Recycling
An important, topical subject, which can be a trashy, untidy, unpleasant
theme, but here are a couple of ideas to make it more enjoyable. Always use good
quality, multisensory, recyclable items that can be explored in a variety of
ways using their own particular qualities - how they look, feel, smell, how they stack, how they sound when shaken, tapped, rolled around.
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Have
specific containers to make sorting easier. Bottle racks, crates, trugs, boxes and trolleys will offer scope for popular sorting activities.
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Think about 'packaging', which could create other multisensory activities; shredded paper, bubblewrap, polystyrene chips, newspapers for example.
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Plastic bottles can be rolled, tapped, turned
into puppets, or put seeds or pasta shapes inside to create shakers.
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Boxes can be stacked in towers and knocked down,
hidden inside each other, squashed flat, used to contain other items.
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Egg boxes have a particular shape/texture, come in different sizes and colours and can
conceal hidden objects as well as stacking well.
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Many bottles/containers retain a distinct smell, which can help the visually impaired identify them as well as being great fun for everyone else! Shampoo bottles have a pleasant aroma, while coffee is instantly recognisable among others. Have a lot of the same items (perhaps different
sizes) so there are plenty to go round.
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Encourage
cooperative activities; passing objects to each other, helping to lift
containers, loading trolleys. Add singing 'work' songs or work rhythms to make the activity more
fun.
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With larger
pieces of junk - carpet tubes, newspaper, plastic fencing, it is also possible
to create exciting environments to explore….or even build as part of the workshop.
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