I shared a few weeks ago about these fun, colorful plastic party trays that I found that can be also used for sorting items. (Here is the link to Party Tray Sorters.) Here are two more ways to use them with things that you probably have lying around the house. Using a party tray like this makes it super simple to set up, easy to have the items contained while also providing a good space to sort into. My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Sorting Buttons By Color I have a huge bag of buttons … [Read more...] about Party Tray Sorting: Buttons and Coins
Cool Tool
Find It! Toy
I was doing a "treasure hunt" around my house to see what we have to include in a summer themed My Obstacle Course. I went into Andrew's closet to look for some summer books and my eyes fell upon the shelf where this "Find It" toy he had received from his grandma was sitting. This is a great item for car trips or lazy summer afternoons but it also makes a great, super easy (no set up required at all!) station activity. "Find It" is a cylinder filled with colored rice sized beads that hide … [Read more...] about Find It! Toy
Sand Pail Sorters
I love utilizing sorting stations in My Obstacle Courses. It allows children to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding without needing to have words. There are so many different sorting options depending on the things and concepts that you want to build or reinforce with your child. I have found that by changing up what the child is sorting into, it helps to keep it fun and fresh. I found these colorful pails at Michael's and while they are meant for playing in the water and sand, they … [Read more...] about Sand Pail Sorters
Pretend Play – Theme Boxes
When I first set out to really work with Andrew, one of the things that I wanted to focus on was his pretend play skills. I thought about what preschools and kindergartens did to encourage children to pretend play and realized that they simply provide materials for children to experiment with and play with usually based on a given theme for the week. I remember our school receiving several kits while I taught kindergarten and my students loved going to the stations that had those kits. There … [Read more...] about Pretend Play – Theme Boxes
Party Tray Sorters
I found these bright, colorful, plastic party trays last year (I think at Michael's but I cannot remember for sure :( ). You can pair one of these trays with items like colored puffs, thematic felt stickers, goldfish crackers, buttons, beads, or anything that can be sorted by a specific characteristic (color, size, etc.) and you have an easy My Obstacle Course station activity. Here are some ways I'd use them: Obviously, you do not need these particular party trays. I … [Read more...] about Party Tray Sorters