DIY Woven Wrap Sensory Swing

This DIY indoor sensory swing is so easy to make! Find out how to make a swing using a woven baby wrap.

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Installing a swing in our basement has been a lifesaver, especially with our long cold winters. It's such a great way for kids to burn off excess energy and regulate their bodies.

We have a few different swings that we can switch between, but we didn't yet have a good sensory type swing. They're often quite expensive.

But, after supper one evening, I thought about whether or not a woven wrap could easily convert into a sensory cuddle swing. Turns out, it works awesome and the boys are addicted to it!

So here's how to convert a woven wrap into a DIY indoor sensory wing.

What You'll Need for this DIY Sensory Swing

Babywearing has been a huge part of my life, especially since K was born. One of my favorite baby carriers is the gorgeous Ellevill Zara Deli woven wrap that you can see in the pictures. I converted it into a swing without having to make any modifications to the wrap itself. We have also used a stretchy baby wrap to make this sensory swing before (just using extra knots).

Here's what you'll need to make this sensory swing:

• Woven wrap baby carrier

• Eye bolts (I forget the size, sorry!)

• Carabiner hooks (ours hold up to 300ish pounds each)

Important Things to Note When Making Your Own DIY Indoor Sensory Swings for Kids

Before I show you how I set up this swing, I need to include a disclaimer and mention a few safety notes.

• It is highly recommended that you use a woven wrap for this swing. 

• Please do not substitute a sheet or blanket.

• A stretchy wrap baby carrier can also be used, but requires extra knots and careful supervision. But please use your discretion as stretchy wraps do not hold knots as well as a woven wrap.

• Always be sure to test the swing yourself, ensuring the wrap is well knotted, before putting your child in it.

• Put a crash pad or mat underneath for safety or hang it low enough that your child can easily touch the ground beneath them.

How to Install a Sensory Swing Indoors

Our swing is set up in a wide doorway by screwing two eye bolts (sorry, I don't recall the size off the top of my head!) into the frame. Then we used carabiner hooks that can each hold up to 300 and some odd pounds. You can see the set up below.

I knotted my woven wrap around the carabiner hooks, making sure that the knot is nice and tight. Be sure to test the swing after it is hung. If it can hold an adult up, then it can safely support a small child.

Once you have it securely knotted and tested that it can support your own weight, you can put a child in the swing.

A Kid Approved Sensory Swing!

The boys love this new swing and have tried sitting in it in various ways. I have also tried tying the wrap in different ways to make different "seats" for them to sit on. For instance, J enjoys using it like a hammock, but also enjoys sitting it in and spinning around.

K, on the other hand, likes to use it to fly like an airplane or sit in it like a jolly jumper.

Other Sensory Swings You'll Love

Homemade Taco Swing

DIY Platform Swing

The Best Homemade & DIY Sensory Swings for Kids

How to Make a DIY Sensory Tunnel

A simple sensory tunnel DIY tutorial. Below you'll find out how to make your own homemade sensory resistance tunnel out of lycra or spandex.

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I have always wanted to sew a sensory tunnel since they are so expensive, especially when you consider the fact that they are just a piece of stretchy fabric.

So me being me (and frugal as can be!), I made mine (as well as the two stretchy resistance bands) for only $25. 

Another bonus of making a sensory tunnel myself? I could make it any color I wanted. Or rather any color the kids wanted. Okay, let's be honest, any color that was on the clearance racks haha

But seriously, even if you don't think you can sew, you can easily managing making this DIY sensory tunnel.

DIY Autism Sensory Tunnel: What You'll Need

To make a homemade sensory resistance tunnel of your own, you will need:

• Spandex in the color of your choice - 3 meters long (or approximately 3 yards long) - J picked bright yellow, which is fun, but totally hard to photograph as I discovered...

• Sewing machine

• Scissors

How to Make a Homemade Lycra Sensory Tunnel

The spandex was a bit too wide to make a good sensory resistance tunnel. So I cut the fabric in a way that it ended up being about 45 inches wide. I intentionally made my tunnel a bit roomy so that it would grow with the boys and also fit an exercise ball through.

1. Cut your fabric so that it's about 3 meters long x 45 inches wide.

2. Fold the fabric in half so that it makes a long rectangle (like pictured below).

3. Use a zigzag stitch to sew the ends of the spandex together. Don't forget to backstitch at the start and the finish. Now the sewing part is relatively easy and straightforward, but it is a lot of fabric to get through the machine - just as a FYI.

And that's it! Easy, right?!

