Senses

[Guest terrydoo73]

We are focusing on the 5 senses during November and linking it on to Road Safety. I have come up with the idea of putting baby oil in the paints, peppermint oil in the dough and probably use some items that float or sink in the water tray. I am also hoping to use small pieces of cloth to make a smelly pouch with the children in the arts and crafts area. I am stumped with the sand. We have used dry sand with sieves in September and wet sand during October with yoghurt pots and moving on to larger buckets at the end of the month. The sand has obviously dried out now so it is back to sieves but I want to try something else - perhaps something hidden in the sand? We do use shells in our outdoor play area but thought if I could try something else inside it might be interesting. Our small world is easy as we are using a fire station with associated cars and people. Then in the home corner we hope to bring in some vegetables and see what discussion arises and whether or not the children can master the art of cutting them up!

[Guest]

Here are some sensory ideas for your sand tray.

 

Gloop - custard powder or cornflour mixed with water - Thixotropic - (neither liquid or solid)

 

stocking/tights and wallpaper paste (non fungicidal)

 

Ice with items frozen within.

 

Pumpkin mush ( available in shops now)

 

and last not least....Fish !

 

Have fun, not sure how 'these senses' link to road safety though

 

Peggy

[Guest terrydoo73]

Thanks - it took 100 views to get an answer! Was thinking more of something hidden in the sand tray as the things you describe would be more appropriate for our water tray? We use the frozen ice in January!

 

We are trying to get the children to think about what they use their 5 senses for - seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting at the beginning of the month and then move on as it is Road Safety week at the end of the month to think about how we use these 5 senses - seeing and hearing cars, touching hands to cross the road etc etc. It was my Deputy's idea as we were looking up some things that came from ROSPA - we also have Remembrance Day in the middle too!

 

We are planning to use some veg in the home area - onions to smell and touch then pot pourri in the arts and crafts area to make little bags with. We also want to think about what we hear when outside as the children have picked up on this quite a few times - we are near a main road and there has been a lot of traffic noise with them maintaining the road lately so we thought it might be an idea to get them to record what they hear not only on a piece of paper but through tape recorder if possible. I am really following the children's lead to as they have suggested a lot of this stuff already. They noticed a jelly mould at hallowe'en and got very involved in seeing a jelly made and when it was set tasting it so we want to expand on that a little bit!!

[fimbo]

mmm, things to add to the sand?

what about -glitter, sequins

,lentils -pasta -rice (could be seived out)

cars and diggers

if linking it to road safety you could laminate coloured spots -red, amber, green -could they look for the spots -tell you if they are stop, go or get ready ?

pom poms

jingle bells

feathers

shells, rocks, wood, twigs

 

not sure what else.....i tend to chuck anything in my sand as you can see lol !!!

[Guest terrydoo73]

Thanks. We are trying to put off the glitter until December if possible. We had picked out a few diggers and might take up your suggestion of the coloured spots.

[fimbo]

Thanks. We are trying to put off the glitter until December if possible. We had picked out a few diggers and might take up your suggestion of the coloured spots.

 

lol !!! i love glitter -it tends to go into everything...and everywhere ha ha !!

[Rea]

Instead of sand in the main tray how about sand on small trays on the table. Sprinkle some sand on each and provide small world people and cars and resources. I saw it in a nursery years ago and the children played really well with them, making up stories and sharing their story with the tray next to them.

[Panders]

For your senses water tray jelly and ice is good. You could make up the jelly, or leave it as it comes out of the packet in cubes and make some ice cubes, the children hold a piece of jelly in one hand and an ice cube in the other!

 

We do as Rea has suggested, we use cat litter trays and moon sand the children love having their own designated tray.

[louby loo]

our enjoy sand in the tuff spot, with small world houses together with the builders and diggers = building site for new houses!

[redjayne]

the most favoured things in our sand tray are things the children can collect - provide a range of attractive containers like sparkly boxes and decorated tubs to collect in and not only do you get the sensory but PSRN and often role play too. We have a tub of 'treasure' which consits of those glass nuggets and bits of 'gold' you use to put in vases for decoration, a tub of coins and junk jewellry bits which make lovely buried treasure - we have a treasure map and pads available to draw maps as well when this is out. Some thing else our children love is when we put the dinosaurs in the sand witha forest of 'trees' which are branches from various bushes and trees scented and unscented, eucalyptus, apple, pine, rosemary, and some furry plants like the 'lambs ears' and catkins when in season.

[redjayne]

Peggy - I love the fish pictures - the children look totally absorbed, what a good idea!

[Guest]

How about making sand pictures?

 

Weve made ones before with the first letters of the childrens names!

 

You could compare what the sand feels like before and after (touch) you could even add scents to the sand and glue before like vanilla extract, lavender etc.... sort of scratch and sniff he he ! (smell)

[klc106]

That's a brilliant idea. I might use that with our little ones. Thanks

[Inge]

cloud sand...

 

5 cups of plain flour

1 cup baby oil

Mix well together and PLAY! That's it!

 

not tried it but seen several good reviews of it..

 

everyday sensory play in pre- school

[Guest]

Wow look at those fish, that's great! Any particular fish you'd recommend using? The only thing is I'd be worried about smelling the entire place out, I assume you only used them for a day or two?

[fimbo]

cloud sand...

 

5 cups of plain flour

1 cup baby oil

Mix well together and PLAY! That's it!

 

not tried it but seen several good reviews of it..

 

everyday sensory play in pre- school

 

what a fab site !!! my shopping list tommorow will include baby oil, hair gel, zip lock bags and liquid startch !!

[shazzam]

ours love baby bath in the sand, feels and smells lovely-or shampoo?

fill latex gloves with water and freeze.

colour water with food colouring and freeze as cubes-nice in a tuff spot.

glycerine and water with glitter-the glycerine with make the glitter fall slowly (like a snowstorm)