Sensory Breaks – Free Printable

Sensory breaks are intentional periods of time set aside or infused throughout the day to engage in activities that recalibrate the nervous system, providing essential downtime for sensory input processing. These breaks are not just beneficial but crucial for maintaining balance in sensory integration, especially in environments that can inadvertently lead to sensory overload, such as classrooms, workplaces, and even at home. You can download a FREE PRINTABLE list of 50 sensory breaks that do not require any special equipment at the bottom of the post.

Why Sensory Breaks are Important for Everyone

Sensory breaks play a crucial role in helping individuals filter out irrelevant sensory information, reduce sensory overload, and improve sensory regulation. By allowing the nervous system a chance to recalibrate, sensory breaks can enhance focus, decrease irritability, and promote emotional regulation. They are a quick and effective way to help everyone, from young students to working adults, manage the sensory stimuli of their environments more effectively.  

Educators, occupational therapists, and even individuals themselves can design sensory breaks to meet the specific needs of their students, clients, or personal situations. Incorporating sensory breaks into the daily routine is a great option for creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for sensory processing.

Sensory Breaks for the Classroom: Ideas to Integrate for the Whole Class

The classroom setting, bustling with activity, noise, and visual stimuli, can be particularly challenging for students, making sensory breaks a vital tool for educators. Implementing regular sensory breaks into the school environment can make a huge difference in students’ ability to focus, learn, and interact positively with their peers. Here are some ideas to incorporate sensory breaks into the school day:

• Movement Breaks: Quick stretches, yoga poses, brain breaks, or simple exercises can provide necessary proprioceptive and vestibular input.
• Sensory Paths: Create paths with different textures and shapes for students to walk on, offering tactile and visual sensory input. Hang up posters with different sensory break activities to create a sensory path.
• Quiet Corners: Spaces equipped with sensory tools like weighted blankets or noise-cancelling headphones for a mindful moment.
• Messy Play: Activities involving sand, water, or playdough can be great for sensory exploration.
• Obstacle Courses: Set up simple courses that require balance, jumping, and crawling for additional movement and sensory input.

Sensory Breaks for Students with Autism

Students with autism often experience sensory processing challenges, making sensory breaks critical for their daily school experience. Tailoring sensory breaks to meet their unique needs can significantly improve their sensory regulation and overall school performance. An occupational therapist can help individuals with autism by developing a specific sensory diet tailored to the individual. Strategies might include:

• Sensory Break Cards: Visual cue cards that suggest specific activities tailored to the child’s sensory needs.
• Sensory Tools: Access to items like scooter boards or fidget toys can offer proprioceptive and tactile input.
• Structured Sensory Activities: Designated times for sensory play that align with the child’s interests and sensory input needs.

Sensory Breaks for Adults

Adults, too, benefit from sensory breaks, especially in the workplace or during long periods of sedentary activities. For adults, sensory breaks might look like:

• Short Walks: A brief walk outside can provide fresh air and a change of scenery.
• Breathing Exercises: A quick way to reset the nervous system through controlled breathing.
• Desk Exercises: Stretching or using a hand grip strengthener can offer a mental break and physical stimulation.

For the Sensory Seekers

Sensory seekers often crave experiences that provide intense input to their sensory systems, including tactile, vestibular (movement), proprioceptive (body position), and auditory stimuli. Here are five easy ideas for sensory breaks tailored to meet the needs of sensory seekers:

1. Obstacle Course Creation: Utilize furniture, pillows, and blankets to create an indoor obstacle course. This activity provides a fun way for sensory seekers to get the proprioceptive and vestibular input they crave through climbing, crawling, and balancing.
2. Dance Party: Turn up the music and have an impromptu dance party. Dancing allows sensory seekers to experience a range of movements and auditory inputs, meeting their need for stimulation in a joyful and expressive way.
3. Sensory Bin Exploration: Fill a large container with rice, beans, or water beads and hide small toys or objects inside for discovery. This tactile activity allows sensory seekers to dig, pour, and sift through different textures, providing satisfying sensory input to their hands and fingers.
4. Heavy Work Helpers: Involve sensory seekers in tasks that involve pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying objects around the home or classroom. Activities like helping to move chairs, carrying groceries, or even pushing a laundry basket can provide the necessary proprioceptive input that helps regulate their sensory system.

Examples of Sensory Breaks

Implementing sensory breaks can vary widely depending on the setting and the individual’s needs. Examples include:

• Brain Break Exercises: Simple, guided movements to help refocus and reenergize the brain.
• Sensory Diets: Personalized activities scheduled throughout the day to meet an individual’s sensory needs.
• Sensory Play: Engaging in play that stimulates different sensory systems, such as light, sound, and touch.

