The Out of Sync Child Has Fun is an amazing resource!! Not only does it have ideas, it has ways to make them less expensive!! My entire family loves this book. The kids (and even husband) will go and get it when they are bored.
One thing I did that is STILL, six years later, a big hit is to make a "crash pad". I took two old twin size sheets and sewed them together on 3 sides. I stuffed it with out of season blankets and old pillows. When they were littler they jumped on it (esp if they could jump from the bed onto it), they wrestled on it, they mushed it around into a "nest" for cuddling or reading or tv watching, etc... I think I spent maybe five bucks getting some used pillows at a garage sale to put into it, otherwise it was all stuff I had. I left one side of it open so we could get to blankets when we needed them, but I had to make SURE the kids knew I would take it away if they crawled inside it. thank you really wanted to sleep in there, but I worried he might get mashed if someone jumped on it, or suffocated if he fell asleep in there. Probably just worrying too much, but it didn't hurt him to stay out of it.
A mini trampoline can be a godsend. I have friends who have two of them in the living room so their boys can jump while they watch tv. Keeps the boys active and they don't fight or jump on the furniture. I couldn't do it because the constant motion would make me seasick, but they are great to have. At times when one of my kids would be doing stuff to irritate because they just had too much energy the mini-trampoline was an awesome thing to send them to do for a few minutes.
If nothing else, have a couple of boxes full of books or other heavy stuff and have them carry it from one room to another. Sometimes just carrying something heavy can help a kid calm down. My dad was a jr high teacher and worked with the sp ed teacher (he had all the sp ed students for science class for many many years) very closely. It was common for a student to show up at his class with a big box of books. Dad would have the student put the books down, give them another box and send them back. It actually got to the point my dad could direct the process with-o missing a beat in his lesson - which totally amazed me!
Is there anywhere you could put a sandbox outside? I know 7 seems old for it, but for some kids it is very helpful to dig, feel the sand sift through their fingers, pack it tight, bury their feet, dig through to find things, etc... Just remember to make sure it has a lid of some sort because otherwise they end up being litter boxes for roaming animals - yuck! An alternative, if you have a difficult child who likes to dig is to just dig up a small area in the yard. Let the kid dig it up if they can, otherwise loosen the dirt for them. Playing in it is messy but can be great for providing various sensations. They can bury things and then dig them up, watch water patterns as it runs through the dirt, all sorts of things.
For kids who like fossils and dinosaurs, try getting some plaster of paris and a few plastic dinosaurs or bones or whatever. Us a dishpan or smallish storage box with a lid and mix up the plaster. Bury the items in it and let it harden. The kids can use chisels, hammers, sticks, etc until the find an item, then switch to paintbrushes, toothbrushes, etc... to get all the plaster off of the times. I have spent HOURS in various museums while my kids worked on this kind of thing and there is no reason you cannot do it at home. Plaster of paris is available in craft stores.
Sometimes, esp in summer, cold things are appealing. An inflatable pool can be fun to lounge in - I just saw an ad for one for $25 at walmart. Not big enough to really swim in, but fine to splash or lounge in. Heck, toss a bar of soap to them or add bubble bath as you fill it and they get clean too. Just remember to empty it before they use it again. I have some hot/cold packs that we keep in the freezer. thank you often gets one out to play with when he is hot. Not so much to just sit on his body, he mushes it around and messes with it. I don't even think he always knows he is doing it, but it provides a sensation he enjoys.
Popsicles can also keep them busy. They can add a huge amount of sugar which is a problem for some kids. If you pick up a set of popsicle molds either at the store or a garage sale, you can control the sugar. I often put a bit of skim milk into the jelly jar when it is "empty" and shake it up. Poured into the mold it makes a nice snack with-o nearly as much sugar as the store bought kind - and it gives a calcium boost. You can freeze pudding (remember pudding pops?) and almost anything else. If I freeze juice I mix it with an equal amount of seltzer water or club soda first. It cuts costs and reduces the sugar with-o diluting the flavor. Our absolute FAVORITE popsicle is made with unsweetened applesauce and a LITTLE bit of cinnamon and sugar. I just mix them together and freeze in the molds. It may sound strange but it tastes wonderful.
When looking for items to provide sensory stimulation, don't forget about party supply stores. I often go to ours for various bouncy balls, things to mess with, clackers, etc.... I end up getting some of the things that I have seen in various catalogs for OTs at a whole lot less. Let what your child enjoys doing and playing with guide you to the kind of sensory things that he needs.
