers, we often wonder what we can do outside of therapy time to provide a sensory-rich experience for our little individuals on the spectrum and all kids in general. What can we do in the car or at a family member's house or during playtime? With just a little searching at your nearby dollar store (or even Walmart), you can create a relatively inexpensive little tub of goodies to provide your little ones with sensory input wherever you go!

Here are a few tips when searching: 

1.) Customize the items to your child's preferences. If your child melts down when they touch a textured ball, don't include it. The goal of this box is to help foster a sense of calm and balance in what can often be a sensory-heavy world. Test different textures, sounds, odors, flavors, and colors with your child, and seek out items that provide the type of input they need/prefer.

2.) Search for items that can provide several different types of sensory input. Dual-purpose items will not only stretch your dollars, but they will also provide a variety of input for your child.

3.) Include a couple of items that are only for "sensory tub time" that really appeal to your child. By making this tub special for them, you will increase the likelihood of having success with it.

My Plan:

My goal was to spend less than $50 to create a travel sensory tub for my two sons. (I have a 9 yo & a 2 yo with very different sensory needs.) Items in this tub were purchased at Five Below, Walmart, & Family Dollar. 

(We do have another tub at home that has a better variety of toys that also includes a light-up spinner, a sensory brush, a weighted lap pad, pegs & pegboard, large pop beads, lacing toys, a white noise machine, etc. As you probably know, sensory parents can sometimes go a little overboard in our search for anything that helps! For that reason, I restricted my search for this blog post to just some basics.)

Here's the breakdown:

Prisma Light Spinner - $5

Play-Doh Starter 8 Pack - $5

Mini Bubbles 24ct - $4

Scented Markers & Notebook - $4

Magic Window Glitter Sand Toy - $3

Squirmels- $3

Textured Monster - $2

Wind-Up Toy - $1

Flick'n Chick'n - $1

Textured Light-Up Ball - $1

Bubble Shaker - Christmas Clearance- $.25

Tub - $2

 

Tangle Jr. (Not pictured) - $4 on Amazon

Total - $35.25

Other Items to consider:

• I put a spoon & baby food lid in there, because one loves to dangle & the other loves to spin them...

• tops

• snacks

• spinners (light-up)

• handheld massager

• stress ball

• baby or pet chew toys (unused, of course) for oral stimulation

• matchbox cars

• small weighted bean bag

• pegboard & pegs

• lacing blocks & laces

• Legos

• headphones or ear buds

• an iPod or MP3 device