Sensory Ornaments

This is an excellent open ended Christmas-themed provocation for children of all ages

Simply cut shapes (we used stars, Christmas trees and gingerbread men) out of a medium or small grit sand paper.  Christmas shapes like these make cute ornaments, but you can cut simpler shapes as well if you have a lot of children, or are short on time! Or allow the children to cut their own shapes, just be warned the sand paper will ding your scissor blades so use old craft scissors.

Offer the children a range of whole spices (we used cinnamon sticks and whole cloves) to rub onto the sand paper shapes.  This will create a lovely scent on your ornaments.  Other great spices include star anise, whole nutmeg and dried ginger.  This activity not only allows the children to experience what these spices look  and feel like in their natural state, but gives them some familiarity with the smell and texture as well.  It also allows them to practice their fine motor skills by handling a range of differently shaped and sized spices.

After the children have 'spiced' their ornaments they can decorate them in a variety of ways.  We used crayons because they are really easy to use on the sand paper and can be used by any age child to create unique designs.  They also don't impede the scent coming through!

This activity has endless variations so be creative and allow your children room to use their creativity as well! I’m sure you could even find plenty of fun items in the garden to add scents and decorative touches to your designs, just have fun with it!