Pool Noodles for DIY Science, P.E., Faith and Sensory Fun

Pool Noodles + Butter Knives + Kiddoes = P.E

I recently wrote a piece over at Special-ism about using pool noodles as a sensory diet tool all year round.  When I wrote the piece, my camera, my computer and I were in the midst of a battle, so I could not offer personal photos to go along with the post.  Well, thankfully, technology is cooperating a bit better for me now, so please enjoy some photos and ideas below, before clicking over to Special-ism for more pool noodle fun here and here. (While at Special-ism, if you are a teacher, a parent or a professional who works with folks with special needs, I encourage you to linger.  Special-ism is such a rich resource for information on many special needs topics.  I stop there almost every day to share in the insights the professionals writing there offer.  Great stuff!)

Now, onto a photo recap of our morning of D.I.Y. pool noodle science, P.E. Faith and sensory diet fun.

Pool Noodle Marble Runs

First, we sliced one of our pool noodles in half.  (Sorry, no pictures of that because three young children, one mama, one pool noodle and a pair sharp scissors do not make for a safe photo opp!)

Then, we fetched Nina's marbles and a "catch" bin and headed over to the outside stairs for some visual-tracking and science fun.

Ready? Set...

Let 'em roll!

Curious about how they marble run would work in other settings, the kids worked muscles and cooperation skills by moving the set up to the driveway.

How will they roll if the ramps lay on a slight decline?

And how about if we change the angle by standing?

And, because they are who they are, Luke, Nina and Jack decided to make marble run machines, building and testing a variety of structures throughout the morning.  Ah, my young engineers working minds and bodies to make their creative visions realities!

"Oh no!" says Luke.  "Our long run isn't working.  How can we redesign it so the marble does not fall off where the two noodles connect?"

A tweak and... YES!  It worked.

But, perhaps adding more chairs to the machine would be fun...

Or more shoots?  Some open and some closed.

With many tests and tweaks, the kids sure got a healthy serving of proprioceptive, visual, tactile and even some vestibular input with this science-based activity!

Wicket Fun Obstacle Course

(Okay, only locals will get the subtitle I just wrote "Wicket fun" = "wicked fun", which I know equals local slang that will make Hubby cringe, but I could not resist.)

We did not have any chop sticks or dowels available so we got creative in making our pool noodle wickets.  Yep, grabbed some butter knives, which hammered into the ground with ease, and then, we were good to go for popping on the pool noodles for some P.E. with a healthy dose of tactile (the grass!) and vestibular (all the different ways for going over, under and around) input.

Low crawl under, jump over...

Jump off the trampoline, stomp between, then jump over and around...

Faith

And, just because Nina is Nina, pool noodles even bring faith talk opps:

"Jesus Christ, lay down his life, for us...for us..."

 

Has any other child ever laid noodles down, laid atop them and begun to sing?  Probably.  But, it still took me by surprise, then, made me smile.  Children are hands-on learners who often synthesize knowledge by play-acting.  Pool noodle crosses?  Why not?

I encourage you to keep your pool noodles handy even as summer comes to a close.  You never know what learning and sensory fun they could bring!  (And, if you haven't got any pool noodles and don't see any on sale, do not panic. Foam pipe insulators can work, too.)

What are your favorite pool noodle games and activities?

Active Imagination Activity Book Review: A Useful Resource for the New Year

1.  Stay physically active despite winter cold.

2.  Spend quality time with our children.

These two commitments are ones that we are renewing for 2012.  If you have similar goals in mind, you may want to check out occupational therapist, Kelly Tilly’s  Active Imagination Activity Book, Sensorimotor Cards for Children to Improve Focus, Attention, Strength and Coordination.

Several months ago, we gratefully received a copy of this handy resource from Future Horizons in exchange for an honest review.  Since then, we have built strength and bonded with smiles through using some of the 50 activities included in the book.

A Rich Review of Active Imagination Activity Book 

A * for READABILITY
How much do I love a resource that is easy for both children and adults to access, and one that has wipe clean pages to boot?  A lot!  And, that is exactly what the Active Imagination Activity Book is.

