This month, our social skills theme is Expressing Yourself Appropriately & Self-Regulation. In room 215, we discussed many emotions and how to self regulate. We discussed a self regulation tool, a sensory bottle! Each student was able to express themselves by choosing different colored glitter and beads to include! The students were able to use their pincer grasp to pick the beads they wanted in their personalized bottle.
There are many benefits of a sensory bottle!
1. Calming and Self-Regulation: Sensory bottles often serve as a calming tool, helping regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety. The visual and tactile stimulation can provide a soothing effect, especially when they are feeling overwhelmed.
2. Focus and Attention: The movement and colors in sensory bottles can help improve focus by providing a visual focal point.
3. Sensory Exploration: Sensory bottles provide an opportunity for the students to explore different textures, colors, and sounds in a controlled way.
4. Motor Skills Development: Shaking the bottle helps with fine motor skills. Students practice hand-eye coordination and strength as they move and shake the bottle.
5. Emotional Expression: Some sensory bottles are designed with specific emotions in mind (like glitter for excitement or blue water for calm), helping students to associate the bottle with particular feelings and express or manage emotions.
6. Attention to Detail: The process of making or observing a sensory bottle can improve a student’s attention to detail, helping them become more aware of cause and effect (like how shaking the bottle changes the pattern or how certain elements move).
7. Calming Transitions: Sensory bottles can also be helpful during transitions. For instance, if a student is transitioning from one activity to another or needs a break from a task, having a sensory bottle can provide comfort and ease the shift.
8. Interactive Learning: Sensory bottles can be an interactive learning tool, helping children explore cause and effect, colors, shapes, and patterns.
