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Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills

Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills

Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills

We have quite a few bags of homemade colored rice (click for recipe) on hand so I decided to put them in the water table for something different – Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills.

Sensory Play

We ended up mixing the colors, which the kids thought looked really cool!

Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Play

I took a variety of beads that I had on hand, and then curled some pipe cleaners around a pencil to make a bunch of spring-like coils (these serve as the bracelets).

Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills

I buried the beads and pipe cleaner coils under the rice in the table.  Of course, it’s a little tricky to hide all the beads, but it doesn’t matter.

Sensory Play and Find Motor Skills

Then I gave the kids instructions to each find a pipe cleaner, and uncoil it. It would become the bracelet that they would string their “treasures” on. They could search through the rice to find beads that they liked to make their own bracelets.

Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Play

We had 4 kids at the water table at the same time, and it never got too crowded. They were entertained for quite a while!

Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills

When they were done making their bracelets, I had them continue to “dig for treasure” so I could retrieve as many beads as possible. Then I let my toddler take a turn. She LOVED it! She played with the rice for days!

Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Play

Even my older girls loved serving us some rice inspired meals later in the week J. It was such a success, that I can’t wait to do it again!

Written by Anne

Trisha Roberts

Tuesday 3rd of May 2016

Excellent Suggestions! As a Pediatric Physical Therapist working in a Clinic that specializes in therapy for children with sensory issues, I love your creativity! A great sensory experience and craft all in one! Great ideas for ALL kids! Keep those ideas coming!!!

Trisha at www.proeducationaltoys.com and www.proeducationtoys.blogspot.com