We are heading back to my favorite store today, The Dollar Tree! I have some more simple and inexpensive ideas for you using Dollar Tree products. Be sure to check out the video for quick tutorials with these products.
School Supplies
Believe it or not, The Dollar Tree has some very cool school supplies that are appropriate for special needs kiddos this year.
- Large Glue sticks that can be easily grasped by hands of different ability levels.
- Scissors with a lift assist for individuals that need a little extra help cutting.
- Large Button Calculator for individuals who may lack the fine motor control needed to push the smaller buttons or those with visual impairments.
Cat Toy?
I know this one sounds crazy, but I found this suction cup cat toy and thought it would be great to encourage jumping and reaching overhead. You can attach this toy to doors and walls at different heights to give kids a target to reach for when they are jumping or reaching.
Plastic Containers
The Dollar Tree is carrying these great small containers that both stack inside each other and can be stacked on top of each other creating a tower. There are lots of different things you can do with these containers.
- Stacking them is a great activity to work on motor control and graded movements, as well as, squatting and floor to stand transitions.
- These containers can also act as a makeshift ski ball course when you combine it with soft balls, bean bags or loofahs.
- Because they are plastic, you can use dry erase markers to write on them. If you place numbers or letters on the bottoms of the container and scatter them around the room, you can have kids run, hop, skip, or jump to a specific number/letter. You can also draw or write different activities on the bottom of the container and use them in an obstacle course.
- These containers are also great for acting as obstacles that kids need to negotiate to get from one side of the room to the other. Kids can step over them, step around them, or jump over them.
Kitchen Tools
Many of the kids I work with have a hard time holding onto and using a standard paintbrush. So, to make painting a bit more accessible, I use kitchen gadgets.
- Meat Chopper: Dip the end of it in paint and you can create stars.
- Long Handle Sponge: The sponge end is perfect for painting and the large handle is easier to hold.
- Loofah: Loofahs are both easy to grab and can hold paint really well.
- Cotton Balls with Clothes Pins: If you are looking to work on a more refined fine motor control then place a cotton ball on the end of a clothes pin.
Ice Cube Trays & Muffin Tins
Both of these are great for sorting activities.
- Using the ice cube trays you can use a permanent or dry erase marker to place numbers in the bottom on the tray. Then have kids drop beans or beads in that coordinate with the number. Your students can use their fingers or tongs to drop the beans in.
- Using the muffin tins you can use dry erase markers to draw colors on the bottom of each tin and have students sort pom poms, beads, or sorting bears into the correct tin.
- The muffin tins are metal which means you can also use magnets to attach to them.
Well, that wraps up my ideas for today. Be sure to leave any of your amazing ideas in the comments section down below. If you are interested in more of my Dollar Tree Favorites Check out these videos: Dollar Tree Favorites and More Dollar Tree Favorites. And if you are looking for some ideas that don’t require you to spend a dime, check out No Cost Treatment Ideas.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great week!
-Heather
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