Felt Feelings Board

Children on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, and others, may experience difficulty recognizing emotions. There are many ways to help these children develop a better understanding of emotions and the felt feelings board is one of them.

The board is made up of two large squares of felt, an oval piece of felt for the face, and lots of different facial features and hair-dos cut out of felt. The nice thing about felt is that it sticks to itself, so fasteners aren't necessary.

Faces can be put together by the child to match an emotion, or by the adult for the child to guess. Emotions can be simple, like a smiling face, or complicated, like the anxious fellow above.

Faces can be customized to represent the child or their friends and family to make things more relatable. Because the pieces are made from felt, this can be safely used with fairly young children. Older children may also enjoy using this, especially if some form of current fashion or video game is used as inspiration for the felt pieces.

More Sensory Kit Ideas!

Spring is here and we're all getting out of the house again! We're getting busier and really need to pay attention to our/our loved ones' sensory needs if we wish to maintain harmony. We may have a sensory room at home or at school, but what about when we're away? Well, that's where the sensory kit comes in!

Sensory kits can be large and full of sensory tools for every sensory need, or small and focused on only one or two sensory needs. This really depends on what the individual needs and what is most practical. I like medium sized kits stored in metal lunch boxes, personally. They have enough space to carry a number of different sensory tools without being too cumbersome, there are many options for personalization, they're easy to carry, and they don't look out of place.

Here's a picture of one sensory kit, all decorated!

So, what does one put into a sensory kit? Well, that depends on the sensory needs of the individual. In the spirit of sharing, though, I'll show you a kit I recently made for a teenage girl.

This kit was designed primarily for tactile seeking sensory needs. It also includes plenty of fidgets, a chewable, a lighted sensory tool, and the individual's personal natural anxiety remedy. A kit like this can easily be tossed into a backpack or brought along in the car.

Sensory kits really are great. They can help stave off meltdowns and shutdowns by taking the individual's sensory needs into account. This is better for everybody but, most importantly, it is better for the individual.

In the next post I'm going to show a smaller, purse sized kit, so stay tuned!

I Spy Bags and Jars

I've been blogging about weighted products lately and I thought I would change things up a little bit. I've been fascinated with I spy bags lately and thought I'd share.

This is basically just a clear plastic pencil case, filled with coloured rice and small objects, with a picture of the objects attached to show what you're looking for.

I found the pencil case at Dollar Tree. I used vinegar and food colouring to dye the rice. I chose to dye my rice red, blue, and yellow. I used everything from plastic drywall screws to beads to paper clips to small toys as the oblects to find. Before putting the objects in, I put them all on a table and took a picture. I made sure to sew the zipper shut since all that rice would make quite a mess if the pencil case was opened. I printed a picture of the contents, laminated it, and attached it to the pencil case. 

I chose to make the "viewing window" of my I spy bag smaller. Originally both sides of the pencil case were see-through. I just used some colourful duct tape to make the viewing window smaller. The size of the viewing window will determine the difficulty in finding the objects.

Anyway, that's it! There are jars like this that you can buy, and they are a lot neater, but they're also a lot pricier. Whether you make or buy, though, I spy bags and jars are super neat and can provide the distraction needed to calm down after an overstimulating experience.

Weighted Animals

I recently blogged about weighted snakes. I realize snakes aren't for everyone, so I thought I'd try something a little softer and fuzzier! 

I decided to use a frog since there are so many stuffed animals that are more girly and I wanted to give an option for boys. I found my Webkinz frog at Dollarama for $3 and there were some other stuffed animals available for lower prices. I like the Webkinz ones because the stitching is strong enough to handle the weight and extra stuffing.

I used a seam ripper to open the stitching at the frog's rear and pulled some of the stuffing out. I set the stuffing aside to be used later.

For filling, I used some pool sand that I had laying around. You can use anything with weight like rice or dried beans or peas, play sand, grain, or anything else nontoxic that you can find. I put the sand in small "snack size" zippered baggies so that it would be contained. 

I stuffed the little baggies of sand into the middle of the frog, leaving some stuffing all the way around to keep it feeling soft. I then stuffed in the stuffing that I had set aside, just to make sure the frog would still be cuddly. I sewed the frog shut.

I chose to remove the tags while I had the seam undone as I know that tags can really bother some people on the spectrum, and some people in general!

The frog works quite well as a weighted lap buddy and is much neater looking, in my opinion. Anyway, it is another option for people looking for weighted products and it really is easy to make.

