Archives for 2019

Football Mini Sensory Bottle

We love sensory bottles and usually make them in either the regular size or even the large one, but lately we’ve discovered these cute mini bottles. They’re great for bringing with you or putting into your child’s backpack. This football mini sensory bottle can be an effective small calm down tool for kids.

This would be a good sensory bottle for football season, Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl, or just for a sports fan. One of the things I like about it is that it can be hard to come up with sensory play ideas that boys are interested in. That’s not to say that some girls won’t also like this! But football is certainly an interest that many boys share.

You can even customize the colours of this football sensory bottle to show your support for your favourite team! This could be a professional team, collage, or even school team. You could even take it with you to cheer on your team at games.

Football Mini Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

mini bottle (we used these plastic test tube treat containers)
clear dish soap
mini football beads
sequins (choose a colour for your favourite team)
glitter (choose the colours of your favourite team!)
optional: hot glue

Directions:

Pour clear dish soap into a mini bottle until it’s about half full.
Drop in some mini football beads.
Add in sequins and glitter.
If there’s any room left in the bottle, fill the the top with water.
Replace the lid. If using with small children, you can secure the lid with hot glue.

With this or any other sensory play activity, adult supervision is recommended. Even with the lid secured, it can be opened by determined kids or when the glue gets old and the bottle contains small parts that could be a choking hazard.

With its tiny size, this mini calm down bottle is great for bringing anywhere. You can tuck it into the seat pocket of the vehicle, put it in your child’s backpack, or include it in their calm down kit.

This cute little bottle engages both the visual and tactile sensory systems. Because the glitter and sequins stay suspended in the dish soap and fall slowly as it is turned, this can also serve as a calm down bottle. Children can watch the glitter slowly fall as they focus on regulating their breathing. It’s surprisingly effective.

Check out these other sensory bottles for kids:

Thanksgiving Sensory Bottle

Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottle

Bugs Sensory Bottle

5 in a Row Thankfulness Game for Kids

By Sharla Kostelyk

This Bingo style Thankfulness Game is a great way to practise gratitude with kids. It can be used during the Thanksgiving season or at any time. When important concepts are reinforced in a fun way, kids are more likely to remember them.

Practising gratitude sets the stage for a happier life. It’s science. Research demonstrates that gratitude can improve general well-being, increase resilience, strengthen social relationships, improve life satisfaction, and reduce stress and depression.

This game can be played with 2-4 players at a time.

Thankfulness Game:

Supplies needed:

printed game cube and game sheets (downloaded from here)
scissors
glue or tape
markers, pencil crayons, or crayons
buttons, beads, or bingo dabbers to use as place markers.

Assembly instructions:

Print the cube out on cardstock. Cut on the outside solid lines.
Fold on the dotted lines.
Form into a cube using glue or tape.
Print as many game sheets as needed depending on the number of players participating.

Game Directions:

Colour in the “Free Space” or place a place marker on it.
Roll the die. Look at the category the die landed on.
Name one thing you are thankful for in that category. For example, if you roll “family,” you can say, “I am thankful for my sister.” If you roll “clothes,” you might say, “I am thankful for warm, fuzzy socks!”
After you call out your example, colour in a spot on your board or cover it with a place marker. The first person to complete five pictures in a row wins.

It may be hard for some children (depending on their age and developmental abilities) to think of things in each category to be grateful for. You can help by proving prompts or examples of your own.

To get your copy, simply enter your email in the box below to get your free printable Thankfulness Game to use with your child or students and also receive our free Sensory Solutions and Activities email series.

You may also be interested in:

Two Words That Will Transform Your Family

Why Kids Need Positive Affirmations

Birthday Party Emotions Playdough Mats

Thanksgiving Sensory Bottle

By Sharla Kostelyk

It’s easy to create a Thanksgiving sensory bottle for your child. You’ll capture the holiday as well as the fall season all in one bottle. I love the colours at this time of year. I think that’s one of the reasons that I find this bottle so pretty.

A sensory bottle can help kids self-regulate. The calm down type are particularly effective and this is one of those. Kids can watch the glitter and confetti slowly drop and as they focus on that, their breathing begins to regulate. It’s like magic!

Thanksgiving Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

plastic bottle or empty plastic water bottle
5 oz. bottle of Elmer’s clear school Glue
warm water
approximately 1 Tbsp. glitter and Thanksgiving confetti
optional: glass beads in clear, yellow, or orange
optional: hot glue

Directions:

Empty the bottle of glue into bottle.
Fill the empty glue bottle about half full with warm water and reseal with the lid. Shake well to combine the remaining glue with the water. Pour into the bottle with glue and shake to combine.
Add the glitter and Thanksgiving confetti into the glue mixture.
Drop in a few glass beads if you want.
Seal the jar and shake well. If the glitter or confetti do not move easily, add more warm water. If the glitter and confetti moves too quickly, add additional glue. You’ll achieve more of a calm down bottle effect if there is more glue.
When the contents of the bottle move according to your preference, seal the bottle.
Hot glue the lid closed to avoid spills.