Kelly Tilley did a fantastic job making her book a grab-and-go resource for adults and children alike.  The bulk of the spiral-bound book contains one-page, illustrated descriptions of sensorimotor activities that children can easily follow along with.  These are color-coded with tabs that highlight whether activities are Energizing, Upper-Body Strengthening, Core Strengthening and/or Calming, which help both children and adults to quickly select activities appropriate to the needs of any given moment.

Other portions of the book are more geared to adults using the book:

• an Introduction concisely points our the why’s and what’s behind the the book.
• Highlights of Active Imagination Activities suggests ways the books can be used and what types of activities might be selected before, during or after academic periods, prior to bedtime, as a part of obstacle courses, etc. 
• Selecting Activities for Each Child describes what the combinations of tabs at the bottom of activity pages mean, providing clear explanation in layman’s terms about how and why to incorporate Energizing, Upper-Body Strengthening, Core-Strengthening and Calming activities into a child’s sensory diet.
• a Quick- Reference Chart lists activities and the corresponding areas they help a child attend to.

Plus, the book is formatted so that it can stand as an easel, which allows children to easily view directions and drawings as they participate in activities

A * for RELEVANCE
As a parent of three young children who all benefit from purposeful activities interwoven with  creative play, I find this book a fantastic resource.  My children quickly gravitated toward it and enjoy using its ideas to spurn strength-building imaginative play, such as that they got into as a result of the “Thin Ice” activity.

As the person responsible for ensuring my eldest son maintains an adequate sensory diet, I herald this book for its grab-and-get-to-it formatting.  On busy days, when I realize I have been neglecting my son’s need for energizing or calming activities, I can toss him Active Imagination and tell him to pick several activities with red or blue tabs at the bottom.  On other days, when life allows me to be more proactive, I can spend a few moments tailoring  brief activity routines for my son, his siblings and I to have fun strengthening core muscles while satiating sensory diet needs.  Any day, I can turn to this Active Imagination for ideas that are clearly described, well-illustrated and purposefully-selected.
 
A 3/4 * for PRACTICALITY

• A spiral-bound resource that can lay flat or stand up as an easel.
• Laminated pages that make illustrations pop while also guaranteeing that pages messied by eager young hands can easily be wiped clean.
• A size that can fits well into a back pack or tote bag.
• Activities that require almost no equipment.
• A streamlined selection of illustrated ideas to improve any child’s strength, coordination, focus and attention.

You cannot get much more practical than that.  

Still, I am knocking the book down a 1/4 star for practicality.  Why?  Because I am a stickler for accuracy, and if one read the back cover of Active Imagination, the words “Exercises That Require No equipment!” stand out to me.  While it is true that many of the activities in the book require no equipment and all of them require only equipment that one is likely to have at home, I feel that the statement implies that no equipment is necessary for any of the 50 activities in the book.  This is not the case.
 
Equipment called for includes:

• a large ball
• a heavy blanket
• pillows or cushions
• bean bag
• a laundry basket or box
• a low bench
• a wobble board
• a chair
• a bowl
• a yard stick or wrapping paper roll

A  * for LONGEVITY
Although structure is vital for all children, especially those who are uniquely wired, my eldest son also thrives on variety.  He likes things that are new, or seem new.  Thus, I have found that while Active Imagination provides a fantastic selection of activities that appeal to my children, I have had to put it away at times in order to keep it interesting.  
 
In rotation with several other resources that we have, such as the MoveAbout Activity Cards that  I reviewed over at Our Journey THRU Autism, Active Imagination has remained useful to our family thus far and I can definitely see it staying in rotation for years to come.  With activities entitled such things as “Dolphin Dive”, “Meteorite Launch”, “The Windmill”, “Lava Leaps”, “The Seal from the Aquarium” and “Teensy Weensy Spider” (pictured in action by one of my kiddoes), this book not only lends itself towards strengthening and regulating bodies, but also towards seasonal topics, field trips and study units our family enjoys.
 
Additionally, although Active Imagination is published by a company geared towards Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder, I think it is a valuable resource for all children.  Every child has sensory needs to one degree or another.  Any child can benefit from core and upper-body strengthening activities.  All children can enjoy the calming and alerting exercises depicted in this activity book.  
 
A * for VALUE 
Handy resource for children and the adults in their lives?  $19.95 (or less with discount codes such as “HAPPY” at New Horizons).*

Fifty well-illustrated, clearly-described activity geared toward specific sensorimotor goals? $2.50 or so each.

