If you are looking for ideas to combine tactile play and pretend play the first thing is to read on. I don’t mean in the same session but the same game.
Say you have a child with SPD and Autism. Ok so to include tactile and pretend play in one activity you need dolls, cuddly toys and a blindfold, say this client is a girl.
Sit the child down and sing Miss Polly had a dolly, with their dolls in front of them. And say Ann, to name one of her dolls, is sick and needs a cuddle. Ask the child to pick up Ann and cuddle her. Now put her cuddly toys in front of her and ask “Does Ann want to cuddle bunny or teddy” . Asking the child to pick the bunny, now she has to say to Ann “mummy has a bunny you can cuddle in your bunny rug”. Now ask should we blindfold Ann so she can have a sleep in her cot, she shouldn’t get up to play when she has to go to sleep. If yes blindfold the doll with an old sock. Then continue to say “ let’s blindfold bunny too so he can’t get up and play in he awakes, he has to cuddle sick dollies in bed. Help the child to wrap them up in a blanket and if there is a cot in the room great.
Now I heard that Miss Polly was blind.
So say now’s let’s pretend that Miss Polly was blind. Now blindfold the child. Sit the child down and sing Miss Polly had a dolly, with their dolls in front of them. And say Ann, to name one of her dolls, is sick and needs a cuddle. Now the child has to find Ann from the pile blindfolded. Now put her cuddly toys in front of her and ask “Does Ann want to cuddle bunny or teddy” . Asking the child to pick the bunny, now she has to say to Ann “mummy has a bunny you can cuddle in your bunny rug”. The child must pick out the bunny from a pile of cuddly toys by feel blindfolded.
Please note: I am not a therapist, I’m just blogging ideas I got from thin air