The Benefits of Sand Play in Early Years Education Few resources are as versatile, engaging, and beneficial as sand. Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Sand? In my classroom? That’s just asking for chaos!” But bear with me. In this article, we’re going to dig into why sand play is such a fantastic … Read more
10 Tough Tray Activities for EAL Learners: Boosting Language Skills Through Sensory Play Sensory play is a powerful tool for language development, especially for English as Additional Language (EAL) learners. By engaging multiple senses, these activities create rich, memorable experiences that support vocabulary acquisition and encourage communication. This article presents 10 practical tough tray activities … Read more
Tough Tray and Sensory Play Risk Assessment Sensory play is a vital component of early years education, offering children rich opportunities to explore, learn, and develop. Tough trays have become increasingly popular in UK classrooms as a versatile tool for containing and presenting sensory experiences. However, with the excitement and benefits of sensory play come … Read more
100 Shaving Foam Activities creativity and learning collide with a delightful surprise—shaving foam! This versatile sensory material isn’t just for the bathroom anymore. In the classroom, shaving foam can transform everyday lessons into hands-on, sensory-rich experiences that captivate young learners. The possibilities are nearly endless, from exploring the alphabet to simulating volcanic eruptions. Join us … Read more
Why Is Shared Attention Important? Shared attention is the invisible thread that weaves together a child’s world. Imagine a toddler pointing at a fluttering butterfly, eyes wide with wonder. When you follow their gaze, you enter their universe—the realm of shared attention. It’s more than just looking; it’s about seeing together. But why does this … Read more
The Best Home Made Sensory Toys for Autistic Children For autistic children, finding easy DIY ways to engage their senses and promote self-regulation can be incredibly beneficial. Home made Sensory toys are a great tool for providing stimulating and calming experiences, and homemade sensory toys can be even more valuable because of their personal touch and … Read more
Autumn is a beautiful and fascinating season that can ignite wonder in early years children. As the colours change from green to amber, orange and red, young minds start to notice the changes of the seasons. This season offers endless opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. In this article, we have compiled 100 autumn-themed activity ideas … Read more
Hands-On Teaching Activities When You Need A Calm Classroom Calming Activities for the Classroom: The After-Lunch Energy Slump After a long morning afternoons can be challenging for young children and those with special needs. I distinctly remember the stress of trying to stay awake in maths after lunch. Tiredness and stress have built up, technically … Read more
What is a tuff Tray and What Activities can I use It for? Tuff trays are an invaluable resource for early years and SEN settings, providing endless opportunities for sensory and messy play perfect for developing young minds. These durable plastic trays, filled with a variety of tuff tray activities and manipulatives, allow children to … Read more
Why Tactile Sensory Activities Matter Tactile sensory input is one of the first senses babies experience. As children grow, hands-on tactile sensory activities facilitate brain development as new neural pathways form. Tactile play builds nerve connections between the brain and the rest of the body. These pathways transmit sensory information that helps children understand and … Read more
Linking Sensory Ideas to Learning Intentions for Autistic Children We love sensory ideas, play based learning and developing engaging activities. The importance of sensory experiences in a child’s development is well-known. Engaging in sensory activities helps children build essential skills, including fine and gross motor skills, self-regulation, and emotional regulation. While vestibular activities, which stimulate the sense of balance and spatial … Read more
The Benefits of Messy Play Messy play is an essential part of childhood that encourages creativity, exploration, and effective engagement in learning. As parents, we might be tempted to keep our children clean, tidy and presentable, but there is a world of benefits to embracing the mess. From fostering cognitive development to nurturing social skills, messy play has … Read more
Sensory Play Activities: Jelly Play Who doesn’t love sensory play to keep their children occupied, off screens and having fun? We have been trying out a range of sensory play activities this year as with 5 children in the house days out can quickly get expensive. This year we have had a few behavioural challenges … Read more
This blog is going to explore how just with a poundland power-bank we can create simple and affordable sensory lights. We can use these as a 1 off activity or to integrate into your multi-sensory storytelling. As we all know if you put “sensory” on the front of any product you can double the price. … Read more
This will be an ongoing post where I upload the scavenger hunt AAC communication boards and other activity sheets I make. I hope you find these useful and please share if you like them. We also have a post outlining 150 sensory learning activities you may be interested in. All the boards are fully editable … Read more
When I was younger I was enraptured by a storytelling by Tony Robinson. The story was that of Odysseus. Told solely by Tony running around old ruins and weaving the narrative between ancient blocks of stone. My memory is as worn as the ruins but it was this that I wanted to relive (Not even … Read more
My second sensory story is about the human body. This was written for the “Body, burps and bile” topic and delivered to a group of 12-14 year old students with a range of needs including Autism and PMLD.
Why sensory Learning? Sensory learning – Sensory activities are those designed by educators to facilitate exploration encouraging children to use all their senses while they, create, investigate and explore. This is usually conducted through play although in the settings I have worked in also through structured planned learning activities. The sensory activities allow children to … Read more
Many “Sensory” resources can be created from free or existing material, bubble wrap, packaging foam, a little dot of oil on a radiator. Food is easy and usually cheap, rainbow rice or spaghetti. I am a fan of getting outside, feel the breeze, listen to the waves (my school is just above the beach). Sometimes you want something a bit different. These can be used in a sensory room or individually to encourage calming or even concentration. I would love to hear your ideas as well.
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