Today we present Playing Seasons, as it described by colleagues from Vasile Pavelcu Special Technological High School in Iaşi, through Prof. Coca Marlena Vasiliu, Prof. Daniela Anton, Prof. Elena Macovei, Prof. Mihaela Aionesa and Prof. Loredana Prisecaru, to whom we thank from the bottom of our hearts for answering our call.
In a relaxing atmosphere, children embark on a sensory journey through the four seasons, discovering the magic of the sound of rain, experiencing the pleasant sensation of raindrops, snowflakes, exploring with their hands and feet the grass, earth, water, raw and dried leaves, chestnuts, pine cones, feeling, in a chromatic game, the fresh and fragrant smell of spring flowers, tasting grapes, apples, nuts, strawberries and in a happy ending of the journey dancing.
What do we need?
Spring flowers - tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, flower branches, grass, snails, soil, fruit - strawberries.
How we do it?
On a relaxing musical background "Frédéric Chopin - Spring Waltz" children will smell spring flowers - hyacinths, daffodils, lilies of the valley and flower branches. Children can touch the grass, the soil and snails with their hands and feet, parents can sing "Melc, melc codobelc" to allow the child to observe the moment when snails remove their cornices. Children can taste strawberries. In the end, children and parents and dance together on the song “The colours of the flowers”.
What do we need?
Bowl full with water in which we insert sand or gel balls, seashells, stones, coloured jellies beans, coloured balloons.
How we do it?
Listening to Vivaldi’s Summer, children will insert their little hands into the bowls of water to explore by touch the gel balls (these will be inserted into water 48 hours before so as to increase their volume) and the sand. Also, children can touch the stones, hit one stone with another to produce weaker or stronger sounds and they can listen to the sound of waves inside seashells. Children can taste coloured jelly beans and drink lemonade. In the end, children and parents can dance together on „Baloane colorate” (Colourfull baloons).
What do we need?
Leaves, twigs, pine cones, chestnuts, tree bark, sprinklers and umbrella, nuts, grapes, apples, pears.
How we do it?
Listening to Vivaldi’s Autumn, children will explore through touch and small green and dried leaves, pine cones, chestnut, tree barks and branches. Using a sprinkler, parents can sprinkle tiny drops of water on their children and then use umbrellas for protection. Children can taste slices of apple, walnut and grapes. In the end, children and parents can dance together on „Ploaia” (The Rain).
What do we need?
Paper bolts made with the help of the perforator to mimic snow, artificial snow (made from baking soda and shaving foam), sensory bags to mimic the snowstorm (plastic zipp bags in which we inserted paper balls made using the perforator and a straw; we blow to mimic the storm), pine twigs and cones, candles and cinnamon essential oil, oranges and gingerbread.
How we do it?
Listening to Chopin’s Winter Waltz, parents can sift over their children tiny paper bolts made with the paper perforator. Using artificial snow, children can make snow balls. The sound of the blizzard can be simulated using sensory plastic bags filled with the paper bolts and straws. Children will blow (alone or with their parents’ help) through the straw and notice what happens: paper bolts will starts dancing inside the bag, leaving the impression of a snow blizzard. Children will touch and smell the pine cones and branches, can taste gingerbread and oranges. All this can happen while smelling the scent of candles sprayed with cinnamon essential oil. In the end, children and parents can dance together on „Fulgișori pe obrăjori” (Tiny Snowflakes on Cheeks).
To support children with deafblindness (and not only), but also their families, during this period when staying at home has become synonymous with safety, we propose a series of sensory play activities that can be carried out with materials and objects that do not require special investments or expenditure, but can make a huge difference in children's lives and , why not, offers the opportunity to do something new and fun at home in the family.
We receive ideas for #thursdayplay at email: alina.boagiu@senseint.org.ro