A massive thanks to Victoria from Rhyming Multisensory Stories for another teaching calendar!
Sensory ideas and activities to celebrate the month of October including Indigenous Peoples Day, Columbus Day, Diwali, Halloween, Trafalgar Day, ‘Lost in the Peal’, Pablo Picasso, National Braille Week, Sukkot, World Space Week, Black History Month.
Dates at a glance
- October Black History month
- Oct 2-4 Rosh Hashanah
- Oct 4-10 World Space Week
- Oct 6 National Badger Day
- Oct 7 Lost in the Dark Peal
- Oct 10 World Porridge Day
- Oct 14 Indigenous Peoples Day
- Oct 14 Columbus Day
- Oct 10 World Porridge Day
- Oct 14-20 National Braille Week
- Oct 14 Battle of Hastings 1066
- Oct 15 Charlotte’s Web Published
- Oct 16 World Food Day
- Oct 16 – 23 Sukkot
- Oct 16-22 Recycle Week
- Oct 18 Inventions: The Toaster
- Oct 21 Trafalgar Day
- Oct 25 Pablo Picasso Day
- Oct 31 Halloween
- Oct 31- 1 Nov Diwali
October 2 – 6
Rosh Hashanah
A two-day festival celebrating Jewish New Year which begins in the Autumn.
Apples and honey symbolise ‘Sweet New Year’
Oct 4 – 6
World Space Week
Galaxy Art
Galaxy Glitter Picture
You will need
A sheet of black card
PVA glue/glue stick
Glitter (assorted colours)
Activity
1. Take a sheet of black card.
2. Apply glue using a glue stick or PVA.
3. Offer a choice of coloured glitters for the sensory explorer to scatter onto the card (you may wish to place a sheet of newspaper under the card.)
4. Tip the excess glitter off the paper/card.
5. Leave to dry.
Dim the lights in the room then explore under torchlight.
Tip!
Carefully place the glitter into a small handheld colander/sieve then shake over the picture.
Alternative Activity
Thread battery led string lights around the pegs of a peg board, then switch on (dim the lights in the room.)
Suggested Resource
Get ready to ‘Blast-off!’ as our rocket takes us on a multisensory exploration of the solar system. Includes activity ideas linked to the curriculum.
‘Journey into Space’ Training Video
This is not my favourite video as I had just come out of hospital when I filmed it, but it is packed with ideas! (Re-filming is on my ‘to-do’ listđ
https://youtu.be/EedHROaSAKQ?si=Q3FK9n050F2_jw-4
Oct 6
National Badger Day (Brocktober)
Activity
Listen to the sound of badgers
Badgers make many noises depending on how they feel including: barking, chittering, growling, hissing, purring, snarling, sniffing, snorting and yelping.
Explore the sensation of a shaving brush to represent the badger’s fur.
Explore a back scratcher to represent the badger’s claws.
Play badger sound effects via your interactive whiteboard/Talking Tile/BIGmack/Dictaphone/iPad or similar device. Follow the link below to a library of badger sounds including eating, grooming, playing, scratching, sniffling https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=badger&resultSize=20
Extend Learning
Can the sensory explorer guess what the badger is doing according to the noise they are making? e.g., eating, sniffing.
Can the student(s) match any sounds the badger is making to emotions? (annoyed, anxious, calm, confused, content, excited, relaxed, hurt, sad?)
Discuss the noises we make when we express emotion (crying when sad, laughing when happy etc)
Earthworms make up most of a badger’s diet. You can supplement their food in the winter.
If you are lucky enough to have a badger visit your outdoor area, here are some of the foods they enjoy:
Fresh or dried fruit (apples, pears, plums), dried dog food, (unsalted sugar-free) peanut butter, mealworms.
Don’t forget to leave a bowl of fresh, clean water.
Place a little sand around their eating area to see if you can spot any badger tracks.
