Pumpkin Balloon Pop Activity

Motor skills targeted: Use of small tack to pop balloons safely

Sensory skills targeted: Auditory with balloons popping, attempting to blow up balloon through oral input

Communication skills targeted: Direction following to place balloons, turn taking, requesting and selecting clothing items to dress the scarecrow

Today in group we had an early Halloween party. We started by having the students who were able, blow up ballooons. We then put tape on the balloons and had students who were able follow directions for where to place the balloon such as under, next to, etc. Here's what the pumpkin looked like before we popped the ballons.

Then the fun began! Students took turns popping the balloons. For some, they loved it and wanted more and more turns. For others, it ended in tears with them leaving the activity. We had put candy corn in each balloon but in reality, we could have left that out. The candy flew on the floor and the students didn't even seem to notice it.

For the next activity, students were able to dress a scarecrow. They were able to request and select a variety of hats, shirts and pants to dress the scarecrow. There was only 2 students who really enjoyed this task. The others found their way to play in the corn table. Here are a few scarecrows that were made.

          

Halloween Candy Corn & Pumpkin Ipad Book

Communication skills targeted: Direction following, concepts of top/middle/bottom, receptive matching of vocabulary 

Fine Motor skills targeted: Tearing pieces of construction paper and glueing on pre-cut out candy corn templates

Today in group we made candy corn from shredding paper. Students had to rip up pieces of paper and glue them on the top, middle or bottom of the candy corn. As usual, the students were asked to request desired colors and also request tools needed to complete the task. We had real candy corn for a snack when students were completed. Here is a pre-group photo.

When the corn candy were completed, we read the book "Pumpkin, Pumpking, What do you see?" The book was printed off of this website. http://www.speechtherapygames.com/freebies/orange%20pumpkin%20story.pdf. The website also had pictures that could be printed and used for memory or other games. We also used the Go Talk App to have the students select the picture to match the page we were reading in the story. Here are the finished products!

Cork Paint Stamping Trees

Motor skills targeted: grasping pattern, tactile touch and messy play
Communication skills targeted: following directions with prepositional concepts, requesting for colors

This activity was from September. We started by having the students glue brown paper pre-cut to look like a tree onto a large sheet of paper. The students then requested which color of paint they wanted to use. The students used corks to stamp leaves onto the tree. Prompting was given to grasp the cork appropriately. The concepts top and bottom were also targeted for placement of leaves.


When we were finished painting, we had the fun job of cleaning up. This included cleaning paint off tables, chairs, faces and staff's clothing (hint- don't wear white to teach group). We then read a story called, "I Found a Leaf." Each child was given a leaf and was asked to place the leaf in various locations on each page, such as on the pumpkin, over the house and on the grass. Here are the finished products!



Leaf hedge hogs

Motor skills targeted: cutting and gluing 
Communication skills targeted: following directions, requesting and commenting

First we went outside to gather leaves. We talked about the colors, how the leaves felt and also the weather. The leaves were already crunchy! When we got back inside and settled, the kids requested the color of paper they wanted. Next they glued on the hedge hog and then the leaves. I think the project would have worked a little better if the leaves were more flat and not as dry.

When we were all finished we had a few extra minutes so we read a book about fall leaves. Here are the finished products!