June Teaching Calendar with Rhyming Multisensory Ideas

Huge thanks to Victoria for sharing her ideas with Mash members for teaching in June!

Teaching ideas, activities, and inspiration to celebrate the month of June including: Butterfly Education Day (‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Story’), Dinosaur Day, International Yoga Day (Enjoy a Yoga Story)

Dates at a Glance

June 1st – Dinosaur Day

t rex dinosaur statue
Photo by Mike Bird on Pexels.com

Frozen Dinosaur Eggs

You will need

Method:

Ideas

Dinosaur Dig This sensory play engages the senses, fine motor skills as the student manipulates the objects, problem-solving through experimentation, and creativity & imagination through exploration. You will need

Tip: Take learning outdoors and re-create your archaeological dig in the sandpit. (If you do not have a sandpit then a tomato grow bag is a good alternative)

Tip: Replace the sand with taste safe ‘sand’ by mixing flour, crushed cereal (Rice Krispies or Cornflakes are ideal!) and adding a little water to reach your preferred consistency. Option to add spices (cinnamon will give an authentic soil brown colour)

Encourage the students to use the tools to unearth treasure and record their findings

Extend Learning

Add items not found in prehistoric times e.g., coins, dice, a Lego brick, a toy car, a stainless steel or plastic spoon

Can the student recognise these items as being the red herrings?

(SALT) Promote Functional Language

Can the student name the item?

Can the student tell you what the item is used for? If the student is unsure then provide plenty of clues.

Can the student tell you why they think the item would not have been invented in prehistoric times?

June 3rd – Butterfly Education & Awareness Day (BEAD)

close up photo of glowing blue butterflies
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

A day to raise awareness and celebrate butterflies.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Story

Based on the book by Eric Carle, this activity connects students to literature and engages the senses providing the opportunity for students to explore and express their likes, dislikes and sensory preferences giving them a voice and a choice.

You will need:

Read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ story by Eric Carle presenting the props/sensory stimuli as they appear in the story.

5. The Lettuce Leaf: Present lettuce leaves for the students to touch, smell and taste.

Tip: A mixed bag of salad presents a range of coclours, tastes and textures for the student to explore.

Discuss healthy eating. Can the students group the food items into healthy foods and foods you would eat as a treat? (Link to ‘Healthy Eating Week 12th-15th June)

6. The Cocoon: Can the students climb into a sleeping bag or stretch in a body sock like the caterpillar?

7. The Butterfly: Open a parachute and move it up and down slowly like the wings of a butterfly.

Parachute Game:

Extend Learning:

Can the students retell the story using the props?

Alternative Activity:

Can the students make a fruit kebab containing the correct quantities of fruit as they appear in the story? (One apple, two (pieces of) pear, three (pieces of) plums, four strawberries, five (pieces of) oranges?

Health & Safety Guidance

Non-Food Alternative Activity

Read the story then explore dried fruit peel, scented body lotions/creams and/or essential oils.

Can the student show a preference for a scent or make a rejection if they do not like a scent?

Guidance: When working with scents, start at a distance and work your way towards the student taking their lead as to some individuals, smells may be overpowering.

Plant a butterfly garden

You will need:

Method

Explore the life cycle of a butterfly

If you have a class budget, purchase a butterfly growing kit. Raise and feed your own butterflies watching them transform from caterpillars to adult butterflies before releasing into the wild.

On this Day in History

3rd June 1965

astronaut in the space suit
Photo by 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙯 on Pexels.com

Astronaut Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk.

Activity Idea

Walking on the Moon This activity will build strength, balance and promote physical development and can take place in the classroom, outdoor area or in the PE hall as part of a PE session. Create a moonscape adventure obstacle course using PE equipment.

Tip! Create a space landscape in your soft playroom. Place black material on the floor to represent space or a black hole then make an obstacle course by placing foam wedges/rockers/gym mats/balance balls/beanbags/pillows/cushions around the room. Can the students navigate their way through space in their rocket over the soft play equipment avoiding falling into the black hole?

Can the students make their movements slow and bouncy taking large, slow leaps around the room like an astronaut?

Idea!

