If you're new around here at Simply Special Ed, there is one thing you need to know: we love sensory bins! We also love a good seasonal theme! The below blog is all about the things you need to know about creating spring sensory bins for your students! Spring-Specific Sensory Bins Easter Easter grass is always a fun sensory bin! This one ended up more on the floor than in the bin, but I love to hide things in the plastic Easter eggs for students to get some bilateral fine motor ... continue reading...
Search Results for: sensory bins
Weather Themed Sensory Bins
Weather Sensory Bins Sensory bins are a fun way to add a tactile and engaging activity to your classroom! This blog will focus on weather themed sensory bins that are budget friendly, and quick to do make when you are crunched for time. The first thing I did was check what supplies I already had in the classroom that I could use- because lets face it, we don't always want to stop somewhere and buy more items after work. Once I had an idea of what I was going to do for the 4 weather ... continue reading...
Sensory Bins in an ECSE Classroom
Do you have a sensory area or sensory activities in your classroom? Sensory play is essential in helping to develop cognitive, social, fine motor, and so much more! My goal as an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher incorporates sensory bins or activities to help encourage learning through exploration (textures, smells), vocabulary, problem solving, creativity, and curiosity for all students. Below you will find several examples of ways to incorporate hands on, sensory materials and ... continue reading...
Holiday Sensory Bins
Holidays are such a fun time to get creative with your classroom activities! It can be so hard to make it to a holiday break, but planning engaging, fun, holiday-themed activities can make the days go by quicker! Sensory bins are a great way to do that! You can target so many skills while motivating your students with preferred and/or new sensory experiences! Not quite in the winter holiday season right now? Check out our other blogs on Holiday Sensory Bins!Taylor wrote a blog on 3 ... continue reading...
3 Fun and Easy Halloween Sensory Bins
Trick or Treat!! In this blog, I am going to share three of my favorite Halloween sensory bins! Dollar Tree is my go-to place to stock up on not only manipulatives for my bins but also fillers. I am also going to share a bin with less clean-up, because let’s be honest, cleaning up colored rice and beans tests all of our patience at the end of a busy day. Plus does one ever get all the dyed rice fully get vacuumed/swept?? Halloween Letter Bin ft Orange Rice I utilized ... continue reading...
Water Play and Sensory Bins for Summer Fun
I feel like I come alive in the summer! The sunshine, patio dinners, and playing outside with my daughter! I love creating activities for my daughter that involve exploration. It is also a plus when I can utilize my creative side. I think that’s why I love making sensory bins not only for my daughter but my students. During warm hot days, I love incorporating water into sensory play! To honest, in the colder months, water play is strictly limited to bath time in our household. Below are my ... continue reading...
Sensory Bins on a Budget
Sensory bins on a budget are always my goal as an occupational therapist! I love Dollar Tree even though sometimes it’s a hot mess! It is a gold mine for sensory bins! I can spend a large amount of time sifting through the aisles looking for interesting bins and the fillers and manipulative items to fill them with. I am always so amazed by all the creativity you can find when you search for sensory bins on Google or Pinterest. I think when we see this, we think that you have to spend a ... continue reading...
Essential Sensory Supports for Self-Contained Classrooms
Sensory supports are crucial for a self-contained classroom. Sensory supports help to regulate students and keep their bodies calm. There are so many sensory supports available but I'm going to share some of my students' favorites! Collaborate with your OT or click here to find more student specific sensory supports for your classroom. Flexible Seating I personally don't love to sit flat in a chair with my legs on the ground, so I don't expect my students to sit that way either. I'm ... continue reading...
What is a Sensory Diet?
Sensory processing and associated terms, like sensory diet, have become "buzzwords" in schools recently! But what exactly does someone mean when they say "sensory diet"? Hint - it doesn't have to do with food that you eat! This blog aims to clear up confusion with that term! I hope to also provide additional resources to better understand sensory processing and regulation! Sensory Processing 101 We have many sensory systems including: Our body's ability to register, process, ... continue reading...
Safe Sensory Bin Fillers
You may have read my recent blog about spring sensory bins! When putting together sensory bins, it is always important to think about safety [in addition to fun!]. We wanted to post a blog with some safety considerations when utilizing sensory bins. While this is not all inclusive, hopefully it will get your wheels turning when thinking about how to make an ideal sensory bin for your students! Some Things to Think About Many of us are working with students who mouth things. There is ... continue reading...
Calming Activities for Sensory Seekers
What is Sensory Seeking? I have a favorite picture of my son from when he was about four years old. It was taken in June, but he is dressed in long pants and a hoodie, with a fuzzy scarf around his neck. The caption I posted on social media said, "This is how a sensory seeker dresses on a warm day!" My son has always sought out sensory input. When he was a baby, he would only fall asleep if he was tightly swaddled. When he got older, he ran everywhere, never walked. He loves messy play. And ... continue reading...
How to Support Sensory Seekers
Sensory processing is a very complex concept. As the STAR Institute states, it is "the neurology of how we feel". I like to think of sensory processing with the analogy/visual of "cups". There are seven [well... technically eight... interception will be a conversation for another day!] sensory systems: auditory (sound), gustatory (taste), olfactory (smell), visual (sight), tactile (touch), proprioception (body awareness), and vestibular (movement). In order for our students to be regulated ... continue reading...
Supporting Sensory Seekers in the Gen Ed Setting
Students in special and general education alike may have sensory differences that make participating in the school environment challenging. The way in which our brains process, interpret and then respond to sensory input from the environment impacts how we learn. As a school-based occupational therapist, I often collaborate with teams to find strategies that can support all students in their classrooms. One of the most common questions I receive relates to how to support students who are ... continue reading...
How to Create a Sensory Room on a Budget
It can be easy to get jealous of all the Pinterest-worthy sensory rooms we see floating around the internet. As professionals in special education, we want what is best for our students. Many of our students need additional input throughout their days to feel regulated and ready to learn. As a school-based occupational therapist (OT), I am here to tell you that you do not need to break the bank to offer sensory-rich experiences to your children! If you have funds, and are looking for ... continue reading...
15 Must-Haves for Your Sensory Room
I am so blessed to have my own space - THAT DOUBLES AS A SENSORY ROOM! - at each of my buildings as a school-based occupational therapist (OT). To see what one of my rooms looks like, check out my OT Room Tour blog. Let me start by reminding you that fancy equipment is absolutely not necessary to enrich the sensory experiences of your students. That being said, I'm sharing one or two of my favorite/"dream" sensory room tools below for each of the sensory systems to get your wheels turning ... continue reading...
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