February Teaching Ideas with Rhyming Multisensory Stories

As always, we’re very grateful to Victoria from Rhyming Multisensory Stories for this fantastic blog post to prepare you for planning for February.

Teaching ideas and inspiration to celebrate the month of February including Candlemas, St Brigid’s Day, Tu BiShvat, National Wear Red Day, Parinirvana Day, Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, Design a Book Cover Competition and more!

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Dates at a Glance

1st Feb

St Brigid’s Day

St Brigid lived around the same time as St Patrick and was influenced by his teachings to become a Christian. She was known for her generosity.

Celebrate by making/tasting potatoes with butter, add cabbage to make colcannon and serve with soda bread.

St Brigid once gave away her mother’s entire store of butter!

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Churn your own butter

You will need:

Method

Idea!

Flavour your butter by adding fresh chopped herbs: Coriander, parsley or add spices or honey.

Make a St Brigid’s Cross

Traditionally made from woven rushes, when displayed in the home, the cross is thought to keep away evil, fire and hunger.

Explore making a cross using different materials: card, grasses, pipe cleaners, raffia, ribbons, straws.

2nd Feb

Candlemas

A Christian holy day which also draws some of its roots from paganism (in pre-Christian times Candlemas marked the mid-point of winter.)

Traditionally, people bring candles to church to be blessed or light candles and place them in their windows at home.

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In France and Belgium, it is traditional to eat crepes.

In Luxembourg children sing in exchange for coins.

3rd Feb

National Wear Red Day

Raising awareness of heart disease.

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5th Feb

Tu BiShvat

This is the Jewish New Year for Trees. Many fruits associated with the Holy Land are eaten, in particular the ones mentioned in the Torah, such as pomegranates, dates, figs, grapes and olives.

Some people will try a new fruit.

Engage the Senses & Try New Foods: Explore the texture, smell and taste of pomegranates, (de-stoned) dates, figs, grapes* and (de-stoned) olives. (*Be aware of choking hazards)

Explore food containing dates, figs, grapes, and olives:

Pomegranate: Chutney, Juice, Sorbet, Tea.

Dates: Cereal Bars, HP Sauce!

Olives: Bread, Butter, Oil.

Figs: Fig Roll Biscuits, Dried Figs, Chutney, Fresh Figs, Jam, Yogurt, Relish.

Grapes: Grape Juice, Raisins, Sultanas.

Try a new exotic fruit: Chayote, Coconut, Kiwi, Kumquat, Mango, Papaya, Persimmon, Physalis, Pomelo.

Alternative Activity to Food Tasting: Offer a hand massage using fruit scented and olive hand creams, lip balms*, hand wash/bubble bath (pour a little into a foot spa) and explore essential oils.

*Be Allergy Aware

9th Feb

Toothache Day!

A day to promote good oral hygiene.

Take a virtual trip to The Dentist with this FREE multisensory story!

The Dentist Multisensory Story

Set up a Dentist Role Play Area

Role play is a crucial part of development and provides opportunities to practice imaginative play, communication and language skills building narrative thought acting out scenarios.

  1. Create a ‘waiting room’ with magazines, colouring and puzzle sheets.
  2. Create a reception area. Provide a diary for writing appointments and a telephone.
  3. Assign roles. The receptionist, the dentist, dental nurse, and the patients. Encourage students to swap roles. This sharing of roles and turn taking will develop awareness of others’ thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
  4. Provide craft materials for students to make badges to identify their job role.
  5. Provide a blue, white, or green shirt, goggles and face masks for the dentist and dental nurse to wear and props such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, mirrors, a small torch, fake ‘toy’ teeth, a bib, goggles, masks.
  6. Setting up a dental surgery role play area provides an excellent opportunity to work with money, whether it is calculating change or devising a price list for services. Set up an area to sell products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss)

13th Feb

World Radio Day

Raising awareness of the pleasure and importance of the radio.

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14th Feb

Valentine’s Day Sensory Bag

Sensory bags are a cheap and fun way to engage the senses and develop language skills. Choose a non-see-through bag that is tactile and catches the eye. (If you don’t have a bag then use a pillowcase)

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Place a variety of Valentine’s Day themed items inside the bag: Rose Petals, Chocolate, Edible Flowers, (Costume) Jewellery, ‘Love’ Letter/Card, Rose Scented Candle/Wardrobe Hanger Sachet/Essential Oil/Handwash/Cream/Lip Balm, Perfume, Teddy Bear, Rose Water (or foods containing rose water (Turkish Delight, Rose Cordial, Rose Lemonade, Rose Tea, Rose Shortbread.)

Tip!

When choosing items think of engaging all the senses: Add items that stimulate the vision, tactile items that feel nice to the touch, items to smell and taste and items that make interesting sounds.

Build Functional language skills.

(If the student is unsure, model what to do with the item and see if they can copy your action.)

15th Feb

Parinirvana Day

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Parinirvana Day marks the death of the Buddha who is believed to have entered a state called Parinirvana, the final goal of Buddhism, ‘Nirvana without end’.

Re-Create a Visit to a Buddhist Temple with a Guided Relaxation Adventure

Guided relaxation is generally considered a safe activity as it is the practice of relaxation, stillness and calmness.

By adding props you can create a wonderful sensory experience.

