Children with visual impairments learn with their hands. Ready for some hands-on tactile play? A small bin, tray, or bucket is the perfect container for a variety of sensory experiences.
In this experience we will make a sensory bin using objects at home that are used during your child’s natural routine, such as their toothbrush, their favorite cup, or comb. Your child will explore by touching, looking, tasting, and listening to these objects. Your child can also learn to compare objects, play in/out games, dump and fill, transfer objects from right hand to left, and learn to pretend play.
This experience also gives the child additional time for manipulation and play with those objects, to increase their vocabulary, and to help gain a deeper understanding of their uses, which is important for independent living.
Objectives
Play with objects from the child’s natural routine.
Increase receptive and expressive language.
Practice fine motor skills (grasp, eye-hand coordination, transfer, scooping).
Practice skills related to cognitive development such as pretend play, object permanence, looking for familiar object when named, attention to task, and function of object.
Expanded Core Curriculum Areas Supported
Sensory Efficiency: Use senses to explore. Explore the objects in the sensory bin using all senses.
Self-Determination: Your child can choose which objects they want to touch or grasp, and problem solve how to scoop or dump and fill.
Independent Living Skills: The objects in the sensory bin are from the child’s natural routine and are objects they commonly use for independent living.
Orientation and Mobility: The child uses orientation and mobility if they are learning where the objects are kept.
Social Skills: This experience relates to simple relational play because of the engagement between the caregiver and the child. We also encourage siblings, grandparents, and friends to join. It can encourage sharing and communication.
Recreation and Leisure: Playing with a sensory bin can be an enjoyable leisure activity. It can also be calming.
Everyday Routines Supported
This activity supports play time and independent living.
Suggested Next Steps to Use This Activity With Caregiver and Child
Discuss activity with caregiver to determine appropriateness and relevancy to family.
Forward the caregiver version of the activity to the caregiver.
Remind the primary caregiver one to two days before the home/virtual visit to gather the materials required.
Introduce the activity, discuss the objectives, and provide an overview of the possible steps.
Be prepared to break down the activities into a smaller subset as the child and family may not have the time or tolerance to complete all activities.
After completing this activity, consider extension activities that may be appropriate and relevant to the family.
