SENSEational Story Time: Pets!

The theme of this past Saturday afternoon's SENSEsational story time was pets! We talked about the pets we have and what we like about them. Here's the plan:

Welcome song: "The Story Time Ball"

Crossing-the-Midline exercise: "Fishing exercise"
We pretended to be fishing by casting our "pole" to the other side (crossing our arms diagonally across our body and back).

Puppet rhyme: "Two Little Puppy Dogs"
(I use two different dog puppets and show the kids how to make their hands into "puppets," so they can do the action rhyme along with me.)
Two little puppy dogs sitting on a hill,
One named Spot and one named Bill.
Run away, Spot. Run away, Bill.
Spot and Bill "run" behind back.
Come back, Spot. Come back, Bill.
Spot and Bill come back in front.

Story: (board book set) That's Not My Puppy by Fiona Watt
Touch-and-feel books are wonderful for those with low vision and all developmental ages. You can talk about the different textures and which ones we like and dislike.

Stretch band rhyme: "Clippety Clop"
Clippety clippety clop.
The horsie likes to trot.
The feisty mare goes up and down
Until it's time to stop!
(source: unknown)

Story: They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
We had so much fun with this story! This repetitive story is a great lesson in observation and perspective. "How does the cat look to the dog? Why does it look that way?" "Why does the cat look so blurry and big to the fish?"

Story-related sensory activity: "Lightbox Perception Game"
We continued our theme of animals and our perception of them. I created different animals using colorful shapes on a lightbox. I then asked everyone what they thought it looked like to them, talking about how everyone perceives them differently. (Some "animals" were more obvious than others!) I like using a smaller portable lightbox, walking it around to everyone, making it easier for my kids with mobile disabilities and low vision to really experience the activity.

Tactile beam activity: "Tactile beam song"
(Move slowly and adapt for those with mobile disabilities -- can do movements while seated or with the aid of their caregiver on the beam.)
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 activity: "Find the doggy and kitty treats"
I filled our large discovery bin with "pet food kibble" (Cocoa Puffs), "dog bones" (graham cracker Scooby Snacks), and "fish" (Goldfish crackers). They searched for the hidden bones/fish, and I gave them large plastic tweezers to pick up the treats with if they wanted to practice their fine motor skills. Some of them wanted to add their treats to a bowl for Spot and Bill!