You know I’m always looking for fun inexpensive and light ways (I travel to schools) to use children’s favorite toys and tools to teach important skills. Balloons are one of those magical items that makes every child rise to their feet and motivates them to participate! Here are my TOP 10 + WAYS […]
Parents have been asking me the same question over the past 2 weeks…Where do I sign up my child for the summer? What is the best camp or activity to involve them in? So I figured I would post my favorite Summer activities for children along with benefits of these activities to help you pick […]
Here are some of my favorite Halloween recipes to make with kids! 1-Spooky Popcorn Hands You Will Need: Candy Corn Gummy worms Microwave Popcorn Clear gloves Plastic spider rings Spooky Plastic spiders Rubber bands The Activity: Place popcorn bag in the microwave and cook according to directions. Ask an adult to open the bag of […]
I always love Holidays with fun themes and Halloween is definitely one of my favorites. Here are a few activities and crafts you can try with your little ones. 1-Skeleton Hands This is a very easy activity that i have done with children of various ages. You Will Need: Black card stock paper White paint […]
As an OT I get the opportunity to visit many schools in South Florida. Teachers ask me all the time how to implement sensory components in their classrooms. Here is a list of a few suggestions: Sensory/Arousal: 1- Try to plan activities that incorporate as many sensory components as possible. Ex: finger paint […]
Beautiful, fun and easy activity for children of all skill levels. You will Need: White card stock paper cutouts from magazines (people animals etc…) Thin black marker Large Stencil in the shape of a balloon (I created these from construction paper) Scissors stick glue Tempra paints in several colors Round sponge brush or just use […]
You Will Need: Cornstarch Water Liquid water color Ice trays Popsicle sticks Directions: PREPARING THE COLORFUL ICE: Put 3/4 cup of cornstarch in a bowl and add a few drops of liquid watercolor. Mix. THEN Add 1/2 cup of water. (Use a ratio of 1 part water to 1.5 parts cornstarch). Mix. Pour into ice […]
Here is a really fun activity that mixes art and science! You Will Need: Magnetic wands (available on Amazon) Metallic items (washers, bolts, screws, paper clips) Tempra paints White Card stock paper Painters tape The activity: Stick a piece of paper to the table for each child. Prepare shallow paint dishes with different colored paints […]
I saw this idea on line at playfullearning.net and decided to give it a try with my Messy Art group. I love activities that combine a variety of senses. The smell of the flowers and the bright paint colors is a great way to welcome inSpring. It was a great success with my little ones. We […]
You Will Need: Sandcastle molds 3 cups of salt 3 teaspoons of Water Liquid water colors or food coloring mixed with water Thin paint brushes and small eye droppers Directions: Mix the salt and water well, until it appears damp and crumbly. Pour it into the sandcastle mold a little bit at a time and […]
You Will Need: Washable Paints in blue, red and yellow Sponge brush Covered Table with paper or garbage bag The Activity: I wanted to do a messy activity with the children that allowed them full control of the paint. Many times, I try to get them to follow one or 2 simple steps to an […]
I tried this activity that I found on http://www.refinery29.com/diy-paint-project with one of my 10 year-old students with ASD. The hardest part was putting the tape, however the rest requires minimal skills. It was an absolute success. It makes a beautiful gift just on time for Valentine’s Day! You Will Need: Canvas Acrylic Paints in bright […]
You Will Need: Plain Yoghurt Liquid Kool Aide Food coloring (optional) Heart Cutouts White Card Stock Trays (optional) Sponge Brushes (optional) The Activity: Valentine’s Day is around the corner and we wanted the kids to have fun painting hearts and really not worrying about the final product. These hearts definitely have to be thrown out […]
Living in Florida, many children don’t have the experience of playing with snow. Being that I grew up in Montreal, Canada, I know all about snow and would love to share that experience with my kids. Through the years, I have I have tried many Snow Sensory Bins. This is HANDS DOWN the best Snow Recipe! […]
I am always looking for easy to make activities for my cooking class. This one was easy and such a hit with the kids and with me….I can’t resist anything that has Nutella on it! You Will Need: Sliced Bread Nutella or Peanut butter White icing Red m&ms or Skittles for the nose Brown m&ms […]
This is a very messy activity. Be prepared for paint to splatter but the results are beautiful. You Will Need: 3 white card stock paper Rubber bands Tray Tempra Paints Paint brush The Activity: Place a dozen rubber bands around a tray. This works beautifully on your child’s thenar muscle strength as well as bilateral […]
I started a new cooking class called Little Chefs as part of the Miss Mancy’s Fall Curriculum at the Social Mind Center. The idea is to expose children to a variety of foods, smells, textures and tastes. This is especially helpful for children that are picky eaters. Since our focus at SMC is Social Communication, […]
Once a week, I work at the Social Mind Center where I teach several classes of Messy Art. The challenge is to find art projects for children with very different skill sets. The following activities were a great success with children at our center. I hope you enjoy and send me feedback and pictures!!!! 1- […]
