If you want to plan a sensory play party for your blind or visually impaired child and their friends, a theme can help keep the activities simple and understandable. Your theme should be a common thread running through all the activities in some way.For example, you might want to have a construction party, and use objects related to building and construction work, such as blocks, hard hats, shovels, and other machines.
Think not just of occupations, but also places. For example, if your child really enjoyed a recent trip to the beach, you might have a beach-themed party and bring the beach into your own backyard.
When picking a theme, get your child involved so you can choose something that sparks their interest.;
, Particularly if you have several different activities planned for your sensory play party, you want to make sure all activities are accessible to all children and clearly separated from one another.Think in terms of both auditory and tactile cues to enhance the children's understanding of each activity and the objective. For example, you might place a soft rug or mat on a hard surface to indicate a particular area is reserved for a seated activity.
Use bright, high-contrast tape to mark off the bounds of each play area so the children can more easily understand where one activity ends and the other begins.
Keep the area simple and uncluttered, and remove objects that are unrelated to the play date.
 Sensory bins are wonderful tools that can help your child focus and engage their senses. When planning a sensory play party or play date with other kids who don't have visual impairments, put lids on the bins or have those kids put on blindfolds so they can have a similar experience.This can also help teach the other children empathy, as well as making the activities equally challenging for all the children.


Start with a large plastic storage container, then choose a filler such as rice or sand. Your filler need not be expensive, and may vary depending on the other types of objects you plan to include.
Add other objects with a distinctive shape and texture compared to the filler you've used. For example, you might place marbles of varying sizes in a tub of sand.
Include tools for scooping and sifting the filler so the children can find the objects buried in the bins.
 When planning a play date for your blind or visually impaired child, you want to incorporate as many of their other senses as possible. Sounds and smells can help your child differentiate between things that are typically identified by sight.For example, you might hang pots and pans of various sizes on a fence. You can get many different types of pots and pans at a thrift store relatively inexpensively — you don't have to use the ones you normally cook with. Hang all the objects and give the kids different things to bang them with, such as brushes, wooden spoons, mallets, and spatulas, so they can experience the different sounds that are created with different combinations of objects.
Infuse plain jello with different essential oils so that the children can dig their hands into the jello and release the aroma. Talk about what the smell is and what types of objects or experiences are associated with those smells.
 Edible items engage your child's sense of taste, which is crucial for blind or visually impaired children as they explore the world around them. Having different tastes for different colors can help your child start to recognize and understand the concept of colors.Some examples of edible items you can use include spaghetti noodles, edible play dough (look online for recipes), and tapioca balls.
You can cook spaghetti with food coloring to add bold colors. Lay the colors out on a white tarp to create a squishy rainbow for the kids to explore.
Try to keep your taste and color associations consistent. For example, if you associate red with cherry flavor in one activity, don't associate it with strawberry for another activity — this could cause confusion.
 Many blind or visually impaired kids love ball pits, but it can be dangerous for them to go into public ball pits along with other sighted children. However, you can eliminate this danger by making your own.Use an inflatable wading pool so the pit is soft, then get some balls for the pit. You can find suitable balls and most toy stores and discount stores.
Consider using balls of different sizes to enhance the sensory experience. If you have any choice, choose high-contrast colors so visually impaired kids will be better able to distinguish the different balls.
 While a sensory party is usually pretty relaxed, with an emphasis on exploring and making messes, you may want to also throw in a few more challenging games or activities to help your child feel a sense of accomplishment. Ask your child what they would like to do, and see if you can make the necessary accommodations.


Look for sensory-based board games, or games that have been adapted for blind or visually impaired children by adding braille or tactile markers. Games like checkers, tic-tac-toe, even card games can all be made accessible to your child with just a few tweaks.
Another example is if your child is visually impaired but can make out very bright colors, you could adapt a game of t-ball by placing bright orange cones at each base and using bright tape leading to each base so the child knows where to run.Or, if your child wants to play kickball, you can allow the children to either kick the ball from a stationary position or from a pitch. Your blind or visually impaired child can kick a stationary ball and have a friend run with them, guiding them around the bases.
Choose a theme.
Modify activities to make them more accessible.
Make sensory bins.
Add sounds and smells.
Use edible items for sensory play.
Create your own ball pit.
Consider adapting popular games for your child.
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