Weighted Snakes

There are tons of tutorials for weighted snakes on the internet (think Pinterest), and they really are a great tool. The light pressure of the snake draped across the lap can help a squirmy child feel calm enough to sit still. The gentle squeeze of the snake draped around the shoulders can feel like a nice hug. I even enjoy draping the weighted snake I made around my shoulders, it's so calming!

So, what is a weighted snake? It is basically a knee sock filled with rice, tied or sewn shut, and then decorated. I tried to make mine unisex in appearance since it can be useful for both boys and girls (and sensory room consultants).

I sewed on buttons for eyes and made a tongue out of felt, but you could do so much with this idea. You could use a brightly coloured sock and make a caterpillar, or add wings and make a butterfly. You could make it into a train, a plane, even an eel! The only limit is your imagination, so think about what your child likes and let your ideas run free!

Facial Expression Magnets

One of the difficulties people with an ASD can face is recognizing facial expressions. It is therefore helpful to provide exposure to different facial expressions in a safe "practice" environment. Facial expression magnets can be a fun way to learn about facial expressions.

It's cheap and easy to make, too! I used a pizza pan from the dollar store as the surface to stick the magnets to. The pizza pan also makes a great surface to play with play dough on. I bought a self-stick magnet square from the dollar store, printed out some clip art of facial features that I found with google images, stuck the paper to the magnet square, and cut it out. That's all! 

You could use this tool in several ways. You could just let the child make faces with the magnets to become familiar with facial features. You could make an expression and have the child try to copy it using the magnets. You could arrange the pieces to show an emotion and then have the child name the emotion. You could name an emotion and have the child create a face that shows that emotion.

More Chewables

In the second part of my review of chewables I'll be looking at three products from Stimtastic which, might I add, is run by people on the autism spectrum! The thing I like most about Stimtastic is their prices. We all know how expensive chewable jewellery can get, but Stimtastic is fairly priced and good quality. It even looks nice! 

The Chewable Annular Necklace is especially stylish. It can also handle some serious chewing. This is one of their tougher items for heavy chewers and is especially good for teens and adults because of its larger size. 

The Chewable Chunky Bead Necklace is great for moderate to heavy chewing. I love the idea of the rainbow "spectrum" of colour. The beads can be chewed, sucked on, or fiddled with which is nice. 

The Chewable Donut Necklace is my favourite. It's best for moderate chewing. The shape of this one seems "just right" for chewing or sucking on.

All of this jewellery is also available in other colours, and there are many other styles. 

Lap Pads Full of Goo!

I found a great recipe for bags full of goo and thought it would be amazing as a weighted lap pad! If you put the whole recipe into one bag it has a nice weight to it. The goo is a wonderful texture and is fun to squeeze around the bag. This would be more apropriate for older children who won't try to burst the bag.

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 cup corn starch

1/4 cup sugar

food colouring

glitter

gallon size zipper bag

duct tape

stickers to decorate!

Instructions:

Mix water, corn starch, sugar, and food colouring in a pot. Cook over medium heat until it is the texture of vaseline. Cool. Pour all of the mixture into one gallon size zipper bag, add glitter if desired and seal. Mix glitter through the goo. Duct tape around the edges of the bag and decorate as desired. You could also reinforce the clear portion of the lap pad with packing tape before using the duct tape for added security.

Homemade Play Dough

I tried out two homemade play dough recipes today and I thought I'd let everyone know how they turned out. 

Basic, long-lasting playdough that you must cook was the first type I made. It's a little bit of work, but the results were like store bought.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

4 tsp. cream of tartar

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups water

food colouring

Instructions:

Mix the wet ingredients in a container. Mix the dry ingredients in a pot. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir out the lumps. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until the dough reaches the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. Remove from heat, cool slightly, knead dough until smooth. You can add the food colouring with the liquids if you're making one colour, or you can knead the food colouring in while still warm if making multiple colours.

The second play dough recipe I made was a gluten-free cook on the stove recipe. It's softer than store bought and a bit messier. It feels nice to play with and molds into shapes well, but it leaves a powder residue on your hands.

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup corn starch

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp vegetable oil

food colouring

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a pot and stir out the lumps. Cook over medium heat until a workable dough is formed. Let cool. I had to knead in more corn starch because mine was too sticky. You can add the food colouring into the pot with the ingredients if you are making one colour, or you can knead it into the dough once it cools enough if you are making multiple colours. 

