Sensory Bags For Children With Down Syndrome
A sensory bag is a great tool to help your child with Down syndrome when they are out in the community. Honestly, they're great for any child with special needs. A good sensory bag can help prevent meltdowns which means a better community experience for everyone.
Hey Mama Bears, full disclosure here. There are affiliate links in this post so if you click on the link and buy the product I will earn a small commission. Now that we’re clear on that let’s get back to rocking life with special needs!
And remember Mama Bears, as with anything on Twenty One Dandelions, you know your child and your family best. Take what works for you and don’t worry about the rest!
What Is A Sensory Bag?
A sensory bag is a bag filled with items to help stimulate your child’s senses or lessen stimuli from their environment. When out in the community if they should become stressed, anxious, or agitated due to sensory overload the bag can be used to provide sensory help to manage the overwhelm.
How Does A Sensory Bag Help Avoid Meltdowns In Your Child With Down Syndrome?
A common reason for meltdowns in children is sensory overload or perhaps underload. When we leave the comfort of our home and go out into the community to new environments and situations all that sensory input can be overwhelming. The sun may be too bright, vehicles too loud, and there may be new smells because of flowers or restaurants.
Sensory bags or calm down bags are filled with tools we can use to meet our child’s sensory needs when they are out and about. Everything you may need is conveniently located in the bag so you and your child can still be out in the community engaging with others and building confidence.
There was a time we didn’t leave the house without Max’s sensory bag. It went to the park, the beach, doctor appointments, parties, the mall, basically wherever we went it went.
The sensory bag = lifesaver!
What To Put Into A Sensory Bag?
The best sensory bag is one that is customized for your child and will be based on your child’s sensory needs. YOU are the expert on your child and the best one to decide what needs to go in the bag.
Here are some ideas though to get you started…
Ideas For Sensory Bag Items
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Change of Clothes
When Max was younger he could not tolerate it if he became wet or cold. If he spilled water on himself or we were caught in the rain it was a surefire way to trigger him! Having an extra set of clothes for him to change into was key! He didn’t like being cold either so we always had a sweatshirt in the bag so we were prepared for changes in temperature.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Noise Cancelling Headphones
A must have for any sensory bag! Sound is such a trigger for so many of our kiddos. Max loves sports and sporting events but the sounds are hard for him to handle. Those buzzers are loud! Noise cancelling headphones make things tolerable.
These headphones cancel 90% of ambient noise and are wireless so they can connect to your kiddo’s phone! Max loves to listen to music while were out and about to help calm himself.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Sunglasses
Max has always worn glasses and we’ve always bought glasses with transition lenses. If your child doesn’t wear glasses it’s always a good idea to have sunglasses in the sensory bag for those super sunny days!
I like that these are light weight and have a neck strap so they’re less likely to get lost!
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Water Bottle
Our kids with Down syndrome can get overheated and thirsty quickly. Having a water bottle at the ready helps avoid meltdowns and dehydration.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Snacks
Have you ever heard of the term “hangry”? Well I suffer from it and so does Max. Making sure we have snacks is key to keeping hangry vibes away when we are out and about.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Hat
A wide brimmed hat is nice to have when it is really warm and sunny out. It keepst Max cool and also protects him from the sun.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Chewies
If your child likes to chew on things especially when they’re nervous then you definitely want to make sure you have a chewie in your sensory bag.
These chewies look like necklaces which is nice because if your child drops it then it’s still around their neck and not lost! Of course whether or not a necklace would be a good choice is your call. They also have chewies that are not necklaces if a necklace poses a safety hazard.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Liquid Motion Sensory Toy
These things are memorizing. I’ll catch myself just staring at them for a minute or two! They’re great to help calm your child and keep them busy when they’re bored.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Light Up Magic Ball Toy Wand
Max likes to stim to help calm himself when needed. This light up toy wand is perfect for stimming as it attracts less attention from others who may not understand.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Stress Balls
Perhaps your child needs to touch or squeeze something when they’re overstimulated. These stress balls are perfect and fun!
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Weighted Lap Pad
A weighted lap pad can comfort your child and increase their focus. They even make super cute lap pads that look like stuffed animals now!
If an animal shaped weighted lap pad is too distracting try out something like this!
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Visual Supports For Behavior
Going out into the community was really difficult for Max when he was younger. We tried to meet his sensory needs the best we could but we also used a reward board to help manage behavior. If you want to learn more about how to use a reward board then check out How To Use a Reward Board For The Special Needs Mom
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Technology
Don’t forget your child’s technology whether it’s a phone, I-pad, or something else. When Max was younger we used technology judiciously when out in the community. I would not let him sit on his phone when we were at a playground because I wanted him to play and interact. If we were at the grocery store using a reward board and he earned all of his tokens sometimes he was rewarded with 5 minutes of I-pad time.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Timer
We used a timer to help with a number of things. One of the things we used it for was to help with transitions. If we were at the beach and it was getting time to go home I would verbally tell Max we had to start packing up in 5 minutes and then I’d set the timer. When it went off it was an auditory and visual reminder that it was time to go.
We also used a timer for reward time. As I mentioned before we often used a reward board and Max would earn 5 minutes of the I-pad if he earned all of his tokens. We’d set the timer for 5 minutes so he knew when it was time to put the I-pad down.
These timers are portable, small, and magnetic.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Essential Oils
Some kids can be really sensitive to smells. Max wasn’t one of them but I have seen where parents will carry essential oils in their child’s sensory bag. This roll on set would be perfect!
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Bubbles
Who doesn’t love bubbles? A fun activity to distract your child if they’re getting bored and a meltdown is on the horizon.
Sensory Bag Item Idea: Books
Books are another great way to distract and entertain your child to avoid a meltdown. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle was always a favorite and as a board book it held up pretty well!
So there you have it Mama Bears! Create a custom sensory bag for your child with Down syndrome to make your life and your child’s life easier when you go out and about!
I hope you found this post helpful so you can go out and rock this special life!
Hey! If you enjoyed this post then you may want to check out
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Visiting The Great Smoky Mountains For The Special Needs Mom