Oct 7
Lost in the Dark Peal
‘Twyford Church’ in Hampshire rings their bells on Oct 7th each year. This tradition originates from the story of a traveller who was lost in the fog and was able to find his way home by following the sound of the bells.
Oct 9
Indigenous Peoplesâ Day
is a holiday in the United States that was created in reaction to Columbus Day. Many US states and cities have renamed the holiday Indigenous People’s Day to celebrate the communities who already lived in the Americas when Columbus arrived on shore.
One US teacher of the deaf told me that their state has a large indigenous community, so they discuss their culture and ancestry and compare it to the first people of the US and Canada.
Many indigenous North Americans make fried bread, sweet (add cinnamon and sugar) and savoury (add onion/garlic powder). Involve the students in mixing ingredients to make the dough, kneading, rolling and shaping. Would the students like to taste the bread? Offer a choice. Which do the students prefer, the sweet or a savoury?
The teacher told me they also explore indigenous communication smoke signals, Navajo code talkers of WWII, native sign languages and compare them to other forms of communication, smoke signals vs flag signals, code talkers vs Morris Code, Native Sign language to BSL.
Full credit for these Indigenous People’s Day Activities to Juleeff. Thank you:)
Oct 10
World Porridge Day
Launched in 2009 as a fundraising campaign to raise money to prevent children in poorer countries having hunger hinder their education.
Activity
Make and flavour porridge
Explore a range of toppings: banana, blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, nutmeg, raisins, raspberries.
Develop a new flavour by mixing ingredients.
Taste Different Types of Porridge
Rice, barley, wheat, buckwheat, semolina, corn, polenta, sorghum, quinoa.
Can the sensory explorer show a preference for a porridge type or topping?
Can the sensory explorer communicate a rejection if they do not like a smell or taste?
Enrichment Activity
Visit the local shop. Can the students find the porridge?
Purchase porridge then donate it to your local foodbank.
Suggested Resource
https://mash.ie/goldilocks-and-the-three-bears
Join Goldilocks on her adventures with this fully resourced multisensory story with activity ideas linking to the curriculum.
Oct 10 World Mental Health Day
Start the day with a âfeelingsâ check-in. How is everyone feeling today?
Some people might find it hard to express their feelings verbally, so offer the use of an emotions board or emotion cards as a visual support.
Acknowledge that it is normal to have feelings. Explore the things that make us feel happy, sad, anxious, tired, bored or excited.
Extend Learning
Discuss how we can change our feelings e.g., if someone is feeling sad how can you make them happy? (Offer them a favourite activity, show them something funny to make them laugh…YouTube cat clips never fail!) if someone is worried can you talk about their worries?
Oct 10
Columbus Day
Explore New Foods
Christopher Colombus bought many exotic foods back from his travels including the pineapple.
Present the pineapple* for sensory exploration.
Can the sensory explorer use their hands to feel the spherical shape?
Can the sensory explorer feel the weight of the pineapple?
Can the sensory explorer carefully touch the tough, spiky skin?
Can the sensory explorer carefully touch the sword-like leaves?
Model the language bristly, hard, prickly, spiky.
Try pineapple in different forms: Fresh pineapple, dried pineapple, tinned pineapple, pineapple jam, pineapple jelly, pineapple juice, pineapple smoothie, pineapple yogurt.
Non-Food Activity
Explore pineapple and vanilla scented hand and body lotions and lip balms.
Print using pineapples.
Paint using pineapple juice and pulp.
*Be allergy aware
Extend Learning
Christopher Colombus also introduced vanilla, allspice, and cocoa.
Smell, touch and taste these foods/spices and/or foods containing them.
Introduce the vocabulary ‘sweet’ and ‘spicy’ Can the sensory explorer place the foods in the correct category?
Grow a pineapple!
