Normally you can find it easy to use your brain’s ability to coordinate between balance and posture, yet someone with sensory processing disorder will struggle with unpredictable movements. Occupational therapists present a method that stands out the most – sensory swings, which come in so many different sizes and shapes, but they all serve the same purpose of sensory integration.
Sensory swings for autism are exceptional because they frequently offer more than the standard back-and-forth motion of ordinary swings. A sensory swing is capable of rotating in a circular pattern, moving in sideways and back-and-forth directions.
Sensory swing offers proprioceptive and vestibular input for children who suffer from disturbances due to the inner ear. The to-and-fro motion of the sensory swing has the ability to provide comfort and calm down your child.
In this article, we will review the 9 best sensory swings that can be used for children with autism. We are going to cover swings with a stand and without it. But before that, lets have a look at the benefits of these tools for kids with special needs.
How Sensory Swings Are Good for Autism?
Yes, the purpose of the sensory swings is to encourage a sense of safety by letting kids explore and have their own experiences.
Sensory swing for special needs minimizes exposure to external sensations and encourages a calming impact on young minds when they are overwhelmed by a situation. It also has several therapeutic advantages for kids including:
- Enhances a Calmer Attitude – Sensory swings produce surreal tunnels that reduce visual stimulus and promote sensory calmness. The to-and-fro motion of the sensory swing will immediately calm your child.
- Better Responses – To climb on a swing, your child will learn to maintain balance and body posture. It will encourage them to be responsive while they navigate by practicing motor skills on sensory swings.
- Better Muscular Endurance – Climbing on the swing, balancing their small postures, and inducing back-and-forth motion helps your child with better core strength.
- Balance and Body Coordination Stability – Sensory swings for special needs have more space width-wise that allows your child to move around when the swing is in motion. It perfectly promotes your child’s hold on balance and body posture.
- Enhances Focusing Ability – Your kids can relax and clear their thoughts while they are on the swing. They are prone to observe their environment, which will have them ready to concentrate for longer durations.
- Enhances Spatial Awareness – Sensory swing improves your child’s ability to acknowledge their surroundings through the sensory sensations of gravity’s pull, inducing motion, bodily awareness, visionary stimulus, and grip on the swing. The gross motor abilities strengthen abdominal muscles that incorporate into their regular activities.
Best Sensory Swings for Children with Autism
A short period of swinging can have an effect on your child’s brain that lasts for several hours. Consult your child’s occupational therapist and keep a lookout for your young ones while you allow them to play with these sensory swings to maintain a balance between fun experiences and sensory stimulation.
Here we will cover some sensory swings that work perfectly for children with autism. You will also find some regular swings that regular youngsters and even adults can have amazing fun with.
1. SAVOIZ Therapy Swing for Kids
This swing is ideal if your child enjoys being hugged, crawling in tight areas, and wearing stretchy, comfortable clothing. Your child will also feel soothing proprioceptive feelings as the cloth pushes up against their body besides being able to swing in the elastic fabric and experiencing vestibular sensations. Additionally, it offers children a spot to hide out and get away from any overstimulating elements in the environment.
The material of this swing is soft and reversible double layered, making it incredibly durable. The fabric is composed primarily of premium cotton (95%), which makes the swing comfortable and breathable, with the remaining 5% spandex giving it a little elasticity for enjoyable swinging.
This sensory swing holds about 240 pounds weight and comes with a chain, eye hook, and carabineer to hook it inside your house. The item weighs only 3.43 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 13.7 x 10.04 x 4.53 inches. It comes in different color combinations like green/orange, dark/light blue, pink/grey, and dark/light purple.
Age Appropriate: It is a perfect sensory item for children of two years and up.
Pros
- It is a terrific way to keep kids active and entertained, using their core muscles and attempting new moves.
- It is very soft, long, and stretchy. It seems sturdy, and it is easy to install.
- The colors are perfect, and the quality is fantastic, which helps calm your child and gives sensory input.
Cons
- Prone to tear.
2. Harkla’s Sensory Kids Pod Swing
When children feel overstimulated, they can retreat to the pod swing, which is enjoyable while climbing. Children can spin or propel to-and-fro motion on this swing, however, your youngster can only sit in it without lying down. The ability to stimulate your child’s creativity and foster interaction is another fantastic advantage of these sensory swings.
