Sunflower Seed Math Activity with Braille
- Oct 6, 2015
- 2 min read
If you browse Pinterest, then you know how many wonderful kids' activitiy ideas there out there floating around but how do you filter through them to find those that are a great fit for your child's need and abilities? There are many boards curated by vision organizations, teachers of the visually impaired and of course, parents! I love all that I find on Pinterest but then I have to be creative in adapting them for Madilyn who is completely blind, age 10 with various sensory and motor impairments. Plus, she has a reading level of a first grader but her auditory comprehension is at par with her age, and often higher if the subject is music or other topic of interest! Does your child fit the description for truly unique, too? If so (and even if not!), that's why you'll find activities on Sensory Sun with ideas for multiple levels and abilities. We truly believe every child should be included through unique and customized lessons designed for the child.
Sunflower Math Counter Cards
I came across a fun multi-sensory counting game for young kids on Pinterest last week and thought it'd be a great simple math game for Madilyn to practice reading numbers, counting, and fine motor skills.
Instructions
All you have to do is download and print the Sunflower Number Cards 0-35 (or whatever numbers you want like 0-10, etc) that have a picture of a pretty fall sunflower and a number. The cards are available in large print and UEB braille numbers. Simply put the pages through your Perkins Brailler or add Braille sticker labels to each flower card. Hint: use the Braille cards for a handy cheat sheet if you aren't familiar with the dot configurations for each number! Then cut each card apart so each sunflower is its own card. You can also trace each flower image with tactile paint or glitter glue to make the image accessible, and make the activity more fun! To help show which way is up on each card, mark the bottom side with a tactile line (glitter glue!) or cut the top right corner of each card to show its correct orientation. Some kids will be able to know to check for the number sign or print number to know which way is up!
Playing the Game:
Encourage the child to read the number. Then, using small tactile objects (be careful for choking hazards) like a bowl of sunflower seeds, ask the child to count out that many objects onto the card. We used a felt piece to keep things in place but you could just as easily play the game on a tray to keep things in one place. Defined spaces really help children with spatial and motor impairments! Repeat the process for each card. The goal is to practice reading the numbers and counting objects to learn to associate quantity with braille numbers, as well as other number sense skills.
You could also use the cards with simple addition and subtraction games, or even as helpful number flashcards. You can also find more FREE DOWNLOADS in the Sensory Sun Resources Center here!
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