1. Carefully slice the top (crown) off a pineapple.
2. Remove the bottom leaves.
3. Leave to the crown to dry.
4. Fill a pot with soil/compost.
4. Place the crown of the pineapple onto the soil and gently press down.
5. Do not overwater and pop on a sunny spot.
Oct 14-20
National Braille Week
You will need
Printed out braille cells
Play-Doh or plasticine
Activity
Using a ball of plasticine and a braille cell, demonstrate the letters of the alphabet (or show an image on your interactive whiteboard)
Can the sensory explorers roll their balls of plasticine and place onto the correct dot(s)?
Extend Learning
Can the sensory explorer spell their name in braille?
Oct 14
The Battle of Hastings
Dig out the sticky tape, aluminium foil and cardboard boxes and make shields to mark the day!
Oct 15
Charlotte’s Web
On this date, the book Charlotte’s Web by US author E B White was published
Pick out elements of the story and make them sensory.
Here are a couple of examples
‘Wilbur the Pig grows too large!’
You will need
Pink balloons
A balloon pump/foot pump/bicycle pump
Model inflating the balloon using the balloon pump/bicycle pump
Can the sensory explorer take turns inflating the balloon using the balloon pump/bicycle pump as it is passed around the group?
Can the sensory explorer inflate their balloon using their breath?
Charlotte and the Fly
Charlotte traps and wraps a fly in her web to teach Wilbur how to consume prey.
You will need
Three pipe cleaners
Cotton wool pleat
Hairspray
Glitter
Place the pipe cleaners in a star shape (one vertically, one horizontally, one diagonally) Secure by twisting together in the centre.
Gently pull, stretch and roll the fibres of the cotton wool using your fingers and thumbs.
Weave the cotton wool around the pipe cleaner star to create a web
Spritz with hair spray
Sprinkle a little glitter onto the web to represent the prey.
Oct 16
World Food Day
Explore Foods
Present a wide range of different tastes and textures for the individual to explore at their own pace enabling them to explore likes and dislikes.
Initial explorations could be through touch and smell, the next step to present a tiny touch to the lips progressing onto a morsel or a drop in the mouth, an egg spoon building up to a full bite.
Play blindfold tasting games.
Explore aromatic, bitter, bland, buttery, caramel, carbonated, chalky, charcoal, charred, cheesy, chewy, chocolatey, cinnamon, citrus, citrusy, clove-like, coarse, creamy, crispy, crumbly, crunchy, delicate, earthy, effervescent, eggy, fibrous, fiery, fishy, fizzy, flaky, floral, floury, foamy, fresh, frosty, fruity, garlicky, gingery, grainy, granular, grapey, gritty, herbal ,honeyed, icy, juicy, lemony, light, limey, malty, metallic, milky, minty, moist, mushy, musty, oily, oniony, peppery, pickled, plummy, powdery, pungent, quenching, refreshing, ,rich, ripe, rubbery, salty, sandy, savoury, seasoned, sharp, slimy, smoky, smooth, soggy, sour, sparkling, spiced, spicy, spongy, squidgy, squishy, starchy, sweet, syrup, tangy, tart, tender, toasty, toothsome, vanilla, velvety, vinegary, zesty, zingy
Can the sensory explorer make a rejection if they do not like a food?
Oct 16 -22
Recycle Week
Collect clothes, electrical devices, crisp bags, or stamps to pass on to the relevant charities.
If in a school/college setting, have students collect plastic bottles, and cardboard from classrooms to sort and recycle.
Recycle containers into planters.
Make bubble snakes from water bottles or fill with sand to make bowling pins.
Use old newspapers to make items from Papier Mache.
Play recycling bingo.
Print out items you can recycle (glass bottles, tins, newspapers, cardboard,) and items you cannot (used pizza boxes, waxed paper, stickers, bubble wrap, plastic bags, plastic coat hangers, plastic straws)
Can the sensory explorer think of alternative uses for these items (re-use plastic bags, make hangers into mobiles)
Can sensory explorer think of alternatives to these items (metal drinking straws, cloth or paper bags)
Oct 16-23
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Jewish festival. The word âSukkotâ translates to a âtemporary shelterâ
Build a Sukkot Hut
Den building provides an excellent opportunity to explore design and technology through building and construction, the opportunity to explore, experiment, make mistakes and problem solve in a safe environment, promotes physical development and co-operation, turn-taking, listening to others’ ideas and communication skills through teamwork. Dens can be built using everyday items found around the home and garden. Here are some examples:
Use items found in nature: straw, hay, dried grasses, twigs, and sticks.