This pod swing can support up to 150 lbs., is suitable for indoor and outdoor usage, and includes all the hanging gear you need. It has reliable materials like four screws, quality ceiling hooks, a carabineer, and an adjustable strap to ensure a quick setup.
The item weighs only 2.5 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 24 x 24 x 60 inches. It comes in different color combinations like pink swing with blue seams and cushions, blue swing with green seams and cushions, and pink with grey.
Age Appropriate: It is best suitable for children of three years and up, but children of 18-36 months can use it under their parent’s supervision.
Pros
- It is a perfect product if you deal with a hyperactive tough-on-toys child with sensory disorders.
- It is a sturdy product with high-quality material.
Cons
- The instructional package is missing. It might be hard to do DIY without consulting.
3. Laegendary Saucer Swing for Kids
There is a solid reason why these big saucer swings have been showing up in yards recently. This swing was initially designed to hang in the trees for outdoor activities, but you can also place it indoors and hang it on the ceiling to make it a perfect sensory play item for your young ones.
Children can get into this 700 lb. capacity swing together, and they can jump, sit, or lay down on this swing for a fair amount of sensory stimulation. The fact that adults and children can use this swing gives some family time to parents with special needs children. This feature makes it one of the best items on purchase.
The frame material of this sensory swing is wooden. The swing weighs only 8.43 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 130 x 40 x 130 inches. The material on this swing is super safe with ultra-thick fabric that prevents your child from discomfort. The wooden frame is wrapped in a rainbow-colored piece of cloth.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of two years and up. Even adults can benefit from it and spend a great time.
Pros
- It is a great sensory swing that is easy to put together.
- The material used on this swing is sturdy and of good quality.
Cons
- If you are using it for outdoor activity, you need to take it down every day because the color fades away with the weather.
4. Mesh Swing Hanging Hammock
A mesh treatment swing, which resembles a spider web in some ways is one of the funniest swings you can purchase online. It functions similarly to a rotating raindrop swing, which can be hung from one hook. While the swing’s spinning action provides excellent vestibular input, the webbed bottom is typically pulled rather tightly, making it safe for children with limited muscle tone.
These sensory swings are a versatile addition to your collection of swings because they may be strung indoors or outdoors and are typically quite sturdy. This individual pod chair is perfect for unwinding in the backyard while reading a book and seeking peace and solitude. These rope hammock swing seats can support up to 220 lbs. and are made of heavy-duty, weather-resistant nylon mesh.
The item weighs 0.85 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 6 x 5.4 x 1.7 inches. It is unquestionably one of the best methods for calming your sensory-sensitive youngster and reestablishing sensory equilibrium. This swing is ideal for sensory seekers and sensory avoiders, which makes it the most lovely feature. Avoiders can calmly rock back and forth to ease anxiety while seekers are free to swing about and release all of their energy.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- The swing is sturdy, comfortable, and much fun.
- It gives children a sense of tranquility by having a little me-time.
Cons
- The spacing between the netting might be a little too big for small children.
5. Highwild Hammock Chair
This hand-made hammock offers excellent softness, durability, and comfort because of its polyester cotton ropes, which are soft and sturdy. The hammock swing is also very stable – thanks to the sturdy steel spreader bar and the Anti-Slip Rings on the spreader bar that are quite good at keeping the rope from slipping. It can support up to 500 lbs of weight and has robust support for your weight.
This elegant swinging hammock hangs anyplace and is portable. Find a branch, beam, or hammock stand, then set it up in less time. In place of hanging gear, it comes with a single hammock chair swing, two seat cushions, a vacuum storage bag, and a single carabiner. You can place it inside your room, on the patio, or in the garden for outdoor fun.
This sensory swing weighs only 6.85 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 15.71 x 9.8 x 7.6 inches. The best height for this hanging chair is at least 30 to 40 centimeters from the ground.
Age Appropriate: The suitable age for this swinging hammock is three years and up.
Pros
- The swing was easy to put on as it comes with its instructional pamphlet.
