In the early childhood or special education classroom, sensory bins are a staple! They allow your students to explore tons of different textures and materials and can help develop a healthy tactile system. These types of activities are especially great for children with autism, as sensory practice helps calm and them and improve focus and concentration.
Dying rice different colors is VERY easy to do, and you only need materials that you most likely already have in your classroom.
Materials needed:
In the past, a lot of people used vinegar and food coloring to dye rice to for sensory bins. Using paint is quick, easy, and won’t leave your hands blue. Plus, if kept dry, this rice will last forever. This would even be a fun activity to do WITH your students. They will be amazed by the process!
Step 1: Add a few cups of rice to the plastic bag, and squirt the paint in
Step 2: Shake and squish the rice in the bag until it’s completely covered in the paint. Don’t be afraid to add more if you want more vibrant color!
Step 3: Spread the rice out on a tray or a pan in an even layer to dry. I like to put mine on wax paper, so there is less clean up. It dries pretty quick!
Step 4: Once dry, use your hands to break apart the rice until its loose.
For this activity, I made green, blue, and lime green rice for fun, spring colors. Once all the colors were dry, I mixed them up together in our bin.
Add some scoopers and cups, and your students will have a blast!
When I put together sensory bins for the classroom, I love throwing counters or other manipulatives to add a skill component. For fine motor development, I offer plastic tongs and tweezers for students to use to pick out the objects from the rice, which helps build up those finger muscles for pre-writing.
For this bin, I used the Counting Dino-Sorters Math Activity Set from Learning Resources. I love how this set works on a number of skills in one activity and can be easily differentiated based each student’s ability level. I put the dinosaurs in the rice, and set the dinosaur eggs to the side.
Students can sort the dinosaurs by color, count the dinosaurs needed to fill each egg, match the dinosaur egg tops and bottoms by color, or put the eggs in order from 1-10, or in descending order from 10 to 1. To challenge your students, you could always have them compare the amounts in the eggs or complete simple addition or subtraction story problems (i.e. I have 3 dinosaurs in this egg, if one of my dinosaurs jumps back into the water, how many dinosaurs are left in the egg?). The possibilities are endless!
-fine motor skills-color identification
-number identification
-one to one correspondence
-counting
-early addition/subtraction
After students complete the activity, allow them time to play! Lots of learning happens when students are engrossed in imaginary play. Not only does play benefit students’ social development, but it also enhances language and communication development as well.
Save it for later!
Materials Needed:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Variation: We also used all of the same materials for an indoor water play version using an oven tray.
The materials selected for this activity help to develop lots of intrinsic hand muscles and joints, along with visual and motor coordination! For younger kiddos, you can always remove the use of the tools and have them use their fingers and hands – for the older kiddos, you can always add more challenges by having them use the tools and more detailed coordination to create their terrarium. This is a fun activity that can grow with the kiddo as their skills progress!
In the early childhood or special education classroom, sensory bins are a staple! They allow your students to explore tons of different textures and materials and can help develop a healthy tactile system. These types of activities are especially great for children with autism, as sensory practice helps calm and them and improve focus and concentration.
Dying rice different colors is VERY easy to do, and you only need materials that you most likely already have in your classroom.
Materials needed:
In the past, a lot of people used vinegar and food coloring to dye rice to for sensory bins. Using paint is quick, easy, and won’t leave your hands blue. Plus, if kept dry, this rice will last forever. This would even be a fun activity to do WITH your students. They will be amazed by the process!
Step 1: Add a few cups of rice to the plastic bag, and squirt the paint in
Step 2: Shake and squish the rice in the bag until it’s completely covered in the paint. Don’t be afraid to add more if you want more vibrant color!
Step 3: Spread the rice out on a tray or a pan in an even layer to dry. I like to put mine on wax paper, so there is less clean up. It dries pretty quick!
Step 4: Once dry, use your hands to break apart the rice until its loose.
For this activity, I made green, blue, and lime green rice for fun, spring colors. Once all the colors were dry, I mixed them up together in our bin.