Happy play dough making!

Soapy Marble Maze Bag

I've been interested in making mazes this week, so here's another one.

I like this one because it seems to really use fine motor skills to get the marble through the maze. Mine is very simple, having only one path to follow, but you could make the maze much more difficult if you wanted to. I've tested this maze all morning without any leaks or problems, so it seems durable enough.

I made it by rolling up pieces of duct tape and putting them into a gallon zip lock bag. I then squeezed in some old shampoo that I didn't like and had laying around, and some food colouring. I moved the shampoo through the maze of duct tape so the bag would be lubricated well, and then added the marble amd sealed the bag. I taped the bag shut for extra security. 

Fabric Marble Mazes

I've just finished making my own fabric marble maze and I'm so happy with the result that I just had to share it! It's a nice, quiet fidget that's soft and can really work your fine motor skills. Manipulating the marble through the maze can even improve one's ability to hold a pencil and write.

I made mine out of fleece and used embroidery thread for the stitching. I drew lines onto the fabric with a marker and hand-sewed along them. I'm not especially skilled at sewing, but the final product is still pretty good. 

My maze has no beginning or end, with several ways to complete the maze and no dead ends. You could make a maze with a beginning and an end, using little felt shapes sewn on to mark where the beginning and end are. Making a more complicated maze with dead ends would also help to improve executive functioning by encouraging planning skills, but may not be as effective as a fidget.

Dollar Stores Are A Sensory Room Girl's Best Friend!

I've been looking through dollar stores lately for neat sensory toys. There are tons of treasures to be found for between one and three dollars! I found some really nice gold sparkle putty, a "crawling" wall octopus, a splat ball, sparkle play dough, foam putty, and a nonstick pizza pan for playing with messy stuff.

The nonstick pizza pan is perfect for use with play dough. It provides a nice, smooth surface to work on and it is easy to clean up since nothing sticks to it!

New Sensory Tools!

I have some neat new sensory tools for clients to try out when I come to visit! I like to bring samples of some sensory items when I meet with clients because it gives a chance to explore and ask questions. I have added a puffer ball, Twiddle, light-up molecule ball, galaxy slime, fiber optic wand, and an awesome bendable tube to my collection.

Chewables

I thought I would do a series of posts on chewables since they can be very useful in improving concentration and, of course, saving shirt collars and pencils from oral destruction! In this post: Ark's Grabber (green), Ark's Grabber (grape scented), and Cool Chews Stems.

Ark's Grabbers are perfect for small hands. They have a nice little hand-hold for grabbing, as the name implies. The shape of this chewable also acts as a nice hand fidget. The texture of the green grabber is quite firm and can stand up to some pretty aggressive chewing. This chewable is odorless and tasteless, perfect for those who are sensitive.

The grape scented Ark's Grabber is much like the green one, but with a pleasant grape scent. This is perfect for those who would like a little extra sensory stimulation.

Cool Chews Stems are a smaller, more discreet chewable. They have ridges and bumps for added texture and, because of this, make good hand fidgets as well. Their texture is moderately soft and would be best for light to moderate chewers. What I like most about these is that they fit in the palm of your hand or your pants pocket.

Stay tuned for upcoming reviews on more chewables!

New Year Reading List and Slime!

It's a new year and I've got a new reading list for the next while. Stay tuned for reviews on these books in the weeks and months to come!

For now, I've been making therapy slime. It is made of 1 cup of warm water with 1 tsp borax, slowly stirred into a mix of 1 cup of white glue dissolved in 1 cup of warm water. I also added some food colouring. The result is a firm slime that can be used as therapy putty to strengthen hands while it also provides an irresistable texture.

On-the-go Sensory Kits

This is an on-the-go sensory kit. It is useful for when one must go somewhere overnight or just to bring along on an average day out. This particular one was designed by me for an adult and includes sensory items, comfort items, and distraction items. The individual's needs, likes, and preferences were taken into account when building the kit so as to encourage the kit's use and increase its effectiveness.

I recommend sensory kits to most of my clients, young and old alike. The items in a sensory kit must be personalized to the individual using it for the kit to be useful. These kits can help ward off panic attacks or tantrums in many individuals. The items can be used to calm the individual or to ward off boredom. Sensory kits can vary widely in size and items included, so anyone can benefit from having one!