Activity title: Playdough
Category: Sensory play
Targeted Age Group: preschoolers (3-5 years)
Intent: Playdough is a sensory play that has to do with hands-on experience that sparks exploration, creativity, sensory development and fine motor skills. children roll, squeeze and flatten, and shape them into different kinds. Making playdough strengthens the hand muscles, and it engages in imaginative play.
One essential skill is making connections. (Galinsky, 20210). This helps children foster their innate curiosity to learn and helps them realize their potential. Children use playdough to bring their imagination to life by shaping it into objects or forming things out of it. They also express their thought and experiment with the different textures and forms of the playdough.
Domain and skills indicator:
Cognitive: Representation (4.3) - using a variety of materials to build with and express their ideas. (Ontario ministry of education, 2014).
Materials:
Homemade pr store-bought playdough in various colours, cookie cutters, stamps, rolling pins, small trays, shells, pine cones, leaves, storage containers, wet wipes or cloths for clean up.
Invitation to play:
Firstly, set up a table, then place a tray and a container filled with various colours of playdough along with tools such as rollers and cutters. Then put up a sign that says "let's create" and set some examples of playdough that have been created before to spark up their ideas and provide options for them to freely explore. then invite the children to engage their imagination as they explore the various colours of playdough provided for them.
Website link example of sensory play:
90 Easy Sensory Activities for Kids - Taming Little Monsters
references
Galinsky, E. (2010). mind in the making: the seven essential life skills every child needs. Harper studio. Life Skills
Ontario ministry of education. (2014). ELECT: Early learning for every child today. Retrieved from. https//preschoolcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELECT_compressed.pdf
Activity title: Rainbow Rice Bin
Category: Sensory play
Targeted Age Group: Toddlers (1-3 years)
Intent:
Rainbow Rice Bin is a sensory play that supports and stimulates children's sensory development. and it helps their fine motor skills development, it is open-ended play which allows the children to invent their games and encourages creative thinking.
One essential skill is self-directed and engaged learning. This helps children foster their innate curiosity to learn and helps them realize their potential. (Galinsky, 2010).
Domain and skills indicator:
physical- Senses (5.3) - Sensory Motor integration - •coordinating senses with motor skills in increasingly complex ways. (Ontario ministry of education, 2014).
Materials:
different colours of rice, measuring cups, scoops, spoons, small containers, cups, funnels, large sensory bin, tray, animal figurines.
Invitation to play:
I will set a large, shallow sensory bin on a low table, then fill it with all the rainbow rice colours and all the other tools in it, such as the measuring cups, spoons, small containers, funnel, etc. I will encourage the toddlers to come and explore the sensory bin with their hands.
Website link example of sensory play:
Sensory Play Ideas for Toddlers - My Bored Toddler
References
Galinsky, E. (2010). mind in the making: the seven essential life skills every child needs. Harper studio. Life Skills
Ontario ministry of education. (2014). ELECT: Early learning for every child today. Retrieved from. https//preschoolcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELECT_compressed.pdf
Activity title: Tummy Time Texture Mat
Category: Sensory play
Targeted Age Group: Infants (0-12 months)
Intent:
Tummy time texture mat helps babies in their curiosity and motor development as they explore the various textures during tummy time.
one essential skill is Focus and self-control. (Galinsky, 2010). This skill helps infants stay attentive to sensory experiences.
Domain and skills indicator:
Physical- Gross motor (5.1). Strength - increasing strength in gross motor skills. (Ontario ministry of education, 2014).
Materials:
A big blanket with attached fabrics square of different textures, a small mirror, bumpy surfaces, and toys with crinkly surfaces.
Invitation to play:
I will lie the babies on their tummies on the big blanket texture mat. I will gently guide their hands to feel different squares.
Website link example of sensory play:
Sensory Play for Babies [15 Activities from 0-18 Months!] - Rookie Moms
References
Galinsky, E. (2010). mind in the making: the seven essential life skills every child needs. Harper studio. Life Skills
Ontario ministry of education. (2014). ELECT: Early learning for every child today. Retrieved from. https//preschoolcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELECT_compressed.pdf
Activity title: Nature Texture Rubbing
Category: Sensory play
Targeted Age Group: School age (6-12 years)
Intent:
Nature Texture Rubbing helps to support school-age children's sensory play, it helps to support fine motor skills, build vocabulary, and it helps them in observation and creativity in a natural environment.
One essential skill is making connections. (Galinsky, 2010). This skill makes them connect with their environment and nature.
Domain and skills indicator:
Cognitive-Problem solving (5.2). developing strategies internally, solving problems of greater complexity. (Ontario ministry of education, 2014).
Materials:
Papers, crayons, pencil crayons, tree barks, leaves, stones, and outdoor surfaces.
Invitation to play:
I will take the children outside into nature to collect and look for natural items. Or we can use an existing item. I will set up a table full of all the materials and then encourage the children to have fun creating something.
Website link example of sensory play:
20 Sensory Activities for Kids
References
Galinsky, E. (2010). mind in the making: the seven essential life skills every child needs. Harper studio. Life Skills
Ontario ministry of education. (2014). ELECT: Early learning for every child today. Retrieved from. https//preschoolcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELECT_compressed.pdf