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Weekend Wanderings…& A Sensory Breakthrough!

by The Empowered Educator 4 Comments

Another weekend has flown by and we enjoyed getting out in the warm sun…you would never guess it is Autumn here!

We decided to brave another visit to the beach…it has been a slow process to get Ruby to enjoy these surroundings. She quickly goes into sensory overload with the wide expanse of sand, the people and the sound of the waves.

Usually she will last near the water for a little while but then she begins to cover her ears and want to go far up the beach and just sit with me for a cuddle. It can be frustrating when I want to join in with the rest of the family and I want her to enjoy the experience too…but as with everything else to do with her sensory processing challenges….we take it step by step and enjoy a few more each time.

We can't hide at home because Ruby is more comfortable there…her twin and her older sister love to visit the beach and it isn't fair for them to always miss out. So we went….

Tara is getting braver jumping into the waves every time we go and wants to ‘swim' like her big sister now!

I love to see all 3 sisters enjoying some weekend fun together……
We also discovered something we weren't expecting in the sand on the way down to the water…I'm presuming this huge snake was washed up after the recent floods as we don't usually see a snake this big on the beach i assure you!
 
It was a shame to see something so majestic no longer living but part of me was awfully glad it couldn't slither along near me too!
 
The best part of the trip came when we saw Ruby actually stand in the white water with a big smile on her face…what a breakthrough for my little sensory girl! The water has always terrified her on previous trips. The smile on her face was just priceless…and a moment to cherish. Those small steps became a great leap this weekend!
 
The toddler twosome enjoyed a little play on the verandah with some playdough and collected treasures from nature…
 
 
They had great fun making imprints into the dough by pressing the shells and pebbles down hard….they then practised their cutting skills by using the mini cutters to make lines and cut small pieces away from the larger dough…lots of fine motor practice!
 
 
We made the most of the sunshine and gave all our water and sand toys a good scrub in soapy water and then lay them out to dry on the table.
 
The girls loved participating in this activity…they always enjoy helping with ‘real' tasks! We used lots of different sized scrubber brushes to make the experience more interesting.
It got so hot that i decided a little water play was in order after all that hard work scrubbing toys! I set up the mini pool and slide with a few balls and a little colour for some gross motor fun!
 
 
Ruby took a little coaxing but then embraced the sensory fun and it kept them both busy for ages (While I got to finish scrubbing the toys!).
We then extended the fun by adding some jumbo plastic straws to the pool and a little detergent. The girls began to blow bubbles and experiment with the straws….fantastic for those oral motor skills!
 

And finally…after a particularly wonderful day nap and lots of lovely quiet time (which Mummy thoroughly enjoyed!) I entered Ruby's room to hear her say “I putting some cream on Mummy” So very proud of herself…she was even happier when I showed her the mirror.

How could I get cross….I was too busy laughing….but still don't know how she reached the cream!

I hope your weekend was a good one and there were some memories made here and there!
 

Warm Wishes…

Filed Under: fine motor fun, outdoor play, SPD, weekend

« Weekly Kid’s Co-Op – Fine Motor Fun!
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Comments

  1. Caz says

    25/03/2013 at 11:23 am

    Well done Ruby, what a big step! And well done Mum too, you are obviously very patient with her letting her adjust in her own time. And yikes man, that is one big snake ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  2. Penny says

    25/03/2013 at 7:25 pm

    I’m so glad she is becoming more confident at the beach.

    As sad as it is to see a python dead on the beach, it would have been interesting to look at. No need to worry that it was going to slither away of bite you, so you could have a good look.

    Reply
  3. Twins Squared says

    26/03/2013 at 12:24 am

    So glad to hear about Ruby! You are doing the right thing – she is slowly getting more exposure and growing in that and progressing in that way, and the others are getting their needs met too it sounds like. One of my older girls I think has slight SPD. She is highly sensitive to everything. Never did anything about it because it seems to not interfere with daily life but she is highly irritable. Anyway, when she was a toddler she HATED the grass and also hated the sand at the beach. She just froze and wouldn’t move for like 45 minutes. She could not stand that weird feeling on her feet. But then she would slowly get used to it. And she did finally overcome her dislike for grass. Her biggest thing now that she’s older are probably noises and cold. And the softer the better! But like I said, hers is mild or I would have done something about it. Glad it went well!

    Reply
  4. The Provincial Homemaker says

    26/03/2013 at 4:42 am

    That is just fantastic. Yay, for Ruby! And, so good two that you are still letting the others get out and about.

    Reply

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Jodie
Hi, I'm Jode, Mum to twins and a teen, and an early childhood educator.
I love to share ideas & resources for play based learning
Find out more about me here...

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