11 Sensory Gymnastics Activities for Adapted Physical Education

Support Proprioceptive, Vestibular & Tactile Processing Through Engaging Movement

Sensory-rich movement experiences are essential for many students in adapted physical education. They support not just physical skills like balance, coordination, and strength, but also self-regulation, spatial awareness, and emotional readiness. That’s why incorporating activities that stimulate the proprioceptive, vestibular, and tactile systems is such a powerful tool in any inclusive PE program.

This list draws from the framework and ideas developed in JUST ADAPT IT. A STEP Framework for Adapting P.E. So Everybody Can Play, my book focused on structuring accessible, purposeful movement experiences for all learners. Whether you’re building foundational motor skills or offering a sensory-regulation break, these activities are designed to engage students of all ability levels.

Each of the activities below can be used as a standalone station, incorporated into a rotational gymnastics circuit, or combined into a multi-sensory obstacle course. These flexible formats allow educators to meet diverse student needs, whether the goal is skill development, emotional regulation, or simply joyful movement.

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🧠 What Sensory Systems Are We Targeting?

In the sections that follow, you’ll see each gymnastics activity labeled with the sensory systems it supports:

🤲 Tactile System – Touch and texture awareness that enhance comfort, engagement, and sensory exploration.

💪 Proprioceptive System – Deep pressure and joint compression that support body awareness and calm regulation.

🎢 Vestibular System – Head movement, balance, and orientation that build motion tolerance and postural control.

Below are 11 adaptable gymnastics stations that target one or more of these sensory systems, offering engaging and inclusive movement opportunities for all students.

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🍣 1. Sushi Roll (Yoga Mat Wrap & Roll)

• Students are gently wrapped in a yoga mat and rolled down a wedge incline like a sushi roll.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – deep compression
  🎢 Vestibular – rolling motion
  🤲 Tactile – contact with mat and wrap

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👕 2. T-Shirt Tuck Roll

• Students tuck legs into an oversized shirt to assist in holding a compact body shape for rolling.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – muscle compression from tucked posture
  🎢 Vestibular – rolling movement
  🤲 Tactile – fabric contact for boundary awareness

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🧀 3. Inversion Wall (Wedge Mat Against Wall)

• A wedge mat is propped against a wall for students to attempt shoulder stands or handstands.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – upper body joint compression
  🎢 Vestibular – head-down inversion
  🤲 Tactile – feedback from wall and mat

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🪂 4. Crash Mat Jump

• Students jump from a wedge mat or box onto a crash mat to experience safe landings.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – landing compression
  🎢 Vestibular – dynamic jumping motion

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🌉 5. Balance Beams & River Stones

• Low balance beams combined with sensory stepping stones for foot placement and dynamic balance.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – postural adjustments
  🎢 Vestibular – balance shifts
  🤲 Tactile – textured foot contact

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🌀 6. Balance Boards & Rockers

• Students use wobble boards, spooner boards, and discs for dynamic standing balance.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – joint stabilization
  🎢 Vestibular – shifting movement

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🐛 7. Sensory Crawling

• Students crawl through tunnels, over textures, or around foam obstacles.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – full-body muscle activation
  🎢 Vestibular – crawling through varying planes
  🤲 Tactile – textures under hands and knees

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🐻 8. Animal Walks (Bear, Crab, Frog, Inchworm)

• Students imitate animal movements using their entire body.
• Sensory Systems:
  💪 Proprioceptive – full-body resistance
  🎢 Vestibular – shifting and inversion (e.g., crab walk)

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🪁 9. Swinging on Gymnastics Bars, Rings, or Tricep Dip Station

Students hang or swing using bars, suspended rings, or dip stations for active motion and upper-body engagement.
Sensory Systems:
🎢 Vestibular – linear swinging motion
💪 Proprioceptive – joint compression and muscle activation
🤲 Tactile – grip contact on bars or rings

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⚽10. Exercise Ball Transitions (Rolls, Handstands & Cartwheel Prep)

Students roll their body over a large exercise ball, progressing to transitions like handstand kick-ups or cartwheel entries. This activity builds core control, body orientation, and confidence in inversion skills.

Sensory Systems:
💪 Proprioceptive – weight-bearing through arms and torso
🎢 Vestibular – full-body rolling and inversion
🤲 Tactile – contact with ball surface during dynamic movement

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🎀 11. Ribbon or Scarf Dancing

• Students move scarves or ribbons to music, exploring space and flow.
• Sensory Systems:
  🎢 Vestibular – arm and trunk motion
  🤲 Tactile – soft fabric interaction

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Each of these 11 sensory gymnastics activities offers more than just physical exercise — they provide purposeful sensory input that helps students regulate, engage, and succeed in the adapted PE environment. By targeting the proprioceptive, vestibular, and tactile systems, these stations build a bridge between movement and learning, helping students develop essential motor and emotional skills.

These ideas are grounded in the principles of my book, JUST ADAPT IT: A STEP Framework for Adapting P.E. So Everybody Can Play, which provides a practical system for designing accessible, inclusive, and meaningful physical education experiences for all learners.

Whether used as independent stations, rotated through a gymnastics circuit, or arranged as part of a large-scale obstacle course, these activities can be tailored to meet a wide range of needs, energy levels, and sensory profiles.

Keep adapting. Keep including. Keep moving forward.