Hey Mindful Parents- Let's talk Sensory

November 2024 Do you wish you were at the beach? Me too!

What is sensory? Why does it matter? The "sensory system," in a broad sense, is the part of our nervous system dedicated to receiving and processing information from the world around us. There are several different senses that fit within the sensory system. Each sense (e.g., sight, smell, touch, etc.) uses different body parts that have specialized sensory receptors—cells that gather a certain type of input from the environment. Those receptors are connected to neurons that bring that type of input to a particular region or regions of the brain to be processed. In turn, the brain then makes sense of the input and triggers a response.

click below to learn more Meghan Fitzgeral did such a wonderful job writing what sensory is about that I used her site. She is an amazing mom and educator that started Tinkergarten- a ingenius way to get parents and kids to play. I use much of her curriculum. Understanding Sensory At the Hidden School we play with mud, dirt, rice, lentils, shaving cream, water, slime, play dough, bread dough, cookie dough, paint and anything we can add water too. There is a spectrum to sensory. Some kids can't stand touch and other kids must be squished to feel anything. Some kids can't stand to touch their food and some kids can't get enough glue on their arms. Where do we want our kids to be on this spectrum of sensory? In the middle is "normal". But where ever they are we try to support. If they won't touch it, we encourage to use a stick or spoon to touch it. If they want to bath in it we teach them limits and boundaries with bathing in the glue. Our bodies tell us what we need. There is a great book I read this summer, How the Body Knows Its Mind. This book talks about how our body tells us before we even are conscious about it. And learning is best with manipulatives. We learn best with our bodies. Jumping to 10 vs, counting to 10. Seeing and touching a chicken vs. looking at a book. This book was recommended by a previous student's mother/ math teacher. How the Body Knows Its Mind  

Free print out.

sign up for my emails for the pdf files you can download and print. Kids like to know what is going on. Have this on your fridge as a conversation started for what is going on that day. Maybe you are going to the doctor, or getting a haircut, or going to grandpa's house? Visuals will help those kiddos grasp what is going on and lessen their stress and allow them to learn all the places they go. With this understanding you will have a smoother transition.   Places Print out   Free Print out of clothing pictures.

This will help you keep them on task when changing. They can change their clothes, but the underwear go before the pants. And talking to a 2 year old and trying to get them to stay focused on getting dressed is a task. Keep this on the dresser or in the room for quick reference. Visuals make all the difference.   clothing printout