What does it do?
A body sock is used for sensory regulation, maintaining a calm but alert state; where impulses, emotions, and behavior are in check. It provides calming and organizing input to the participant, all over the body at the same time. Using a body sock can promote the skill of body awareness knowing where your body is in space – meaning where your body begins and ends, and its proximity to other objects and people.
The body sock gives immediate feedback to the tactile and proprioceptive systems when it is worn, both in one static position or used for dynamic movement-based tasks. Climbing inside a body sock can minimize visual input, especially when an environment is overwhelming. It can target motor planning skills; challenging the user to figure out how to move the body while wearing it.
Where do I get a body sock?
Astramed offers a high-quality body sock that is made to last and comes with a lifetime guarantee should you ever have an issue. We strive to provide products that will have a positive impact on your life and our body sock is no exception!
A body sock, body pod, Body Sox, sensory sock, and sensory sack are some of the common terms to refer to the same type of product.
Our 10 Favorite Body Sock Activities
1) Play with position and movement
Try walking upright around the room or on all fours, crawl through tunnels, roll across the room or down a hill. Fly like airplanes or scoot around the floor like a dump truck.
Add another element to animal movements like bear walking, crab walk/scuttle, slithering like snakes, and hopping like a bunny.
Challenge yourself even more by playing leapfrog, doing jumping jacks, having wheelbarrow walk races, and so much more!
There are several dance groups that have done choreographed pieces wearing body socks! Check out this theatrical performance done in a body sock!
2) Yoga Poses
Besides the obvious extension position of hiding your head inside the body sock and stretching all your limbs out like a 5-point star, hold some different yoga positions too.
Practice down dog or child pose, tree pose, move through a sun salutation sequence while wearing the body sock and see how it feels. Try to maintain corpse position (Shavasana) all stretched out, still and relaxed, while doing some yogi breathing exercises.
Practice partner yoga or with a friend in front of the mirror and try to copy each other’s poses!
3) Motor Activities
Design an obstacle course and try to complete it while inside the body sock. Play balloon volleyball, or other balloon-based or ball games. See if you can operate a scooter board, roller-racer or wheeled toy to add an element of motor planning.
Expand a movement activity on a swing or suspended equipment in an OT office to involve several sensory systems at once.
4) Pretend
The creative and dramatic play possibilities abound. Put on a body sock and pretend to be a star, a swamp monster, superhero or zombie. Really extend your creative side with a body sock
it’s so open-ended. Surprise an unexpecting visitor as they walk in the door. With a good imagination and even incorporating some props around the house, the options are endless.
5) Alphabet
Act out the ABCs! Use a mirror to sing and position yourself throughout the whole alphabet song. “Spell” something out and have a friend guess the word! Add another motor component to weekly spelling words, or word-wall words by spelling them with your whole body.
6) Games
One on one, play simple games like hide and seek or peek-a-boo. With a few body socks to share with friends, get a group involved and make it social. Play traditional games like Simon Says, Musical Chairs, Mother May I or Red Light / Green Light while wearing a body sock.
Challenge yourself to Twister! Pretend to be a popcorn kernel and start by curling up into a kernel (ball) and “pop” out all 4 limbs when you hear the ‘word of the day’ or when the music stops, etc.
7) Races
Incorporate a body sock into a relay race course. With two groups and two courses set up, start with a suitcase full of clothing/props, put it all on over your clothing, run through the course, take off the clothing/props, pack it back in the suitcase and run back to the starting line, passing the suitcase to a teammate. Use the body sock as you would a pillowcase or potato sack to race, run, or hop across the lawn.
8) Quiet space
Establish a sensory safe zone in an area of your child’s room. With a tent, canopy or blankets built as a fort, minimize visual input in a busy space. Include soft pillows, stuffed animals or preferred textures inside. Offer a body sock for some deep pressure input while using the quiet space.
Consider layering or combing sensory tools – you could try a weighted lap pad or shoulder wrap on top of or underneath a body sock. Let your child seek out that space as needed. Encourage your child to use it after school, following a demanding activity, before bed, or as part of a transition.
9) Reading corner
–With some comfortable seating, pillows, child-sized chairs, lamps, and a few bookshelves, establish a reading area that is on a kid-level. Offer a body sock to really get ‘wrapped up’ in a book!
Add a body sock to a book boat – an extra layer of sensory input where kids can climb in a small space to get cozy and read a story. Add flashlights for fun!
Another option would be to include a body sock into sensory strategies for getting some homework done. It’s easy enough to add to any sedentary activity.
10) Fold it up
Who said you even had to wear the body sock? Fold or twist the Lycra fabric and use it as a rope! Pull a friend on a scooter board or swing with it, play tug of war, embrace the stretchy property of the fabric.
The body sock helps promote body awareness and creative movement while developing balance and coordination skills. Each pillowcase-like sack is constructed of four-way lycra with a loop-closed entrance and velcro fasteners. Because the material is see-through, kids can see the shapes they create and once inside find themselves in a private domain that begs for kinesthetic exploration. The body sock is ideal for individuals with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder who crave the “hug” like feeling provided by the body sock.
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