Food Tactile Play and Food Preferences

As parents and teachers, how many times have you said to children, “stop playing with your food”? There is evidence based research indicating an association between food tactile play and food preferences in children.  A recent experimental study examining preschool children and their parents, indicated that children in a sensory fruits and vegetable play condition tried more fruits and vegetables than both children in a non-food sensory play task and children in the visual fruits and vegetable exposure task.  It not only occurred for the five foods used in the activity but also three additional foods that were not used in the activity.  The researchers concluded that sensory play activities using fruits and vegetables may encourage fruit and vegetable tasting in preschool children more than non food play or visual exposure alone (Coulthard & Sealy, 2017).

A previous study evaluated children and their parents’ enjoyment of a tactile play task, measures of food neophobia (aversion) and tactile sensitivity using questionnaires.   The results indicated strong associations between parent and child scores across all three measures of food neophobia, tactile sensitivity and tactile play enjoyment. The variables most strongly related to child food neophobia were parental neophobia and enjoyment of tactile play (parent and child).  The researchers concluded that tactile processing is associated with food neophobia (Coulthard & Sahota, 2016).

Need some ideas for tactile food play?  How about trying some of the suggestions below on a large tray or bowl.  Children can finger paint, scoop, pour and explore for a tactile play experience.

1. yogurt
2. frozen peas or other frozen vegetables
3. baby food
4. pureed fruit for paint
5. smashed bananas
6. smash cooked vegetables (let the kids smash it, then play with it)
7. wash the fruit and vegetables
8. slice fruit and vegetables

References:

Coulthard, H., & Sahota, S. (2016). Food neophobia and enjoyment of tactile play: Associations between preschool children and their parents. Appetite, 97, 155-159.

Coulthard, H., & Sealy, A. M. (2017). Play with your food! Sensory play is associated with tasting of fruits and vegetables in preschool children. Appetite.

Therapeutic Food Survey: Do you have students who need interventions due to sensory, self-help, oral, and oral-motor problems such as chewing, swallowing, touch, taste, or texture? Do you want a tool to help you work hand in hand with your client’s family to prioritize and set goals?

This Therapeutic Food Survey can be used to:
• Discover what and how much your client is and is not presently eating.
• Interview family members about history and family goals.
• Narrow down vague descriptions and create hard data.
• Use data to establish achievable goals.
• Use data to document progress.

FIND OUT MORE.

The post Food Tactile Play and Food Preferences appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Proprioceptive, Tactile and Fine Motor Painting Activity

Here is a simple activity that you can modify depending upon the skill level of the child. We chose to do a name but you could make this activity much more simple by just doing lines or random designs. It could also be done on a canvas bag to make a great tote bag gift for someone special.

Purpose of activity: Encourage fine motor skill development, upper extremity muscle strengthening and proprioceptive/tactile input.

Materials: painter's tape (low adhesion), paint and paper. Easel is optional or you could do the activity on the floor.

Activity:
Step 1: Put painter's tape (low adhesion) on a large piece of paper in a design or create a name.


Optional: If able have the child help to tear the tape to encourage fine motor skill development.


Step 2: When design is completed paint the palms of the child's hands. The child will then press hard on the picture with flat hands.




Step 3: When the paint has dried completely remove the painter's tape to reveal the design.


Looking for more sensory motor development ideas? Go to YourTherapySource.com for free activities, electronic books, monthly newsletter and more.

Infant Responses to Tactile Input

Psychological Science has published research on 9 month old infants reaction to tactile input. The parents sat the infant on their lap while the experimenter stroked the back of the infant's arm with a paintbrush. The experimenter varied the rate of the brushstrokes among three defined velocities: slow, medium and fast (0.3, 3, or 30 cm per second). The experimenters determined the infants' responses of attentional engagement and arousal through physiological and behavioral measures.

The following results were recorded:
1. the infants' heart rate slowed in response to the brushstrokes but only when the strokes were of medium velocity therefore the touch of the medium-velocity brush helped to decrease their physiological arousal.
2. The infants showed more engagement with the paintbrush during the medium-velocity brushstrokes, as measured by how long and how often they looked at the brush while they were being stroked.
3. infants' slower heart rate during medium-velocity brushstrokes was uniquely correlated with the primary caregivers' own self-reported sensitivity to touch. In other words, the more sensitive the caregiver was to touch, the more the infant's heart rate slowed in response to medium-velocity touch.

