Heading out? Pack vacation-friendly sensory tools for your time away from home., including a weighted companion or two. New sensory tools are exciting but most importantly, select items that are portable, durable and engage a variety of senses. Read on for fun ideas. Of course, if your child or teen has a favorite lap pad or weighed pal, be sure to bring those too. Happy travels!

Finger-size Sensory Tools

Choose a ready-made fidget kit or create your own. The goal is to engage the hands and support calm and focus. Pack the fidgets in a container to keep it organized so it's not floating around the car or luggage. Try a marble fidget or putty piecesto use in your favorite putty, or alone for sorting and manipulating.

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Marble Finger Fidget
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Putty Piece Sets

 

Lap Pads for Anxiety

A weighted lap pad can help calm anxious travelers. We recommend a weighted pad with activities on it such as a Find Me Lap Pad or a Busy Fingers Fidget Lap Pad. Your favorite lap pad or a weighted log roll will work well too as long as it can be kept in the car for use when on those long trips.

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Find Me Lap Pads
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Weighted Log Roll

 

Puzzles Make for a Shorter Trip

Puzzles are great for down time. You can choose a visual perception game too or one that requires some thinking and problem solving to engage the mind. The Fidget Finger Puzzle Set encourages fine motor work too. The Busy Fingers Tangram Gel Puzzle enables you to make hundreds of designs from just seven pieces, teaching spatial relationships and visual processing.

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Fidget Finger Puzzle Set
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Busy Fingers Tangram Gel Puzzle"

 

Sensory-Friendly Clothing

Pack items that don't take up much space but provide the perfect sensory outlet. Try a pair of mittens, palm weights or sensory sleeves to keep the upper body happy, calm and covered. Under Huggers can be worn under clothing or alone for cool, compression. Weighted suspendersprovide the compression needed through the shoulders for sensory seekers.

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Touchable Textured Mitts"
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Sensory Sleeves

 

Bring Your Favorite Sleep Sack

Snuggle in a weighted or spandex sleeping bag for a great night's sleep. Place on a bed or right on the floor for a grounded effect for sensory seekers. A weighted sleeping bag can double as a heavy lap pad or weighted blanket. And the Hug Sleeping Bagcan double as a calm down tool, stretch activity or sensory cover.

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Heavy Sleeper Weighted Sleeping Bag"
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Hug Sleeping Bag

 

Sensory Tools for your Mouth

And don't forget your chewies. A chewy can provide the ultimate calming and organizing tool for your vacation trip. Bringing a variety of chewies or just your favorite to get you through that extra long wait at the airport or to prevent a meltdown. You may want to keep some of your vacation tools and sensory toys hidden until you're on the road since a new tool can be enticing and sustain interest. Have a safe trip and remember to enjoy!