Sensory Rooms/Spaces part 1

I have been trying to work on sensory room posts for months now. I had planned to start with what others had shared and then share our sensory room but am still working on getting everything arranged. So for this first post I will share Junior's sensory room or what many call a "little room". The official Little Room was created by Dr. Lillie Nielsen a teacher for the blind and severely disabled. Here is a site that shows some of her teaching items. The idea is to help children interact with their environment.

Junior's sensory room is not close to meeting the level of the actual "little room" but it worked great for him and was very inexpensive.
We started by figuring out how big it needed to be and then created a frame out of pvc. I just started cutting pieces and figuring out the best configuration for what I wanted.
This is what our frame ended up looking like. I will be sharing about another friends sensory room, in the coming week, which is made with a wood frame and turned out fantastic.
After the frame was created I added rope lights, star lights, beads, sparkly Christmas garland, mini wind chimes, and so much more. Lots of reflective items and also things that made noise.
I also added a tent type material over the top
Junior uses his on the floor or on his bed or this picture is on his mat table which we no longer have up.
When Junior was using his sensory room I typically placed a pie tin with large beads on it under his hands and feet. I want him to get the biggest possible feedback for any movement.
Junior has since outgrown his sensory room and we took it apart and turned it into his giant toy bar. Or currently still his planetarium.
covered in a space blanket and now he has his own planetarium/sensory space

Insects

Junior has started an insect unit in school. We are trying hard to stay right on schedule while he is healthy and get lots done. I have just not had much time to get posts up on here. I will be putting a post up in the future with all our buggy ideas. In the mean time feel free to jump on over to Junior's personal blog if you are curious or have a child who loves bugs like Junior does.
Junior's Amazing Journey

Tomorrow I will do my best to find some time to get up the first post about sensory spaces. I will be doing several posts on this subject and sharing many ideas from others. Does your child have a sensory space you would like to share about. I would like to put up as many different ideas as possible.

Junior's Favorite Apps. part 3

One more list of apps. I just posted this over on Junior's ipad blog but wanted to share it here as well.

Now for our just for fun apps. Some are music, some games, books, and other just miscellaneous apps that Junior loves.

BOOKS

Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3 - the first one is free the other two you have to pay for but Junior has listened to them so many times they were certainly worth it. You can set these so the child has to "turn" the page or it can be set to auto play.

How to Train Your Dragon - One of Junior's favorites (I know this and several of the others I am listing are apps that cost but I haven't looked to see how much, Junior's teacher put several of these on his ipad for him, so sweet of her)

Shrek 4 - Another favorite, hmmm I could be saying that about most these so will just list the next few.

Megamind

Penguins of Madagascar

Kung Fu Panda Holiday

Robin Hood

Jack and the Beanstalk

Grover Monster - I put this one on because of the childhood memories I have of this book. Junior ended up loving it. It is well done with lots of interactive parts and does not have that baby look like most the Sesame Street things(Typically Junior would have been totally insulted by a book like this so that tells you how well the book is done)

Read Me Stories - This is a bunch of short story books. It is a free app and you get a new story each day(I think there is a total of about 10). Geared for the preschool/kindergarten age kids but the sound effects and characters made even Junior think it was okay at least for one listening.

Touchy Books - This one is too young for Junior but has some cute books(some are free) so I thought I would list it

Spookley - cute Fall/Halloween story

Cinderella - cute story though Junior was not impressed that I had put a girl story on his ipad.
I will add it to our list since I am sure there are some girls out there who would enjoy it.

MUSIC

KidsKeys - piano app with colored keys

Fart Piano - I doubt this one needs an explanation. Junior thinks it is the greatest thing

mScribble - This is a fun app which Junior really enjoys. As you run your finger across the screen it glows and makes music.

DrumPad - play the drums on the ipad

Radio Disney - Disney music

Misc. Education Apps

Slide 2 Unlock - This is not an app that Junior can use except with help but I thought it was really neat. It is to help kids learn to use the ipad touch screen. Gives lots of positive feedback when they do something correctly.

Craft Finder - a Disney Family App with lots of great craft ideas

OrbitsHD - Solar System app(Junior is into space things so thought this was very cool)

Tap To Talk - Communication App(the free version), not the one we use but I know many really like it.

ProLoQuo2Go - The communication App that Junior uses. Not cheap but it has given Junior a voice and changed his world so it was worth every penny.

Life Cycles - I like the pictures/diagrams on this but the descriptions are for older children. Still was nice to have on hand when we were looking at life cycles during Juniors school unit on farms

iBugCollection - Junior loves creepy crawly things so this is the perfect app for him. Makes the sounds of the bug. Moving your finger on the bug moves it so you can see all sides. You can zoom in on all the bug features. You can also push the play button and the bug will start walking. Doesn't have a huge collection of bugs available but quite a few.

Insects HD - No sounds but still a nice collection of bug pictures(Junior is starting a unit on insects in school so that is why the insect apps)

iBugs - This is a preschool app but has nice large bug pictures and says the bugs name.

JUST FOR FUN(games and misc fun apps)

I Love Fireworks - great cause and effect app

Tesla Toy - One of those apps where you can't help but touch the screen

iGlow Stick

Doodle Kids

Art of Glow

Glow Magic

Make A Mess

ClickySticky - Junior really likes this app. You start with a background scene and then add stickers to create your picture. Many of the stickers move and make noise when touched.

123 Sticker - much like the previous app, Junior likes this one but ClickySticky is his fav one because it has more "boy" stickers(airplanes, aliens, trucks, etc.)

Vocal Zoo - Lots of great animal sounds

Guess This Animal (free version) - This is a pretty good app, animal facts and trivia

Animal Fun - pictures and animal sounds

Animal Sound Chase - We play this one frequently. It is much like memory except you match the animal sound to the correct animal. We have the free version of this app and it has plenty of animals for now.

Animal Sounds(smart baby) - Great animal pics and sounds

Insects (free version) - insect sounds, no pictures with this app but Junior thinks the sounds are neat

IZoo(free version) - pictures and sounds (this has nice loud, life like sounds) of animals.

Match Animals - animal memory game, we like this one but each time you win the game the grid increases in size. For Junior using his eye gaze this is not a good thing. Once it gets past 6 on the screen I can't tell which Junior is looking at. So we have to go out and restart the game(not that bad though because we can play through 2 games before restarting).

Whac-A-Mole

Paper Toss

Angry Birds

GobbleGatorHD

Jelly Invaders

Bug Squash - What boy doesn't like squishing bugs, a fav app for Junior

Tap Tap Ants - like tap tap dance but you are squishing ants

Jigsaw Puzzles - This is a fun puzzle app. It lets you set it as low as 12 pieces so Junior can easily see the pieces on the screen. Also our favorite thing is that you can put in your own picture

Glow Hockey - Junior likes me to help him play this game with Abby.

UNO HD


You can probably tell what Junior is into just by reading our app list. Animals, animals, and did I mention animals that would include the creepy crawly kind. He also likes things relating to space travel.

Junior's Favorite Apps. part 2

Here is part 2 of our favorite/most used apps

Math apps

Teach Me Kindergarten - excellent app for teaching math, uses groups of objects along with the addition/subtraction problems to help the child master the concept. Also keeps track of how many problems the child has gotten correct and where they still need work.
(I listed this in yesterdays phonics/reading apps list but it is probably our most used educational app)

Math Magic - (by the makers of word Magic) simple non cluttered layout for teaching addition and subtraction. We use this app frequently.

Count Magic - (by the makers of Math Magic) Catch the correct number of objects. A fun app to work on basic counting skills.

Kids Math - Junior likes the sounds and rockets on this app but as far as actual math learning it is not good for a child with difficulty staying focused. Too much back ground clutter and not enough contrast between the numbers as back ground.

Rocket Math - Another fun app for sound effects and rocket action but not the best for actually learning math skills for a child with Junior's issues.

KidCalc - Simple math app for learning the basics. Has a talking calculator, math puzzle, counting cards, etc. All very basic and easy to use.

We have had a very hard time finding appropriate math apps. Most have far too much back ground clutter and the numbers are very small. I would love to hear about any good ones you have found. It is great to have a lot of variation to keep Junior interested and focused.

I will try to get our list of "just for fun" apps posted tomorrow.

Junior's Favorite Apps. part 1

I posted this list on Junior's ipad blog and thought I would share it here as well.

This list is apps that we use often(or used often and Junior has now outgrown). Most of these apps have minimal background clutter and simple pictures so he is better able to focus on what he is doing. Most also have a nice response when he gets something right(clapping, loud noise, music etc.) which Junior really likes.

First our most used phonics/spelling/ writing apps.

Teach Me Kindergarten - this app allows you to keep track of what your child has learned and you can adjust the levels. It works on math and reading skills and is an app that we use regularly.

Word Magic - Probably our most used word app. It allows you to specify the number of letters you want in the words. Which letter you want to be left out for the child to fill in(first, middle, last), and allows you to set a timer if needed. The same company that makes this app makes several others which we have also been very pleased with. Work on different things but all the same style which for us is good.

Dictation - (made by the same company who created Word Magic) this is an app I recently got. It gives a picture and says the word, the child then adds the letters. A good app for learning to spell. I think this will be one that gets a lot of use as Junior's reading skills improve.

Alpha Writer - This is an app I just found today and though I rarely buy apps this was worth the purchase. The voice says the correct sound(not the letter name) and allows you to use blends which it will also pronounce. It can be done in a quiz type form or as a story board where the child can create words and add picture magnets. There aren't a huge number of pictures magnets available but I am still impressed, I would love it if something like this were available but you were able to add your own pics.

Magnetic ABC - Another app that gets a lot of use in our house. Basically it is a magnet board. You put up the letters you want. There are upper and lowercase letters, numbers, etc.

ABC Tracer - An app we don't use as often but still like. It allows you to trace a letter or words. My only complaint is that it says the word names but not the sounds. I usually turn the sound off when we use this app.

ABC Phonics - another app we like but don't use often. Like the previous app it uses letter names instead of sounds. Junior likes it because when you get a word right all the letters get up and dance.

ABC Phonics(same name as the previous but a different app, this one has four animals on the app symbol) - Allows you to trace letters or words, says the word and has a picture with each word which makes noise when touched. A fun app for early readers needing lots of repetition. We do enjoy this one and use it occasionally.

First Words Deluxe - This is a great app for beginning readers. It is too easy for Junior because it is matching letters in words but for a child working on learning the letters it is great. We still do it occasionally just for fun.

Intro to Letters - Great app for learning letter sounds. Trace the letter and the app voice says the sound of the letter. Also has blends which the app says the sound for. Allows you to record your own voice saying the sounds.

Letter Writer Space/ Letter Writer Ocean - This is 2 apps the space has the child trace lowercase letters and the ocean has upper case. A fun app which Junior enjoys.

I wanted to link these apps but for some reason blogger isn't letting me(frustrating, I can link to things in my own blogs but not outside sites).
Later this week I will put up a list of math apps that we are using as well as a list of just for fun and game apps that have become Junior's favorites.

Fruit Tree Math

For the past few months Junior has been doing a unit on farming in school. We try to connect as much of his school work as possible to whichever theme we are working on.

In keeping with that theme we have been doing fruit tree math. We attached a tree shape to his felt/velcro board(also his puzzle board which I share how to make in this post). I used brown felt to cut out the tree shape. It sticks to his felt board but doesn't stay on very well for this activity so I added some velcro pieces to the back of the tree shape. I just used stick on velcro but the sew on type would be best(I was in a hurry). We attached tiny pieces of velcro to small light weight balls. Got out our laminated numbers and were all set.
This is just a different version of the meteorite math we did in this post which will give you more specific directions if needed.

You can do this activity to fit whatever the level your child is at. Throwing the "fruit" onto the tree or picking it off for counting activities, or placing a number on the tree first and then adding the correct number of "fruit" to match.
Junior is working on addition and subtraction so we first placed the problem on the lower part of the tree. He then threw the specific number of fruit pieces onto the tree.
For subtraction problems we would then "pick" the necessary number of fruit pieces off the tree.
I added his number choices to the center areas so they were within his vision field. He then uses his eye gaze to show me the answer. Junior needs this multi sensory type of activity to really "get" the concept being taught.

The clamp that can be seen holding the felt board is a photography clamp. It can't hold heavy items but since his felt board is just a foam board with the felt covering it is perfect. There is a clamp on both ends of the flexible tubing so one end can attach to his tray while the other attaches to the board.

Toodle Bugz

I posted awhile back about Baby Legs which we use instead of long sleeved shirts on Junior's arms. We love them and they come in some really great patterns but Junior is getting too big for them and they don't come in larger sizes. We do still get their Super Soft style which are a fleece type material and are larger then the regular ones.
A couple months ago BabyHalfOff featured Toodle Bugz and I ordered a couple pairs to try. They come in three sizes with the largest being youth size. The youth size are plenty big for Junior and I doubt he will ever out grow them. They are well made and still look great after near constant use and plenty of washings. I have been trying to locate a site that sells them and this is what I have come up with so far. Crunchy Angel - I have not purchased from this site before, Comfy Cozy Diapers
Junior is wearing the Toodle Bugz leg warmers in these 2 pictures
This picture shows them well, you can see how large they are. Perfect for him(in the Toodle Bugz his favorite are the red which I can't find a picture of him wearing).

This is Junior in the super soft Babylegs which are the style that still fit him, these flames are his favorite.

Grab A Scab-Fabric Stickers

We found the Grab A Scab fabric stickers a few months ago and tried them on Junior's shirts. He wears a back brace much of the time and needs a hole in his shirt so we can get to his feeding tube. I didn't want to do a real post about them until we had used them awhile to see if they would hold up.
These are so much easier then patches because with patches I had to stitch them on so they would stay in place after several washes(as well as having a hole cut in the center for the tube).

To place the Grab A Scab on the shirt you peel off the backing and then stick it on. I found it easier to cut the hole in the center after it was placed on the shirt. Then turn the shirt inside out and put it in the drier for 10-15min to help the sticker fuse with the shirt. One thing I have found is that to prevent the sticker from starting to peel it is best not to hang the shirts out to dry. Using a dryer helps them to stay better attached. These stickers are a little on the pricey side but I was able to get Junior's when Baby Half Off had them.
Junior in his back brace, he does not have a hole in this shirt but it shows you why he needs the stickers on his shirts.
Another of his stickers, this one is a dog but looks more like an alien.
This is Juniors favorite sticker. We cut the hole for his tube where the monsters mouth is.

I Want To Sew

Junior has always loved to watch me use the sewing machine. I like to get him involved in what I am doing as much as possible but letting him help sew wasn't an option. At least it wasn't until I realized the sewing machine could be plugged into his Power Link. This allows him to use his switch to turn the power on and off. He can now help me sew and thinks it is just about the greatest thing.
If you have a child who uses a switch then I highly suggest getting a PowerLink. I am having a very difficult time linking things with blogger at the moment but most the big special needs sites carry the PowerLink. We have plugged many things into it for use with a switch, the Christmas tree, all kinds of lights, radio, tape player, blender, etc. You plug the item into the PowerLink and then the PowerLink plugs into the wall socket. Ours has 2 switch ports and can have up to 4 things plugged into it at once. Junior loves to be able to turn on his story and his lights at the same time.
A few pictures of our sewing adventure(he turns on the power and I guide the material into the machine, I guess it could be considered team sewing).
He was helping to make a blanket for his teacher. It is one of those tied no sew fleece blankets but Junior does not like the edge pieces in his face. We put a seam on one end of his and he was sure his teacher would like it that way as well. Junior thinks he needs to "help" any time I sew now which is great.

I would love to hear ways you have helped your child get involved in activities.

Winter Crafts

Well as you can see I did not make it back to post our Christmas crafts. Sorry about that, life has a way of getting crazy. Junior is having serial casting and dealing with asthma so time is not something I currently have much of.

I thought I would share a couple of our crafts which could be Christmas but also just winter.

A couple weeks ago we made snow paint/paste and it was a big hit. The same recipe as the regular paint paste 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water. Mix and paint. We added a little white paint to give it a brighter white color as well a little peppermint oil for a nice scent. The paint dries thick and sparkly with a rough texture. Great sensory project.

Junior enjoyed using his paint paste to paint a snowman and put snow on his tree art work.
Another fun winter/Christmas craft is the 3D tree. We found this idea at the disney family fun website and then just adjusted it for our needs.
Start with 2 trees. We initially tried this with construction paper but needed a firmer paper to stand up well. Card stock worked great and I put two pieces together, drew a tree on the top piece and then cut through both as I cut out the tree. That way both trees are exactly the same.
Color, paint, or markers can be used to color your trees green. You will need to color both sides of each tree. Junior used a green dot marker to color his trees.
We were doing this project during Christmas so used red paint and marbles to add a neat pattern.
You could use multiple colors if you use marbles like we did. You could also just use markers or crayons to decorate your tree before putting it together. I think next time we will use glitter and little foam pieces for decorations as well. To make this a winter tree you could use the snow paint on it.
After letting your trees dry, gently fold them in half, the crease will be a guide. Cut along the crease from the bottom on one tree and from the top on the other.
Slide them together and adjust them so they stand up.

Hand Print Fun

This is one that many have likely seen in one form or another but since it is a favorite Christmas craft of Junior's I will share.
Nearly every year Junior makes a hand print Christmas tree and a hand print wreath. It is always fun to see how much bigger his Christmas tree gets from year to year as he grows.
This year we had to make it on a big piece of poster board.
First I trace around his hand and then cut out the pattern. I used that pattern to make it easier to make several hand print cut outs. For the tree I used green construction paper. I fold it several times so I can cut out several at one time.

You can start at either the bottom or top to make your tree.

We started at the top. Glue the palm of the hand print down but do not put glue on the finger portion. If you are starting at the top you need to be able to slide the next row of prints under the fingers. Start with one hand print, the next row has two, the following three and continue like that until you have the size tree you want. This year our bottom row has five hand prints.
Sorry I didn't get more pictures as we made the tree.
Once the tree is together don't forget to cut out a star for the top.
Then use glitter or other items to decorate your tree. This year we used glitter for the garland and all the ornaments but in the past have used many other items.
For a hand print wreath make a circle with the prints. Overlap the hand prints and be sure the heels of each hand face inward so you have a circle in the center.
Junior hasn't made his wreath this year but this is a picture of his Easter wreath from last year to give you an idea. For the Christmas wreath I use red and green hand prints and then glue a ribbon on it. We also use glitter in Christmas colors.

Sorry to be missing in action the past few weeks. Junior had a horrible time with his asthma and then ended up with a sinus infection. To add to our fun he sprained his ankle during the Christmas tree decorating(he got so excited and stiffened his leg really hard, over stretching his ankle).
I have several more Christmas crafts that I will try to get posted this week.

Fall is Here, Craft - Hand Print Bat

This craft comes to us from Junior's amazing teacher(she said she found the idea online).

With Halloween right around the corner Junior's teacher was teaching him about bats. At the end of their school session they made this neat hand print bat.

You will need: black construction paper, white construction paper, googly eyes, black yarn, and glue.
To start we traced Junior's hand print and cut it out(we used a folded piece of paper so we ended up with 2 hand prints)
Junior's teacher had already drawn and cut out the mouth and body. For the mouth she drew a smile, with a couple teeth for fangs, on white construction paper(she also had 2 small oval shapes for the sides of the mouth).
They glued the hands to the back of the head first then the mouth and eyes.
Tape or glue the yarn to the top so you can hang your bat on the wall.
A Junior's cute bat

Fall is Here, Craft - Paper Plate Pumpkin

At this time of year you can't go wrong with a pumpkin craft.

For this Pumpkin you will need: 1 paper plate, 1 small piece of green or brown construction paper for the stem, black construction paper for the face, orange crate paper/tissue paper, glue, and a paint brush.

We started by stapling our stem to the paper plate.
Junior was leading this craft with his ipad so I will let him tell you what comes next(sorry the pic cut off part of the ipad but he is telling me "I need the glue").
We added a few drops of water to some glue and then used a paint brush to paint it on our paper plate.
In the previous picture we had started putting the orange paper on the pumpkin. Before starting the project I had cut up a bunch of little squares of crate/tissue paper. We spread these pieces of paper over the plate after covering it with glue.
Now you have a nice orange pumpkin but it is still missing something
Junior to tell you whats missing, yes it needs a face.
I cut a face out of black construction paper and glued it to our pumpkin(actually there was so much glue from putting on the orange paper that we didn't have to add any to make the face stick)
Pumpkin time

Basketball

Junior loves to play with his basketball hoop that is outside but much of the time he can't go outside to play.

This is not really an adaption more of an adapted use for the item.
I found this pool basketball hoop and it was perfect for indoor basketball.
I put a few strips of velcro on the bottom and a few strips on the top of Junior's craft table. This keeps it from sliding around too much while it is on the table.
A perfect spot for shooting hoops while in his chair or standing sling
We also put it on the floor and use his bowling ramp with it.