May 25: Name activities

Learning to recognize and print you own name is an important skill. There are many fun ways you can work on your child's name with them! I'll share some of those in this blog post.

Write their name with baking soda sidewalk paint and spray it with vinegar for a fizzy reaction!

Check out the fizzy sidewalk paint recipe here:

https://handsonaswegrow.com/outdoor-play-homemade-sidewalk-paint/

Use clothespins and a cut up alphabet mat to work on letter recognition as a prerequisite to name recognition (I'll send lowercase and uppercase alphabet mats directly to you after this as an email attachment)

Use manipulatives like magnets, puzzle pieces, or foam letters to match to the letters of their name

Write their name and then use pipe cleaners to form the letters of their name to trace overtop - this is also a great fine motor activity!

Incorporate name printing into a tactile sensory experience like playing with shaving cream 

Practice matching the letters of their name with sidewalk chalk (write a bunch of random letters and have them circle the letters of their name or draw lines from each letter in order to spell their name) 

Write the letters of their name on stickers for them to match to their written name for practice

If printing is a challenge, practice writing their name with a keyboard or on a tablet with a visual reference

Create family photo cards with names to create an understanding of names and to play a variety of name games

 For more ideas of ways to use the photo cards, check out this link: https://teachmama.com/family-playing-cards-take-em-make-em-then-play/

Practice writing each letter of their name on rainbow coloured paper strips

For more information about setting up the rainbow name activity, check out this link: https://handsonaswegrow.com/learn-spell-name-make-rainbow/

May 21: Physical literacy

Hi everyone,

I'm going to share below some physical literacy resources with you in case you are looking for more ideas to keep your family exercising and staying active during this time spent at home. Enjoy!

ANIMAL WALKS:

May 12: How to make cloud dough

Our tactile system is our sense of touch, but that doesn't just refer to our hands! We perceive tactile sensory input through our skin, and this helps us understand sensations like pressure, texture, hot/cold, and pain. If a child is having difficulty with this sensory system, there are things we can do to help develop the tactile system. Here are 4 tips from the Autism Helper:

Below is a link to a recipe for making cloud dough, which would be a great tactile experience! All you need is cornstarch, conditioner, a mixing bowl, a spoon, and measuring cups. Check it out!


https://theautismhelper.com/sensory-play-making-cloud-dough/

*Please remember, gradual exposure to tactile experiences is important when dealing with a tactile defensive child. Don't force your child to touch the cloud dough with their hands if they don't want to; you could offer a utensil to explore with first!*

May 7: How to make squishy bags

Squishy bags are a cool and easy thing to make that can be used as a sensory tool or printing tool!

Materials needed:

• mixing bowl
• large ziplock bag (22cm x 22cm)
• tape (for sealing bag)
• flour
• food colouring
• water
• q-tip (for printing)

Instructions:

Place 1 cup of flour into mixing bowl and add a few drops of food colouring

Add 6 tablespoons of water

Mix together

Spoon the mixture into the ziplock bag

Seal ziplock bag

Tape over the seal of the bag to provide extra protection from the bag opening

And that's it! You can place a white piece of paper under the bag to make it easier to see when you print with a q-tip on the bag. Have fun!