Description

Participants can colour in and decorate the vehicles on the Transportation Sensory Bag handout. Then they will create a sensory bag with gel, a sandwich bag, and beads and various tactile objects—some of which will serve as the wheels for the vehicles. Placing the sensory bag over the handout, participants must move the wheels into the correct place on the handout.

 

Number of participants 

For any number of participants

 

Space considerations

An indoor space with room for children and their caregivers to do a craft

 

Competencies

  • Creative and imaginative thinking
  • Development of fine motor skills
  • Eye-hand coordination
  • Sensory motor skills
  • Spatial relationships

 

Materials

  • Table or hard flat surface

Sensory handout

  • Transportation Sensory Bag handout
  • Pencil crayons, markers or crayons

 

Items for sensory bag

  • Zipper sandwich bag
  • Gel (hair gel or after-sun gel)

 

  • Tactile items (make sure they can fit into a sandwich bag with multiple other items)
    • Six beads or small round objects that will be used for wheels (e.g., pony beads or buttons)
    • Small tactile items
    • Googly eyes
    • Foam shapes
    • Small pebbles 
    • Tape
    • Confetti, glitter or sparkles (optional)
    • Cut-up paper straws or coffee stir sticks (optional)
    • Cut-up string, twine, yarn or ribbons (optional)
    • Projector and screen (optional)

 

Accessible materials

  • Glue or puff paint (to outline vehicles and wheels)

 

Preparation 

  • Print out handouts for participants
  • Pre-fill all sensory bags with hair gel
  • Fill sandwich bags or containers with sensory materials including small round objects
    • Assign specific objects as the wheels (six needed)
    • Ensure that all the items are small enough that participants can fit a few pieces into the bag 
  • Prepare the room for a program that uses glue or paint

 

Implementation

  • Read a recommended read picture book before doing the activity (optional)
  • Distribute materials

 

Instructions

  • Choose six pieces of an item to serve as vehicle wheels (e.g., pony beads) and then select other small tactile items, including additional round items, to add to the bag
  • You can tape the zipper closed to make it more secure if you like
  • Add gel into the sandwich bag and mix the items around
  • Colour in and decorate the vehicles on the Transportation Sensory Bag handout, then tape handout to table or hard flat surface
  • Place sensory bag on the handout and move sensory bag items to the side so you can see the vehicles
  • Use finger(s) to move wheels into the correct places. The first photo uses blue pony beads for the wheels and the next two photos use green buttons for the wheels

Accessibility considerations

  • Outline the perimeter of each vehicle and wheel with glue to make it easier for participants to locate
  • Provide filled sandwich bags with tactile items for those who need it
  • Provide larger crayons and colouring tools if possible 
  • Consider providing small tongs for participants who may need them
  • Project the activity sheet on a screen and read out the instructions

 

Book suggestions

Baby Sees Things That Go by Janna Steagall

Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around the World by Polly Faber and Klas Fahlén

Trains, Boats and Planes by Michelle Robinson and Jez Tuya

 

Download links