The Cozy-or-Scratchy Fashion Show

A dress-up game in which the child tests clothes with their hands first and their body second, rates how each one feels, and parades the winners.

  1. Together, pull out 8–10 items with clearly different feels — a fleece top, a wool jumper, jeans, leggings, a raincoat, a silky scarf, woolly socks, a cotton T-shirt, a hat, something with a collar or a label.
  2. Make three sorting spots with paper signs or hoops — Cozy, Okay, and Scratchy.
  3. Hands first. The child rubs each item between their fingers, then on the inside of a forearm or against a cheek, and places it on a spot. Ask what they notice — “Is it the fabric, the seam, or the label?”
  4. Fashion show. The child chooses items to try on (their choice, including one from the Okay pile if they are willing), walks the “catwalk” down the hallway, strikes a pose, and tells the audience how it feels.
  5. For anything in the Scratchy pile, be detectives. Is there a fix — inside out, a soft vest underneath, the label removed, a looser size? Try one fix and re-rate it.
  6. Finish with a rub-down through the clothes or a tight blanket wrap, and let the child put their favourite outfit back on.

Variation: play a sock-and-glove edition (thin, thick, fluffy, seamed, inside out), or let the child be the judge while you model the clothes and they guess from your face which ones feel scratchy.

Requirements

  • Space: A bedroom plus a hallway or strip of floor for the catwalk
  • Surface: Carpet or a rug is comfortable for changing; any floor works
  • Materials: 8–10 clothing items with different textures, three paper signs or hoops; optional mirror and music
  • Participants: 1 adult + 1 child; siblings make a good audience
  • Supervision: Light — adult helps with fastenings and joins the detective work

Rationale & Objective

Clothing is touch that lasts all day, and “tolerates varied clothing textures without distress” is the first example listed for this skill area. The Sensory Profile 2 touch section asks about irritation with shoes or socks, and discomfort with seams, labels, waistbands, or particular fabrics is among the most common everyday signs of touch sensitivity (described as sensory over-responsivity by Miller and colleagues). The approach here follows occupational therapy principles. The child explores actively and at their own pace, hands before body, puts the sensation into words, and has a real say in the outcome. Rating and problem-solving turn “I hate it” into information such as “the label scratches my neck,” which a parent can act on. Firm pressure through the clothes at the end gives the calming input that Ayres’ framework pairs with light touch. A 5-year-old who can explain what bothers them and knows a fix also dresses more independently, an activity of daily living in the OT Practice Framework.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: sorts by look or habit and does not stop to feel; says only “I don’t like it”; refuses to try on anything unfamiliar
  • Developing: feels each item before sorting; names a simple reason (“itchy,” “too tight”); tries on an Okay item for a short walk
  • Proficient: pinpoints the source (label, seam, cuff, fabric); wears an Okay item for the whole show; suggests or accepts a fix for a Scratchy one
  • Advanced: moves items from Scratchy to Okay after a fix and keeps wearing them; chooses weather-appropriate clothes independently; explains their own preferences calmly to others

Safety Notes

  • Low injury risk. Clear the catwalk of trip hazards, and watch for long scarves and trailing hems underfoot
  • Trying on is always the child’s choice. Never hold a child in a garment they are distressed by — take it off calmly and return to hands-only exploring
  • Real itching, redness, or a rash after contact with a fabric is a skin reaction, not fussiness; check with a doctor, particularly if the child has eczema
  • Preferences are normal, and removing a label or choosing soft fabrics is a reasonable accommodation, not spoiling
  • If clothing distress causes daily battles, limits the child to a handful of garments, or prevents weather-appropriate dressing, ask a pediatrician about an occupational therapy assessment

Hints

  • Playfulness: announce each outfit in a presenter’s voice, play music, and hold up score cards. Let the child score your outfits too
  • Sustain interest: theme the shows — pyjama edition, winter gear, socks and shoes, hats and hoods, dressing-up costumes, new-season clothes before they are needed
  • Common mistake: using the game to push the one garment you want worn. Keep the choice genuine, and the child will widen their range sooner
  • Limited space: skip the catwalk and do a hands-only sort of five pairs of socks on the bed
  • Cross-domain: practise buttons, zips, and pulling on socks (fine motor, self-care); sort and count the piles (numeracy); match clothes to weather pictures (science); describe feelings in the body (interoception, language)
  • Progression: hands-only sorting → try on Cozy items → try on an Okay item briefly → wear it for the whole show → test fixes for Scratchy items → wear a fixed item during ordinary play

Sources

  • Dunn, W. (2014). Sensory Profile 2. Pearson — Touch Processing section
  • Ayres, A.J. (1979/2005). Sensory Integration and the Child (25th anniv. ed.). Western Psychological Services
  • Miller, L.J., Anzalone, M.E., Lane, S.J., Cermak, S.A. & Osten, E.T. (2007). “Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 135–140
  • American Occupational Therapy Association (2020). Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2) — activities of daily living, dressing
  • Bundy, A.C. & Lane, S.J. (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). F.A. Davis