My children finally beginning to figure out how to coordinate their bodies to do jumping jacks through the Soldier-Tepee Activity? 

Priceless!

Personal victories aside, I feel that Active Imagination is a good value.  The book is well thought-out and conveniently formatted with 50 relevant, easy and fun sensorimotor activities, plus helpful, yet concise, additional thoughts.  

For parents, it provides a quick-and-easy way to invite children to attend to their sensorimotor needs while activating their imaginations.

For homeschoolers, teachers, youth group leaders and coaches of pre-k and elementary school children, the book provides easy activities for individual and group movement breaks, as well as Physical Education ideas.

For Occupational Therapists, it fits nicely into a therapy bag and makes an excellent tool for sharing with parents to encourage continuity between activities done at therapy and at home. 

For children, it is just plain easy-to-follow fun!

*If you are lucky enough to have a library system that carries this book, definitely check it out.  Otherwise, if you are interested in purchasing a copy of the Active Imagination Activity Book, you may want to consider doing so directly through Future Horizons.  By entering the discount code “HAPPY” there, you can get 15% off your entire order and free U.S. shipping.  Plus, authors of  all the books/materials you order will receive twice the royalties they would if you purchased their items from, say, a rather large online book retailer.  This helps their livelihood and keeps the great resources coming.

Of course, you can also choose to buy Active Imagination Activity Book: 50 Sensorimotor Activities for Children to Improve Focus, Attention, Strength, and Coordination at Amazon if that’s what suits you best.

3-Part Car Movement Cards: In-Seat Movement Breaks for Car, Bus or Desk

The school year is upon us.  For some, that can mean more time spent in the car, on the bus or seated at desks.  This can be trying for any body, especially little bodies that are eager to move!

To help prevent the wiggles, you may want to try our 3-Part Car (or Seat) Movement Cards:

We'll be using these today and throughout the week as a simple, fun way to help release wiggles, coordinate motor skills and focus on body parts in a fun way.  


I created these last year before a long road trip  and found them a useful tool in our Car Activity Bags.  Since then, we have also used them at home as three-part cards in many of the same ways we use our 3-Part Life of Mary Sequencing Cards and our 3-Part Unicorn Song Cards.  (The Unicorn post features 10 ways we like to use cards!)  This year, I am thinking of printing out three fresh copies to put on rings to attach to both of our older children's car seats as well as to put in Luke's workboxes.  This way, the children will have a quick routine at hand to help them get their wiggles out whenever they need to.

I am also planning to use them for some Math and Health/P.E. lessons by playing card and dice games with them.  Basically, the kids will roll dice or pick a numeral card and then pick a movement card.  They will perform the action on the card as many times as indicated by the dice or numeral card.  Easy-peasy counting and movement fun!

If you'd like to use the cards with your children too, please feel free to click on the graphic of them.  A large-sized version should pop up for printing.  If it doesn't, simply leave a comment and I will email some to you.

As always, if you know someone who might benefit from these cards, please feel free to share a link to this post (as opposed to just passing on the cards themselves.)  And, please do stop by again to share how you use these cards successfully in your homes and classrooms.  Thanks!

This post will be shared at Homeschool Creations Preschool Corner, 
where you can find links to lots of fun Pre-K and 5K ideas.

We Play Pool Noodle Hockey

No correct equipment? No problem! All you need is a family with imagination!

That’s what we found one evening a few weeks back when warmer weather was finally breaking in our part of the world and our son wanted to play hockey outside.

Problem

The problem was that we have no hockey equipment.

Solution

And the solution? Looking at what we did have instead of what we didn’t and making it work anyway!

We had:

• a need for Luke to enjoy some heavy work as part of his sensory diet.
• a craving for us all to partake in some active, outdoor time (homeschool P.E.)
• a family with imagination

Bike helmets, Freecycle-scored roller skates, pool noodles, a wiffle ball and the game was on!

The Look of Determination

Teamwork

Concentration

Our former neighbor, who was visiting next door, even peeked out, saw us playing and came over to join in the fun.

Three-on-One

Evening Up the Teams

 Results

• Proprioceptive and vestibular input? Check!

Bend and Reach

Balance and Move

• Laughter and fitness together outside? Check! 

"Hockey is fun!"

Daddy-Son Face Off

• Creative problem-solving as a family? Check!