Add some scoopers and cups, and your students will have a blast!
When I put together sensory bins for the classroom, I love throwing counters or other manipulatives to add a skill component. For fine motor development, I offer plastic tongs and tweezers for students to use to pick out the objects from the rice, which helps build up those finger muscles for pre-writing.
For this bin, I used the Counting Dino-Sorters Math Activity Set from Learning Resources. I love how this set works on a number of skills in one activity and can be easily differentiated based each student’s ability level. I put the dinosaurs in the rice, and set the dinosaur eggs to the side.
Students can sort the dinosaurs by color, count the dinosaurs needed to fill each egg, match the dinosaur egg tops and bottoms by color, or put the eggs in order from 1-10, or in descending order from 10 to 1. To challenge your students, you could always have them compare the amounts in the eggs or complete simple addition or subtraction story problems (i.e. I have 3 dinosaurs in this egg, if one of my dinosaurs jumps back into the water, how many dinosaurs are left in the egg?). The possibilities are endless!
-fine motor skills-color identification
-number identification
-one to one correspondence
-counting
-early addition/subtraction
After students complete the activity, allow them time to play! Lots of learning happens when students are engrossed in imaginary play. Not only does play benefit students’ social development, but it also enhances language and communication development as well.
Save it for later!
Materials Needed:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Variation: We also used all of the same materials for an indoor water play version using an oven tray.
The materials selected for this activity help to develop lots of intrinsic hand muscles and joints, along with visual and motor coordination! For younger kiddos, you can always remove the use of the tools and have them use their fingers and hands – for the older kiddos, you can always add more challenges by having them use the tools and more detailed coordination to create their terrarium. This is a fun activity that can grow with the kiddo as their skills progress!
Strong fine motor skills are one of the first things you can encourage with your little one! Did you know that babies as young as 4-6 months are already working to develop these skills? I am constantly on the lookout for activities and fine motor skills toys that encourage my daughters to strengthen their little muscles and improve their coordination.
Although he may appear simplistic at first glance, I’ve found a ton of ways to incorporate him into learning activities for both my 3 and 5 year old girls. Spike has frequently helped us learn about counting, sorting, and color identification.
My youngest daughter enjoys simply placing and removing the chunky, peg-shaped quills. We’ve also begun to work on finishing color patterns as well. My oldest daughter loves practicing counting and matching the quills to a number I call out.
You can also have your child sort the quills into color groups, practice sequencing and patterns by color, or use the numbers printed on Spike’s back to identify the amount of quills they have added to him.
Once you are done playing with him, simply pop the top of his back off and place all of his quills inside! This makes him a wonderful “travel toy” that can be taken on the go without fear of losing his pieces.
I also love that Spike and his quills are made of easy-to-clean plastic. You can just wipe him down whenever need be! We can’t say enough wonderful things about this fun and engaging toy. I’m sure your family will enjoy Spike as much as we do!
Save it for later!
Strong fine motor skills are one of the first things you can encourage with your little one! Did you know that babies as young as 4-6 months are already working to develop these skills? I am constantly on the lookout for activities and fine motor skills toys that encourage my daughters to strengthen their little muscles and improve their coordination.
Although he may appear simplistic at first glance, I’ve found a ton of ways to incorporate him into learning activities for both my 3 and 5 year old girls. Spike has frequently helped us learn about counting, sorting, and color identification.
My youngest daughter enjoys simply placing and removing the chunky, peg-shaped quills. We’ve also begun to work on finishing color patterns as well. My oldest daughter loves practicing counting and matching the quills to a number I call out.
You can also have your child sort the quills into color groups, practice sequencing and patterns by color, or use the numbers printed on Spike’s back to identify the amount of quills they have added to him.
Once you are done playing with him, simply pop the top of his back off and place all of his quills inside! This makes him a wonderful “travel toy” that can be taken on the go without fear of losing his pieces.
I also love that Spike and his quills are made of easy-to-clean plastic. You can just wipe him down whenever need be! We can’t say enough wonderful things about this fun and engaging toy. I’m sure your family will enjoy Spike as much as we do!
