Parents know full well how challenging it can be at times to get their kids to calm down. Whether kids are experiencing anxiety, have excess energy, or both, it sometimes takes pulling out a fun sensory item that they can be distracted by in order to restore a sense of calm. Rather than purchasing stress toys online, you can have fun with your child by making your own calming toys at home.
DIY Stress Balls
This craft is relatively easy and only requires a couple of items. All you need are some balloons and some flour. Using a funnel, pour flour into the balloon until it is full. You don’t want to stretch out the balloon, but you also want to fill it up to the point where it takes shape and you can fit it nicely in your hand. The end result is a homemade stress ball that your child can squeeze and squish when they are feeling restless for a pleasant sensory experience that can help calm them down.
Sensory Bottle
There are tons of ways to get creative with this DIY calming toy idea. To start out with, you need an empty plastic water bottle and some regular clear school glue. Fill the empty bottle with about one full 5-ounce bottle of school glue followed by some warm water. Then, you can go wild with the items that you put inside. Let your child pick out the colors of glitter and food dye, along with some small fun items to include as well. The glue helps the mixture to move slowly, creating a fun effect as the items inside swirl around and slowly float down. You can create fun seasonal themes or base your sensory bottle on your child’s favorite areas of interest. It’s a perfect item to have on hand that will capture your child’s attention when they need to calm down.
Homemade Lavender Playdough
Playdough is a great toy for reducing stress. Your child can get creative with manipulating the shape of the playdough or simply enjoy the calming sensory experience of squeezing the material. Combining this sensation with the calming smell of lavender is a great way to enhance the pleasant experience and to relieve anxiety. You can easily make your own calming lavender playdough at home using this recipe.
Having a sensory toy to play with can be a great tool to use when you are on the go and need to help your child get back to a peaceful state. You and your child will also have a blast making these fun toys at home.