Sensory Olympic Games Summer Camp At Home Ideas

Affiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Summer Olympic Games are this year (2016) in Rio and what better way to celebrate the Games at home than with a Sensory Olympic Games Summer Camp at home. If you are not able to send your child to summer camp, these are easy ideas you can do at home to have a fun, sensory filled summer.

I am also teaming up with some awesome sensory bloggers for this Sensory Backyard Summer Camp blog series. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see all the other sensory summer camp themes.

Sensory Olympic Games for a Sensory Backyard Summer Camp theme.

What is great about all these ideas is you can do them with one of multiple kids. If you decide to include some others in your sensory backyard summer camp, here are some fun ways that you can divide into teams (or countries) and have more of a party theme.

Proprioception & Vestibular Olympic Game Ideas

When you think of the Olympic Games, you probably think of all the gross motor activities first. For a child struggling with sensory needs, starting with proprioception and vestibular activities first is usually the best way to start. The heavy work, whole body movement helps to ground many children and also gets the blood and oxygen flowing to their brain and muscles.

Some great ideas for proprioception and vestibular olympic games ideas include:

  • Ring Toss
  • Corn Hole
  • Obstacle Course (with many opportunities for crawling into, over, under objects, through tunnels etc).
  • Bean Bag Toss
  • Modified Javalin Toss (use paper towel tubes and try to throw them into various rings on the ground at different distances)
  • Balance Beam (bonus to use this in the obstacle course above!)
  • Trampoline

Here are some other fun ideas from other bloggers with a fun Olympic theme:

Olympic Ring Toss – I Can Teach My Child

Javelin Throw – I Can Teach My Child

Olympic Charades (comes with a free printable) – Toddler Approved

Balance Like a Gymnast – Creative Family Fun

10 Ways to Play on a Balance Beam for Kids – The Jenny Evolution

Olympic Gross Motor Play – Adventures of Adam

Jumping and Walking the Lines – Little Bins for Little Hands

Balloon Tennis – Little Bins for Little Hands

Calming Olympic Game Activities

I put touch and sight together because the two activities I'm suggesting for this definitely fit into both categories and are overall very calming for children. If you have a child who is becoming over stimulated during the activities, it is a good idea to provide some calming and soothing activities for them.

Have a specified cool down station with these two great ideas:

Gold Slime Recipe – Little Bins for Little Hands

Gold Glitter Calm Down Bottles – Little Bins for Little Hands

Sound, Taste, and Smell Olympic Game Activities

For these 3 senses, I would be a little more cautious in having too many different options available since many children have aversions to different smells or sounds and some sensory kiddos are often picky eaters. However, here are some ideas you can try in moderation:

  • Include the National Anthem of each country (specifically the host country) in your opening or closing ceremony.
  • During snack or meal times, try introducing a snack or food that might be customary to eat in the host country. (This includes taste and smell – be aware of any dietary concerns if you are hosting other children than your own).

What are some fun ways you would include sound, taste, or smell in your sensory olympic game backyard summer camp? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below. 

Sensory Backyard Summer Camp blog series.

Check out all the other great Sensory Backyard Summer Camp ideas below:

Sensory Handwriting Camp – Sugar Aunts

Sensory Space Camp – My Mundane And Miraculous Life

Sensory Nature Camp – Putting Socks on Chickens

For even more sensory ideas, check out my sensory fun Pinterest board below.

 

Sensory Olympic Games for a Sensory Backyard Summer Camp theme.

Sharing with: Mama's Happy Hive, Teaching Mama, Living Montessori Now, Hip Homeschool Mom

Heather Greutman, COTA

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Just what I was looking for!!! We have been out of school for only a few days & I can already tell I’m SO NOT PREPARED!!!! Can’t wait to dig in & do a little shopping!!!

CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.

Do not rely on the information on the Website as an alternative to advice from your medical professional or healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website. All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only.

All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY The Website was developed strictly for informational purposes. You understand and agree that you are fully responsible for your use of the information provided on the Website. Growing Hands-On Kids makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees. You understand that results may vary from person to person. Growing Hands-On Kids assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear on the Website.