Sensory Visiting Bag, Sensory & Memory Book

This is part of my visiting bag section - dare I call it a series of posts?

I feel a person doing pastoral visiting to children should definitely have something like a visiting bag, it doesn't have to be a big bag and it doesn't have to contain lots of random things. But if a visitor can have something to take with them to encourage conversation, discovery and ideas then the challenge that comes with working with children is being embraced.

To add to the sensory aspect of my bag I decided to again search the internet. From this I found a sensory book. The website I found things on is called KIDS Direct Short Breaks.

http://www.directshortbreaks.org.uk/page.asp?section=1513&sectionTitle=About+the+Service


Sensory play is something used by those who work with young children, children with special needs and I think it is a must with all children as a way to open up their thoughts, memories and just share in a fun way. There is talk about recognising the different social, physical, emotional, intellectual ways of learning and developing and I think sensory work can help them. The sensory book is a cheaper way of doing this.

This is something a person can make by themselves, using what they have to inspire them.

What you start with is a scrap book that can be made bulky. Then you include different materials, craft items, general bits and pieces that have a variety of textures, colours, shapes and can stretch the imagination. The items can then be stuck into the book with double sided sticky tape or glue.

The things I have put in my book include buttons, different types of string, felt, fur material, lentils, bubble wrap, wool, ribbon, a shell, lentils, pipe cleaners (furry, stripey and foil), tissue paper, crepe paper, foil, cotton wool, fake flower petal and mini sunflower, bit of net.

It really is random collection of items but that is the idea.

The items are about three or four on a page, therefore not overcrowding the senses with the different items and letting the child investigate each one.

The aim of the sensory book is to let the child I visit look through, guess what some of the items are, feel the items, chat about them and maybe take it further than that. There are items that might remind them of the things we have done at church, for example things we have used in particular crafts, or the small fake sunflower might remind them that we planted sunflowers at one of the children's groups and then the children had to take them home and grow them.

There are items that might remind them of things from their lives.

But more than that, the items can be used to tell a story. The child might be inspired by the different things in the sensory book and use it to tell a story about a whole different world. They can embrace their imagination and be allowed time to do this.

I have also included photos from my time at the church to share with the children, including my first day at the church, and to give even more chance for thoughts and conversation.

I'm very excited about what will happen with the sensory book and what the children think about it and do with it.