Sensory Stimulation Kit Theme: A Picnic

Kit Contents:

Supplies:

  1. Visual/Tactile: Picnic Basket
  2. Visual/Tactile: Picnic cloth (alternatives: table cloth, old blanket)
  3. Visual/Tactile: Disposable plates
  4. Visual/Tactile: Disposable utensils (knife, fork, spoon)
  5. Visual/Tactile: Napkins
  6. Visual/Tactile: Ice Pack
  7. Visual/Tactile/Gustatory/Olfactory: Sandwich
  8. Visual/Tactile/Gustatory/Olfactory: Chips
  9. Visual/Tactile/Gustatory/Olfactory: Fruit cup
  10. Visual/Tactile/Gustatory/Olfactory: Can of iced tea (or juice)
  11. Visual/Tactile/Gustatory/: Candy bars
  12. Visual/Tactile: Sunglasses
  13. Visual/Tactile: Small ball
  14. Visual/Tactile: Boomerang
  15. Visual/Tactile/Olfactory: Flower and food items
  16. Visual/Auditory: Bird’s Chirping-

Optional items:

  1. Would be good to have pictures of parks, picnic areas, picnic tables to show to participants
  2. Bug spray
  3. Radio
  4. A kite
  5. Grass for tactile item.
  6. A picnic umbrella for hot days, or rain showers.
  7. A newspaper, or book, a frisbee, cards.
  8. Buzzing bees -

Additional Equipment/ Supplies Required:Cellular phone to show pictures from online or take pictures of the event, hand sanitizer to use before and after eating, plastic bag for trash, water bottles

Activities:

Visual: Before going on a picnic, show the lunch bag, disposable plates, disposable utensils, and napkins to the client. Ask the client if they know what activity they are about to engage in. Then show the pair of sunglasses (the pair of sunglasses implies that the activity will be outdoor). Ask the client if they can link the food supplies and the pair sunglasses together to identify what activity they are about to do (visualize/talk about) and where it is going to be held. If the client is still unsure of the activity, show the picnic bag and cloth to the client. Once the client is able to identify the activity, discuss with the client about the weather. Is it a prefect day to have picnic? During the picnic, (sensory kits are used to recall a past activity or event, and to arouse memories. The group participants in your sensory stimulation group would not be going on a picnic, but talking about it instead). The client to share stories about their memorable picnic memories. If the client did not use to engage in picnic events, ask the client about their favorite outdoor memories. Did they enjoy going to the beach or amusement parks? Did they go fishing? Ask the client why they chose those memories. What did they see that make them enjoy the place/event? Ask the client if there are any outdoor events that they would like to experience. If the client is not able to identify what kind of activity is going to be held, show more items that are related to it such as pictures of a park, birds, grass, and kite from cellular phone. Give enough time to the client to recognize and associate the items together to identify a probable activity. Depending on what is visible in the picnic location, ask the client to describe what they see and ask if they can share a story about it. For example, if there are kites at the picnic location, ask the client if they used to fly kites when they were younger.

Auditory:Advise the client to keep calm. Let the birds’ chirping be the only sound. When the client is calm, ask if they are relaxed. Ask the client what kind of relaxing activities do they engage in when they are feeling stressed and need to relax. Do they listen to music? Do they take a walk at the park? Do they do yoga? Ask the client where would be the most relaxing place to visit for vacation. Do they find spending time at the beach relaxing? Ask questions like who prepared the food for the picnic? What games did the children play? Did the children climb trees? Did you ever go on a romantic picnic? What about a 4th of July picnic? Or a picnic like this with the family is relaxing? What was their most memorable relaxing vacation? Ask the client to describe it. When choosing a picnic location, try to find a place where there’s not much people so there’s less distractions and the client can focus more on the activities. If the picnic location is more serene the place is, the higher the likelihood the client would feel relaxed and enjoy the picnic.

Tactile: Ask the client to close their eyes and let them feel the boomerang and the ball. Ask them if they can identify the items and what kind of activities can be done with them. Ask the client to describe the shape and texture of the ball and boomerang. Ask the client if they know how to play boomerang. Did they use to play it often when they were younger? Is there an alternative game for boomerang? See if the client can think of Frisbee or any similar game/sport. Ask the client if they used to play any sport that utilizes a type of ball.

Did they use to play basketball, volleyball, football? Ask the client to describe the shapes and textures of different types of sport/playing balls (basketball, volleyball, football) or describe the shapes and textures of the sport/playing balls and ask the clients if they can identify what sport do they belong to? Ask the client if they used to bring toys like ball and boomerang to picnics when they were younger. Did they prefer to play card games at picnics? Make sure the client has enough time to feel the items and to be able to describe the ball and boomerang. Different items can be used to stimulate the client’s tactile sensation by asking the client to close their eyes while handing items to them and making them describe what they are and what they are used for.

Olfactory: Look around the location and find flowers. Ask the client to describe the smell of the flowers (Make sure the client is not allergic to pollens). Do they like the smell of flowers? Ask the client if they like flowers and plants. What’s their favorite kind of flower/plant? Did they use to do gardening (or still do gardening)? What kind of plants and flowers did they use to plant? If the client do not have any experience of gardening, ask them if they would like to do simple gardening activities (watering plants, picking out dead plants). Ask the client is they have a memory of flowers and plants? Did they use to give/receive them as presents? Make sure that the client does not have allergic reactions to pollens. Extra precautions must be followed when ambulating the client to see flowers if the client requires assistance and adaptations. (If you are not actually taking clients on a picnic, then you would need to bring flowers in for them to smell)

Gustatory: Give the client the sandwich, chips, fruit cup, and iced tea. Ask the client which sandwich they prefer (turkey sandwich, peanut butter and jelly, or other?) and why. Ask the client if they used to make sandwiches. Did they use to cook (or still cook)? What kind of food did they use to make for picnics? (This is a good time to show pictures of foods typically taken on a picnic)Ask the client what’s their favorite chips, fruits, and drink. Were they allowed to eat chips and other unhealthy foods when they were younger? Ask the client to close their eyes and hand them a chocolate bar to eat (*Diet/Allergy permitting). See if the client can identify which candy bar it is without looking (just by tasting and feeling the texture). Ask the client to describe the taste. Is it sweet, chewy, crunchy, salty? What was their favorite candy bar as a child? Do they still enjoy eating candies/chocolates? What were the popular candy bars when they were younger? Select food items that are permitted in the client’s diet. Be aware of the allergic reactions that the client has in certain food. It is better to identify the client’s preferences in food before preparing them for picnic. If the client can identify the food available, the more the client will participate in activities related to the gustatory stimulation. Also, if the food are of client’s favorites, the more the client will enjoy the picnic and the activities.