Sensory explorations with shakers and drums
Shakers
- Create shakers filled with small beads, pulses, rice, buttons, etc
- Let the children spoon beans, beads, etc into pencil cases then secure the zip with tape.
- Sew bells onto shower scrunchies or string.
- Thread string through a large aluminium dish and secure beads to the ends.
- Place small items inside the balloons before you blow them up, so that the balloons make a noise when the children shake, hit or kick them. For example, try dried beans, dried peas, sand, small bells or sugar.
Bang the drums
- Gather four large containers, one wooden, one metal, one plastic and one woven basket.
- Gather a selection of utensils or beaters such as wooden and metal spoons, spatulas, ladles, whisks and so on.
- Place the 'drums' on the floor so the baby can experiment with them, with you sitting nearby at all times.
- Choose one of the utensils and gently tap it against a 'drum', then repeat with each container.
- Encourage the baby to choose a beater and tap the 'drums'.
- Use a metal against metal, wood against wood.
- Gently scrape the utensils on the bowls and encourage the baby to bang, scrape and tap each drum.