There's nothing I love more than a good sensory hack.
Okay, maybe there are a few things I love more, but regardless, I think sensory hacks are awesome. They're great for budget-conscious families and can be customized to your child's needs and preferences.
Of all the sensory hacks that I have done myself, the homemade sensory swings are always my favorite. Both for me and my son.
My oldest J is a vestibular sensory seeker. So swings are practically our best friend, especially during the long cold winters. So I thought I would round up a collection of amazing homemade sensory swings for kids. They're perfect for autistic kids or kids who need a bit of extra help with sensory integration.
So if you're wondering how to make a DIY sensory swing for your child, then you're in the right place! You're going to love these awesome tutorials.
What You Might Need to Hang a DIY Sensory Swing
Before we even make a homemade sensory swing, you have to make sure you even have the space to hang one up. And then you have to find the right tools and hardware to do so.
Where you will hang up a DIY indoor sensory swing will determine what kind of hardware you might need. For instance, you might need some of the following supplies:
You might opt to hang your swings in a doorway like we did. The doorway pictured below is wider than most doorways, which allowed us to even fit a round platform swing with ease.
To hang our swings, we just used some eye bolts and carabiner clips. Here's a look at our set up:
A Few Safety Notes About Hanging Sensory Swings Indoors
Make sure whatever hardware you use can support the right amount of weight. Especially if you go the eye bolt and carabiner clip route like we did. Both our clips and our bolts could each support over 300 lbs or something.
You'll also want to mount the hanging hardware into a stud or support beam of some kind. Obvious, I know, but still important to point out.
Another thing to check is that your child will have enough room to swing once it is mounted. Make sure your child won't hit any furniture, walls, or even the ceiling while swinging.
After you mount the swing, check that it can support your weight and that it's hooked up properly. Check that nothing is twisted, that the clips are fully hooked up and closed, that the swing is the correct height off the ground, etc. I personally always sit in the swings myself first after hanging them up. If it can support me, then it can easily support both of my boys.
Finally, keep the area around the swing safe by using a mat of some kind underneath. Just in case your child wants to hang upside down on the swing (which they will, I'm sure!) or they fall off.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at some of these DIY sensory swings.
Sensory Swings for Kids: DIY Tutorials that You've Got to Try!
1. Homemade Taco Sensory Swing (pictured below) - Even if you can't sew straight, I promise that you can still whip up this swing in about an hour. It's inexpensive to make too. Just grab some clearance fabric like I did.
2. Hanging Cocoon Swing with Free Knitting Pattern (pictured in collage image) from Craft Passion - This knitted swing is stunning. Absolutely stunning! It's on my mom's to do list as a Christmas gift for the boys.
3. DIY Woven Wrap Swing (pictured below) - Find out how to easily convert a baby wrap into a sensory swing with this quick and easy DIY.
4. DIY Ball Swing (pictured below) - This swing is tricky to stay balance on, but it's super easy to put together for an quick afternoon swing. Perfect for a little vestibular sensory input.
5. DIY 20 Minute Skateboard Swing from Little Bit Funky - It says it only takes 20 minutes to make this swing. So that's awesome. I think that this swing would be great for working on balance too.
6. Easy DIY Round Platform Swing (pictured below) - You might be surprised at how simple this tutorial is. And you'll be even more surprised by what is used for the base of the swing!
7. DIY Hammock Chair Swing from A Beautiful Mess - This DIY hammock chair swing is gorgeous! It looks really comfy too.
8. DIY Platform Swing Tutorial from Reese Dixon - Love this colorful platform swing tutorial!
9. Rope Swing from Preschool Powol Packets - This rope swing may be simple to set up, but it would provide lots of great sensory input.
10. Homemade Bolster Swing from Sensory Processing - This DIY version of the "hotdog swing," as we like to call it, looks great. It has been on my to do list for awhile.
11. DIY Bungee Swing from Holly's Art Corner - This swing was the inspiration for our DIY round platform swing tutorial that was further up in this list.
12. DIY Rope Disc Swing (pictured in collage) from Dukes & Duchesses - Disc swings are super tricky to stay balanced on, but they're a great way to build core muscles and give kids some vestibular sensory input. Thankfully this tutorial looks easy!
13. DIY Platform Swing from Play at Home Mom LLC - A great tutorial for making a regular platform swing.
14. DIY Indoor Sensory Swing from Teach Me Mommy - I love this simple DIY sensory swing tutorial. My kids love stretchy swings like this.
Other DIY Sensory Tools You'll Love
More DIY Sensory Tools & Autism Hacks
How to Make a DIY Crash Pad for Kids
How to Make a DIY Sensory Tunnel
