Be inspired with plenty of fun and clever ideas for you to get the most out of your Lycra Body Sock. From sensory regulation to imaginative play, lycra body socks offer a range of benefits and possibilities.

Lycra body socks are commonly used in sensory integration therapy. They provide deep pressure input and proprioceptive input/feedback. 

Wearing the body sock and engaging in movement activities can improve body awareness, coordination, sensory processing and self regulation.

The gentle consistent deep pressure of the lycra can have a calming effect on the nervous system, making it an excellent tool for promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. It can help individuals feel more grounded and centered.

So you’ve bought yourself (or your kiddo) a body sock. Maybe you saw them online and thought they looked fun or could be helpful. Or, maybe a body sock was recommended to you by a therapist.

BUT once you have your kiddo inside the body sock, what next?

We’ve put together a long list of ways to use your body sock that will help you unlock its potential and help you get the most out of your body sock.

Here are 20 different ways to use your body sock (PLUS there’s a bonus section to explain why it’s worth using a lycra body sock).

1. Yoga. Boost the benefits of yoga by adding a body sock. Suggestions to get you started: Downward Dog, Child Pose, Warrior 2, Tree pose and Cobra. We also supply a book that is dedicated to yoga for kids. Click here to view product.
   

2. Crawling. If you are lucky enough to have a tunnel, perfect. If not, create a makeshift tunnel with furniture or use painters tape to map out a wild pathway or “race track”.
   
   
   
   
3. Animal walks. Animal walks are often used by Occupational Therapists as a fun way to provide heavy work, balance and coordination. Suggestions to get you started: frog hop, duck waddle (pictured below), bear walk etc.
   
   
   
   
4. Up Up Balloon. Children love trying to keep a balloon up in the air. Add a little challenge by counting how many times they can pat/hit it before it hits the ground.
   
5. Charades. Charades is an oldy but a goldie. When choosing charade options to use in a body sock, go for actions that require “big” movements such as: climbing a ladder, rowing a boat, playing tennis, swimming etc.
   
6. In a swing. Combining a body sock and a swing is a match made in heaven. If you’re lucky enough to have one of our Deluxe Sensory Compression Swings, combine with your body sock to double the calming benefits. Click here to view our Deluxe Compression Sensory Swing.
   
      
   
   
7. Limbo. How low can you go? Grab a broom, stick or ribbon and a couple of stools and that’s all you need to have loads of limbo fun.
   
   
   
   
8. Play twister. Give your game of Twister a breath of new life by adding the fun (and challenge) of a body sock. Hot tip, lycra is slippery and the Twister ‘board’ is plastic so its helpful to have it on carpet if possible. Don’t have Twister? Make your own coloured spots and use painters tape to keep them in place on the floor.
   
   
   
   
9. Sumo Body Sock. This activity is surprisingly FUN. Fill your body sock with soft cushions/pillows (or favourite plush animals). It's a brilliant way to increase the deep pressure touch (DTP) to the sensory system.
   
   
   
   
10. Reading corner. Body socks give a lovely all-body hug. Capitalise on the feelings of calm and self regulation by marrying books with your body sock.
    
    
    
    
11. Freeze. Dancing is so much fun in a body sock. For some reason, inhibitions seem to fall away. Its dance party time. Crank up your favourite music and dance your heart away - that is, until the music stops (in which case you need to freeze in your current position/pose).
    
12. Make alphabet letters. Think the classic YMCA song/actions. Call out an alphabet letter and form that letter.
    
    
    
    
13. Hopscotch.  Some games never go out of style. Some might have an actual hopscotch carpet (lucky them). Otherwise, use painters tape to “make” your own court. Tip: make the spaces larger than usual as it is definitely a little harder to navigate precise movements in a body sock.
    
    
    
    

14. Simon says. This is a fun game to build in a variety of movements, which generally on their own, might not keep your child entertained for any length of time. To get you started, here are some suggestions: Simon says “clap your hands”, “stomp your feet”, “turn around”, “star jumps”, “nod your head”.
    

15. Trampoline. Thoroughly recommend this one. Children love it. If you don’t have a trampoline, then try a mini/exercise tramp.   

16. Seed to Sunflower. Curl up in a ball (as a seed) and slowly sprout into a blooming sunflower. You could also “do” a chrysalis turning into a butterfly.

17. Hoola Hoop. This is not for the faint hearted (or the faint hoola hooper). It is harder than it looks to hoola hoop in a body sock. If you struggle hoola-hooping try using the hoola hoop in other ways such as placing the hoop on the ground, stepping into it then bringing it up over the head and back onto the ground (repeat).
    

18. Body Sock Bowling. Set up a ten pin set (or use foam blocks or another alternative). Have your child be the bowling ball and see how many pins they can knock over. Try forward and backward rolls, sideways log rolls.
    

19. Monkey Around. This is a fun game by Peaceable Kingdom. Definitely worth getting especially for little ones. It has lots of fun action cards that combine using the plush banana (eg balancing banana on your head). Pick and choose which cards you use, to suit. It is a reminder that you might have other games that you might be able to adapt/combine with your body sock. Click here to view Monkey around.
    

20. Body Sock Ball Pit. Fill your body sock with ball-pit balls. This is such a fun way to provide extra full body tactile and proprioceptive input, and great for body awareness.
    
       

Other suggestions:

• Lie prone (on your belly) wearing body sock on a scooter board/skateboard
• Combine with an exercise ball or peanut ball
• Build an obstacle course to use while wearing your body sock
• Wear your body sock to bed (some find this can help with getting off to sleep)

Finishing up...

We hope all these ideas help you get the most benefit from your Lycra Body Sock.

We’d love to hear from you, if you have found other ways to use your body sock, that work well. We can easily add them to this post so everyone can benefit.

Remember to save this post and share with others who might benefit from knowing more ways to use body socks.

Bio

Kirstie Wishart M.Ed (Special Education).
Owner and founder of The Starfish Store. Kirstie’s professional life has included: teaching (in both public and private schools in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand), lecturer and subject coordinator at the University of Wollongong, Educational consultant (working with children and young people with a trauma background), OoHC Case Work Manager, and Specialist Tutor (working with children and young people with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities).