Let’s face it, children do not all learn the same (us adults either for that matter). Some of us are auditory… we can hear something once and just retain it. I have always been envious of that person. That’s not me. I need to see a picture of it, feel it and in some cases practice it for it to stick. I was lucky enough to grow up in an educational environment where my teachers understood this. Even in college I had teachers who would draw random pictures on the board while they taught and say “here Aishah, this picture is for you”. It was a tool I went on to practice when I taught children with learning disabilities after I graduated college. Whenever I could, I drew pictures, incorporated songs and added colors and sparkles to the curriculum for those kids who needed that something a little extra. So this January Bookshelf is dedicated to some of my favorite sensory stimulating books for the parents with children who need (or just want) a little something extra.
See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book – By Roger Priddy
There’s lots for baby to explore in See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book. This is sturdy board book, with bright photographs of happy babies and is specially designed to stimulate curiosity through sensory play. Each page has a colorful picture activity that invites baby to touch and explore. There are raised textures to feel, finger trails to follow, and a shiny mirror to look into. Can they follow the swirl on the snail’s shell? Can they tap the drum? As your baby grows, See, Touch, Feel will help your child develop language recognition and motor skills, as they learn to interact with the book in new ways. With lots to explore together, See, Touch, Feel is an ideal first book to share with your baby.
CP Toys Cloth Sensory Quiet Book – Constructive Playthings
So I remember having this Cloth Sensory Quiet Book as a child. It is 8 wonderful pages of sensory and skill-building activities include zipping, lacing, buttoning, shape-matching, and more. I remember spending so much time buttoning and unbuttoning that one page! I took this book everywhere with me. Even though there were no words, this book taught me so much!
Pat the Bunny – Dorothy Kunhardt
Who does not remember Pat The Bunny growing up? I used to love poking my little finger through the holes in the book and rubbing my hands over the rough patch that felt just like my dad’s beard. This one is a timeless children’s classic—a perfect gift for baby showers and first birthdays. For generations, Pat the Bunny has been creating special first-time moments between parents and their children. One of the best-selling children’s books of all time, this classic touch-and-feel book offers babies a playful and engaging experience, all the while creating cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
Curious George at the Zoo – H.A. Rey
Based on the Curious George of PBS Kids, this engaging touch-and-feel board book lets youngsters feel a rhino’s rough skin, a fuzzy zebra’s mane, and the coats of penguins. All the while, they can search for Curious George, who is hiding on each page: “Is George around to see?”
Sensory Stimulation: Sensory-Focused Activities for People with Physical and Multiple Disabilities – Susan Fowler
While the previous books are sensory stimulation books that your children will enjoy, I thought I would throw one good read in there for us parents. We learn about the world constantly through our senses and by interacting with it. Children explore and play in different environments and in doing so they find out what burns them or hurts them, what can be eaten, which things smell nice and what different sounds signify. This process of exploration and learning continues throughout our lives.
Because of physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities many people have not had the same opportunities to explore and interact with their environment. Sensory-focused activities are designed to provide environments in which people with disabilities can have the opportunity to use their senses to learn about and interact more meaningfully with the world. Now while this book was designed with people with disabilities in mind, there are so many opportunities presented in here to interact with any child and stimulate their senses.
Bonus:
3Doodler (www.3doodler.com)
Imagine The Grinch without the image of Whoville? What about Make Way for Ducklings without the ducklings? Now imagine 3D drawing bringing them to life for those who haven’t experienced them visually. This is what they had in mind when the people at 3Doodler created this 3D printing pen. So what exactly is a 3D pen you ask? It is a pen that exudes heated or warm plastic from the pen’s nozzle. You don’t need any software. There are no files to transfer, and no difficult tech to master. In the words of a teacher they work with, “whatever you imagine, you can draw. It goes from your brain, to your hand, right there.” With a 3D pen you can draw a raised graphic on a piece of paper or any flat surface. But what makes a 3D pen truly unique is its ability to “draw” in mid-air, allowing you to instantly form 3D structures right in front of you, which you can pick up and hold in your hand.
What is super awesome about this pen is that it has been approved by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). RNIB approval signifies an official endorsement and recommendation for products that are easy to use for blind and partially sighted people. Thanks to the 3Doodler pen, individuals from across the world can now bring to life illustrations from some of the most popular children’s books in history. Through the use of 3D printing pens from 3Doodler, you can now recreate iconic illustrations allowing them to be tactile for the first time ever, allowing everyone and anyone the opportunity to experience these stories in a whole new way. I say well it’s about time!
