Sunday, April 19, 2009

MORE! TSBVI Activities

I lurrrve the TSBVI website. It has all these Montessori activities, that are particularly helpful for small children who are blind or visually impaired. Mcclellan is neither, but the sensory/auditory activities that help blind children be aware of their environment are also GREAT for those toddlers who happen to be very sensory and auditory learners!

This one, I'm so proud to say, was built from the findings of my husband's well-stocked garage. When I read that this activity required 25 washers, 5 sets of 5, in graduated sizes, I was like, "Looks like a trip to Ace Hardware!" But no, Matt had all of these, the wood and the nails in the garage. Yesssss! I think Mcclellan's really going to like the eye-candy that this work has to offer.
Shape sequencing...as I've shown. There are four cards, each with two foam shapes glued to them. There are corresponding loose shapes to finish the "sentence" on the card.
My favorite is this one with puff paint and bottlecaps. Sure, I could've used just a marker, even a colored one. But the tactile funness of the puff paint is going to be super to encourage the one to one number matching. And bottlecaps? What kiddo doesn't love bottlecaps?
And another fun, toddlercentric one: jingle bells! Here the goal is to match the two that sound the same and are of the same size (and happen to have the same color ribbon!). But even to match the opposite bells is a good lesson in differences and opposites. Multi-functional!
This week is well stocked and I'm excited to see what Mcclellan has to do and say with his work! Verity is digging our shape sorter cube and a box full of sensory balls I've laid out for her. We also went on a nature walk yesterday and filled a tray full of shells, flowers, and rocks we found while out and about. Depending on how the flowers look, midweek, we may or may not keep this work out!