Save it for later!
Happy Earth Day! A wonderful way to celebrate our one-of-a-kind planet, this Earth Day art project is alive with color. Engaging the senses of even your littlest conservationist, recreate this masterpiece with a just few items you probably already have at home.
You will need:
On the cardstock, trace circles about 8-9” in circumference using a bowl or plate. Cut out and set aside.
Spray the shaving cream directly into the baking sheet. Now spread the shaving cream evenly in the pan. It almost feels like frosting a sheet cake.
Using a generous hand, drop your food coloring or paint all over the shaving cream in the pan. Then, with the craft stick, swirl the pain around. Be careful to swirl, not mix. This step is rich in sensory for the children – the smell of the shaving cream, the drag of the foam, the mixing of the color. Fantastic!
Grab one of the circles. Gently lay your soon-to-be-Earth on top of the shaving cream, pressing down gently. You want to make sure all the Earth’s surface is touching the paint/shaving foam mixture.
Grab a little section and gently peel up your circle off of the foam. Find a spot to lay it flat.
Next, using the former gift or credit card, begin on one end and scrape the paint off, getting very close to the surface of the card stock. Revealed under all that shaving cream is a beautiful, marbled, Earth-from-outer-space look!
Add some additional paint or food coloring to your mix if you feel like either color is coming through strong enough. It seems like it’s almost impossible to add too much color.
Enjoy this sensory-rich activity with all ages of kids.
Happy Earth Day! A wonderful way to celebrate our one-of-a-kind planet, this Earth Day art project is alive with color. Engaging the senses of even your littlest conservationist, recreate this masterpiece with a just few items you probably already have at home.
You will need:
On the cardstock, trace circles about 8-9” in circumference using a bowl or plate. Cut out and set aside.
Spray the shaving cream directly into the baking sheet. Now spread the shaving cream evenly in the pan. It almost feels like frosting a sheet cake.
Using a generous hand, drop your food coloring or paint all over the shaving cream in the pan. Then, with the craft stick, swirl the pain around. Be careful to swirl, not mix. This step is rich in sensory for the children – the smell of the shaving cream, the drag of the foam, the mixing of the color. Fantastic!
Grab one of the circles. Gently lay your soon-to-be-Earth on top of the shaving cream, pressing down gently. You want to make sure all the Earth’s surface is touching the paint/shaving foam mixture.
Grab a little section and gently peel up your circle off of the foam. Find a spot to lay it flat.
Next, using the former gift or credit card, begin on one end and scrape the paint off, getting very close to the surface of the card stock. Revealed under all that shaving cream is a beautiful, marbled, Earth-from-outer-space look!
Add some additional paint or food coloring to your mix if you feel like either color is coming through strong enough. It seems like it’s almost impossible to add too much color.
Enjoy this sensory-rich activity with all ages of kids.
While some students respond easily to initial instruction, others need different tools. As educators, we're challenged to respond to these learning differences, keep our eye on the standards, and find ways to teach every student. A great way to help all students succeed is by using Multisensory Learning.
Multisensory learning involves using two or more of the senses while doing one activity. Children take in information in many different ways:by listening, seeing, touching, and moving. There’s a great Chinese proverb that speaks to this:
“Tell me and I’ll forget;
Show me and I may remember;child
Involve me and I’ll understand.”
Using multiple senses makes it easier for students to make connections between new information and what they already know. Here are some ways to do this in your classroom:
Foundational learning starts with the fingers. Many children benefit from visuals and also crave tactile stimulation. Manipulatives can help you reach children on both fronts.
For example, students who struggle with reading may find success through using letter manipulatives to build words or by using word manipulatives to build sentences. And, if those manipulatives are color-coded, the visual cues may help children recognize spelling or sentence patterns, too.
Large muscle movements stimulate the brain by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen. But did you know that movements that cross the midline, such as crawling and climbing, stimulate both sides of the brain?
