SENSEational Story Time: Let's Play!

 

It was a very snowy day here on Saturday, but that didn't keep one brave family from trekking out to attend SENSEational Story Time! This is our monthly story time exclusively for children with developmental delays, ages 3 - 10, and their families. Take a look at my page Adapted and Inclusive Programs for my guideline plan, visual schedule and activity details. Our theme was "Let's Play!" This is a theme I especially like doing with kids on the autism spectrum, as they can sometimes have difficulty understanding the basic concept of free play.

Here's what we did:

Welcome Song: "The Story Time Ball"

Crossing-the-Midline exercise: Shoulder-to-shoulder

Touch / Feel Box: "What do I have in my box today?"
I put a variety of small toys in my little wood box with flap for the kids to feel inside, grab a toy, guess what it is, then pull it out to see what it is. We sung this song as we were doing this activity:

What do I have in my box today?
Box today, box today?
What do I have in my box today?
It must be a ________________.
(Source: Storytime Source)

Story: The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O'Connell
This is a simple, rhythmic story with great sounds to mimic. We also like to talk about what the baby is playing with (especially important to describe these illustrations for kids with low vision).

Stretch Band Rhyme: "Tick-Tock"
Tick-tock, tick-tock
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Now I'm striking one o'clock.
Cuckoo!
(Pull the stretch band side to side and then up and down on "cuckoo!")
(Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found this favorite rhyme.)

Story: Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
I handed out one of our rhythm sticks to each child for them to mimic the actions in the story with. After the story, I asked them "what is your stick?"

Story-related sensory activity: We marched with our sticks to "The Noble Duke of York."
Oh, the noble Duke of York,
He had 10 thousand men.
He marched them up
to the top of the hill.
Then he marched them down again.
And when you're up, you're up
And when you're down, you're down.
But when you're only halfway up,
You're neither up nor down!
(Inspiration from: Storytime Katie)

Tactile beam activity: "Tactile beam song"
(Move slowly and adapt for mobility impaired -- can do movements while seated.)
We can move
Forward and backward,
Forward and backward.
Side to side,
Side to side.
Forward and backward,
Forward and backward.

Goodbye song and stretch: "Tickle the Clouds"
Tickle the clouds.
Tickle your toes.
Turn around and tickle your nose.
Reach down low.
Reach up high.
Story time's over --
Wave goodbye!

Sensory craft: We kept our playful imaginations going with sticks and created things with our Wikki Stix. These are so much fun! These reusable pieces of non-toxic waxed yarn are great for developing those fine motor skills. Here are some pictures of our fun: