Sensory Activity Cards Library
Our video library shows video demonstrations of each activity in the Harkla Sensory Activity Cards.
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Alerting Sensory Card Activities:
Alternating Swimmers
Army Crawl
Bent Over Head Swings
Cat Cows
Crawling with Head Turns
Cross Crawls
Dance in Place
Down Dog Hold
Duck Walk
Frog Hop
High Knee Running in Place
Hop on One Foot
Hopscotch
Inchworm Walk Out
Infinity Loop Visual Tracking Finger
Jump in Place
Jumping Jacks
Log Roll
Monster Stomps
Over/Unders
Peanut Rocking
Pretend Jump Rope
Skipping Around the Room
Snow Angels on the Floor
Spinning
Squat Jumps
Star Jumps
Turkey Walk
Twisty Turns
Windmill
Calming Sensory Card Activities:
Balance on One Foot
Bear Crawl
Bouncy Ball Hold
Chair Pushups
Cobra Pose
Convergence Finger to Nose
Crab Walk
Crawl Forward
Crawling Backward
Crawling Infinity Loop
Dots and Squeezes on Hands
Finger to Nose Taps
Five Finger Breathing
Fly to the Moon
Hand Presses Together
Head Push & Jump
Heel Toe Walking on the Line
Humming
Make the Room Bigger
Mouth Popping
Pigeon Walk
Press Down on Head
Push and Hold Tongue to Roof of Mouth
Push-Ups
Seal Walk
Sequential Finger Touching
Straight Arm Plank Hold
Superman Hold
Tip Toe Walk
Wall Push-Ups
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Sensory Activity Cards:
DOUBLE SIDED CARDS:
You'll find 30 cards with 2 activities on each card.
Activity 1 (Orange Side):
Alerting sensory activities: designed to be alerting and energizing for the brain and body.
Activity 2 (Blue Side):
Calming sensory activities: designed to be calming and regulating.
Special Note:
We always recommend completing calming proprioceptive activities (Activity 2: Blue) AFTER alerting vestibular activities (Activity 1: Orange) to decrease potential sensory overload.
TIPS FOR USING THE SENSORY CARDS:
- For alerting sensory input to feel more awake, use the Activity 1 (Orange Side).
- For calming sensory input to feel more regulated, use the Activity 2 (Blue Side).
- Try mixing and matching! Mix and match and try creating your own games with the cards!
HOW TO USE THE CARDS:
- Choose a card at random OR choose a card that includes preferred activities.
- Complete each activity on the card as instructed and modify as needed.
- Complete Activity 1 (Orange) first and follow it with Activity 2 (Blue).
- Each activity has a recommended number of reps or a designated amount of time or feet to complete (example: 5x = 5 reps).
- Try to complete each activity card at least once, however if more movement is needed, complete the activities a second time OR choose a different card!
- Mix and match and try creating your own games with the cards!
Sensory Breaks:
WHAT IS A SENSORY BREAK?
The goal of the Harkla Sensory Activity Cards is to provide an opportunity for a sensory movement break.
A sensory break is a designated amount of time that provides movement/sensory input in order to achieve a calm, focused state in order to improve learning, attention, and overall success.
A sensory break is also beneficial to decompress during moments of stress or anxiety, in order to then return to or transition to a specific task that requires attention and focus.
TYPES OF SENSORY BREAKS:
Calming:
Proprioceptive Input
Heavy Work
Deep Pressure
Alerting:
Vestibular Input
Movement
Loud, Fast, Bright
SENSORY BREAKS WILL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT:
- Before and after a sit down task that requires focused attention.
- Before and/or after a transition.
- Before a challenging task.
HOW TO IDENTIFY WHEN TO TAKE A SENSORY BREAK:
- Excessive fidgeting
- Getting up during a focused classroom task
- Making excessive noise
- Meltdowns
- Unable to calm after recess/lunch or other transitions
- Anxiety during transitions
TEACHING OTHERS ABOUT SENSORY BREAKS:
- Explain why movement is beneficial for the body and the brain.
- Practice different sensory break activities and ask questions about which activities they prefer.
- Discuss that everyone is different, so one person might not need a sensory break when another does.
- Ensure that sensory breaks are a positive experience, not something being done because they are “out of control” or “not listening.”
- Avoid using sensory breaks as a "reward" for completing a task.
Who Is Harkla?
we think people with special needs should have every opportunity to live happy and healthy lives
Harkla was started over nine years ago with a mission to help those with special needs live happy and healthy lives. Over the years, Harkla has helped over one hundred thousand families feel more calm at home, focus in the classroom, and experience more growth, development & joy in life.
