The Father's Day Feely Box

Fathers Day is quickly approaching and to get prepared I wanted to create a feely box. What's a feely box you say? A feely box in a sensory box with objects inside that may or may not relate to a theme. 

The Purpose:
The purpose of the feely box is promote critical thinking, sensory and vocabulary skills while having fun.

How to create:
Find a box. I like to cut a hole on the top or on the side of the box, so my students can't see what's inside.
Grab items related to your theme to go in your box.

How to play:
Have a child feel inside the feely box. Ask them to grab an item in their hand. What does if feel like? Your class may ask questions too. "Is it squishy?" "Is it sticky"? Once the child guesses what's in their hand, they can pull it out for the big reveal! Was it what they thought it was? Why'd they think it was something else?

When to play: 
I usually introduce the feely box in Circle Time. This gives me an opportunity to model the correct way to use the feely box. After Circle Time the feely box can be placed near the Dramatic Play area, Science or it can certainly stand alone.

Items to place in your Fathers Day Feely Box:
Comb                             
Shaving Cream                   
Keys    
Toothbrush                     
Deodorant                           
Wallet
Brush                            
Belt                                     
Watch            
Cologne                        
Remote Control   
Tie                                 
Wallet                                         
Golf Ball                       
Cell Phone                                                                                  

Memorial Day and Dramatic Play

It has been months since I've been able to sit down and write a post for my blog. Just last year we moved into a new home and then my Mom fell ill. I've been out of the classroom and thankfully no Center and Circle Time events scheduled. I prepared myself to jump back in when I was a little more stable. Memorial Day is right around the corner and I thought it was the perfect time to get back in the swing of things.

This week I'll be working on Preschool Activities for Memorial Day. Whenever I start a new lesson one of the places I like to start is in my Dramatic Play area because it is one of the busiest centers. Here are a few items to put in your Dramatic Play area for Memorial Day.

Patriotic Center:
Flags
Red, white and blue beads
Red, white and blue bandanas
Plastic Patriotic cups, plates, etc
Picnic Basket

Barbecue Center:
Create a play grill using a card board box
Plastic Barbecue utensils: Spatula, Tongues, etc.
Play Food
Play Dishes
Apron
Chef Hat

You could also do a picnic theme, or a beach theme to celebrate the holiday as well.
Send me pictures of how you transformed your Dramatic Play area for Memorial Day and I'll add them to this post.