Autism Awareness Day

For Autism Awareness day in the baby room we used jigsaw stampers and bright coloured paints to create our own posters. We used our fine motor skills to move the stampers and create our beautiful art work. We also explored a rainbow themed colourful sensory tray where we used our senses to explore lots of different textures. On Monday morning, preschool had the experience of exploring many different sensory stations. “Sensory play includes activities that stimulate children’s senses such as sight, sound, smell, taste or touch. By providing this type of activity children will learn more about the world around them in a natural way, through their senses. Such activities contribute to brain development by stimulating the neurons in the brain to make connections and help with development in all areas of learning.” Preschool explored different trays with sensory play materials such as cornflour, with herbs and spices, a tea and coffee station to explore splashing, colour changing, transferring and pouring. The children also explored different textures of spaghetti, using cooked spaghetti and uncooked, to describe the how it felt in our hands using words such as “crunchy, soft, warm and cold.” The children also explored sensory gloves filled with cold body wash, lentils, Weetabix and coffee. These gloves encouraged a lot of language prompts where preschool used phrases such as “this one feels funny!” and “My mummy drinks coffee, it smells nice.”

To learn about autism and touch base a little more on what it is, we watched a few short clips about “What is autism? and How it can be different for everyone” Preschool showed great listening skills and engaged well when being asked questions after watching the video, they showed great care and also demonstrated great knowledge and empathy on what to do if they know somebody with autism and how we can always try to include them in their play, not letting their difference affect this.

Well done Preschool! We’re all so proud of you!

 

On Monday morning, the toddlers enjoyed their colourful hand painting activity for Autism Awareness Day. The children enjoyed picking out different colours from the cupboard and enjoyed pouring it into the tray. The children then were able to identify the different colours and then picked out the paintbrushes from the art trolley. The children then used their fine motor skills to paint their hands different colours and made their different handprints on their paper. The children then used the touch and tilt to watch a few clips of what Autism is and also explaining to the children that everyone is different and unique in their own way.

Well done toddlers for extending your knowledge and for learning new things.