FOCUS SENSES:

VISUAL • TACTILE • OLFACTORY

WHY THIS THEME?

SEPTEMBER IS A MONTH OF TRANSITIONS — SCHOOL BEGINS, DAYS SHORTEN, AND NATURE PAINTS THE WORLD WITH NEW COLORS. THESE CHANGES CREATE A NATURAL OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CHILDREN BUILD ROUTINES, EMBRACE CHANGE, AND FIND COMFORT IN SENSORY EXPLORATION.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Visual: Collect fall leaves and match them by shade, or use paint swatches to compare colors.

• Tactile: Create a “Fall Bin” with dried corn, pinecones, silk leaves, and acorns.

• Olfactory: Fill jars with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and dried apples for safe smell exploration.

• Proprioceptive: Practice raking leaves (indoors with fabric leaves or outdoors with real ones).

• Vestibular: Jump safely into leaf piles or crash mats to simulate the joy of fall play.

🛠️ FEATURED EQUIPMENT

• Light Table + Leaves → explore color, shape, and shadow play.

• Fiber Optic Lights → mimic early nightfall in a calming way.

• Weighted Lap Pad (fall theme) → provides grounding sensory input.

• Aromatherapy Diffuser → apple, cinnamon, or clove scents (school-safe, adjustable).

• Nature Textured Wall Panels → bark, leaf, or stone designs to echo the season.

🍂 THIS MONTH’S REMINDER: Even a simple activity like running fingers through rice or sprinkling colors onto a fall tree can help a child feel calm and connected. These small sensory moments become powerful tools for regulation and can invite meaningful connection between a child and their parent or caregiver.

👣 Trey’s Takeaway

As the season shifts, so do our children’s needs. Change can sometimes feel overwhelming, whether it be shorter days, cooler weather or new routines. But when we invite those changes into our environment and sensory play, we turn uncertainty into opportunity... an opportunity to make a meaningful connection.