Top 5 Preschool activities for children with special needs

During preschool, children experience structured time together that is both fun and educational. They learn how to connect with their peers, follow directions, and stick to a plan; all skills that prepare them for school. For children with special needs, there are certain preschool activities that work especially well to keep them engaged, focused, and actively learning. Here are five suggestions to help children with special needs, both in the classroom and at home, get the most out of their learning experiences.

1. Sensory Tables

Sensory tables offer a number of advantages for children with special needs. Engaging in sensory experiences such as running your fingers through dried rice or pouring water can distract and calm a child who is feeling overstimulated or anxious. It promotes self-discovery and encourages the child to explore new textures, which in turn promotes social and emotional preschool development.

Offering textures such as dried beans, sand or cotton balls encourages hand-eye coordination and gives baby the opportunity to pinch, grasp and improve fine motor skills. When babies discover new textures and objects, they tend to have a verbal response. Getting them involved in the sensory table is a great way to work on language development.

2. Outdoor play time

Outdoor play is stimulating for children of all abilities, especially those who need a little extra help with gross motor development. When you get kids involved in outdoor play, have specific games like hopscotch, "Simon Says," tag, and "Red Light Green Light." Games like these encourage full body movement and balance while teaching children to follow directions and focus their attention.

It is also important to offer a lot of options for free play. When kids are given sidewalk chalk and outdoor equipment like balls and hoops, they engage their fine and gross motor skills without even realizing it.

3. Yoga for children

Yoga is an exercise that balances the mind and body. Although yoga is generally thought of as an exercise for adults, children can also benefit greatly from it. With practice, children who have trouble sitting still learn to self-regulate and self-soothe by using movement and breathing to calm themselves. It helps build self-awareness of the body and emotional state.

Many yoga poses are named after animals, so it's easy to incorporate storybooks into the poses and make the practice fun. Kids can slither like snakes or roar like wild lions while learning how to focus in a pose. Here is an example:

Frog pose

Squat on the floor, balancing on your toes with your knees spread wide. Place your hands on the floor between your legs.

Look up and breathe.

As you exhale, straighten your legs and lower your head to your knees.

Return to the squat and repeat.

4. Light boxes

The light box is fun and fascinating for all children, but it specifically helps increase the attention span of children with special needs. Children can spend hours with the light box and practice their fine motor skills by creating illuminated patterns and pictures with colorful transparent shapes. Even better, this simple homemade version works great at home or in the classroom. Make sure you have plenty of brightly colored transparent objects on hand, such as rock decorations, plastic blocks, and even colored salt.

Materials

1 large opaque storage tub.

2 strings of holiday lights

Large sheets of tracing paper

Tape

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Build:

Line the inside of the lid with tracing paper and secure with tape. This will help create an even distribution of light. Drill a small hole in the corner of the tub and thread string lights through it. Spread evenly on the bottom of the tub. Place the lid on the test tube and turn on the lights.

5. Music and circle time

Music activates every subsystem in the brain, including areas that regulate emotion and motivation. Setting aside a specific time to sit together and make music in a circle allows children to bond with each other and gives them a sense of belonging to the group.

Music time can be especially beneficial for children who are non-verbal. For them, music can be a way to express themselves and communicate with their peers. During circle time, provide children with instruments such as shakers, bells or drums. Encourage them to make noise with their instruments and move their bodies to the music. Sing songs that include each child's name so that everyone feels like they have an individual role in the activity.

Additionally, incorporate music into other preschool activities of the day. Sing songs while cleaning and transitioning to new activities, such as naps or snack time.