Work around existing features such as a play equipment, trees, a gazebo, or a washing line.
If indoors, drape a sheet or blanket over two chairs, a table, or underneath open stairs.
Families eat and spend free time in their Sukkot shelters. Accessorise your Sukkot
Add cushions, beanbags, books, activities, soft toys, and a blanket.
Add crayons/pencils/felts and paper/whiteboard and marker pen.
String fairy lights, add glow in the dark stickers, glitter lamps and light up toys.
Add items to encourage scientific investigation: a torch, mirror, magnifying glass.
Oct 18
The Electric Toaster is Patented
Promote independence and fine motor skills making toast. (Option to use a switch to operate.)
Explore different toppings: jam, chocolate spread, cheese spread, butter, honey.
Extend Learning
Can the sensory explorer cut their toast in half?
Can the sensory explorer cut their toast into quarters?
Explore halves and quarters using squares of toast and triangles of toast.
Oct 21
Trafalgar Day
In 1805, a fleet of 27 British ships, under the command Lord Horatio Nelson of Vice Admiral defeated French and Spanish ships at Trafalgar, (South-West Spain)
19 enemy ships were either captured or sunk and this battle established British domination of the seas for the next 100 years.
Activity
Explore the properties of a variety of materials to see which materials float and which materials sink.
Make your boats from the materials that float.
For the Boat Base: Balsa, Cardboard Box, Cdâs, Corks, Cupcake Cases, Feathers, Margarine Tubs, Match Sticks, Plastic Bottle Tops, Plastic Bottles, Lids Dishes and Plates, Sponges, Straws, Styrofoam, Twigs, Wooden Craft Sticks.
The Sail: Balloons, Card, Feathers, Foam Shapes, Leaves, Material, tissue paper
Experiment: Make egg box and paper boats.
Explore Cause & Effect: Can the sensory explorer direct a fan (battery operated fan/dynamo ‘squeeze’ fan/hand-held fan, paper/silk fan) at the boat sail to move it across the water?
Compete: Hold a boat race. Can the sensory explorer predict the boat that will win?
Explore: Can you add cargo to your boat?
Test Durability: Add Ice cubes to the water. How well do the boats navigate these obstacles?
Engage in Scientific Investigation: Add salt to the water. Does this enable the boats and materials to float easier?
Oct 25
Birthdate of Pablo Picasso
Spanish born artist Pablo Picasso was well known co-founding cubism (fragmenting objects). During his life he painted over 20,000 paintings!
Picasso was famous for painting distorted faces.
Re-create Picasso Artwork
1. Take and print the photos of different people’s headshots.
2. Cut the photographs in half. Can the sensory explorer create images using two different people’s pictures? (See image 1)
2. Look through magazines and tear out pages with faces. Cut the faces into rectangular strips featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth. (See image 2)
Can the sensory explorer select strips and make random faces?
3. Can sensory explorer place two images together, one side profile and one looking into the camera? (See image 3)
Alternative Activity
Can the sensory explorer manipulate and place the pieces of a Mr Potato Head to create Picasso style faces e.g. place the lips where the nose should be, ears for eyes etc?
Oct 31
Halloween
Ten Fun Halloween Ideas
1. Use instruments to create a spooky orchestra: a boom whacker, drum, castanets, clackers, guiro, kazoo, triangle.
2. Using felt tips, draw spooky faces on balloons. Watch the faces distort as the balloon deflates over the next few days.
