Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you some different sensory activities that can really help you, especially if you are autistic or neurodivergent in another way. These activities are super useful in helping you branch out and become more comfortable with sensory stimuli without the struggles of surprise or lack of control. Many of these you can do at home or within your local area. Most of them are free, but a few cost a couple bucks, so if you’re willing to spend a little extra, go for it!
Want to listen instead? Check out the video!
Smell
Smell is an often underlooked means of experiencing the world. It actually has quite a lot to do with how we take in and process information, even if we don’t always realize it. If you are sensitive to smells and would like to find new ways to expand your horizons, here are a couple ideas.
Visit Bath and Body Works or a similar store. Bath and Body Works is a great place to experience new and different scents. Even if you don’t purchase anything, just being in the store can be a learning experience. Many of these types of stores offer a sample product that you can open and test. The purpose of this is to make sure you like the scent before you buy. You can also use it to explore your likes and dislikes in regards to different scents and find new ones to add to your list of ‘knowns’.
Take a walk around an area with lots of restaurants. Many restaurants have fans that are used to pump out the smell of their food. This is a common marketing tactic used to draw people in. You can use it to your advantage by allowing yourself to take in those scents and build up a tolerance. Good places to do this include malls and city streets.
Try cooking. Cooking releases a lot of different smells. You might experience them as pleasant or unpleasant. Try a new recipe or one that you’re uncomfortable with. With cooking, you have a good amount of control over what you smell. You also know exactly where the scent is coming from and that it’s safe.
Go to a flower garden. Flower gardens are beautiful, colorful spaces that offer a lot of smells. Try going to a flower and sniffing it.
Taste
Taste is an issue for lots of autistic people. There are plenty of ways to grow our experiences with taste, both with and without food.
Lip balm. Lip balm is an inexpensive way to find new tastes. You don’t even need a lot of it in each use – just enough to cover your lips. There are a multitude of brands that offer lip balm, each with a wide variety of flavors. There’s bound to be something that you enjoy, or can at least grow to tolerate. You can then transfer that flavor into bigger areas, such as food. An added bonus of lip balm is that it hydrates your lips.
Free samples. Free samples are used by everyone in order to try new foods. It’s just a little bite of a dish to see if you like it. You can find free samples at stores like Costco or outside restaurants at your local mall.
Cooking (again.) Cooking is an awesome way to try something new. You get to pick the recipe. Within that are ingredients, timing, and preparation – all of which you have control over. When the food is done, you get to try it. If you’re with a friend or loved one that’s cooking, ask them if you can help or try a bite.
Flavored water. Flavored water involves adding an extra ingredient to water to make it taste a certain way. You can buy prepackaged flavored water at the store or make it yourself. A few things you can put in water are fruit, cucumber, mint, honey, or drops of liquid flavoring you can buy at the store. You can add as much or as little to your beverage as you like.
Gum. Gum is another inexpensive method of expanding your taste list. While options are usually limited to varieties of mint and fruit, there’s still a lot you can do.
Experiment with sides, dips, and toppings. Start with something basic, such as fries, salad, pancakes, or pizza and build on it by adding new flavors.
Touch
Many autistic people are sensitive to touch. Luckily, there are many different opportunities to grow knowledge and tolerance for it.
Go to a petting zoo. If you like animals, a petting zoo is a great option for you. All of the animals are domesticated and used to people, so as long as you’re gentle, there should be no issue. At a petting zoo, you can feel different types of fur and feathers. If there’s an option to hand-feed them, the animals might even lick your palm or fingers.
Go to a fabric store. Fabric stores have a ton of different textiles to serve many purposes. Each type of fabric is unique. Since customers need the right texture and thickness for their projects, touching the fabrics is totally okay and even encouraged in some cases. Try walking down the aisles and rubbing your fingers against any material that stands out to you. Most fabric stores are also neatly organized, quiet, and rarely crowded, making them a great environment for autistic people.
Take a bath. Taking a bath is a classic at-home activity. It’s free and works with your schedule. Many people find it relaxing. When you take a bath, try adjusting the water temperature or adding in Epsom salts, bath bombs, scented soaps, or other accessories. This is also a great time to try different lighting and listen to calming music or sounds. Once you step out of the bath, wrap yourself in a soft towel. Then, if you want, slip on a robe or cozy slippers.
Sound
Sound is another common struggle for autistic people. You don’t have to like sound, especially loud ones, but there are ways to find new sounds and build up tolerance to them.
Attend a concert. No, you don’t have to be in the mosh pit for a heavy metal band to experience good live music. There are plenty of ways to enjoy a concert without too much sensory difficulty. An orchestra or symphony is great for people who like hearing music but don’t want too much additional stimuli from lights or crowds. Live concerts in the park with local musicians are often inexpensive or even free and allow you to sit where you want, bring blankets, chairs, food, and beverages, and enjoy the music in a casual environment. It also helps if you’re familiar with the park and fellow attendees. If you and/or friends and family members play instruments, try planning a jam session to listen to and play music together. Keep in mind what genres and environments you like and you should be all set!
8D audio. 8D audio is a cool way to listen to music you already love. The music is edited so that when you listen with headphones or earbuds, it feels like it’s traveling around your head. You can find plenty of videos featuring 8D audio on YouTube.
Nature sounds. Nature sounds can be super soothing. If you want to experience nature in person, try walking around your neighborhood or a local park. If you’d like to stay indoors, search for nature sounds on YouTube or another website or app. Common categories of nature sounds include animals, weather, and water flowing.
Lonofi (not sponsored.) Lonofi is a free app that allows you to create and listen to different ambiances. You can find soundtracks of anything from nature to music to manmade environments. It’s a way to be super adventurous without leaving your home.
Sight
Go to the zoo. Your local zoo has tons of animals, each with different habitats and features. Go there and see what you can find.
Try LED lights. Color-changing LED lights are all the rage right now. Check out LED bulbs and strips and see if they work for you. Warning – please be careful if you have a condition that is triggered by lights.
Go to a park or nature preserve. Spend a couple hours walking around a park or nature preserve. If you want, take pictures or keep a journal of what you see.
Spend a day at a museum or gallery. Check out a museum or gallery to look at aspects of art, culture, nature, history, or any other category you’re interested in and learn something new while you’re at it!
In Conclusion
I had lots of fun putting this list together. Hopefully there’s something that works for you. Have fun with these activities and take good care of yourself!