sensation types & toys (plus scenes!)

There are lots of ways to play with sensation! While we'll cover some common types here, it's really an endless category. Think of how we experience our sense of touch -- that's the heart of sensation play & hints at how many possibilities there are to be creative.

Always educate yourself on how to use a new toy before using it on your partner in a scene! Also, make sure to negotiate the possible risks/limits connected to each sensation -- ex. hot wax play also means having fire nearby, too sharp claws may cut skin. You and your partner need to both be fully informed & risk aware to truly consent to a scene!

And remember to check-in about intentions for your scene:

• just to try new sensations?

• to play with mindfulness?

• to add something to other types of play?

• do you want sensations that play with pain or no?

• is this a "tasting" or a full scene?

Swipe through the slides for some common sensation types & toys, plus some scene ideas! Or read below for the full run down.

Types of Sensations & Toys to Create Them

• Temperature

  • ice cubes

  • hot wax (with specific wax play safe candles!)

  • ice packs

  • hot water bottles

  • hot massage oil or stones

• Sharp & Scratchy

  • claws (little metal or plastic tips to wear on your fingers like talons)

  • nails (if your natural ones are long enough)

  • wartenburg pinwheel

  • shrimp de-veiner

  • knives — if you know how!!!

• Others!

  • violet wands (electricity play)

  • fluffy items

  • feathers

  • tickling

  • slime! (okay, but very messy so definitely chat clean-up in your negotiation 😂 )

  • sticky things like honey or tape

  • blindfolds to heighten other senses (earbuds or noise canceling headphones can help with this too!)

  • the possibilities are endless!

Scene Ideas

• hot & cold

  • blindfold & warm your partner up with a hot water bottle, then switch suddenly to an ice cube on the same spot, keep alternating!

  • play with some hot wax, while leaving a metal scratchy toy in the freezer, after you're done with the wax scrape it off with the now-ice-cold scratcher

• sensation smorgasbord

  • blindfold your partner to heighten their other senses, then give them an array of sensations -- fluffy furs, sharp claws, spanks, etc. -- asking them to indulge in each before moving to another, then repeating the ones they reacted to most

• meditative touch

  • using your fingertips, claws, feathers, or other favorites, play with touching & tracing each other's bodies, breathe in rhythm with one another, truly focusing on each place of contact, & where it reverberates throughout you

• sensation add-ons

  • pick a new sensation to add to a favorite other type of play, or just combo your favorites!

  • an intense spanking followed by hot wax "massage"; sexual play combined with ice on your sensitive spots; bondage teased by sharp tracing around the restraints; the combos are endless!

What sensations would you like to try playing with?

[photo by Kanako of Kanan demoing wax & knife play at Hacienda & I's Kink Tasting Night ; graphics by the delightful Honz]