adminAffiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Does your child have trouble sitting still? Does your child need a little extra sensory input? A weighted lap pad can provide the sensory input a child needs in order to focus better.
Today I have Jamie of Miss Jaime OT sharing this great tutorial for a DIY weighted lap pad.
Table of contents
- What does a weighted lap pad do?
- How to make a DIY Weighted Lap Pad
What does a weighted lap pad do?
Weighted items, including vests, lap pads, and neck wraps, are known to help children to focus by providing Proprioceptive input. Proprioception, which is deep pressure touch, is soothing to a child because it can help a child to realize where their body is in space and produce a relaxed, calm feeling.
Weighted lap pads can be used in the classroom during seated work, or in a quiet time area for a brain break. It is a great option to have as part of your sensory tools strategy at home or in the classroom to help provide proprioceptive feedback.
Weighted pads or lap pads can be expensive, so making your own is a great option!
How to make a DIY Weighted Lap Pad
Since I love to craft and I love a bargain, I decided to create a Do-It-Yourself weighted lap pad. It literally cost $3.00 with items from Dollar Tree and about fifteen minutes of effort. I like to sew but I’m sure if you are a non-sewer, you could use hot glue. (I haven’t tried that so forgive me if it doesn’t work).
You need to buy:
- 2 washcloths or microfiber hand towels (I found these adorable ones with little animals) $2.00
- 1 bag of beans (the bigger the better) $1.00
DIRECTIONS:
1) Line the washcloths up with the seams together. Face the outsides (pretty sides) so they are touching.
This way when you sew the first three sides together, they will be sewed neatly like a pillowcase.
2) Sew the first three sides together with a quick “loop around” stitch. I’m sure that there is a “sewing” name for this, but I don’t know it.
3) Tie off your third side with a strong knot. Flip your washcloths inside out so the pretty sides (for me that also means the animal faces) are facing out now.
I tried this two ways. First, I put my bag of beans into a plastic bag because I wanted to make it less likely that the beans would burst open and make a mess. (Hate messes!) I stuck my beans into the slot and sewed the fourth side shut. DONE! Voila!
But: After I was done, I decided I wasn’t really happy with it. The plastic bag plus the plastic of the bean bag resulted in a little bit of a noisy, crunchy lap pad. Which could be distracting instead of calming and focusing.
So I decided to make another one- this time no plastic bags. I figured that I’d better just sew the sides really tight to avoid a bean burst. So I went back to the dollar store and the big bag of beans I bought last time was gone, I had to buy two smaller bags. I also decided to try it with a seam down the middle, to keep the beans evenly distributed. This was much better!
1) Start off with your two pretty sides together, and sew around three sides.
2) Measure the halfway across the middle mark.
3) Sew a line straight down, separating your pillow into two long sections. Make sure your bags of beans
will fit.
4) Open the bags and fill each section with beans. Sew the top closed.
$3 to $4 bucks for a weighted lap pad! I’m not sure that this is better than/as good as an expensive weighted lap pad from a catalog, but it’s definitely a good way to figure out if your kid or your student responds to weighted items, so why not try it?
Do you have any good DIY crafts? Please share!
Jaime Spencer is a pediatric Occupational Therapist with fifteen years of experience in Long Island, New York. She currently works in a public school with students from Kindergarten to 5th grade. She also has ten years of experience working in a sensory gym with preschool-age children.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Utica College of Syracuse University and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Adelphi University. She was recently certified in Assistive Technology from California State University Northridge.
Jaime Spencer is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog www.MissJaimeOT.com.
You May Also Like:
- The Ultimate Guide to Weighted Blankets
- 12 Heavy Work Activities for School
- DIY Sensory Tools and Activities for the Classroom
- Sensory Tool Gift Ideas for Kids
