New Year, New Sensory Equipment (Pt. 3)

We have a lot of new fun things here in the house for Rocket Boy! Most are from Christmas, but some are just being added (or gifted) to grow our repertoire and create an environment that Rocket Boy thrives in.

The first major piece to be added was a crash pad. Now, there are high priced (and large) crash pads out there, some are like gym equipment, some are made for therapy. But bottom line is that our space and our budget don't allow for those options. So I had to wrack my brain a bit for an alternative. 

What we ended up with was a sleeping bag (found at the thrift store for $3 - and I couldn't resist the retro MLP print) and an assortment of blankets and pillows to stuff it with. Most of the stuffing is just extra things from the linin closet that don't get pulled out much. 

Now, it's not perfect, but it does the job for now. Ideally, I will get some upholstery foam scraps to stuff it with and sew it closed and make a dedicated cover for it. But for now we "fluff" the stuff inside every couple days and cover with a spare blanket to give it a washable cover. 

Rocket Boy loves this thing. I could not begin to guess how often this is jumped on. He jumps from the couch to the pad, from the floor to the pad, from the pad to the couch...jump jump jump. But I'm not complaining - it saves my couch from some abuse. He has a dedicated spot to jump into instead of jumping on the couch, all over, all day (which is what he did previously). 

I never thought I would be encouraging him to jump on things, but you change your idea of "good parenting ideas" when you have a sensory kid! 

While it will be nice to upgrade to upholstery foam in the future, this was a quick and almost free solution I'm pretty proud of. What sort of diy contraptions have you made for your kiddos? 

New Year, New Equipment (Pt. 2)

I'm going over some of our new sensory equipment and toys that are making our lives a bit easier. Everything has been a hit, but we have a current favorite:

The trampoline. 

Never in my life did I imagine letting my kids have a trampoline in the house. Honestly I hate trampolines. That might have to do with seeing multiple accidents from them as a kid (teeth knocked out, broken arms, pinched skin the springs - not pretty). Even as a kid I was cautious of them. 

Now I have one in my living room. 

We were gifted this unexpectedly from my sister in law, who had it sitting in her garage, unopened, for a long time. We mentioned that we missed the Black Friday sale on this item and she offered it gladly to us. 

It was an immediate hit with both the boys, but especially Rocket Boy. For a sensory seeking kiddo, this is heaven. Movement, joint compression, hard work - all rolled into one compact bouncy gizmo. 

I really like this model, though I do wish it folded up for storage. But luckily after we moved the tree out of the living room this was able to be tucked into that corner perfectly. It would be nice to put a side table there instead, but oh well. Such is life with kids! 

Not only is this fun for Rocket Boy whenever he randomly decides to bounce, but it is also proving effective for redirecting energy and impulses. When he starts to get too rough with Rocket Baby, I can redirect quickly and say "I see you need to get some wiggles out - lets do 15 big jumps!" He gets to jump and get out the energy that was about to get him in trouble, he practices counting, and we are all happier and have no injuries. Win win! 

A lot of parents of sensory kids have a trampoline, so this may not be the most creative bit of equipement, but it sure is effective!