Deep Pressure Activities for Children: Ideas for Home and Play
Some children love big hugs, squeezing into small spaces, jumping, pushing, pulling or wrapping themselves tightly in a blanket. Others prefer much less physical pressure and may move away from these experiences.
These preferences are part of the different ways children experience sensory information.
You may hear pediatric therapists use the term deep pressure when talking about some of these experiences. But what does deep pressure actually mean, and what are some simple ways children can experience it through everyday play?
Pediatric occupational therapists often use deep pressure play to support children’s sensory development.
- What is deep pressure?
- Can deep pressure help children feel calm?
- Deep pressure and proprioceptive activities to try through play
- What about hugs, massage and weighted items?
- How can Occupational Therapy help?
- Supporting sensory needs through everyday play
What is deep pressure?
Deep pressure generally refers to firm pressure or resistance experienced through the body.
Many activities that involve pushing, pulling, squeezing, carrying or using the body’s muscles also provide proprioceptive input. Proprioception is our body’s sense of where it is and how much force our muscles and joints are using.
Some children actively seek these experiences. You might notice your child loves crashing into cushions, squeezing playdough, climbing, jumping or asking for firm hugs.
Other children may not enjoy these sensations at all.
Neither response is wrong. Sensory preferences vary from child to child.
If you’d like to understand this in more detail, our How Occupational Therapy Can Support Sensory Processing article explains how children can experience and respond to sensory information differently.
Can deep pressure help children feel calm?
For some children, firm pressure or activities involving their muscles can feel comfortable or settling. You might notice your child naturally seeks these experiences at particular points throughout their day.
However, an activity that one child finds calming may feel uncomfortable or alerting to another child.
Rather than assuming an activity will “regulate” or calm your child, watch how they respond. Do they seek more? Do they move away? Do they appear comfortable and engaged?
Following your child’s cues is particularly important for activities involving physical touch. Hugs, massage or other forms of pressure should only be offered when the child is comfortable with and wants that kind of contact.
Deep pressure and proprioceptive activities to try through play
There are plenty of everyday activities that give children opportunities to use their muscles and experience resistance.
Playdough
Squashing, squeezing, rolling and pulling playdough gives children’s hands plenty of resistance.
Try hiding small toys or beads inside the playdough for your child to find, rolling long snakes or using cookie cutters to create different shapes.
As well as providing sensory input, playdough can support hand strength and fine motor development.
These same movements also help children build the fine motor skills they need for everyday tasks like drawing, cutting and writing.
Pushing and pulling
Children can experience resistance through simple pushing and pulling games.
This might include:
- playing tug-of-war
- pulling a wagon
- pushing a loaded toy trolley
- using resistance bands during supervised play
- helping move lightweight objects around the home.
These activities can easily become part of everyday play rather than needing to be a structured “sensory exercise”.
Carrying objects
Helping with everyday jobs can also involve plenty of muscle work.
A child might help carry books, move toys from one room to another, carry a small shopping bag or help bring suitable items in from the car.
Choose objects that are appropriate for your child’s age, size and abilities rather than deliberately giving them something excessively heavy to carry.
Wheelbarrow walks
For children who enjoy active play, wheelbarrow walks can be a fun way to use their arms, shoulders and core.
An adult holds the child’s legs while the child walks forward using their hands.
You could turn this into a game by creating a short obstacle course or seeing whether they can wheelbarrow-walk towards a favourite toy.
Jumping and active play
Jumping, climbing and other forms of active play provide children with opportunities to use their whole body.
This might include jumping on appropriate play equipment, climbing at the playground, completing an obstacle course or jumping between cushions placed safely on the floor.
These activities also provide movement input, so different children may respond to them differently. Sensory swings are another way some children experience movement. Learn more in our Sensory Swings for Children: What Are They and How Can They Help? guide.
Yoga and animal walks
Activities that use a child’s own body weight can provide resistance without requiring specialised equipment.
Try pretending to walk like different animals – a bear, crab or frog – or experimenting with child-friendly yoga positions.
These activities can also support balance, coordination and body awareness.
Squeezing activities
Some children enjoy activities that involve squeezing with their hands.
Stress balls, playdough, sponges during water play or squeezing water from a washcloth can all provide resistance through the hands.
These are simple activities that can be incorporated naturally into play and everyday routines.
Swimming and water play
Swimming and moving through water provide resistance against the body and can be an enjoyable whole-body activity for children who like being in the water.
Water play can also be much simpler – squeezing wet sponges, pouring water between containers or pushing floating toys through the water.
Children should always have appropriate adult supervision around water.
Rough-and-tumble play
Some children love wrestling, rolling, crashing onto cushions or other forms of energetic physical play.
When everyone involved wants to participate, rough-and-tumble play can provide opportunities for movement, body awareness and social interaction.
Adults can help children learn to notice when someone wants to stop and respect each other’s boundaries during physical play.
What about hugs, massage and weighted items?
Some children actively seek firm hugs or enjoy massage, while others strongly dislike these forms of touch.
The important thing is to follow your child’s preferences rather than using physical pressure simply because they are upset or overwhelmed.
Weighted products also require more consideration than everyday play activities. If you’re thinking about using specialised weighted or sensory equipment for your child, discuss your child’s individual needs with an appropriately qualified professional rather than assuming that a particular product will be helpful.
How can Occupational Therapy help?
Sensory preferences are only one part of understanding a child.
An Occupational Therapist considers how a child’s sensory experiences, motor skills, environment and everyday routines influence their participation in occupational therapy at home, kinder, school and in the community.
Therapy might involve helping families understand what a child seeks or avoids, adapting environments, exploring different activities and finding practical strategies that suit the individual child.
Supporting sensory needs through everyday play
Deep pressure and proprioceptive activities don’t need to involve specialised equipment or a complicated “sensory routine”.
For many children, opportunities to push, pull, climb, squeeze, carry and move can happen naturally through everyday play.
The important part is noticing what your child enjoys, respecting what they don’t enjoy and choosing activities that are safe and appropriate for them.
If sensory differences are affecting your child’s participation in everyday activities, an Occupational Therapist can help you better understand your child’s individual sensory needs and explore practical strategies that work for your family.