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Special Needs – Sensory Bottles

By Honey on May 14, 2010 in Special Needs

Have you ever made a sensory bottle?

We made a sensory bottle on Wednesday and the kids all loved it. We started with an empty 2L bottle (but you can use any size). We added in equal parts of water, corn syrup, and cooking oil. Then we added food coloring, plastic beads, and shiny glitter. We put glue on the lid and screwed it on very tight. We turned the bottle upside down and then we shook it. The kids took turns for the next hour shaking the bottle and watching the liquids separate. Overall, it was a success. Here are a couple of pictures during the making.

IMG 1423 224x300 Special Needs Sensory Bottles

IMG 1425 300x223 Special Needs Sensory Bottles

There are many different ways to make sensory bottles. Here are some simple ideas to get you going:

Since this was our science, we also watched some videos from BrainPop, including Scientific Method, Compounds and Mixtures, States of Matter, and Matter Changing States. BrainPop is an awesome little website with tons of educational animations (and more).

If you are looking for more science resources, you can check out my guest post over on The Tuckers Take Tennessee. I included a list of great sites loaded with fun science experiments.

Check out my Special Needs column if you are looking for more sensory resources.

Have you ever made a sensory bottle? What sensory activities do your kids enjoy?

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Lapbooking And Special Needs

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Special Needs – Take A Sensory Break!

By Honey on April 30, 2010 in Special Needs

specialneeds Special Needs Take A Sensory Break!

If you are dealing with a child with sensory issues, then this post is for you.

Take a Sensory Break!

We were discussing our son’s sensory issues with our OT recently and she mentioned that another one of her homeschool families takes a sensory break every day. I thought this was a great idea. Purposely plan sensory activities into our day! It sounds like such a simple idea, but really, I had not thought of incorporating the whole family and taking a sensory break.

Sensory breaks could include a variety of different things, calming or stimulating, depending on the needs in your family. Here are some simple ideas for planning your own sensory breaks:

sip thick liquid through a straw
blow bubbles
finger paint
play with different types of fidgets
blow bubbles in water through a long tube
do some heavy work
play with play dough
blow whistles, party noise makers, or horns
play a scent smelling game
go to the park and play on the swings
chew gum
suck a hard candy

I am sure you have more ideas that you can add to the list. Please leave me your thoughts in the comments.

Follow Up to Child Prodigies Post

Eczema and Allergies

Ten Special Needs Books That I Have Read

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Special Needs – Sensory Resources

By Honey on April 23, 2010 in Special Needs

specialneeds Special Needs Sensory Resources

We have Special Needs children in our home…

Our oldest child has Autism (Aspergers) and ADHD. All of our children have sensory issues to varying degrees. A few of our children have fine motor issues (and struggle with putting pen to paper). We have a child with eczema and kids with allergies (one child has an EpiPen which we have never had to use – thankfully!).

Each week, on Fridays, I want to focus on a different aspect of Special Needs. There are so many resources and pieces of information that I want to share with you, but all in due time. Today’s post is about Sensory Resources. I love looking at catalogs to get ideas. I have created a list of my favorite Special Needs Catalogs. You can get amazing ideas from the catalogs below to create your own sensory experiences at home.