Showing posts with label Sensory box. Show all posts

Valentines Sensory Box

Sensory Boxes are lots of fun to explore, we love them in our setting as they provide great hands on learning.

This is our Valentines Inspired Sensory Box.

Guide of what you will need:
- Container - Under bed storage box/baking tray/washing up bowl
- Bags of Rice - Will depend on how big your container is as to how many bags you will need.
- Red Food Colouring - You can also use pink/purple or leave the rice white.
- Utensils
- Hearts
- Flowers
- Small containers
- Pipe cleaners
- Straws
- Cookie Cutters
- Ribbons
You can also add other things if you wish this list is a guide on some of the items we used.

Step 1 -
Begin by colouring your rice.
Pour the rice into a container and begin to add the colouring. Using a metal spoon, work the colour through the rice. Make sure you stir thoroughly to make sure you don't miss any patched of food colouring. Adding more food colouring will make the colour deeper. Once you are happy leave to dry for a day or two.

Step 2 -
Think of some interesting items you can add to the box. I have mentioned some above. You will find you have lots of items already in your house that you can add to create different sensory experiences and textures. You may want to purchase some new items to add too.

Step 3 -
Decorate the set up ready to be explored and create your invitation to play. Leave the activity out and wait until your child/children come over to take a closer look.

Step 4 -
Play time!

Whilst exploring sensory boxes children have a large list of potential learning outcomes.
You will no doubt find they become completely engrossed as they explore the variety of items and textures.

Look out for:

Developing Language
Fine Motor Skills
Filling and Emptying Containers
Imaginative Play
Mathematical Language
Sharing
Exploring Textures

Want to see a clip of this in action?

http://youtu.be/8PdJdgsnR8A

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Follow Amy Louise's board Learning and Exploring Through Play on Pinterest.

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New Years sensory Sensory Bin Sensory box

New Year Sensory Box

Hi! I'm Louise from Building Blocks and Acorns. I'm delighted to be guest-posting for Amy! A lot of my blog is focused on sensory and natural play with my two year old boy (who is lovingly known as 'Darth' on my blog, thanks to my husband's love of all things Star-Wars!) I'm a primary school teacher and nursery worker, so I try to bring that educational focus to what I do (whilst making it fun!)

There is nothing more fun than having a good old celebration! Although I have designed this as a 'New Year' rummage tub, it really can be for any kind of celebration and adapted as you like!

new years main

It actually began looking quite different from this... it all started with some left over gift bows from Christmas (along with some used ones from the presents!)

bows rummage tub

'Darth' loved how shiny it was and enjoyed making a crunching noise as he rummaged around in the tub (a washing up bowl!) But it wasn't exciting or stimulating enough... so I had a look around the house for what else we had left over after Christmas and New Year!

stars in hand

Star table confetti! 'Darth' was really excited when he spotted this and promptly started counting the stars he held in his hand. The best kind of rummage tubs have different elements to them, to encourage size ordering, colour sorting, counting etc. with lots of sensory fun, too...

pulling streamers

Out came the gold and silver streamers and balloons! 'Gold' and 'silver' are new words into 'Darth's' vocabulary, so it was great that he had so many different items to practise saying these new words. He was mesmerised as the gold streamers came out in one giant glistening coil and promptly added this to the (now VERY full) rummage tub!

blow balloon up

Then his attention turned to the balloons I had placed into the tub. I blew one up for him, but that wasn't good enough... he wanted more. He gave it a good go, before asking for help! (aah, bless!) But with the balloons, streamers, bows and star table confetti, the tub was bursting and he seemed to forget about the different items hiding beneath the streamers. So I decided to make everything more visible for him, and enhance the look of the tub. I got an under-bed storage container and separated the items out, next to each other:
sparkle and stars

To enhance the streamers, I added sparkly pipe cleaners and gold beads (I used these in my firework play dough guest post on The Train Driver's Wife,) along with some glow in the dark moon and star shapes. This gave 'Darth' plenty of opportunities for using his language skills as well as using his sorting skills. He started separating the gold and the silver items!