Ways to Use the Homemade Sensory Resistance Tunnel

The best part about this sensory tunnel is that it is versatile. We use it for so many different activities. 

Obviously we use it as a tunnel, like below, but sometimes I get the boys to crawl through the tunnel while pushing an exercise ball. It's a great heavy work activity!

We also use it like stretchy resistance bands. Simply stand in the middle of the sensory tunnel, grab each end with your hands, and stretch! Here's J demonstrating:

The sensory tunnel also doubles as a body sock like this sensory sock. Just climb on in and start making shapes.

Or play peek-a-boo.

Seriously...how darn cute is this?!

K also likes to wrap himself up like a mummy and walk around. Banana man returns (see reference)! And sometimes the boys will climb into different ends to make a double body sock.

We also use our homemade sensory tunnel as a toy trampoline, which was an idea that I got from the book Motivate to Communicate: 300 Games & Activities for Your Child with Autism. The boys grab some stuffed animals, grab the ends of the tunnel, and shake it like a parachute.

We also like to use it as a sensory swing. My husband and I just grab each end of the tunnel, pick it up, and gently swing it back and forth. Sometimes, if I'm feeling like a good workout, I grab both ends myself so that the boys have to curl their body into a V shape and spin them around for a bit. J particularly loves doing that!

And finally, here are some other suggestions:

• Play tug of war. Two people grab opposite ends of the sensory tunnel and pull back and forth

• Create a high jump or limbo bar with it. Two people hold each end, lower and raise it, while encouraging the kids to jump over, crawl under, roll under, etc. It's a great way to work on the words "over" and "under."

• If you have a smooth soft surface like some tumbling gymnastic mats, then you can have your child climb into the sensory tunnel or lay on top, then pull them across the mats. It's sort of like riding a magic carpet!

Other DIY Sensory Tools & Hacks You'll Love

Homemade Stretchy Bands

DIY Sensory Stretchy Compression Bed Sheet

Easy, Peasy No Sew DIY Crash Pad

Homemade Glowing Floor Piano

It's time for Light & Reflections again!  This month's theme is music and movement and well, music is kind of my specialty.  We have done many music themed activities using light in the past, including music matching on the light table, music play on the overhead projector, and rainbow drums on the light table.  However, I wanted to switch things up and move away from the light table for this month's post.  Instead, I created a giant homemade glow-in-the-dark floor piano using glow sticks.  Lots and lots of glow sticks!

My inspiration for this activity was the 80s movie Big.  You know, the one where Tom Hanks plays a giant floor piano.  Yeah, totally awesome inspiration, right?  Well, ours doesn't light up or make a sound when you step on a key, but it was still fun and presented lots of learning opportunities for the boys.  

Another bonus, at least for me, is that the giant floor piano can then be used in my piano studio as a hands-on feet-on approach to learning the notes of the piano keyboard.  I know that my beginner piano students will have a blast using the giant floor piano to practice finding piano keys.

Enough about that though.  You want to know how to make it, right?  Of course, you do!  

How to Make a Giant Floor Piano

I used an off-white shower curtain, but a white sheet would work well too.  I then folded the sheet in half lengthwise and sewed the two short ends.  I left the long edge open so that I could create pockets for the glow sticks.

Once I sewed the two short edges, I turned the shower curtain inside out so that the seams would be hidden inside the piano.

Next, I measured out eight piano keys.  The width of each key was 8.5".  Then I sewed along the width of each key using black thread.  Just as a reminder, the bottom of the piano was left open so you should be left with little pockets for inserting the glow sticks.

To make the black keys, I used three sheets of black felt.  I cut each sheet in half lengthwise.  I then hot glued the felt into the appropriate places.  You could also sew the black keys, if you prefer, but at this point, I was tired of dealing with the slippery shower curtain fabric.

That's it!

How to Make a Glow-in-the-Dark Floor Piano

I used about eight packages of glow sticks for our floor piano, but I think it would look even more amazing with even more glow sticks.  I bought all the glow sticks at the dollar store for $1 each so the total cost was only $8.  I bought a mix of the standard bracelet style glow sticks and the short thick glow sticks.  The best part about glow sticks is that you can pop them in the freezer when you're done to use for another occasion, prolonging their life and use.  Sweet!

I decided to turn our glowing floor piano into a rainbow, as you can see.  I also taped the piano to the floor so that it wouldn't roll or bunch up during play.

The boys started off just running back and forth across the keys of the floor piano.  K liked to use it more like a slip and slide by running and sliding on his butt.  Summer project perhaps?