Get students down on the floor! They can: Play mat games and use activity mats that target all kinds of literacy and math skills. Do giant word sorts on rolls of paper spread out on the floor. Crawl as they practice counting by tens. Pretend to climb an imaginary ladder while spelling words or reciting math facts.
Musical intelligence may be the first to develop, and it continues to flourish throughout our lives. You can have students make or listen to music to create those synapses!
Here are a few ideas: Go online to find songs to play in the classroom. If you have students who love to perform, use a USB recorder like the Easi-Speak™ to capture their voices as they sing upbeat educational chants. Then, replay to help the whole class build their skills in a fun way.Remember that music with visuals, physical actions or manipulatives is even more powerful. So, encourage students to tap their toes, dance along or create artwork as they listen. Or, how about playing clapping games with a partner while chanting rhymes or alliterative tongue-twisters?
Graphic organizers allow students to see connections and critically analyze data by making abstract concepts more concrete. Try introducing story webs, sequencing charts and timelines into the writing process.
Each student can use info from their own writing to fill out the organizer, check that their writing makes sense, and includes all the right elements. You can also challenge students to create a new visual (like a poster, collage, drawing, or painting) based on a completed graphic organizer. Graphs can be integrated into sorting activities by having students tally their sorting results and display their findings in bar or line graphs.
Brain-based activities allow all learners to succeed. To stimulate your students' brain cells, add these multisensory tactics to your program and help everyone flourish!
Tell us about some of the ways you use Multisensory Learning in your classroom at blog@learningresources.com!
While some students respond easily to initial instruction, others need different tools. As educators, we're challenged to respond to these learning differences, keep our eye on the standards, and find ways to teach every student. A great way to help all students succeed is by using Multisensory Learning.
Multisensory learning involves using two or more of the senses while doing one activity. Children take in information in many different ways:by listening, seeing, touching, and moving. There’s a great Chinese proverb that speaks to this:
“Tell me and I’ll forget;
Show me and I may remember;child
Involve me and I’ll understand.”
Using multiple senses makes it easier for students to make connections between new information and what they already know. Here are some ways to do this in your classroom:
Foundational learning starts with the fingers. Many children benefit from visuals and also crave tactile stimulation. Manipulatives can help you reach children on both fronts.
For example, students who struggle with reading may find success through using letter manipulatives to build words or by using word manipulatives to build sentences. And, if those manipulatives are color-coded, the visual cues may help children recognize spelling or sentence patterns, too.
Large muscle movements stimulate the brain by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen. But did you know that movements that cross the midline, such as crawling and climbing, stimulate both sides of the brain?
Get students down on the floor! They can: Play mat games and use activity mats that target all kinds of literacy and math skills. Do giant word sorts on rolls of paper spread out on the floor. Crawl as they practice counting by tens. Pretend to climb an imaginary ladder while spelling words or reciting math facts.
Musical intelligence may be the first to develop, and it continues to flourish throughout our lives. You can have students make or listen to music to create those synapses!
Here are a few ideas: Go online to find songs to play in the classroom. If you have students who love to perform, use a USB recorder like the Easi-Speak™ to capture their voices as they sing upbeat educational chants. Then, replay to help the whole class build their skills in a fun way.Remember that music with visuals, physical actions or manipulatives is even more powerful. So, encourage students to tap their toes, dance along or create artwork as they listen. Or, how about playing clapping games with a partner while chanting rhymes or alliterative tongue-twisters?
Graphic organizers allow students to see connections and critically analyze data by making abstract concepts more concrete. Try introducing story webs, sequencing charts and timelines into the writing process.
Each student can use info from their own writing to fill out the organizer, check that their writing makes sense, and includes all the right elements. You can also challenge students to create a new visual (like a poster, collage, drawing, or painting) based on a completed graphic organizer. Graphs can be integrated into sorting activities by having students tally their sorting results and display their findings in bar or line graphs.
Brain-based activities allow all learners to succeed. To stimulate your students' brain cells, add these multisensory tactics to your program and help everyone flourish!
Tell us about some of the ways you use Multisensory Learning in your classroom at blog@learningresources.com!
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