Every child is special, but crafting with a child who has special needs may require a little extra planning and patience, especially if the child has sensory challenges. Some kids are highly sensitive to texture and smell, while others struggle to sit still or remain focused on one activity. By implementing these strategies and using these tips, you can successfully craft with children of all abilities.
Children with special needs often take longer to complete projects than typical kids. Make sure your activity plan includes enough time for all of your kids to finish their crafts. Work in small groups of no more than two or three students so you have time to give each kid individualized attention.
Find a quiet space for your craft session, away from loud noises or other distractions. If possible, bring along an assistant to help you manage the class and ensure that everyone gets the attention they need.
Give your kids plenty of options for hands-on materials, such as pipe cleaners in different colors or beads of various shapes and sizes. Get creative with other sensory materials by using sandpaper to add texture or using different scents (vanilla extract, peppermint oil) when making slime or play dough.
When you are working with special needs students, it’s important to have a lot of crafts in your repertoire. As an educator, one of your main goals should be keeping your students engaged. This is even more important for special needs students because the curriculum may be slower-moving than it would be in a traditional classroom setting, and the student may have difficulty keeping attention on something for long periods of time. This is where having a good variety of crafts can really come in handy.
Here are a few craft ideas that help kids with special needs get creative while improving their motor skills or problem-solving abilities. They’re fun and challenging, but the best part is that they don’t require any special equipment or materials.
In this course, you’ll learn how to create engaging crafts that meet the specific needs of your classroom. For example, if your students have sensory issues, you’ll learn how to create crafts that focus on textures and sights. If your students struggle with impulse control or emotional regulation, you’ll learn how to create crafts that focus on self-soothing activities.
You’ll even learn how to implement simple crafts in your classroom that can help you practice social and emotional learning skills with students of all ages
First of all, the best way to reach a special needs student is through their senses. Make sure that your materials are tactile, colorful, and feel varied. For example, if you are working with a student who is not easily engaged by visual stimuli, choose materials that produce noise or have strong scents.
Second, be careful of which types of crafts you choose. Avoid anything that might be potentially harmful to the health of your students (or anyone else in the room). Also be aware of crafts that require a lot of fine motor skills—you want to make sure that your students can work on the project without feeling frustrated or helpless.
Finally, remember that the best part about crafting for any group is the moment when they get excited about their project. Crafting with special needs students can be challenging because some students may not be able to express themselves as clearly as others—but it can also be incredibly rewarding when a student connects with their craft and shows how proud they are of it.
It’s important for students with special needs to have the chance to express themselves creatively. However, some art supplies can be difficult for students with disabilities to use. For example, many teachers avoid crayons with students who have sensory sensitivity issues because of their texture, and others find that pencil grips are too small for students with mobility or dexterity issues. Fortunately, there are plenty of other art supplies that will let your special needs students explore their artistic sides without causing frustration or injury.
Our crafts are designed to be accessible for special needs students, including those with autism, visual impairments and low-mobility. We also want to make sure our crafts are simple enough for teachers to do while they teach their lessons.
Finger painting is a great activity for special needs children. It is a way for them to express themselves creatively without the need for complicated tools or materials. This can be done with tempera paints or finger paints from a store.
Paper plate animals are another great craft that students can make simply by cutting paper plates into different shapes and gluing them together to create an animal! The best part about this craft is that it doesn’t require any special tools or skills which makes it perfect for teachers as well as students who may not have access to them at home or school. We’ve also included instructions on how you can make your own paper plates if you don’t have any lying around (hint: tissue boxes work too!). Paper plate animals are fun because they allow students the opportunity to use their imagination while creating something tangible at the same time.