To make the gift bows more exciting, I added coloured pipe cleaners for more visual effect, colour sorting (and that language about colour again!) He also loved trying to make new shapes and firework shapes, remembering what he had done with the firework play dough. I love how bright and inviting this section looks!

starry confetti

Finally, I wanted to make the star table confetti more visible by having its own space. I also used clear glass beads to add some more shine and shimmer. Darth loved putting stars underneath these and looking through the glass beds. LOTS of counting, colour and object sorting happened at this end of the sensory tub... before it was all mixed together, of course! I also used part of a roll of craft 'foil' with star shapes in it, that we picked up from our local scrap store before Christmas.

new years main

Overall, I was really pleased with the effect and how much 'Darth' enjoyed using it. Next time you have a celebration, see what child-safe items you have left and try making a rummage tub of your own! Remember to keep the items more visible and distinguished, so that your child can make sense of what is there and will be able to guide his or her own play and exploration. I hope that you have enjoyed taking a look at our rummage tub and I'd love you to follow me on Facebook to keep up with future posts, too! Louise x

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Nature Sensory Bin Sensory box Sensory Soup Winter Winter activities

Winters Soup

We had been on such a lovely family walk in the Wyre Forest, on a very Frosty morning today. Whilst we were out walking Little N was also very busy collecting items in he wicker basket.

I really do recommend these. They are ideal for young children when out Nature collecting.

There are so many lovely things you can do with the items you collect and today I share with you.....

Sensory Winter Soup.

I filled an under bed storage tub with warm water (enough to take the chill off but not too hot for it to start effecting the nature). I had previously washed the items collected, returning them to the wicker basket which I placed at the side of the box. I put the holly to one side and briefly spoke to her about picking them up carefully as they were spiky. She was over to explore.

She carefully picked up what she had collected and added them into the water. She used a large wooden spoon to mix them altogether. She had taken on board what I had said to her about the holly leaves and she picked them up carefully before dropping them into the water.

As she was picking things up she would say what they were and if she was unsure she asked away.

She used the wooden spoon to stir the 'soup' she kept saying "It's cooking" and "Its not ready yet Mom".

I highlighted there was a bowl to the side and asked if the soup was ready?

She began to use the spoon to fish out some of the nature and dropped them into the bowl. Using the jug she scooped up the water and poured it into the bowl. She loved doing this!

She did it over and over again, emptying the bowl back into the big container and creating lots more Winter Soup.

Spring Sensory Box

Today I set about making A Spring Sensory Box for Little N to explore. Sensory Boxes are great for Sensory stimulation providing hands on learning. They give an opportunity for imaginative play and exploring a variety of concepts.

What I really love about Sensory boxes is how children get so absorbed in exploring all the different textures and items. They are fun, you can link them up to any season, topic or child's interest and they help bring experiences alive.

You will need:
Rice
Yellow food colouring (UK/US)
Storage container (UK/US)
Spring/Easter themed decorations-
Chicks (UK/US)
Fillable eggs (UK/US)
Bunnies (UK/US)
Bird Houses (UK/US)
Spring Flowers (UK/US)
Consider adding-
Pipe Cleaners (UK/US)
Pom Poms (UK/US)
Pasta
Bowls/Containers (UK/US)
Baskets (UK/US)
Spoons (UK/US)

For this sensory box I used yellow rice as the Sensory Box filler which I dyed. I used 4 large bags of rice to get a good base covering and a whole bottle of yellow food coloring.

I also went on to add a fuzzy green bunny which I purchased from a local warehouse store called Country Baskets. I really do enjoy browsing the different seasonal crafts at this store as there are always a variety of things that are different.

I added soft fluffy yellow chicks, flower cake cases, plastic eggs that I filled with different types of yellow pasta. Glittered eggs on sticks which stood up great in the rice. A little painted bird house, a felt basket covered with the joys of spring that I filled with measuring spoons.

Little N really enjoyed playing with the Sensory Box. She grasped handfuls of rice in her hands and slowly released it over the plastic eggs. They grains of rice pinged off the sides - she seemed to enjoy this noise. She explored the contents inside the eggs and enjoyed filling them back up.

She used the spoons to fill the felt basket which she stood up and walked around with before pouring the contents back into the tub.

We also used the box when Little N cousins and friends came to play. They were all instantly drawn to the box and loved exploring all the different items.

I fully supervised Little N (and her little friends) throughout this activity. Once Little N was finished playing we covered the box over with the lid. This kept the contents of the box together and prevented our very inquisitive cat from venturing inside too.

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