This is a cute combo project of both art and sensory!
I like to pair it with a soft/hard pinecone sensory bucket to add not only a sensory component but also create a link between the object and the picture they just made with their hands! Those kinds of learning links do wonders for their developing brains!
Use as many descriptive words as you can think of while they are feeling their sensory items, and ask them questions about it – what color is it? Is it soft or hard? Is it small or big? Where did it come from? Do you like it? – the more descriptive words you can include and questions you can ask, the more concepts they are exploring!
You are also adding in a math component when you ask “comparison” questions (“big or small” or “soft or hard” ) and when you sort and classify by an object’s properties like color, size, shape etc.
I really love using a small empty bucket like this for sensory, because you can hit another math element called “spatial relationships” by talking about “in or out” and “empty or full”
AND by using a sensory bucket like this with a smaller opening, you boost their fine motor skills as they have to use hand-eye coordination to reach inside the bucket and grasp/pinch/hold to pull out differently shaped objects!
You might think that is an easy no-brainer, but it really is an acquired skill! It’s always fun for me to watch them at the beginning of the year struggle to get their hands inside, wonder how to reach the pieces at the bottom, and learn as some objects get stuck at certain angles (learning that all-important concept that sometimes to get their hand back out the have to LET GO of the object 😀 )
Love the phantom arm and hand practicing their reaching skills 😀
Once they’ve been acquainted with the pinecones the painting begins! You can download my tree outline for free here!
This is her concentrated painting face 🙂
And this is the famous concentration tongue 😀
Once they are all dry I like to make a forest of their family pictures on the class wall 🙂 (sorry no pics of that – too many faces I don’t have the rights to 😀 but I promise, it’s cute)
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