As with all sensory activities, adult supervision should be used at all times.

I like to add the glass beads myself. I like the way they create an auditory component. Because they are heavier, they drop to the bottom right away and create a “plunk” sound. This activity provides visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory input and if using the glass beads, auditory sensory input as well.

Looking for more great sensory ideas? Join for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

You might also like these Thanksgiving activities:

Thanksgiving Sensory Bin

The Best Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games

By Sharla Kostelyk

We are big fans of Minute to Win it games at our house. Another holiday or party means we have another excuse to play! So we came up with some awesome Minute to Win It Thanksgiving games to help us celebrate and create family memories.

Some of these games are hilarious. My kids thought the Pumpkin Pie Game was pretty awesome because they got their fill of whipping cream and candy.

The games can be played a couple of different ways. You can create teams and have a member from each team go head to head against each other or you can play as individuals in a “beat the clock” type of fashion.

These fun family games for kids and adults are such a great way to celebrate the holidays. Kids of all ages and grown ups from parents to grandparents can participate. If you’re inviting friends to your Thanksgiving get together, these challenges also make great ice breakers. If you’re looking for more ideas, you can also adapt some of our Minute to Win It Christmas game ideas to give them a Thanksgiving theme.

Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games:

To create your own Minute to Win It Thanksgiving themed challenge, you can pick and choose from the games below or do all of them. I’ve listed the full list of supplies as well as listing the supplies needed for each game so that it makes it easier for you to plan your own party.

You’ll notice that the materials needed are inexpensive or things that you already have around the house. I was able to get all of the supplies for ours at the dollar store.

Supplies needed:

pie plates
candy pumpkins
whipped cream
pumpkin seeds
straws
paper plates
turkey baster
balloons
feathers
spoons
optional: candy corn

Pumpkin Pie

Supplies needed:

pie plates
candy pumpkins
whipping cream

The object of this game is to retrieve all the pumpkins out of your pie. To set up, place candy pumpkins on the bottom of each pie plate. Cover with whipping cream. Each player sits with their hands behind their backs and has to find the pumpkins and move them out of the pie using only their mouth.

Turkeys of a Feather

Supplies needed:

feathers*

In this game, players need to attempt to keep their feather in the air for a full minute by blowing it up. It’s harder than it sounds. If a player’s feather touches the ground or a surface, they are out of the game.

This is a good one to play in a large group because you can have many people playing at one time.

*We tried to play this game with Thanksgiving coloured craft feathers, but they were too heavy for it to work properly, so I suggest using the lighter wispy feathers.

Pumpkin Seed Suck It Up

Supplies needed:

pumpkin seeds
straws
paper plates

To set this game up, pour some pumpkin seeds onto a paper plate for each player. Set that down next to an empty plate. To play, each person puts a straw in their mouth and attempts to transfer all the pumpkin seeds to the empty plate in less than one minute. If you’re playing head to head, then then the person who transfers all of their pumpkin seeds the fastest is the winner.

Pumpkin (or Candy Corn) Relay

Supplies needed:

spoons (one for each person participating)
candy pumpkins or candy corn

Place one candy pumpkin (or candy corn) on a spoon. Have players race holding onto their spoon with one hand (you can allow younger kids to use both hands). If their candy drops off, they are eliminated or have to start back at the beginning.

The rest of our candy pumpkins got eaten by one of our kids before this race (just being real!), so we used glittered pine cones which were the most Thanksgiving themed item I could think of on the spot!

To make this game more challenging for adults, you can create a bit of an obstacle course. Or you can race in teams, handing off the spoon and candy to the next person in line. This is my favourite version of the game. It creates a fun atmosphere with team members cheering each other on.

Turkey Basting

Supplies needed:

turkey basters
balloons

Give each person a turkey baster and balloon. The goal of this Minute to Win It challenge is to get the balloon across the table lengthwise using only the air from the turkey baster. You are not allowed to touch the balloon with the turkey baster. This can be played to beat the one minute timer or played head to head with the winner earning one point for their team.

If you don’t have a long table, you can mark a start and finish line on the floor using masking tape and try to get the balloon across the finishing line along the floor.

Looking for more ideas for family fun or resources to help you connect with your child? Join our free 5 Days to Better Family Connection email series.

