Suggested Circle Time Activities For The MH/DD Classroom and For The Development of Early Skills

These activities should take approximately 20 minutes in total. Choose one or two activities from each section. Rotate activities on a daily and weekly basis

1. Play "chimes" or "singing bowl" to get attention and settle down to start Circle Time.
2. Prayer - formal or spontaneous
3. Welcoming Song - "The More We Get Together" ( This can be personalized)
"Come and Make a Circle"
"Welcome Hello", p.400 from "IN GOD'S IMAGE"
4. Tactile Activities
- provide daily access to dry sensory play materials (rice, sand or beans);
- hide preferred toys in sensory play materials;
- therapy tubing or band to pull on, therapy putty, koosh balls, or rubber gloves filled with things like corn, rice, flour, etc.
- hand massage;
- fidget toys to hold quietly while listening;
- sitting in padded chair or bean bag chair, sitting against body pillow;
- any musical toys, kazoo, harmonica, party blowers, that require breath support;
- brushing;
- massage/back rub with varied lotions, powders, natural oils;
- tactile adventure bins with cornmeal, oatmeal, water, sand, lentils;
- treasure hunt/hide;
- play dough;
- foam soap or shaving cream;
- feelie bag, box or book - collect small items and different textures to match and sort;
- forts/ hide-outs - pillows, scarves, blankets and a flashlight;
- feelie road - small carpets, bath mats, rubber mat, sleeping bags;
- sticky play - tape, mac'tac;
5. Activities to develop: "Working With Children's Language", p.36-40, Cooke and Williams
Attention Control: Joint attention and early listening skills, work in sequential order through the attention control levels
LEVEL 1: To attract and sustain the child's attention to people, objects, and events in his environment, in order to promote sensorimotor and social interaction
LEVEL 2: To help the child tolerate the adult's presence and involvement in an activity of the child's own choosing
LEVEL 3: To establish the childs' own control over his focus of attention
6. Oral Motor Activities
- blow bubles with different types of wands and toys
- blow sound makers, party horns, pinwheels
- teach chld to blow bubbles through the straw into the liquid
- give child a whistle to blow
- use a feather and blow it off
7. Fine Motor Activities
- spray bottles nd squirt bottles to develop strength
- tongs for pre-scissors skills
- squeeze toys for water and air play
- eye droppers
- spinning tops
- wind up toys
- bubble paper popping
- blocks, puzzles
- play doh
- stringing beads
8. Gross Motor Activities
- walks and hikes
- tumbling
- big ball games
- bouncing
- obstacle courses
9. Closing Song or Finger Play

- TO BE CONTINUED