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Home exercise programs (HEPs) are a game-changer for sensory regulation, emotional development, and reflex integration—but only if they’re done consistently! In this episode, we’re sharing our favorite HEP activities that are easy to implement and make a big impact. From sensory diet routines like jumping, crawling, and bubble mountain to oral motor tools and co-regulation strategies, we’re giving you practical ideas to support your child’s development at home.
Plus, we answer a listener’s question about a 12-month-old with delayed gross motor skills and share our top tips to encourage independent movement.
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Crawling for Brain Development
Creating a home exercise program (HEP) for children with sensory processing challenges is one of the most impactful things a therapist or parent can do. But the best home programs aren’t long lists of activities; they’re simple, personalized, and realistic.
In this article, we’ll share 10 expert-backed, parent-tested activities and strategies for helping kids with sensory needs thrive at home.
Therapists often have a long list of wonderful activities to share with families, but if the plan is overwhelming, nothing gets done. Instead, start by asking:
What’s important to the family?
What are they actually able to carry over?
What do they want to try first?
By focusing on one or two high-impact activities, families are more likely to follow through and see meaningful progress.
Ask the child or family: What are your child’s 3 favorite sensory activities?
Now, do those activities 3-5 times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening. This proactive approach helps regulate the nervous system throughout the day, not just when the child is already dysregulated.
Why It Works: Frequent input meets sensory needs before dysregulation occurs.
Visuals are key to consistency. To build a daily routine, use sensory diet cards, printable schedules, or tools like BrainWorks.
OT Tip: Harkla’s Sensory Diet Digital Course includes visual cards that are perfect for HEPs.
Why It Works: Visual supports reduce overwhelm and help children anticipate and engage with activities.
Make it a rule: go outside at least once daily—rain, snow, or shine. Ideally, go twice, during the morning and again when the light shifts in the evening.
Why It Works: Natural light, fresh air, and movement support regulation, mood, and sleep.
This simple but powerful activity involves blowing bubbles into a cup of soapy water through a straw to create a "bubble mountain."
Why It Works: Combines deep breathing with proprioceptive input to calm the nervous system.
Frozen berries, ice chips, crunchy veggies, or snack foods offer sensory-rich oral input. They are great for kids who chew non-edible items or need extra regulation.
Why It Works: Cold temperatures and crunch provide calming sensory input and stimulate the vagus nerve.
Get back to the basics of movement with activities like:
Crawling over cushions
Superman holds (lying on the belly, arms and legs up)
Rachel’s children’s book,The Jungle Crawl, makes these fun and relatable.
Why It Works: These movements support reflex integration and core strength.
Try lyric-free music like lo-fi beats, drums, or classical. Or use a program like the Listening Program by Advanced Brain Technologies for structured auditory input.
Why It Works: Calming rhythms help regulate emotional and auditory processing.
To increase motivation, pair a short set of movement activities with a tiny whipped cream reward. For example, 10 jumping jacks + 10 wall pushes + crawling across the room = one bite of whipped cream.
Why It Works: Builds intrinsic motivation and keeps therapy fun.
This visual system helps children recognize their emotional state (color-coded) and select appropriate sensory strategies.
Why It Works: Builds self-awareness and emotional regulation skills.
Let children help pick or create the visuals for their routine. This will give them a sense of control and ownership.
Why It Works: Increases engagement and consistency.
If you’re a therapist, remember even the most well-intentioned plan can fall apart if it’s too much. Instead:
Ask the family what they want to focus on.
Start small and build from there.
Use visual aids to support carryover.
Empower families to feel confident, not overwhelmed.
A:
Use vibration tools on hands, arms, and back to improve body awareness.
Facilitate crawling over obstacles to encourage weight bearing on hands.
Promote tummy time and support hands-and-knee positions.
Try oral sensory activities like a bite-and-vibe tool for added regulation.
BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views and opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties and what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.
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