3. Paint a pumpkin.
4. Make a skeleton picture using cotton buds for bones.
5. Explore UV paint. Tip! If you do not have UV paint, crushing a B12 vitamin tablet into acrylic/poster paint will make the paint glow in UV light! (Thank you to Barn Owl’s class at Hebden Green School for that tip!)
6. Practice gross motor skills. Draw a large spider web in chalk outdoors. Randomly place paper spiders in the web. Can the sensory explorer walk along the lines of the web avoiding the spiders?
7. Make a ‘Severed Finger’ snack.
You will need
Hotdogs (Don’t forget a meat -free alternative)
Garlic Flake
Ketchup
i. Using clean fingers halve a hotdog (this will give you an uneven (severed) end as opposed to cutting with a knife)
ii. Slide a garlic flake (fingernail) into one end of the hotdog.
iii. Dip the ‘severed’ end of the hotdog (finger) into ketchup (blood)
iv. Is the sensory explorer brave enough to taste?
8. Raid the recycling and make broomsticks, hats, and magic wands.
9. Carve a pumpkin and place a tealight inside. Dim the lights in the classroom.
10. Recycle your pumpkin into a plant holder. Fill with compost then plant spring bulbs (crocus and snowdrops) or plant pansies.
You might like
Join our witch on this spooky Halloween night as she concocts a grisly potion! Includes themed sensory activities linking to areas of the curriculum.
https://mash.ie/halloween-a-multisensory-adventure
31 Oct – Nov 1 Diwali
Celebrate the Festival of Lights
Make a ‘Diya’ candle holder using clay, playdoh or plasticine.
Make a Diwali card.
Engage the senses, explore Indian food and sweets, samosas, pakoras and paneer.
Explore Indian herbs and spices. Dissect spindle-shaped cardamom pods. Can the students peel open the capsules to reveal the small, black seeds inside? Smell the smokiness of the cardamom and the intense woody, nutty fragrance of cinnamon sticks. Explore the tiny oblong, yellow-brown seeds and taste the bitter sweetness of cumin seeds. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the spices.
Explore the colours and patterns of a silk sari. Direct torchlight onto the sparkles and sequins to make them glisten. Offer students the opportunity to dress in the sari.
Using chalk, draw a Rangoli pattern onto a Tuff Tray, provide coloured sand for students to pour onto the patterns.
You may like:
https://mash.ie/a-train-ride-through-india-multisensory-story
Other Indian Festivals
https://mash.ie/holi-a-multisensory-exploration-themed-sensory-extension-activities.html
Celebrate the magic and colour of the festival of Holi with this fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory story with themed activities linking to areas of the curriculum.
October 1st – 31st
Black History Month
Teaching Ideas
Re-create a Famous Piece of Black History Artwork
Add a sensory element to the artwork. Cut the shapes of the clothes and hats from felt.
Other Ideas
Can the sensory explorer give a talk on their favourite black heroes and heroines?
Promote racial diversity in the classroom, provide skin toned paints, Play-Doh, crayons, dolls.
Explore the Work of Famous Black Inventors
Great Inventors: Focus on Garrett Morgan
Garrett Morgan was born the son of two former slaves and is famous for inventing traffic lights.
Role Play Road Safety
Using chalk and cones (if in a school setting, raid the PE cupboard!) create roads, pavements and a roundabout.
Assign bikes, scooters, go-carts to students assigned as ‘drivers’
Assign other students the role of pedestrians (regularly swap roles)
Use chalks to create a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights.
Draw three circles to represent the traffic lights, red, amber and green and laminate.
Assign two students to control the traffic using their ‘traffic lights’. Can they work together to ensure the traffic flows!
