Easy Construction Worker Small World
Easy to make Construction Worker Small World/Sensory Bin for Preschoolers
Small world bins can be extremely fun and despite how elaborate they can look on Pinterest, they’re usually actually pretty simple to make.
Here’s a construction worker small world that was under $7 to make using dollar store items and my sons toys.
The materials I used I had around the house already because we do a lot of sensory play, but they were mostly purchased from the home decor section of the dollar store.
If you’re looking for sensory play material, skip the toy section and head to the decor and holiday section of the dollar store; that’s where most of the great material is located.
The serving tray we use for sensory play had been reused for many projects but that was purchased at Target. You can use the trays from the dollar store however or even a deep pan or cookie sheet.
Black decor rocks/fish tank pebbles.
Decor logs (or you can use material from outside! Even better)
River rocks
Plastic Construction truck and Lego man
Whatever other material inspires you!
We laid down the rocks and spread them out and arranged the material.
My son loves watching the process so if you’re doing this at home or in the classroom, let your kids watch you put it together or help. It’s super exciting for them!
If the small rocks are a hazard concern you can substitute them for beach sand or kinetic sand.
My son had a blast playing with it. This small world has a lot of tactile sensory aspects with the pebbles and rough wood logs. The pebbles also made a really cool sound when he drove the truck across it as well.
He did eventually decide to add his Hotwheel cars (which he does for most of our projects) and sticky blocks which is fine.
This is a very important part to remember about small world!
It’s okay to for them to add or take away items from the small world. The ultimate goal is to let the child explore and engage with it the way they want to.
It ruins the point if you try to keep the project looking perfect!
Questions/conversation prompts you can ask to extend learning:
How many ______ are there?
How do the logs feel? (Introduce new vocabulary like “course” and “rugged”)
Have you seen any constructions sites lately? What do you think they were building?
What other kind of materials should we use to build ____?
Which of these stones is the biggest?
Which log should we use as the base to make our tower sturdier?
How do you think the construction worker would feel if he accidentally built the tower backward?
Drop by our Facebook group and show us what small world/sensory play bins you’re creating at home or in your classroom!
The Magic of Kinetic Sand
How we use Kinetic Sand in the classroom with a DIY recipe for Kinetic Sand -Early Childhood Educators Academy
Kinetic sand feels and "behaves" much like wet sand and was originally made for sculpting but has found its way into many classrooms.
It is by far one of my favorite items for the preschool classroom and for good reason.
Why Kinetic sand?
Kinetic Sand is a great sensory experience for children.
Not only is it unique in the way that it feels, but compacting it, molding, and kneading it gives children the tactile input that they need in multiple ways.
It can be incredibly relaxing for kids who want something soothing.
The slow almost lazy movement of the sand, as well as the soft texture, can really be grounding and help calm busy minds and bodies, especially for children still learning to regulate emotional responses. This is also therapeutic for stressed-out teachers!
But it can also be equally stimulating for kiddos who need something to smoosh and squeeze. Kinetic sand can be stuffed into cups and hold its shape and easily flattened back into a pancake.
It's a really great tool to use for fine motor skills, such as using the knife to cut through the sand, building grip strength (a crucial prewriting skill) while forming and compacting the sand, and kneading through the sand or using tweezers to pick up toys out of the sand.
Kinetic sand can also be used to extend/enhance learning, such as using colorful sand for color recognition, using it as a base for a small world setting, burying letters/numbers for children to uncover, or using it in dramatic play to make ice cream cones and waffles.
Kinetic sand also doesn’t dry out!
That means you can use it over and over again if you remind the kids to wash their hands before using it.
You can store it in a ziplock bag, a jar, or just leave it in the sensory bin/container and even without a lid, it will be fine.
It's also easier than other materials to clean up should it spill on the floor or carpet since it just clumps together.
It's super easy to DIY your own Kinetic sand as well. All you need is:
Dish Soap
Water
Fine Sand (you can buy from the craft store)
Cornstarch
Food Coloring (optional)
First, mix the sand and cornstarch together
Then mix the water and dish soap (you want it to be bubbly) in a separate bowl
Then slowly add them together until you get the right consistency
You can fold in the food coloring afterward if you choose to add color or diluted essential oil for scent.
Depending on the consistency of your sand, you may have to add more water. You do want to avoid using craft sand that has a lot of rocks and pebbles (like playground sand) or is too chunky.
If you're not a DIY kind of person you can always buy kinetic sand on Amazon or in most big stores like Walmart.
Let us know in the free facebook group for early childhood educators: Do you use Kinetic sand in your classroom?
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