I love balloons and kids do too! Not only are they colorful and festive but they can be used for movement activities as well as art and science! Here are some of my favorite activities. Painting with Balloons. You Will Need: Balloons Tempra Paint White drawing paper This is a very simple activity that can […]
Spring is here and although it’s been cold around the country, we have been blessed in Florida! Spring energy is in the air. It’s time for color and flowers and outdoor activities! Here are 2 fun crafts that we did in MissMancy’s Messy Art Class for Spring! Textured Birds: You Will Need: Cutout of a […]
Here are some fun St-Patty’s Day activities I found while searching on line. Golden Coins Shaving Cream Search Kids absolutely love getting messy with shaving cream. Just add green finger paint, glitter and shiny coins to create a St- Patty’s theme. The children use tactile discrimination to find hidden coins. This is a a great […]
1- Veggie Art This is a wonderful activity for all skill levels. I have done this with very young children as well as with my older groups and they all love it. You Will Need: Raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, potatoes and peppers, corn. Colorful paints Drawing Paper For the younger children, I precut […]
I remember as a little girl living in France, we celebrated 3 Kings Day with a very special tradition. Although I didn’t grow up Catholic, it was a tradition that my parents did with us every year because to me and my siblings it was so magical. We call it La Galette des Rois—The Kings […]
What to do with all this extra candy? 1- Science experiment: Teach children about acid content. Place a candy in a bowl with a little bit of water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda. If the solution bubbles, then this candy is acidic. Try with a variety of candies such as Lemonheads, Nerds, skittles, m&ms […]
This is a great alternative to carving a pumpkin. Lay a pumpkin on its side, paint it green. Add streamers for hair, wiggle eyes, a felt mouth and accessorize with a witch hat!!! Kids LOOOOVED the Spooky result!
These were so easy to make and the resulting sound is really loud!!! The kids loved playing around with the sound variations. We each got a chance to pull on our string while other children guessed what it sounded like. We made sounds of witches, ghosts, squeaky doors and even chickens!!!!! You will need: Plastic […]
You Will Need: Acrylic or tempra paint Sponge roller Plastic place mats Q tips Construction paper Instructions: This is a very simple activity that can be done with children of all skill levels. The little ones enjoy it just as much as the older ones. The younger children even used their hands to spread the […]
This is a very popular workshop I gave last year to several schools. The questions and brainstorming that came from this presentation were very inspiring. I love when teachers try to incorporate fine motor and sensory goals in their classrooms realizing that it can benefit ALL children. This workshop addressed: Creating a Sensory Classroom, How […]
Miss Mancy Summer classes at the Social Mind Center have been doing great! The kids are really enjoying everything they are getting their hands on! I wanted to share with you some of the most popular Art projects we did. I like that they can accommodate various skill levels. 1- Cool Self-portraits! You Will Need: […]
I want to share a very special activity that we did with the children in MissMancy’s Art Class at the Social Mind Center. We are so Blessed and fortunate to do our part for the Special Olympics through Art!!! These snowboards were provided to the Center so that we can have the children paint them […]
I will try to share with you pictures of the wonderful activities that we do during Miss Mancy’s Fun with Science Classes at the Social Mind Center here in Davie Florida. It gets a little busy (and messy (: but i will try as best as I can) Several weeks a go we began a […]
One of my projects has been to work in collaboration with designer Deborah Dimare to create Sensory Smart Spaces for children with ASD and with Sensory Sensitivities. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW a few years ago during Autism Awareness Month!!! What a great experience! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO
You will need: An empty Tissue box Black, white and Orange Construction paper Straws OR Adaptive chopsticks (You can purchase here at MissMancy’s SHOP) Tissue paper The Activity: This is a nice way to work on oral motor skills and awareness of breath. I created a penguin using a square Kleenex box. I cut out […]
Shaving cream is such a fun sensory experience for your child. For children that demonstrate tactile defensiveness, I would only introduce this activity once a child trusts you and knows you well. I usually start to play with it myself, I don’t initially push them to touch the shaving cream but I then take their […]
Introducing Lil’ Wally the Weighted Worm! I have been going to schools for the last 10 years and many teachers ask me advice for the same thing: How do I keep the fidgety children calm and sitting during circle time? Here are a few ideas: Allow the child to hold something ex: a puppet and […]
You will need: Ziploc Freezer Bag Hair Gel Different mini figurines or Halloween erasers Permanent Marker Duct tape How to Make a Sensory Halloween Bag: Place different small items in a Ziploc bag. In this case, I used miniature erasers. Add A large bottle of hair gel. Seal the top of the bag and add […]
What you need: ABC Puzzle (You can purchase a similar puzzle at MissMancy’s AMAZON Shop) Homemade Nylon tunnel (You can make it by sewing a long piece of Nylon material purchased at your local fabric store) Dry erase board and dry erase markers ( Available for purchase at MissMancy’s AMAZON Shop) The Activity: I like […]
