How to Make Your Own Sensory Book

A sensory book is book which teaches the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste) by providing hands-on examples to test. These books often contain illustrations and are generally aimed at young children who are just becoming familiar with their sensory skills. You can create your own simple and personalized sensory book for the curious child in your life.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Foam board or poster board
• Glue
• Feather or cotton ball
• Fabric
• Perfume or fragrant oil
• Squeak toy
• Miniature candy bar
• Small jewelry-sized plastic bag
• Markers
• Hole punch
• Binder rings

1. • 1
     Cut seven sheets of foam board or poster card into 6-inch squares. These are the pages of your book.
   • 2
     Draw a picture or use a photograph to illustrate sight. Glue it on a page. Underneath the picture, write the word "Sight."
   • 3
     Glue a feather or cotton ball on another page. Write the word "Touch" underneath the feather.
   • 4
     Cut out a small circle of fabric, about 1-inch in diameter. Spray the circle with perfume or oil. Glue the fabric to another page and write the word "Smell" underneath.
   • 5
     Remove the squeaky part from the squeak toy. In most toys, it looks like a transparent ball. Glue the ball to a page. Press down firmly to adhere. Write the word "Sound" beneath the ball.
   • 6
     Place the mini candy bar in a small plastic bag. Tape or glue the bag to a page. Underneath the bag, write the word "Taste." You can refill the bag with various treats every time you read the book.
   • 7
     Design a title or cover page and and ending page on the remaining, unused pages. Use markers, stickers, pens or paint to decorate or personalize the book. Assemble the pages in the desired order.
   • 8
     Punch holes at the top left and bottom left corners of the book pages. Align the pages and insert binder rings through the holes to connect them.

Read more: How to Make Your Own Sensory Book | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8464363_make-own-sensory-book.html#ixzz1fzfaAYHv

How to Make a Fidget Kit or Sensory Kit

Fidget kits are used to help children, teenagers, or adults focus and maintain attention during challenging activities such as learning in a classroom setting or seminar. Fidget kits should contain sensory items that help maintain attention and focus but do not distract the person from learning or distract others in their environment. Fidget kits are often used as part of a sensory diet.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Computer

1. • 1
     Before starting to make a fidget kit for an elementary, high school, or college classroom setting it is important to talk with the classroom teacher/lecturer or special education teacher to find out what items they are comfortable with allowing in their classroom.
   • 2
     Next it's time to identify what items to put in your kit.

     The sensory system is made up of:
     *vision
     *smell
     *hearing
     *taste
     *touch
     *vestibular/movement senses
     *and proprioception/muscle and joint senses.
   • 3
     Stretchy String can be found in the Therapy Shoppe Catalog.

     Using these senses explore things in your environment and label them calming, alerting, or indifferent.

     For example:
     Vision- using colored high lighters, colored pencils, using a ruler or half sheet of paper to keep your place when reading etc...

     Smell- different scented lotions, lips gloss, therapy putty, or markers.

     Hearing- different types of music- rock to classical to nature sounds to play into headphones.

     Taste- sweet, sour, bitter, crunchy, or chewy foods. Alerting candies often include sour, hot, or chewy textures. Popular items for sensory kits include Red Hots, Lemon Drops, and Bubble Gum.

     Touch: different textures- soft, hard, spiky, silky, bumpy, ect can be found on pencil fidgets, pencil grips, key chains, small toys (that can be hidden in your hand or pocket), Koosh balls, and different textured squishy balls etc.. Touch also includes cold or hot liquids such as a cold water bottle.

     Vestibular/Movement: Sit and Move Cushion (see Therapy Shoppe catalog), sitting on a exercise ball, T-Stool, or a chair that allows movement.

     Proprioception/Muscle and Joint: Therapy putty, modeling clay, rubber bands, squishy balls, stress balls, Silly Putty, play dough etc..
   • 4
     This fidget keeper can be found in the Abilitation Catalog.

     If you are often bored or have a low arousal level put the items that you labeled ALERTING in your fidget kit. If you have a high arousal put the things that you labeled CALMING in your fidget kit. If you are a mix of both put both items in your kit.
   • 5
     These Sit and Move Cushions can be found in the Therapy Shoppe Catalog.

     Fidget kits when used appropriately are very successful in helping the individual maintain attention and focus. They are often used as part of a sensory diet in the classroom setting.
   • 6
     These pencil fidgets can be found in the Abilitation Catalog.

     Only put items in the fidget kit that will be nondistracting to both the user and others in their environment.
   • 7
     Occupational therapists and special education teachers are often good resources in creating fidget kits.
   • 8
     This Study Buddy scent inhaler can be found in the Abilitation Catalog.

     Fidget kits may need to be modified after time based on the needs of the user.

Read more: How to Make a Fidget Kit or Sensory Kit | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5123790_make-fidget-kit-sensory-kit.html#ixzz1fzf8ClGO

How to Make Sensory Bottles for Kids

Sensory bottles can teach children a variety of academic skills, from science to reading. They can also be used as a soothing mechanism, such as a rainmaker or wave simulator, for children who experience sensory sensitivities, anxiety or frustration. The wave simulator is an easy-to-make sensory bottle that will captivate children.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 20 oz. plastic bottle with lid
• Glue
• Glitter
• Markers, various colors
• Foam or shiny stickers (optional)
• 10 oz. baby oil
• Blue food coloring
• Water
• Hot glue
• Clear duct tape

1. • 1
     Decorate the outside of the plastic bottle using glue, glitter, markers and stickers. The children can decorate as much or as little as they want. Encourage them to draw their own beach scenes, palm trees and seagulls to match the ocean waves theme.
   • 2
     Pour 10 oz. baby oil in each sensory bottle.
   • 3
     Add 5 drops of blue food coloring to the oil to make it match the blue color of the ocean waves. The amount of food coloring may vary depending on the brightness desired.
   • 4
     Add water until the bottle is approximately three-fourths full.
   • 5
     Squeeze hot glue around the bottle's neck and close the lid on top.
   • 6
     To prevent spills, wrap the neck and lid with clear duct tape.
   • 7
     Gently rock the bottle back and forth to watch the waves splash against the bottle walls.

Read more: How to Make Sensory Bottles for Kids | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_12008133_make-sensory-bottles-kids.html#ixzz1fzej5sLr

Read more: How to Make Sensory Bottles for Kids | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_12008133_make-sensory-bottles-kids.html#ixzz1fzeTDx6a