Preparing For Your Guided Relaxation Adventure

1. Find a comfortable place that is free of distractions.

2. Settle the student into a position that is comfortable for them.

3. Provide pillows/beanbags/cushions and blankets.

4. Dim the lights.

5. Tell the student that if at anytime they wish to stop the activity to tell you, raise their hand or open their eyes.

6. There is an option to incorporate props such as mini cymbals, incense sticks, a gong/drum, a money box and coins.

7. Using a calm and gentle voice, slowly read through the guided adventure below pausing between sentences.

‘Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath.

I want you to imagine a magic carpet has floated into the room.

Climb onto the carpet. It is soft and comfortable.

You feel safe as the carpet gently rises, floats across the room, and leaves the building.

The carpet flies into the sky and gently glides over the rooftops.

You feel excited as the magic carpet sweeps over towns and villages, fields, and farmland.

The sheep and cows look tiny below.

You are now travelling over the sea.

Can you see how blue the water is?

Can you feel the warmth of the sun on your back?

You feel very relaxed and happy riding on your carpet.

In the distance you see land approaching.

The carpet glides along long winding rivers, and across vast grasslands then sweeps up to the highest part of the hillside, where you see a temple.

Your magic carpet lands outside a gate.

You see a kind man with a shaven head. He is wearing an orange robe.

The man greets you by placing his hands in front of his body, palms together and bows his head slightly.

Would you like to greet him back?

He asks you to take off your shoes. He will keep them safe.

You follow him through the gate and onto a path lined with colourful flowers and trees bearing fruits. Their leaves dapple in the sunshine.

The path is lined with blossom, the petals are soft on your feet.

You enter the temple.

It smells of perfumed incense (option to light an incense stick or to lightly spritz perfume)

Gold statues line the room.

It is so quiet in the room you can hear yourself breathe.

At the front of the room is a Buddha statue sat on top of wooden platform with two long candles.

You feel very relaxed as you watch the orange flames flicker.

Take a few minutes to relax.

It is almost time to leave.

You turn to leave and next to the door you see a small wooden box.

Would for you to post some coins through the slot in the box?

Listen to the rattle they make as they hit the bottom of the box? (Option to create the atmosphere by dropping coins into a money tin)

There is a gong hanging from the ceiling.

You can gently ring it if you like (option to hit the gong to re-create the sound)

As you leave the gate you take one last bow.

Your magic carpet has returned to take you home.

Climb onto the carpet and make yourself comfortable.

The carpet rises slowly into sky and retraces its journey down the hillside and across the land.

You cross the sea feeling very calm and relaxed as the magic carpet glides over fields and farms, villages, and towns.

You recognise the rooftops of the shops, school, and houses where you live.

Picture the room that we are in now.

The magic carpet gently lands in this room, and you climb off and lie on the floor.

Your journey is over for today but remember, you can take a journey on your magic carpet whenever you like.

When you are ready wiggle your fingers and your toes then gently open your eyes.’

18th Feb

Former Planet, Pluto was discovered By Clyde Tombaugh in 1930

Explore Pluto!

”The last stop is Pluto, it has five moons

They orbit the planet like water balloons”

(Excerpt from ‘Journey into Space – A Multisensory Exploration’

https://mash.ie/journey-into-space-a-rhyming-multisensory-story-exploration-of-the-solar-system-themed-sensory-extension-activities.html

You will need:

Activity:

Alternative Activity:

Extend Learning: Explore liquids that sink and float and those that disperse: Baby Oil, Food Colouring, Honey, Olive/Vegetable Oil, Washing up Liquid, Corn Syrup

This space themed activity also links with the birthday of Galileo Galilei on Feb 15th

21st Feb

Shrove Tuesday

Smell, touch and taste pancakes.

You can use ready-made shop bought pancakes, make your own pancakes using an instant batter mix or make a batter mix from scratch.

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Batter Mix Recipe

Explore ‘Sweet’ and ‘Savoury’ Pancake Toppings.

Can the students make a ‘sweet’ pancake and a ‘savoury’ pancake by selecting the correct ingredients?

Sweet Toppings: bananas, berries, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, cream, honey, ice-cream, jam, maple syrup, strawberry sauce.

Savoury Toppings: aioli, avocado, baba ganoush, cheese, spices cinnamon/nutmeg, garlic dip, guacamole, houmous, marmite, mushrooms, pesto, sour cream, taramasalata, tzatziki.

Be allergy aware!

Can the sensory explorer express a preference between sweet and savoury?

Can the sensory explorer identify the ‘healthier’ choices for the pancake toppings?

27th Feb

International Polar Bear Day

Lets’ Explore….Polar Bears!

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Learning about animals and habitats teaches about Conservation and Respecting Wildlife

Promote Communication Skills (Listening & Speaking)

Promote Physical Development, Coordination, Balance, Control & Movement & Imaginative Play

Re-Create a Polar Bear Habitat.

Fake Snow Recipes

1. Add shaving cream to baking soda.

2. Sprinkle a sachet of gelatine into warm water and stir until dissolved. Add ice cubes.

3. Mix cornflour with hair conditioner until you reach the required consistency.

4. Mix cornflour with bicarbonate of soda (equal quantities e.g., one cup), add water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

5. Mouldable snow: Mix three cups of shaving cream with 1/2 cup of glue and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Stir in 1/2 cup of foam micro beads. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and water. Knead.

6. Add 3 cups of baking soda with 1 cup of hair conditioner.

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