List of 50 Sensory Breaks for Anyone

This list of 50 sensory breaks is designed to cater to a wide array of preferences and needs, recognizing that each of us has unique sensory preferences. Sensory breaks are essential tools that can help everyone, from children to adults, manage stress, improve focus, and maintain emotional balance throughout the day. While this list offers a diverse range of options to recharge and recalibrate, it’s important to honor and respect individual sensory preferences. Whether you seek the calmness of guided imagery, the tactile engagement of crafting with paper, or the physical release of stretching, these activities are intended to be accessible and adaptable, allowing you to find the perfect sensory break that resonates with your personal needs.

1. Yoga Poses (e.g., Downward Dog, Child’s Pose): Engage muscles and provide calming proprioceptive input.
2. Mindfulness Exercises: Use breathing or guided imagery for calming.
3. Dim the Lights: Creates a soothing visual environment.
4. Sit in a Quiet Area: Allows for peaceful reflection or relaxation.
5. Hug a Pillow: Provides comforting tactile input.
6. Ice Packs: Offers a refreshing and soothing sensory experience.
7. Walking Barefoot on Grass: Engages tactile senses and connects with nature.
8. Deep Pressure Pushes: Offers proprioceptive feedback.
9. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Helps release physical tension.
10. Finger Stretching and Wiggle: Stimulates fine motor skills and proprioception.
11. Creating a “Cocoon” with a Regular Blanket: Mimics deep pressure.
12. Shadow Boxing: Releases energy and improves focus.
13. Silent Reading: Provides a quiet and immersive break.
14. Drawing Patterns: Engages tactile and visual senses.
15. Cloud Watching: Stimulates imagination and visual tracking.
16. Blowing Bubbles: Combines visual enjoyment with breath control.
17. Toe Wiggling: Promotes body awareness and focus.
18. Humming a Tune: Offers auditory feedback and vibratory input.
19. Facial Massage: Relieves tension and stimulates touch receptors.
20. Squeeze and Release: Helps understand body tension and relaxation.
21. Nature Walk: Engages all senses with the natural environment.
22. Using Play Dough: squeezing clay can be relaxing
23. Stretching: Increases flexibility and body awareness.
24. Coloring: Offers a creative outlet and fine motor practice.
25. Doodling: Encourages spontaneous creativity and stress relief.
26. Scribbling on Paper: Allows for expressive movement and relief.
27. Reciting Poetry or a Song: Engages memory and speech centers.
28. Balancing Act: Challenges and focuses the body.
29. Gazing at an Object: Reduces distractions and centers attention.
30. Origami: Combines tactile feedback with visual-spatial skills.
31. Spend time outdoors: Lifts your mood and relaxes you
32. Jumping Jacks: Energizes and increases blood flow.
33. Eating Crunchy Snacks: Provides oral proprioceptive input.
34. Sipping Thicker Liquids Through a Straw: Engages oral-motor skills.
35. Push-Ups (Wall, Desk, or Chair): Strengthens muscles and provides feedback.
36. Self-Massage: Relieves tension and promotes relaxation.
37. Drinking a Warm or Icy Beverage: Offers internal sensory contrast.
38. Listening to Calming Music: Aids in stress reduction and relaxation.
39. Spinning in a Swivel Chair: Provides vestibular input.
40. Rubbing a Textured Fabric: Engages tactile senses.
41. Tapping Rhythms: Engages auditory and tactile senses.
42. Warm Pack or Warm Cloth to the Forehead: Soothes and relaxes facial muscles.
43. Jumping Rope or Hopscotch: These are energizing activities.
44. Dance – Move to Music: Increases circulation and energy, providing an enjoyable way to release tension.
45. Exercise Hands and Fingers: Stimulates proprioception and fine motor skills.
46. Take a Walk: Clears the mind and engages the senses.
47. Play with Cold or Warm Water: Provides tactile and temperature feedback.
48. Do Some Guided Imagery: Encourages relaxation and mental visualization.
49. Walk Barefoot: Stimulates the feet’s tactile senses.
50. Solve a Puzzle: Engages problem-solving skills and focus.

More Helpful Resources

For more detailed strategies and ideas, the following resources from Your Therapy Source provide valuable insights:

• Classroom Brain Break
• Dealing with Sensory Overload
• Sensory Classroom Ideas
• Understanding Sensory Modulation
• Sensory vs. Behavior Checklist

By embracing the concept of sensory breaks, we can all benefit from a more balanced and sensory-friendly environment, whether in the classroom, at work, or at home.