After their initial exploration, we did a few different activities.  J and I worked together to name the keys of the piano while walking across it.

We then explored the piano by color.  I would shout out a color and the boys would jump on the note.  I also varied it up a bit by naming a sequence of colors for them to find.

My husband then had the brilliant idea to turn it into a game of twister.  J has been working on identifying right versus left hands and feet, so this activity was a perfect way to do that.  It also encouraged J to stretch his body into all sorts of weird positions.

Look, my husband even made it into a few pictures on the blog.  That's a first and what a "glowing" picture!  Haha...Here are a couple of photos of all three boys playing some twister on the glowing floor piano.

And here's my favorite picture of all!  I just love the silhouette of J's body against the glowing piano keys.

Other Ideas You'll Love

16 Piano Inspired Music Activities for Kids

Glow Stick Drumming

Visual Sensory Toys & Tools for Kids

The other ladies in Light & Reflections series have come up with some pretty amazing music and movement ideas so be sure to check them all out.

Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Shakers from Happily Ever Mom

Musical Water Experiments on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Mimicking Movement with Mirrors from Where Imagination Grows

You can find all the posts from this series on the Light & Reflections Series board on Pinterest.  Then tune in next month when we focus on springtime.  Ah, I cannot wait for it to be spring!

DIY Giant Balloon Cannon

We were hit with another cold snap last week and it was simply too cold to go outside.  The boys were going crazy, as was I.  And none of the regular boredom busters were working.  

So I came up with this crazy ridiculous idea to make a giant balloon cannon.  I am not sure how I came up with this idea, but this balloon cannon ended up being the perfect boredom buster.  The boys laughed, ran, and played for nearly two hours straight.  Want to know what we did? Well, click here to read the full details on CBC Parents.

Drum Games for Kids to Explore Tempo

If you're looking for tempo games, then look no further than these two fun drum games for kids.

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Below you will find two drum games that we like to do in our house. I originally wasn't going to post these ideas because they seemed so silly. But I also know that many parents struggle to come up with music activities for their kids.

Both of the games that I will be describing are an easy way to teach kids about tempo and the corresponding musical terms. No setup is required either.

Let's talk about the beautiful drum that you'll see pictured as part of these drum games for kids. My parents brought back this drum as a souvenir from their trip to Ireland last fall. What I like is that this drum has a nice handle on the backside, making it perfect for little ones to hold on to.

2 Simple Drum Games for Kids

Below you will find two of our favorite drum game activities for exploring tempo. One focuses on movement and the other on listening skills. Both of these activities would be great for self regulation purposes too.

For both games, you'll need a drum ready for banging. You will also need a metronome. If you don't have a metronome, you can use an online web-based one.

Game #1: Music and Movement Drum Game for Kids

The main idea with this game is to encourage movement. The kids will march to the tempo (or speed) of the drum. 

For this game, I tap out a steady beat on the drum while chanting a corresponding tempo description. For example, if I drum slowly, then I will say, "largo, largo, largo" or "slow, slow, slow" to the beat and the kids will march slowly around the room. Then I'll use "moderato" for a medium tempo, "allegro" for a fast tempo, and "presto" for a really fast tempo. I always start with largo, then gradually move up in tempo. After a few seconds of presto speed, I will suddenly shout, "stop!" and the boys will have to freeze in their current position.

This activity is really quite simple, but K absolutely loves it. He's not quite two and a half years old yet. However, he can already use the terms "largo" and "allegro" appropriately. All thanks to this game (and to maybe overhearing me use these terms in piano lessons over the years).

Marching and dancing to different speeds of drum beats is a great way to get the kids moving. Especially when the weather isn't cooperating outside.

Game #2: Metronome Drumming Game for Kids

We do this game with our metronome.  However, if you don't have one, then you can clap rhythms as an alternative.  The great thing about our metronome is that in addition to ticking out the beat, it has a red light that blinks to the beat.  So the boys can use the auditory and/or visual cues for determining the tempo.

To play this game, I pick a tempo on the metronome and encourage the boys to drum to the beat.  I gradually speed up the tempo so that they end up drumming faster and faster.  Again, if you don't own a metronome, then simply clap a beat with your hands and gradually speed up. Here's J drumming "moderato."

And here he was trying to keep up with a new drum beat of "presto" or fast. You can see how tense his neck and shoulders were as he tried to drum to the faster beat. He did a great job keeping up!