You may also want to check out some of our other Minute to Win It Games:

Minute to Win It Christmas Edition

Minute to Win It Family Fun Night

Dollar Store Minute to Win It

Minute to Win It Camping Games

How to Help Your Special Needs Child Emotionally

By Sharla Kostelyk

When it comes to having a special needs child, there is one thing you are guaranteed to deal with and that is emotions. It can be hard to read emotions, hard to understand emotions, and hard to deal with emotions. If you have a special needs child and need help handling their emotions, then you may need these tips in your life.

In some ways, we think too hard about what our kids may need in the emotions department and can forget about using the simplest tools. I’m hoping these tips help remind you of all the tools you have available in helping your special needs kids emotionally.

Here are tips for how to help your special needs child emotionally:

Listen to What They Are Saying

Your special needs child needs you to listen to them. More than ever, they need someone to sit down and listen to what they have to say. This may not look the same for every family. If your child is non-verbal, help validate their emotions by giving voice to what they may be feeling.

Spend Time With Your Child

Helping your special needs kids emotionally can be so tough. One way I have found that helps a lot is by spending time with your child. It can be something as simple as sitting on the couch together. Being together allows them to know that they are important to you.

Schedule a Date Night With Your Child

One on one time with each of your kids is so important. I know that it is hard to do, especially when parenting a child with special needs, but it is worth the investment. Regular date nights will help your child more than you know even if only once or twice a year. Have this night scheduled, so your child knows that it’s going to happen. This is a great time for you and your child to get on the same level emotionally.

Teach Your Child to Express Their Emotions

Trust me, this isn’t something that happens overnight, however, it’s critical. Special needs children need to learn how to express their emotions. The first thing you need to do for this is to give them an emotional vocabulary. You can also teach your children how to express their emotions by being a good role model for them. Show them how to find a healthy outlet for expressing emotions such as listening to music, singing, talking to someone, exercising, watching a movie, and practising good self-care.

Get Outside Help

If your child is showing signs of struggling with anxiety or depression, it may be time to seek outside help. You may need to seek a counsellor, psychiatrist, or therapist to help you in this journey. Seek out someone who has experience with the type of special needs that your child has been diagnosed with.

Acknowledge Their Emotions

Our kids have BIG emotions, small emotions, and some that we can’t even understand. Don’t forget to take the time and acknowledge all of these emotions. You’d be amazed at how a little acknowledgment can help a special needs child. Let them know that their emotions matter. Validate them by validating their feelings.

Your Child Needs a Safe Environment

When it comes to our special needs kids and their emotions, they need a safe environment to release those emotions into. Any child should have an environment in which they can safely release those emotions without feeling judged. In this safe environment, they can also release these emotions without repercussions. Your home should be an emotionally safe space for them, but you can go a step further and create a calm down space or special area for them to go to when they are upset. We have a calm down corner in our sensory room that our kids can go to.

Helping our special needs kids emotionally also comes down to emotional encouragement. Your special needs child needs access to people, places, and things that encourage healthy emotions. As a special needs parent, you witness first-hand what your child is going through. Offering encouragement is the emotional equivalent of holding their hand.

If you’re looking for more tips and encouragement, join me for a free 5 part email series, Little Hearts, Big Worries offering resources and hope for parents.

You may also be interested in reading:

Activities to Teach Kids About Emotions

How Special Needs Parents Can Best Support Each Other

Spider Emotions Matching Game

14 Things Your Special Needs Teen Needs to Hear You Say

Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle

By Sharla Kostelyk

The holidays can be a challenging time for kids. They are off schedule and the excitement can be too much for some kids. Enter the simple calm down bottle. This easy Christmas tree sensory bottle can be an effective calm down tool for kids.

You can include this sensory bottle in your child’s Christmas Calm Down Kit. As the glitter and confetti fall slowly through the bottle, watching it creates a calming effect. Adding more glue slows the rate at which it falls.

Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

plastic sensory bottle or empty water bottle
5 oz. bottle clear Elmer’s school glue (or more if you want the glitter and confetti to fall more slowly)
warm water
1 Tbsp. glitter and Christmas tree confetti
optional: hot glue and/or holiday duct tape

Directions:

Empty the bottle of glue into the plastic bottle.
Fill the empty glue bottle about half full with warm water and place the lid back on. Shake well to combine the remaining glue with the water.
Pour into the sensory bottle, place the lid on that and shake to combine.
Add the glitter in the colour of your choice and holiday confetti into the glue mixture.
Reseal the jar and shake well. If the glitter or confetti does not move easily, add more warm water. If the glitter or confetti moves through the liquid too quickly, add additional glue. To create a calm down effect, you’ll want it to move slowly through the bottle.
If younger kids will be playing with it, secure the lid with hot glue.
If desired, cover the lid with seasonal duct tape.

Adult supervision should be used with this or any other sensory play activity.