Sensory Processing

The Foil Bead Wrap Rescue

Steps:

Tear off several small squares of aluminum foil, about the size of your hand.
Place one colorful bead in the center of a foil square.
Show your toddler how to use their fingertips to crumple the foil around the bead until it is completely hidden.
Place all the finished ‘silver balls’ into a bowl.
Ask your child to pick up one ball using their pinching fingers.
Challenge them to use both hands to carefully unwrap the foil and rescue the bead inside!
Once rescued, drop the bead into a separate tray and start the next one.

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: This activity uses small beads. Always supervise your toddler closely and ensure they do not put any materials in their mouth.

The Pudding Bead Hunt

Steps:

Use markers to draw several colorful circles on the outside of a Ziplock bag.
Open the bag and scoop in about half a cup of pudding.
Drop a few colorful beads into the pudding and seal the bag shut.
Lay the bag flat and use masking tape to secure the edges to a table.
Ask your child to use their pointer finger to find a bead inside the bag.
Challenge them to slide the bead through the pudding until it reaches a matching circle!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Ensure the Ziplock bag is sealed tightly to avoid any leaks. Small beads are a choking hazard and should be kept away from younger siblings.

The Sticky Bottle Bead Roll

Steps:

Take an empty plastic bottle and make sure it is clean and dry.
Wrap a long piece of masking tape around the middle of the bottle.
Make sure the sticky side is facing out toward you.
Secure the ends of the tape with two smaller pieces of tape so it stays in place.
Scatter a handful of colorful beads inside a flat plastic container.
Show your child how to hold the bottle with both hands.
Ask them to roll the bottle over the beads until they stick to the tape.
Once the bottle is decorated, have them use their fingers to peel the beads off one by one.

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: This activity uses beads which are small parts. Always supervise your toddler closely. Ensure they do not put beads or tape in their mouth.

The Texture Match Mailbox

Steps:

Help your child cut three small rectangles from the felt, fabric, and foil.
Glue one of these texture samples next to a small slot you cut in the shoe box lid.
Cut several more small scraps of each material and put them in a pile.
Ask your child to feel a texture on the lid first.
Challenge them to find the matching scrap from the pile using their eyes and hands.
Once they find a match, have them push it through the correct slot!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure all material scraps are large enough to be handled safely and not placed in the mouth.

The Foil Pan Rice Sort

Steps:

Pour a large bag of dry rice into the mixing bowl.
Drop ten colorful buttons into the rice and mix them in with your hands.
Pour the mixture into the shallow aluminium foil pan so the rice is spread out.
Place a paper cup at the corner of the pan to act as the treasure chest.
Ask your child to hold the pan steady with their helper hand.
Have them use a spoon to scoop through the rice and find the hidden buttons.
Once a button is found, use a pincer grasp to pick it up and drop it into the cup!
Repeat until all the treasures have been safely moved into the cup.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons and rice grains are choking hazards and should never be put in the mouth.