For children with disabilities such as autism, it is often difficult to concentrate for long periods of time. Other children get stressed or overwhelmed and need to calm themselves. One way to help your child is to give them a basket filled with sensory items that they can choose from when they need to take a sensory break. Below are two activities you can do with your child and then use the product as one of those options. Double duty!
Snow Globe
Materials needed:
Mini Resin Christmas Ornaments (this set include mini bristle trees)
Water
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing a product through one of these links does not involve any extra cost on your part, but I do get a small commission, which helps in maintaining this blog. Thanks for supporting Sped Montessori Solutions!
There are a few options for this project. You may want to hot glue a Christmas tree to the bottom of the globe before you get started, but that is your choice. If not, start with pouring some glitter in. A fun way to do this is to let your child place a funnel on top of the globe and give him a small measuring cup from which to pour. Then, fill the globe most of the way with water–yes, you can use that funnel again. To use that ever-so-important pincer grasp, allow your child to squeeze a couple drops of blue food coloring into the water (you may do this before pouring, if you like). To continue working on the pincer grasp, have your child pick up two or three resin objects and place them into the globe. If you own tweezers, have a little more fun to the pincer grasp exercise! Lastly, you should hot glue the lid onto the globe so that you do not end up with a mess somewhere in the house. Shake and enjoy!
Mix equal parts of the cornstarch and conditioner in a bowl. Your child can assist with the pouring and/or the mixing. If your child is sensitive to scents, be sure that you find an unscented conditioner. Otherwise, vanilla and coconut are calming scents. You want to form the dough into a ball that is soft and easy to mold. If the dough is too crumbly, you need to add more conditioner. If it is too wet, add more cornstarch. For a little added fun, try putting in some glitter or snowflake confetti. Put the dough into an airtight baggie. Allow your child to get the baggie and squish between his fingers when he needs to take a break. If your child is comfortable with getting his hands dirty, you can also create a snow sensory bin with arctic animals or cookie cutters.
Your child may not enjoy these items as sensory activities, and that is okay. Remember, you still got to spend time with your child making them!