Fizz Boom Read!
One new idea is having open play center we call our "Toddler Sensory Lab" Each week we are filling our sensory bins/tubs with sensory materials. Each week focuses on one of the five senses.
After carefully planning and a good amount of stressing(What if kids throw sand in each other eyes? What if they carry off playdough to the reference computer and smash it in the keyboards? What if my cranky co-workers complain about the mess and the noise?)-we started our first lab on Friday. So far it's been really popular!
Our first week focuses on Touch. I have bins of Moon Sand and Cloud Dough available to dig in as well cups,buckets and digging tools.We geared activities for age groups 2-4 years old, but I figure it can be open to everyone as long as they all "played nice in the sandbox" (Figuratively and literally as they we actually had a sandbox!)
Our basic rules were that children were not to be unattended at the table (especially our really young ones) and that if parents and caregivers could help us keep the rest of the library clean by keeping all the materials in the bins. We are also on the watch out for rough play.
We have a sheet of prompts on the tables encouraging our caregivers to get their hands dirty and talk about different textures. We've had a great response from kids trying to guess what our cloud dough was made of. (Sand? Soap?) We have an activity sheet with a song, book list and seven activities to try at home (one for each day of the week). Also the kids can take home a little portion cup of moon sand to play with at home.
Moon Sand - Or bargain basement Kinetic Sand as I call it. 4 cups Play Sand, 2 Cups cornstarch, and 1 cup water. Gritty, course, slightly damp, Great for molding and sculpting.
Cloud Dough- 8 cups Flour, 1 cup Baby Oil (which makes it smell oh so nice) Mold-able and firm but at the same time can crumple in your hands. Fascinating to kids.
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| Also fascinating to librarians. I loved making hand prints in this stuff! |
Looking for other sensory activities for your library? Have you accepted Pinterest as your savior?
Search for"Sensory Activities" or "Sensory Play" and you'll have oodles to choose from!
Also we are growing butterflies at the library. "Did you want to help us make a butterfly? A real one!? Not one made of paper and glue!" I called out from the desk trying to get kids interested. Our head librarian bought a grow your own butterfly kit and so we will be raising caterpillars to become painted lady butterflies over the next month. I had to disappoint one patron who wanted to take two of them home for her kids (Sorry they stay at the library) Also we are trying to devise a way to keep them on display but safe from curious hands. Our caterpillars do not like to be shaken! We decided a Tupperware container with "Please do not touch" sign should work (I hope).
EDIT: We have over 100 kids visit our sensory lab over the weekend! Woohooo!
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