Play space music or space sound effects (e.g., space shuttle launch, cargo door closing, engines roaring, fans, mission control countdown from ten, radio waves, windstorm, beep, drone, matrix, ambient space sound) in the background.

Take Learning Outdoors

If you have outdoor play equipment/climbing wall/frame create a story around the equipment e.g., climbing the ladders to descend the rocket then re-create a spacewalk using the play equipment.

Have a budget?

Consider purchasing a set of Sound Steps. These are foam stepping-stones that play sound recordings (up to 30 seconds) when you step on them. Perfect for your sensory adventures!

Insect Week June 20th – June 26th

green cocoons on tree branch
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Minibeast Hunt

Learning about mini beasts develops knowledge and understanding of the world and caring for the wildlife and the environment. Outdoor learning enables students to engage all of the senses.

Explore different outdoor settings: a park, garden, fields, forests, the beach and the woods. Take a magnifying glass.

Can the student find and observe: A beetle, butterfly, ladybird, moth, spider, snail, centipede, grasshopper, ant, wasp, bee, woodlouse, earwig, slug, worm?

Health & Safety Do not touch the insects

Look for habitats

Suggested Resource

‘Minibeasts – A Multisensory Exploration’

Explore the world of the minibeasts with this multisensory story and themed, sensory extension activities

Table of Contents

June 21st – International Yoga Day

Yoga is relaxing and good for the mind and body.

The following are suggested poses and do not have to be exact, focus on relaxation and exploring and enjoying movement.

Yoga is best practiced with bare feet on a mat.

Always stretch very gently and never force movement.

It is fun to adapt a story into a yoga session.

Morning Routine Yoga Story

‘It’s 7am and you are asleep’

Students lie on their back, arms by their sides like soldiers.

(Corpse Pose)

‘At 7.30am the alarm rings, roll over to switch it off’

Students roll onto their right side and stretch their left arm to turn an imaginary alarm clock off – option to use sound effects.

It’s time to get out of bed, very slowly sit up and cross your legs’

Students sit up and cross their legs

(Lotus Pose)

‘You are thankful for another beautiful day’

Students place the palms together in a prayer position.

(Continuation of Lotus Pose)

‘You stand up and stretch’

Students stand up straight with their feet at hip distance apart pressed to the floor and their arms at their sides.

(Mountain Pose)

‘Time for breakfast! Reach for the cereal box on the high shelf.’

From the Mountain the students bring their arms out to the sides and raise them above their heads bringing the palms together.

(Upward Hands Pose)

‘The school bus/taxi has arrived, find a seat and sit down’

Students bring their arms to their sides, bend the knees and squat as if sitting on a chair

(Chair Pose)

‘You arrive at school and your first lesson is learning some fascinating facts about how animals move’

(Take a short break and relax your body)

‘Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees!’ Students sit upright on their heels, and twist the upper body to the left, then to the right.

(Owl Pose)

‘The wings of a butterfly move in a figure of eight motion’

Students sit on their buttocks and with a tall spine, bend their legs, placing the soles of their feet together, then slowly move their legs like the wings of a butterfly.

(Butterfly Pose)

‘Snakes defy gravity and can move up walls’

Students lie on their front, place the palms flat next to their shoulders then lift their head and shoulders off ground.

(Cobra Pose)

‘The fastest fish to cover short distances is the sailfish (109km per hour) Students lie on their front with their knees bent, lift the chest and reach their arms back towards their toes. Can they stretch to hold their feet? (Fish Pose)

‘Dogs have 18 muscles in their ear that can move in lots of directions to help them hear’ From a standing position, the students bend down and place their palms flat on the ground, stepping the feet back to create an upside-down V shape with their buttocks high in the air. Straighten the legs, relax the head and neck and look down between their legs.

(Downward Dog)

‘Cats can turn themselves the right side up in mid-air if they should fall upside-down’

Students position themselves on all-fours, rounding their backs and tucking their chins into the chest.

(Cat Pose)

‘Mice use their whiskers to sense temperature and rough/smooth edges’

Students sit on their heels, slowly bring their forehead down to rest in front of their knees the rest their arms down alongside your body.

