Sensation play
SensationsAlso known as: sensory play, temperature play, sensation games
Sensation play is the game of sensations on the skin: feathers, ice, fabrics, warmth, often blindfolded to heighten every touch.
Sensation play is one of the gentlest and most accessible BDSM practices: it means playing with sensations on the partner’s skin, alternating different stimuli. The person receiving is often blindfolded, so the brain can’t predict what’s coming and every touch becomes more intense.
Tools and variations
- Softness: feathers, faux fur, silk, brushes.
- Temperature contrast: an ice cube, a chilled or warmed spoon, a massage with warm oil.
- Prickly: the Wartenberg wheel, originally a medical instrument, or fingernails.
- Rhythm and pressure: slow caresses alternating with sudden touches.
It can be combined with bondage, nipple play or more intense games, but it works brilliantly on its own too, as a first step for a couple who want to explore.
Why people enjoy it
It breaks the habit of touch: a caress that would normally go unnoticed suddenly becomes an experience. The person leading enjoys surprising and reading the reactions; the person receiving can only listen to their own body. It’s also excellent for discovering what you like and what you don’t.
Safety and consent
- Be extremely careful with heat: always test the temperature on your wrist, and no naked flames or wax not made for the skin.
- Don’t hold ice still on the same spot for long.
- Watch out for allergies to materials, oils or fragrances.
- Blindfolded, the person is more vulnerable: talk about limits beforehand, use a safeword and announce changes of position.
- Prickly tools should be cleaned carefully and used with a light touch.