Our team is working on fun ways to include class topics, literacy, games, and everyday concepts into multi-sensory reading groups. Last year, we had the Orthopedic Impairment Specialist (OI) and the Teacher for the Visually Impaired (TVI) collaborate using whole class groups in a classroom with students with multiple disabilities. In this activity, we wanted to review some things our students might experience when they have Thanksgiving at their home. We decided to give them the opportunity through a multi-sensory bingo game with a switch activated spinner.
Materials
- Bin of dried leaves or fake leaves
- Football
- Cinnamon stick(s)
- Glove/beanie
- Rainstick(s) or spray bottle (or both)
- Bingo boards
- Large bingo icons
- Switch activated Spinner *option to laminate using matte lamination for bingo cards and for spinner images
- Bingo markers with velcro on them (we used these)
- Velcro that is clear to place on bingo board
- Single-button switch with pre-recorded turkey sound on it (add the photo of the turkey to this switch for consistency)
- Optional: Bin with label to keep items in/ for easy transportation
- Optional: Prize box with various appropriate items for bingo winners!
Game time
- Introduce the game as a multi-sensory bingo activity: Things we will see, feel, hear, smell (and possibly taste) on Thanksgiving
- Pass out bingo boards and bingo markers
- Talk about all the different bingo options on their board and highlight the images that go with the real objects:
- Leaves: are crunchy during Thanksgiving because it’s in the season fall (show them the bin)
- Football: is a sport played on Thanksgiving, some people watch it on TV. Show football. (Optional: play a scene using an iPad)
- Cinnamon: is a smell we smell during Thanksgiving because everyone is cooking delicious dishes like pumpkin pie
- Rainstick (or spray bottle): Rain is a sound we might hear or feel the water because it is in the season fall when it rains.
- Scarf/gloves: are items we might feel on our skin/wear because it’s cold outside
- Turkey: is a bird that makes a fun gobble sound (play sound with switch) and most people eat turkey on Thanksgiving
- Start game
- Have students take turns hitting the switch to activate the spinner.
- When the spinner lands on the section, have the student who spun feel/explore the sensory item that goes with it (feel crunchy leaves for leaf, etc) and have everyone mark their bingo board for that item (just one- there might be two on the board, they just pick one).
- Continue until everyone has had a turn, until someone gets a bingo, or until time allows.
- Optional follow-up activities or adaptations
- Have students choose their favorite Thanksgiving item
- Ask students to match photos to photos or photos to 3D items
- Go for a fall walk outside before or after the game and see if you find any of the real things from the board (rain, crunchy leaves, turkey…)
- Have a Thanksgiving party with a class potluck after the game
- Make pumpkin pie with students after
- Play some adapted football with any takers 🙂
- Add braille to the boards for any braille users
Bonus
Save the template for the bingo boards by “making a copy” in Google docs and edit images to make your own custom bingo board- options are limitless from winter bingo, favorite things bingo, spring bingo, etc.
Hope you enjoy the resources and get a chance to play with your students!
Get more ideas about Thanksgiving