The researchers concluded that sensitivity to pleasant touch begins early in development and playing an important role in regulating human social interactions.

Reference: M. T. Fairhurst, L. Loken, T. Grossmann. Physiological and Behavioral Responses Reveal 9-Month-Old Infants' Sensitivity to Pleasant Touch. Psychological Science, 2014; DOI: 10.1177/0956797614527114

Mini Sensory Books
Summary: Download of the materials to create 7 sensory mini books, 7
charts, 7 four square strips and over 100 picture word cards.
Find out more information at http://yourtherapysource.com/minisensory.html

WINNERS!

Drumroll please.......


Using random.org, the winners of the Holiday SoftTM tagless, seamless, t-shirts were selected. The lucky five are:

Hutch71
GP Asperger Group
Melanie
Jenifer
Brenda.


Please email us at contactus@yourtherapysource.com with your mailing address, t-shirt size and color. View sizing and colors. If you can provide them to us by 12/9/09 the t-shirts will be at your home in time for the holidays! Thanks to all those who participated.


And, of course, a big thank you to SoftTM Clothing for providing the awesome t-shirts. Don't forget to visit the website, http://www.softclothing.net/, to view all the soft, tagless clothing.

Holiday Soft Tee Giveaway!

We are sponsoring a holiday Soft® Tee giveaway of 5 seamless, tagless, soft cotton tees! Created by a Mom and special educator, Soft® is the first line of inclusive clothing designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, and tactile defensiveness. They use flat seaming and seamless construction for extra comfort, 100% of the softest combed cotton and specially developed Soft Sensory Blends , wide collars, encased elastic waistbands, printed labels (tagless), custom fits, and much more. Their goal is to design clothing that can enhance social skills, sensory organization, concentration, by addressing unique sensory needs, but without sacrificing personal style and self expression. Read more on the company's mission. For more info on their products, sign up for the Soft email newsletter.


Here is how the contest will work. Soft® is offering 5 FREE seamless (flat seaming), tagless, soft cotton tees in any color/size of the winners choice. Look closer at the t-shirts and sizing.

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below on this blog post.

We will pick 5 winners on 12/6/09. Please check back on 12/7/09 to see if you won. If you do win, you will need to send us your mailing address before 12/09/09 to receive the t-shirt before the holidays. Soft will ship the t-shirt to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Remember, just leave a comment below to enter to win a FREE tagless, seamless, soft cotton tee in any color/size. How easy is that!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Proprioceptive, Tactile and Fine Motor Painting Activity

Here is a simple activity that you can modify depending upon the skill level of the child. We chose to do a name but you could make this activity much more simple by just doing lines or random designs. It could also be done on a canvas bag to make a great tote bag gift for someone special.

Purpose of activity: Encourage fine motor skill development, upper extremity muscle strengthening and proprioceptive/tactile input.

Materials: painter's tape (low adhesion), paint and paper. Easel is optional or you could do the activity on the floor.

Activity:
Step 1: Put painter's tape (low adhesion) on a large piece of paper in a design or create a name.


Optional: If able have the child help to tear the tape to encourage fine motor skill development.


Step 2: When design is completed paint the palms of the child's hands. The child will then press hard on the picture with flat hands.




Step 3: When the paint has dried completely remove the painter's tape to reveal the design.


Looking for more sensory motor development ideas? Go to YourTherapySource.com for free activities, electronic books, monthly newsletter and more.

What's Missing Tactile Game Video

Here is a fun activity that encourages upper extremity muscle strengthening, proprioceptive input and tactile input.



What more sensory motor activities? Check out 50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids!.

New Idea for Sensory Ball

Here is a new way to use a sensory toy. This is a spiky ball that can go on a child's head so there is a hole in it. Stuff the inside with a cloth napkin or dish towel. Mark one counting stick (or coffee stirrer) with a piece of masking tape on it. The child puts all the sticks in the spiky ball. After all the sticks are in, the adult or another child, pulls out one stick at a time. How many sticks do you have to pull out before you reached the marked one? If more than one player, the winner is the first one to find the marked stick. This activity encourages fine motor skills, bilateral coordination and tactile input. Want more activities like this? Go to www.YourTherapySource.com.