Game On

• Controled, good-natured rough play?  Check!

Fight!

Hugs

And, perhaps, most importantly: Safe, family fun? Check! (Luke wanted to use his and Nina’s metal rakes as sticks. For safety reasons, I suggested the noodles.)

How about you? What have you been playing with your kids? Has creativity or problem-solving been the impetus for any new versions of old games? Do share! And, if you happen to try pool noodle hockey, stop by here again to let us know how it went.

Aldo, stop be We Play at Childhood 101 to share.

Our Sensory-Friendly Five in a Row for The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

~1~

A Little Library Inspiration

 Ages ago, I borrowed Five in a Row (FIAR) from the library after a curriculum recommendation from a friend.  I loved FIAR's concept, but I just couldn’t see purchasing a copy on our tight budget.  I figured between my experience and the Internet I could very easily “row” books on my own, honing in on my kids’ personal developmental needs, while occasionally borrowing FIAR again when I needed inspiration.  Since that time, I have discovered that FIAR is such a popular book that it is nearly impossible to reserve from our library system on a regular basis.  But, that hasn’t stopped us from rowing in our own way.

How do we row?  Merrily, merrily, merrily through the week, when I remember to, and catching the currents of life – sometimes veering off course or in one direction or another – when I don’t. Even in the snow... 

~2~

The Snowy Day

 This past week was a merrily-in-the-snow week.  Each day, we ready Ezra Jack Keats The Snowy Day, a charming little tale we had on hand in board book form that seemed very appropriate considering the world outside our window: snow-covered and cold!

For those unfamiliar with this classic, it is the story of a boy who wakes to discover snow has fallen during the night and, then, bundles up to go enjoy the magic of a snowy day – experimenting with foot prints, knocking snow from trees, creating snow angels and trying to save a snow ball for another day, among other things.  It was 1963 Caldecott Medal winner and has simple, but beautiful illustrations made from cut-outs, watercolors, and collage. 

So, what are some of the things we did as we rowed along on snowy days?

~3~

Sensory Movement Monday

After reading The Snowy Day, I facilitated an adapted version of Jenny Clark Bracks’s wonderful Learn to Move, Move to Learn!: Sensorimotor Early Childhood Activity Themes (book reviewed here) Winter Snow lesson. (Sensorimotor snow lesson details here.) Since then, the kids have been enjoying their own inside-snow events, such as crib mattress sledding and building their own creative indoor "snowman" constructions!

~4~

Storytime Tuesday

 

Tuesday brought a full The Snowy Day-inspired storyhour (full details, with fingerplays and song lyrics included, here), complete with craft and snack, to our home.  The keeper from that?  Among other things, Stranger in the Woods.  Luke has requested it as our book of the week for “not next week, Mommy, because its groundhog Day, but the week after”.  (So, if you have favorite groundhog books or Stranger in the Woods activities, suggest away!)

~5~

Snow-Time Wednesday

 Wednesday, since the most recent mini-blizzard began, we did not do indoor activities connected with our reading The Snowy Day.  Instead, we enjoyed some weather-based Physical Education and Care of Home: shoveling, sledding and climbing of snow “mountains”.

~6~

Just Like Peter Thursday

 At bedtime, Thursday, we read The Snowy Day and talked about which of the things that Peter did that we had also done.  Among the kids’ favorites were climbing up a snow mountain and sliding down, hitting trees with sticks to make the snow fall down and – not that Peter did this – building snow forts!

~7~

Co-op Friday

 So long as we can get out of our road today and safely drive a couple towns over, we will be joining in the fun of a new pre-k/kindergarten co-op we are involved in where doing a snowman craft is part of the plan.  (That ever-important and questioned "socialization" piece of homeschooling!) The new co-op is supposed to meet only the second and fourth Friday’s of the month, but last week got rescheduled to this week because – you got it – SNOW!  Sure has been a lot of it around here this winter.   

We don’t mind.  It is instant PE, great outdoor time, a no-brainer for Luke’s daily sensory diet and an inspiration for the kids to construct some great learning around their own ideas as well as through the sensory-friendly, motor-based plans I come up with.  Plus, it's fun to see the snow on our front walkway get taller than the kids (as in the picture above!)

This post is being shared at Conversion Diary’s 7 Quick Takes.