Create a ‘Black History Month’ Reading Area in your Classroom or Setting
Black History Month Booklist
‘As Brave as You – Jason Reynolds
‘Brown Boy Joy’ – Dr. Thomishia Booker
‘Daddy Calls Me Man’ – Angela Johnson
‘Happy to be Nappy’ – Bell Hooks
‘Hair Love’ Mathew A.Cherry
‘Imani’s Moon’ – Janay Brown-Wood
‘Lullaby’ by Langston Hughes
‘My Brother Charlie’ – Holly Robinson
Check out these black history sensory stories were written by Generate, a racism awareness group for adults with learning disabilities, supported and inspired by Dr Nicola Grove. The stories are illustrated by Rehan, a member of Generate. www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/sensory-stories
October Sensory Activities
Sensory Autumn walk.
Find five things to look at
Four items to touch
Three sounds
Two items to smell
One item to taste (take an item of autumn fruit with you (apples, blackberries) or some toast, hot chocolate or marshmallows.
Look for leaves, logs, acorns, bark, chestnuts, animal tracks.
Make pumpkin soup.
Collect leaves, sort, categorise by shape and colour then create an Autumn leaf collage picture.
Make an Autumn sensory bin.
Enjoy an October Story
‘Little Monsters’ David Walliams
‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Halloween Trick or Treat’ Eric Carle
‘Mr Men Little Miss Halloween Party’
‘Room on the Broom’ Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler
‘Funnybones’ Allan Ahlberg & Janet Ahlberg’
October Music
Listening to music enhances mood and aids concentration. Play low background music during snack time, when baking and when engaging in arts and craft activities.
Take a portable speaker and bubbles into the outdoor area at break and lunch time. Have a mini disco!
Listening to music provides the opportunity to explore different artists and genres of music and invites the sensory explorer to have a little dance, move their body and feel good!
Theme your Music by Month
”Octoberâ by Alessia Cara
âThe October Manâ by Bill Nelson
âSecret Oktoberâ by Duran Duran
âOctober & Aprilâ by The Rasmus Feat. Anette Olzon
âLate Octoberâ by Harold Budd and Brian Eno
”October” by U2
Theme Music by Artists Born in October
Oct 12th Ralph Vaughan Williams: English composer known for Sea Symphony & Greensleeves
Oct 12th Luciano Pavarotti Italian Tenor
Oct 13th Paul Simon: American singer/songwriter part of duo Simon & Garfunkel
Oct 14th Cliff Richard: Chart topping artist born in 1940
Oct 18th Chuck Berry: American rock and roll pioneer
Oct 21st Dizzie Gillespie: American trumpet player
Oct 22nd Franz List: Hungarian classical composer
Oct 25th Georges Bizet: French composer of the opera Carmen
Theme Music by Historical Musical Events in October
Oct 17th Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony is performed for the first time in London after researcher Barry Cooper pieced together fragments of the manuscript and notes discovered in Berlin.
Collaboration
I am delighted to have been invited by Gwyneth McCormack, the owner and CEO of Positive Eye to collaborate and write the curriculum activity booklet for their fabulous Woodland Adventure!
There are only 2 weeks to go to the start of the FREE Marvin Story Time Show Autumn Programme. An online story time created to capture the attention and engagement of children with complex needs/PMLD/MSI/VI/CVI its successful in achieving this by the bucket load!
Programme Schedule:
Sept 27th: Cool Col the Chameleon’s Birthday Party.
Oct 6th, 13th and 21st, Sunday’s at 4pm: Marvin’s Woodland Adventure | families watch the live show, schools watch recordings during the week on Marvin’s Story Time Channel.
Oct 25th: Marvin’s Halloween Adventure.
Nov 29th: Melting Morris the snowman.
The Story Time Show is specifically structured with rainbow spins, name calls from the big hat, songs, hello with Marvin, storytime, bright coloured characters, one voice, on one plain, on a black background, limited movement, no background noises or music.
Children are showing increased visual attention, laughter and joy, engagement and participation. The outcomes to date are incredible!
Story Download Packs with each story to enable inclusion in your curriculum planning.
60 schools and families are signed up so far and are getting ready for the Greatest Story
Time Show in the World and Ever.
Everyone is welcome, it’s FREE to take part!
Sign up here