Here's a project I've been working on: Sensory Boxes

I have a grand-niece who just turned three and I've been working on putting together several sensory boxes for her so that her mother can begin some pre-school work with her at home.  Her mom and dad both work (and her dad is still in school, too), plus they have a new baby in the family, so I wanted to try to help them out a little.

Here are the boxes that I've created:

Animal friends - lots of matching activities here; two books of animal stories (one is a pop-up counting book); bear stamping activity with a non-toxic stamp pad (I've included a big pad of paper for activities, too); suction-cup gecko to stick on a window; pony finger puppet; bluebird water whistle....

And here is the box closed up.  I cut out various sizes and shapes of felt "leaves" to use as fill:

I made up an "itty-bitty Easter bucket" from some left-over stickers, etc. I had at home.  It is chock full of not just stickers, but also finger puppets and tiny dolls, a maze game, and a couple of books for Easter/spring season, including the classic Peter Rabbit....


I created a counting and sorting/patterning box that uses bright feathers as the fill.  There are large dice to use for number work, as well as numbers on some of the lacing beads (which come in a variety of shapes and colors).  I've included some extra, rainbow laces for the lacing work.  There's a dustpan to "sweep up," a set of flash cards for colors and shapes, and Eric Carle's book about colors....

Here is the box filled:

I created an "art" box that includes more sorting/patterning activities, as well as play dough (with molds), crayons and a big pad of paper, and a "messy mat" (brightly colored place mat).  I included a plastic bin for sorting the pom-poms that are included as "fill."   For fun, there are also a pair of purple sunglasses, an unusual sounding whistle, and rainbow ribbons cut to different sizes (both for wearing in play and for sorting out small, medium, and large (have three sizes of balls in there, too)....

I created an "insect safari" kit, where loads of plastic bugs are hiding in the paper "grass."  There's a felt butterfly mask for fun, as well as a sticky note pad of butterflies that can be attached to all surfaces (and re-used at least a few times).  There are tweezers for fine motor skill work (can be used with the pom-poms in the other kit, too).  Bugs can be collected in the net.  There's a magnifying glass for examining them and a bug's eye viewer to see what things look like from their perspective.  There's a book on butterflies (Let's-Read-and-Find-out-About-Science, level 1) and a butterfly/caterpillar kaleidoscope.  I've included ideas for sorting, patterning, etc.  The place mat seen here can also be used with the animal friends box....

Under the sea includes two lovely little mermaids (cat toys, of all things, but perfect in size, feel, etc.)  The place mat reminds me of a tropical lagoon (but could also be used with the bug box).  I included lots of shells and "sea glass" as my fill.  There's an assortment of tropical fish and a sea turtle that have been hanging out in our animal bin for years.  I included another stamp pad with some seashell stamps I had around the house, too (more patterning work in this box).  I got a little set of sand toys to include (which can also be used with play dough, used for tracing, etc.)  She can use the shovel to scoop up the shells and sea glass, too.  I included Eric Carle's Seahorse.... 

I created index lists to the contents of each box, as well as lists of ideas for activities and laminated those so that they will (hopefully) hold up well....

...and I'm also sending along a selection of nursery rhymes and lullabies, as well as a Little Golden Book about God that is a classic....

 I've almost got everything finished and ready to ship off to them!

Regena