Sensory Stimulation Kit Kid S Birthday Party

Sensory Stimulation Kit – Kid’s Birthday Party

Supplies:

1. Visual/ Tactile: Birthday Candles

2. Visual/Smell: Picture of Birthday Cake and Vanilla Candle

3. Visual/ Tactile: Birthday Party Hat

4. Visual/ Tactile: Balloons

5. Visual: Picture of Clown

6. Visual/Tactile/Auditory: Noise Makers

7. Visual/Tactile: Party Favor Bag (filled with items)

8. Visual /Tactile: Present Bag

9. Visual/Tactile/Auditory: Musical Chair Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO_EqaFaF5A

10. Visual/ Tactile/ Smell: Picture of Pizza and Hot Dog

11. Visual/Tactile: Picture of Disposable Camera

12. Auditory - “Singing Happy Birthday” Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-1fTlSDF0

Optional Items: Tissue paper, construction paper, markers, tape, rubber bands (to make party hats) twisted balloons (to create shapes such as animals), Birthday card, Sprinkles, bow, cake, Zodiac book (newspaper with zodiac signs described for the week), Clown wig, a “Happy Birthday” decoration sign, Box cake, tube of icing, cake decorations.

Additional Equipment/Supplies Required: Video Player, Computer, & Internet connection to show video clip. Plug in speakers to electric device if no computer or video player available.

Visual: The present bag will be placed in front of participates and they will try to guess the theme for today’s session. After theme is correctly guess everyone will share their zodiac sign and season in which they were born in. Candles will be distributed to clients and will be ask how many candles they will have if it was their birthday right now? (A good visual would be to light the candles and have participants blow out the candle, perhaps making a wish) Discuss if clients know about the different types of candles there are (e.g., musical candles, sparkler candles, and relighting candles)? Ask clients if they remember birthday wishes they have made when blowing out the candles and if any wishes eventually came true. Discuss the roots of lighting candles on one’s birthday and have clients share their traditions (if any) when lighting candles. Using the picture of the clown, clients will be asked if they have ever had a clown perform at a party and what kind of activities did the clown perform (magic tricks, joke telling, skit playing, or face painting)? Clients will then be asked if they know any appropriate jokes and if they would be willing to share. For picture of camera, participates will be ask why pictures are taken at birthday parties? Follow discussing questions will be, what was the most memorable picture they had taken, with who, and why? Do clients think pictures taken on a disposable camera are better or modern picture taken that includes cell phones and IPads have made sharing pictures with other family members easier? Yes/No. Give participants ample time to remember their birthday wishes and encourage everyone to share in one of the discussions. If clients are stuck in a particular questions prompting may be given to allow client to participate in activity. You can also place the items that you are showing in front of “lower-functioning” participants and ask if they can name each item, of say the name of an item, i.e. “candles” and see if they can point to them.

Auditory: Noise makers will be given to participants and everyone will be ask for their opinion on the propose of the noise maker, is it annoying, too loud, is it fun? An activity that could be done will be forming a circle and having everyone blow once into the noise maker, going around the circle until it reaches to the first person again. Using “The Happy Birthday theme song”, clients will be ask to sing along and clap. After the song, clients will be asked how they felt when their family sang the song to them. Did the feel nervous while everyone was watching and singing? Embarrassed? After discussion, clients will be asked if their family has other traditional “Happy Birthday” songs other than the Americanized birthday song. They may be asked to sing one verse if client feels comfortable. Clients will be asked what types of games could be played at a Birthday Party and be introduced to Musical Chairs. Link for playing Musical Chairs will be shown or oral instructions may be given incase environment does not have internet connection. Participates will be encouraged to play one round of musical chairs. Encourage clients to sing or clap along with others or while the client shares their own traditional song have the participants continue to clap to make client more comfortable. Be mindful of noise from the noisemakers as this could make some clients feel irritable. If too noisy have the therapists continue to next activity. Safety precautions should be made when engaged in Musical Chair activity. If a client uses a wheelchair or has trouble ambulating, encourage client to be responsible in stopping and replaying the music. A “stationary” way to play musical chairs is to have an object that people pass around until the music stops, then when it stops, whomever is holding the object “looses” their seat.

Tactile: Balloons will be passed around to the clients and they will be asked to describe the texture of the balloons. Clients may be asked to blow the balloon if they wish. Discussion question will follow by asking clients if they have ever been in a moon bounce (what kind of moon bounce, big/small, did they enjoy it)? Participants will also be asked if they know how to make balloons animals? If so, ask client if they would like to share their talent to the class or have client instruct the rest of the participants to make the balloon animal together with twisted balloons instead of round balloons. Party hats would then be passed along to the participants and they will describe the different textures of the party hat (the elastic band, the smooth cardboard paper). They will be ask to share where else party hats may be worn and the craziest party hats they have seen. A potential activity would be to make party hats out of construction paper, color markers, tissue paper and rubber bands to get a full feel of the materials. The party favor bag will be passed around and clients will pick out one item from the bag without looking and try to guess the item using only their sense of touch (Dinosaur puppet, play dough, soldier toy, lollipops, puzzle and tissue paper). Discussion questions may include, what are other items given in a party favor bag and what was the most memorable favor bag given to them. Additional time may be given for clients to feel the balloons, party hats, rubber band, and tissue paper. For balloon activity, all participants will perform activity so that client (if any) does not feel under pressure and for client to experience positive feelings towards contributing in activity.

Taste: Picture of pizza and hotdog will be passed along and clients will be asked to name their favorite food served at a birthday party. You can also include pictures of different types of birthday cakes (homemade cakes, children’s cakes, fancy cakes, themed cakes, etc.). Lollipops (sugar free) will be given to client (if diet permits) and ask to described their favorite candy given at birthday parties. A scoop of ice cream would be a good gustatory prop because of flavor, texture, temperature or mini pizza bites that you can microwave for something salty and warm. Jello is also a birthday party food to include because of different flavors, texture, temperature) Clients will be asked if they request special dishes for their birthdays or would they rather cook for their guest? Client might also share if their family goes to a specific restaurant to celebrate their birthday and to describe the food at the restaurant. Make sure clients are able to have lollipops and give additional time for each client to share their thoughts.

Olfactory: Vanilla candle will be passed out to clients to resemble the smell of a Birthday Cake. Participates will be ask to share their favorite Birthday cake flavor along with asking if they preferred to bake a cake or buy a cake for someone else? Which one would be more meaningful to the person? Client will be ask to share the most memorable cake they have received. Additional smells may include a box of cake mix, almond and vanilla essence, cinnamon, chocolate chips, or a tube of icing. Lit candles that are then blown out would provide additional olfactory stimulus, however precautions should be made.