Lucky Dip Braille Activity

By Gwyn McCormack

This is a fun activity to support knowledge of braille contractions and initial letter sounds.  In this braille lesson, students will make a “lucky dip” into a box filled with objects, pull out an object, and match the item to the correct word label, or correct contraction. 

You will need: 

• Box covered in wrapping or textured paper, labelled ‘Lucky Dip’ 
• Polystrene shapes, or packing materials to fill box with 
• Objects to place in the Lucky Dip Box 
• A shallow tray 
• Velcro 
• Gripping stuff – laid in base of tray www.gripping-stuff.com 
• 6 plastic CD circles (from ends of CD pack) or cut out cardboard 
• Circles, positioned / stuck down on the tray with a piece of gripping 
• Stuff cut out and placed in the middle of each circle
• Set of braille labels with Velcro attached to back of each positioned on each circle on the tray, using Velcro

Activity:

• In a simple fun game of ‘Lucky Dip’ the child puts their hand in the box and rummages around until they find an object, pulling it out of the box as they do. 
• Child reads each braille label positioned on the tray and on finding the one that matches the object, places the object on the middle of the circle. 
• Objects may focus on an initial letter sound or on using a specific contraction being taught e.g. paint, pin, tin, sheet, shape, shell. 

Variations:

• Child could braille the labels to add to the circles as they find the objects from the box. 
• The child could place find 6 objects in the box, write labels on the braille writer and ask a friend to play the game. 
• There could be 5 objects using one particular contraction and one object which doesn’t carry any contractions – the child picking out the odd one out.

Download this activity (PDF).