This week the theme for our Sensory and Fine Motor Groups was Easter. We did not have a Language Group this week because the class went on a field trip.

Sensory Group—Easter Time

We read Cara’s book and used our voice output device to read the repetitive line.

Some of our students use their hands or their heads and a few even use their feet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we started exploring our sensory boxes. Our first box had a variety of easter related items including easter grass, plastic eggs and carrots, easter cookie cutters, purple/pink/yellow pompom’s, a little plush chick and duck.

The Easter grass was a huge hit and pulling apart the strands promotes bilateral coordination in addition to fine motor skills.

Counting pompoms or carrots addresses math access points. Discussing size, shape, color and texture addresses science points.

It’s amazing how much you can fit into one little box!

 

 

 

Next we explored bright yellow feathers and big white pompoms—-our version of chicks and bunnies! These items let  us compare  and contrast the various properties of these materials, addressing science access points.

We loved these fluffy feathers. It was so much fun to pick up a handful and watch as they drifted down. There were so many feathers, that some of the students ended up looking a little like  Big Bird 🙂

Visual tracking is addressed as the feathers drift down and pincer grasp skills are addressed as the students pick up the feathers. Tactile discrimination is also addressed.

 

 

 

 

We also had fun with our easter garland. We draped on or wrapped it around our students. It was also fun to grab it and shake it.

The little egg decorations really fluttered around, very visually interesting and soft to the touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We looked for the letter E in our green rice. Its bright green color looked just like grass with tiny little white easter eggs (navy beans).  We also taped some easter egg pictures to the bottom of our box which could be found as the rice was brushed aside.

It was really eye catching and our students loved sifting it through their fingers.

This activity addresses visual and tactile discrimination in addition to literacy.

 

 

 

 

 

We also addressed visual skills with our sensory bottle filled with jelly beans. Our students loved shaking it and listening to the rattle as it was shook.

We did have to carefully watch the bottle as a few of the staff really wanted a sample 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our bunny and sheep fake fur was fun to rub and touch. Soft and cuddly just like little bunnies and lambs.

While it was the same color  the textures were different (science access points).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made our own version of marshmallow peeps by mixing cornstarch, shaving cream and yellow food coloring.

Soft and squishy just like marshmallows! This is the same stuff we made last week (minus the food coloring) and it was just as much fun this week—awesome stuff you HAVE to try it 🙂

We discussed how the materials changed as we mixed them, addressing science access points.

 

 

 

 

Finger painting in chocolate pudding, practicing prewriting strokes and the letter E.

It doesn’t get much messier than this!

Our students were pretty good about not sampling but as you can see in the picture, our hands needed to stay pretty close!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We rinsed off in vanilla sugar scented water and rubbed our hands in vanilla sugar scented lotion—to remind us of all the yummy candy we hope to find in our easter baskets, YUM!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fine Motor Group—Easter Time

We read Cara’s book and students took turns using our bunny puppet.

It was so cute to watch as they waved it around or made it hop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For our art activity we started by passing out 8 pieces of blue paper.

We counted the papers as we handed them out and discussed their rectangular shape addressing math access points.

Of course they have to “sign” their names!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we used our hole punches to cut out circle shapes and compared them to larger circles we had previously cut on the ellison machine addressing more math access points.

Squeezing the hole punch helps with hand strengthening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We squeezed glue onto our blue paper.

Also great for hand strengthening and bilateral coordination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We put some green easter grass and the big yellow circle onto the glue.

We found we probably should have put the easter grass on last instead of this early in the process—it was very entrancing to our students, making it hard to move onto the next step 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we glued on our small circle and a precut orange triangle—more math access points 🙂

Spatial relationships are also addressed.

 

 

Our little chick is starting to come together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We added a yellow feather—the finishing touch 🙂

 

Spatial relations and fine motor skills are addressed when completing this activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta-Da—a cute little chick

complete with googlie eye!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t they look awesome hanging outside Jeannie’s classroom!

Love it! Love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday, we read Cara’s book again

and all had fun pointing to our

favorite candy—although it was kind of

hard to make a choice 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we gave our students a choice of 3 craft foam eggs.

We discussed their oval shape addressing math access points.

We got these eggs (10 in a package) in the dollar section at Target—we love a bargain!

 

 

 

 

 

We decorated the eggs using craft foam stickers—so cute.

We helped the students peel the backing off of the stickers, practicing pincer grasp skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we counted the stickers, addressing math access points.

Our students are also working on being able to identify numerals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super cute!

What a  colorful bright egg!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hippity Hoppity!

We had a great time this week, join us again next week —-our Language Group will be back—for more fun and learning Group by Group!