Cons
- The fabric is not of high quality.
6. HAPPY PIE Frog Folding Swing Seat
This beautiful sensory swing can fun sensory experience for all children, including the ones with autism spectrum. It allows your kids to play with their favorite toys on the swing chair while still having enough room for you to join, read a book, listen to music, or get some rest.
A 175-pound weight rating is supported by the sturdy and plush cotton canvas, strength carabineer, and extra-wide sling. The headrest appears straightforward but offers crucial support for the utmost in comfort. The PVC cushion is incredibly soft, flexible, and durable, and the removable cushion makes it a pleasure to clean and reassemble. With all the necessary supplies and instructions, this sensory swing is suitable for indoors and outdoors.
The swing weighs only 3.33 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 27.6x 51.2 x 21.3 inches (L*H*W). It comes in different color combinations like green swing with brown bottom and seams, white and green, blue and purple, and pink.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- The fabric seems sturdy and very soft.
- The material is super comfortable, and the different color combinations add to the visual appeal.
Cons
- The installation might take much longer than expected
7.YUCAN Hammock Chair Stand with Hanging Swing Chair
YUCAN Hammock is one of the most comfortable and durable options that provide a secure and stable sensory experience for youngsters.
The weather-resistant, powder-coated steel used in the hammock chair with a stand can prevent rusting and provide great stability. You can place the swing anywhere - living room, garden, patio, or yard. Assembling this swing stand only takes a few minutes and you don't need any tools for that.
This hammock chair comes with a 1.25" diameter steel tube frame that can handle up to 450 pounds. The comfortable swing chair and a cushion included makes it one of the best choices out of all the sensory swings if you want a long-lasting setting for a fun session.
The sensory swing weighs 19 pounds and occupies 9 square feet. The A-shaped frame has a sturdy non-slip base that is suitable for both indoor and outdoor activities.
Pros
- This frame is sturdy and easy to put together.
- The chair is super comfortable.
Cons
- It is too low for adults and needs bricks or other supporting items beneath the stand base.
8. Happybuy Hanging Tree Tent
This hanging pod is excellent for you and your family to play and rest in your garden or living room. It is an excellent present for your children, which will provide them with years of entertainment and sensory stimulation.
The lovely tree tent is constructed from dependable 600D polyester canvas, which is waterproof and breathable; and has double-stitched corners. For air ventilation, it has three porthole-style windows, and a flap door with Velcro makes accessing it simple. The inflatable PVC cushion provides comfort.
The weight capacity of the tent is 440 lbs, with a height of 43.4 inches and a weight of 46 inches. It can hold one adult or two to three youngsters without feeling crowded. Huggle pod's beautiful 16-bulb LED string adds a romantic touch to your small tent environment. It's fun to explore this wonderland.
The item weighs 14 pounds and has a dimensional pattern of 43 x 43 x 0.99 inches. The material used in the sensory swing is waterproof, therefore, it is one of the best outdoor sensory swings.
Age Appropriate: It is suitable for children of three years and up.
Pros
- This tent is nice and decently sturdy.
- The outdoor setting of this swing and the LED lighting adds to the visual appeal.
Cons
- The windows and door do not fully close and don’t zip.
9. Skillbuilders Full Support Swing Seat
The plastic swing seat has a chain and a built-in abductor, which comes with a safety harness and crotch strap standard for proper positioning. The total weight capacity of this swing is 150 pounds. You can adjust the chain links to fit any frame up to ten feet from the ground.
This item weighs 7.69 pounds and follows a dimensional pattern of 30 inches in length, 14 inches in height, and 12 inches in width. The material of this sensory swing is latex free. The swing has three colors available for you, red, yellow, and blue.
Age Appropriate: This swing is most suitable for teenagers.
Pros
- The product is durable, and the young ones love it.
Cons
- The edges of the swing may come sharp.
Final Words:
The purpose of sensory swings is to promote sensory development by allowing children to explore and have fun in a safe environment. They work perfectly for kids with autism spectrum as they are capable of spinning in a circular pattern, sideways, as well as back and forth.
Here we have covered the best sensory swings for children with special needs. We have also added some regular swings just to make this listing more diverse and entertaining.