Title: “Brain Boosters for Kids”
Exhibitor: Vanessa Rapier
Description: Infants and children learn about the world at phenomenal rates.
They do this by exploring their environments. As they explore, they use all of their senses. Babies mouth toys not to try to eat the toy, but rather because the mouth is so sensitive and will give them a lot of information. As we grow, we tend to do less exploration of our environment that way. Unfortunately our brains start to be less active in the pursuit of information. By providing activities which activate and intrigue the senses, we activate the brain continuously in our children and ourselves. The brain continues to create new pathways for storage and retrieval of information. This in turn can help them while learning other types of information such as from books and in school.
How To’s:
Fine Motor Sensory Integrative Activities
Fine
Motor Sensory Integrative Activities:
1. Play dough, Theraputty, or silly putty – rolling snakes and balls, pressing pancakes, pressing cookie cutters or other tools., cutting ropes with scissors, etc.
2. Make salt dough – have child make measurement sand mix with own hands (use spoon only if child cannot tolerate getting hands messy). Add food coloring if desired.
3. Mix instant pudding on the table. Let child pour measured water onto powder and stir with hands.
4. Spread pudding from pudding packs, whipped cream, shaving cream, or finger paints on table. Have child make full handprints, draw one with finger copying shapes such as I, /, \, --, and O. Model shapes first. Also try a stick figure, a face, and other shapes. If the child tends to mouth things, be sure to use edible items for this one.
5. Play at a rice table or bin. Rice, beans, noodles, sand, buttons, and beads are all good options for burying hands, blocks, or other objects. Use cups to pour, scoop, etc. Watch to make sure items are not put into mouth.
6. Play a matching game with objects of different textures such as swatches of felt, sand paper, denim, sponges, foil, etc. Have 2 swatches of each texture. Make sure they are the same color and size to decrease confusion during texture matching. Try with eyes closed also.
|
Recipes: Modeling Dough 2 Cups flour 1 Cup salt 2 Cups water 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1
Tablespoon vegetable oil food coloring (optional) Measure ingredients and add food coloring to water
if desired. Combine
the ingredients in a pan, Let child watch from a safe Distance as you cook
over medium heat stirring constantly until it becomes stiff. Remove from heat and Let stand to cool.
When it cools, it’s ready for use. Store in an airtight container to play
with again and again. Needs no
refrigeration. Shiny Dough 1 Cup
flour 1Cup Salt 1 Cup
Water food coloring
(optional) Measure
and mix the ingredients together. If
food coloring is desired, squeeze a few drops into the water. Pour the mixture into plastic squeeze
bottles as in for ketchup and mustard.
You and your child can make 3-D pictures by squeezing this dough onto
cardboard. The salt makes it sparkle
when it dries. Paintable when dry. Goop 1 cup
cornstarch 1 cup
water food coloring (optional) Add food
coloring to water and combine with cornstarch in a bowl. Play by squeezing, pulling, and letting
the goop drip through your fingers. Store in a covered container. If It dries
out over time, you can revive it by adding a small amount of water. You can’t make many things with this
mixture, but children really enjoy its changeable, oozy feel. Wear smocks and work in an easy-to-clean
area. Laundry Starch Finger
Paint 1 cup liquid laundry
starch 2 quarts boiling water 1/2 cup soap flakes 2 tablespoons talcum powder Mix starch
with enough cold water to make a creamy mixture. Add boiling water and cook
until clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add soap, talcum and
cool. |