As an alternative to this simple drum activity, the boys took turns with the metronome, picking their own speed. My youngest K particularly likes to do this version. He is in that wonderful I-do-everything-myself-mom phase after all. So he loves to do everything independently as possible right now.

Once he found the perfect tempo, he drummed away. Picking your own speed makes drum practice more fun, right?

But all that dancing and drumming is tiring. Sometimes it's just better to lay on the floor and drum...I guess it's naptime after these drum games for kids.

Other Great Drumming Activity Ideas You'll Love

Bucket Drumming for Kids

DIY Recycled Outdoor Drumming Station for Kids

Awesome Drum Craft for Kids {Made from a Tin Can}  

Bucket Drumming for Kids: A Fun Gross Motor Music Activity

Bucket drumming for kids is a great way to explore music at home and teach your child basic rhythms. It's a great gross motor music activity and boredom buster.

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It's impossible not to use leftover cardboard tubes from Christmas gift wrap for a quick sword fight or two. Even as an adult. But cardboard tubes also make for awesome drum sticks for this super simple music activity.

Seriously, you've got to try bucket drumming for kids. It's tons of fun and requires basically zero effort on your part.

It's the perfect combo of music and movement for toddlers and preschoolers. Okay fine, the same applies for big kids too. The kids will burn off some of their never ending energy. They also learn a little about a music and build rhythm skills along the way. And, like I said, it's just plain fun. What's not to love?

Bucket Drumming for Kids: What You'll Need

Whether you plan to work on simple rhythms, advanced rhythms, or just let the kids do their thing, here's what you'll need for bucket drumming:

• A large bucket or two - Any size or shape will work. We used large round buckets with rope handles similar to these. Simply turn the bucket upside down to turn them into instant drums.

• Large cardboard tubes, wooden spoons, wooden dowels, or anything similar that would make for great drum sticks - Or use real drum sticks if you've got them.

We personally used two large green buckets and some cardboard tubes leftover from Christmas gift wrap for our bucket drumming. My boys also experimented with using their hands and feet to drum with, as you will soon see. 

Your Kids are Going to Love this Bucket Drumming & Stomping Activity!

The great thing about this drumming activity is that it gives the kids a chance to explore music in a variety of ways. They can test out different rhythms. They can use drum sticks or try using different parts of their body to see how the sound changes. They can tilt the drums while hitting them to see how the sound changes. You can use a variety of different buckets and pails and let your kids listen to how the sounds change depending on the size of the container. There are lots of possibilities.

Like I mentioned, you can also use bucket drums to experiment with different drumming techniques. Which is exactly what my boys decided to do. Up first, they tried slapping the drum like a bongo. While also sitting on the bucket haha

Then my boys tried stomping the bucket drums with their feet. Seems like the toddler thing to do in this instance, right? 

My oldest also tried stomping the bucket while also tapping the cardboard tubes together. I guess this would be like using the kick drum while also hitting the snare or high hats on a drum set.

There might have been some jumping from bucket to bucket too, but that was more for fun than it was for music's sake. But hey, bucket drumming for kids is more than just about the music aspect. It was also about burning off some extra energy so it was definitely a win all around!

Other Simple Drumming Activities for Kids

Two Simple Drum Games for Kids

Glow Stick Bucket Drumming for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Tin Can Drumming & Spelling Activity for Kids

Pool Noodle Bees

I'm not really sure where the inspiration came from for these homemade pool noodle bees, but boy oh boy, have J and K enjoyed playing with these!  They are simple to make and a great way to do some imaginative play with bugs.

To make the pool noodle bees, I cut a 4-5" chunk off of a yellow pool noodle.  Using a permanent black marker, I then drew some black stripes on the bee's body.  I also drew a face on one end of the pool noodle.  The wings were made by twisting white pipe cleaners into wing shapes.  The pipe cleaners can then easily be pushed into the pool noodle.

J and K enjoyed flying the pool noodle bees around, happily making buzzing sounds.  However, I also came up with a flying bee activity, which J was obsessed with.

I tied a string to the door handle at the top of our basement stairs.  I slid the bee onto the string and then held onto the other end.  I sat a few feet away from the bottom of the stairs, giving the string a nice slope for the bee to come "flying" down.

J let the bee fly down the string on its own, giggling as it came zooming towards me.  He also helped it fly at a more leisurely pace by holding onto the bee while climbing up and down the stairs.

J has spent a lot of time playing with this flying bee activity, while K prefers to just fly his around, engaging in some imaginative play.

Looking for more bug and bee activities?  Check out the Bugs by the Number Sensory Bin or the Buzz Basket.