75 Engaging Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities (That Are Fun!) (2024)

Inside: Help create a calming environment where your loved one feels secure with these 75 Engaging Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities.

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Whether you have a parent with dementia or an adult child with a disability, you may be looking for ways to bond in a way that’s comfortable for your loved one.

Sensory activities are a great way for adults with disabilities to engage with their surroundings while creating a calm and relaxing environment. The goal is to help them feel safe and create conversation starters that can help ease their communication struggles.

It’s important to help adults with learning disabilities and dementia stay attuned to their surroundings, so they can continue living rich and rewarding lives. Sensory stimulation is a great way to give adults with disabilities the same sensory aids they’d get naturally through their day-to-day lives, but find hard to obtain.

You may struggle with juggling the responsibilities associated with caring for a disabled loved one; in that case, I encourage you to seek help like companionship services for seniors.

With that said, let’s take a look at some examples of sensory activities for adults with disabilities!

What are sensory experiences for adults?

Sensory experiences for adults are activities that engage any of the five senses. For instance, this could be using sight to look through a photo album of relatives or smelling someone cook your favorite childhood meal.

Specifically for adults with dementia, these sensory experiences can trigger past memories that foster positive emotions. For adults with intellectual disabilities, sensory experiences can help them communicate what they are feeling and create trust with a caregiver.

Ultimately, sensory experiences can help an adult with a disability live a more enriching life.

What are some activities for special needs adults?

Sensory activities for special needs adults help create opportunities for exploration and learning, as well as have a calming effect.

Some opportunities for adults with disabilities to participate in sensory and other educational activities both indoors and outdoors include:

• Try tasting different types of apples and explain what you see, feel, smell, touch, and taste.
• Make homemade playdough together using this recipe and describe what you see, feel, smell, and touch.
• Create on a canvas using different types of paint and describe the different colors, textures, and shapes.

These are just a few examples of grade activities because they use a multitude of senses.

Now that we’ve explored why sensory activities are important for adults with disabilities and a few options, let’s get into the ultimate list of ways to engage an adult with a disability through sensory stimulation.

75 Engaging Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities (That Are Fun!)

Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities that Engage Sight:

1. Jigsaw Puzzles
2. Building model cars, trucks, trains, boats, etc.
3. Looking through a kaleidoscope
4. Read it through a magazine and describe the photos
5. Stare up at the clouds
6. Go for a walk in nature
7. Visit a Botanical Nursery
8. Use glow-in-the-dark paint to create a picture that can only be seen when the lights are off
9. Look at a liquid motion bubble machine
10. Watch lava float in a lava lamp
11. Color on a sensory table
12. Watch ocean waves on a projector
13. Organize beads according to their color
14. Decorate the house with colorful decorations
15. Use a full-length mirror to describe reflection

Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities that Engage Touch:

16. Play with a busy board
17. Explore with magnets
18. Pick up items out of a bin using tweezers
19. Use chopsticks to eat
20. Create a sensory bin with different types of dry rice and pasta
21. Wash your hands using different types of soaps and scrubs
22. Play with Play-Doh
23. Play with a push pop bubble toy
24. Place an ice pack on different parts of your body and describe what you feel
25. Pop bubble wrap
26. Do a gentle massage on different parts of your body
27. Rub different textures like a feather and the tip of a pencil on your arm
28. Use an electronic handheld fan
29. Play with someone’s hair
30. Practice stacking blocks

Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities that Engage Smell:

31. Smell a fresh bouquet of flowers
32. Make candles using different essential oils
33. Make your own potpourri
34. Play with scented Play-Doh
35. Create art with scented markers
36. Try cooking a recipe and smelling the different ingredients
37. Go to a bakery and describe what you smell
38. Do a blind smell test with air fresheners
39. Smell the different candles around the house choose what you like best
40. Try smelling the different scents in your makeup cabinet
41. Tea Bag Matching Game
42. Mix spices with paint and describe what you smell
43. Create different fruit drinks and smell the ingredients
44. Play match the smell with essential oils
45. Play with scented water beads

Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities that Engage Taste:

46. Make an ice cream sundae
47. Taste different types of citrus fruit
48. Lick an envelope
49. Play match the taste with jelly beans
50. Explore taste with edible plants
51. Try cooking a recipe
52. Go to a bakery and taste test the different desserts
53. Explore tasting salty, sweet, bitter, and citrusy foods
54. Explore tasting fruits from different parts of the world
55. Explore tasting vegetables made in different ways
56. Try a tea taste test
57. Try tasting different types of nut butter
58. Mix together different foods not commonly found together and see if anything tastes good!
59. Try tasting different varieties of apples
60. Try tasting different varieties of cheese

Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities that Engage Sound:

61. Explore the different sounds from vehicles
62. Explore the different sounds in the kitchen
63. Listen to the different sounds of biting into food
64. Explore the different sounds on a sound machine
65. Listen to birds chirping
66. Try listening to acapella music
67. Explore the difference between an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar
68. Explore the sounds on a keyboard or piano
69. Play a variety of music types on the radio
70. Paint a picture and describe what you’re doing through every stroke
71. Read a story out loud
72. Listen to a podcast
73. Go outside and listen to the different sounds of nature
74. Listen to wind chimes
75. Tell a story from your past

Final Thoughts on 75 Engaging Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities (That Are Fun!)

I hope these fun and engaging sensory activities for adults with disabilities helped you find some things to do to bond with your loved one or a client. They will appreciate you taking the time out of your day to enrich their lives.

Did I miss anything? What would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments below!