(Mouse Pose)

END OF SESSION

June 21st – Summer Solstice

I love the cover to this resource designed by Megan Dunwell (age 12) from Greater Manchester who won a competition to design the cover for ‘Summer – A Multisensory Exploration’

Megan made this picture at home with her lovely Mum.

The design was printed onto canvas.

The stems are ribbons.

Megan chose which flower and colour she wanted to use each time from choice of 2 different options.

The leaves are Megan’s fingerprints which added a personal touch.

‘Summer – A Multisensory Exploration’ is a bumper resource and includes 101 summer themed sensory extension.

‘The colours of summer are the bright yellow sun

That lights up the room when the day has begun

The deep blue hues of the sapphire sky

Streaks like white chalk where the planes have flown by.’

Table of Contents

If you would like your school to feature in a teaching resource, get in touch!

You can message me via the website, through social media or send an email to rhymingmultisensorystories@outlook.com

Summer Task Boxes

Task boxes provide the materials and tools needed to complete a job or task.

They are easy to set up.

1. Theme your box then place the items/tools required to complete the task.

2. You have the option to add pictures in steps or written instructions.

3. Always discuss how to use any tools safely and supervise the activity.

Plant Care Task Box You will need

1. Place the items inside the bucket.

2. Can the student remember to wear their gardening gloves and put them on independently?

3. Can the student use the hand fork to dislodge weeds from a flower bed?

4. Can the student use the watering can/jug to water plants/flowers?

5. Can the student remove any dead leaves/flower heads from the plants and place in the compost bucket?

6. Can the student communicate a request for ‘help’ if required?

Seed Planting Task Box You will need

1. Can the student remember to wear their gardening gloves and put them on independently?

2. Can the student read the instructions on the seeds and open the packets?

3. Can the student plant the seeds to the requires depth then cover with soil?

4. Can the student water the pots/seed tray?

5. Can the student label their pots/tray?

4. Can the student communicate a request for ‘help’ if required?

Bedding Plant Task Box You will need

1. Can the student remember to wear their gardening gloves and put their gloves on independently?

2. Can the student follow the instructions on the plant label and find a suitable place to place the plants (sunlight and soil) and take into consideration the spacing, how tall and wide the plants will grow?

3. Can the student use the trowel to dig a hole?

4. Can the student remove the plant from the tray and place into the hole?

5. Can the student use fill the watering can with water and water the plant?

6. Can the student communicate a request for ‘help’ if required?

The Sparrows Sensory Sun Activity

You will need

Activity 1: The Stretchy Band

‘The children held onto a giant yellow stretchy band and participated in songs linked to the sun and summer. Our favourite song was ‘The Sun has Got His Hat On’ but we also enjoy singing ‘You are my Sunshine’ and ‘Sunshine in my Heart.’ The children lifted the band up, down and side to side and rocked forward and back to the music, focusing on their vestibular sense. We also played Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’ from The Four Seasons and moved rhythmically to the music, pinging the band like a violin. We then placed the stretchy band into a circular shape to be the centre of our sun.’

Vicky and Sparrows Students

Activity 2 Sunlight Superstars

‘We explored how the sun provides light so living things survive by shining a torch on various parts of our bodies.

We shined the torch on our hands, arms, legs and chin, (being careful not to shine it in our eyes). The children used photos/symbols of body parts to choose where they would like the torch to shine next.

Activity 3: Let’s get Messy- The Sun’s Rays

‘To make the sun’s rays, the class chose to use either their hands or their feet. We mixed white and yellow together to make different shades of yellow and also had orange paint available. The children chose their preferred paint colour and made splats with their hands, feet or both! Some pupils preferred to cut out their handprint and use a paintbrush instead, developing fine motor skills. After letting the paint dry, we arranged the hand and footprints to look like rays of sunshine coming out from the centre of our sun.’

Sparrows Class Hebden Green School

Activity 4: Oranges and Lemons

‘We sang the rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’ and then supported the children to use their senses, focusing on touch, smell and taste. The children rolled the oranges and lemons, and we touched their bumpy, cold skin. We then chopped the oranges and lemons and spent time exploring the smell, touch and taste. The fruit was then placed into the centre of our sun, making a circle. We even added yellow tennis balls as a nod to Wimbledon!’