Pick a Popsicle! Braille Learning Activities

Summer is still a few months away, but I wanted to share this activity that could be adapted for about any holiday or theme. Popsicle sticks have an assortment of uses I've found out! And you don't have to eat a box of popsicles to get them either. I found a package of "Woodsies" at Michaels Craft Store for about $4. Here are a few ways to use them:

Letters: Print and/or Braille letters or words onto strips of paper, then glue to one side of the popsicle stick.Use Glitter Glue to make large Braille letters, words or numbers directly on the stick if standard size braille is too small for the child. (Note: For many of the games listed below, you'll need two of each letter, shape or color.)
Different game ideas include: Make a popsicle stick with the lower case letter, as well as a stick with the capital letter to match. Match the letter popsicle sticks to the word sticks that start with that letter. Put the sticks in ABC alphabetical order. Categorize word sticks by animals, foods, and toys. Or just pick a popsicle stick from the jar and identify. Play a game of memory by turning all the sticks upside down in a grid or line pattern, then turn over two at a time until you find all the matches. For sighted children learning braille, make a set of sticks with only print and a set with only braille, then let them match the letters! This is also a great way for parents to learn!

Close up of popsicle stick!

Colors: Paint or dip one end of the stick in paint, then add the color word to the other side. This can be useful for sighted, low vision and blind children, as even blind children need to learn the names of colors. You could also match the color words to other words that are that color. For instance, match a "yellow" popsicle stick with a "sun" popsicle stick; a "green" stick to a "grass" stick, and so on...

Shapes: Adhere foam or glitter sticker shapes to one end of the popsicle stick, then add the shape word to the other side. You can also follow the same idea as with the colors for a fun matching game.

You can also combine a variety of games on one stick. Here we used shapes, colors and braille (regular and large dots) all on the same stick, then just chose different games to play rather than making a different set of sticks for each game above. Enjoy!

Foam shapes can be matched by color and shape.
Braille letters are given in standard size and large dots for learning! 

Book Recommendations

Perhaps it is only a matter of time before e-readers, iPads and Nooks beat out the good ol' paper books, but I imagine books about raising and teaching a blind child, like most everything else to do with blind children, will be slow to catch up with the rest of the technology world. I've commented before on how hard it is for me to spend the money on a technical book like this due to the high cost vs. usability. So I ask again, is the content really worth the money?

The answer I've found is, "Yes, some books are worth the money and time spent on them." So for the parents and professionals out there reading this blog post, I've listed a few titles below which I've found helpful in my quest to become more knowledgeable and prepared in giving my daughter all she needs. I hope you'll take the time to read them as well. Which brings me to my next question... How many of you would borrow these books to read from an online library? Please leave comments below!

• "Beginning with Braille: Firsthand Experiences with a Balanced Approach to Literacy" by Anna M. Swenson
• "A Parents' Guide to Special Education for Children with Visual Impairments" by Susan LaVenture (whom I've met personally; Such a wonderful and inspiring person!)
• "Early Focus" by Pogrund & Fazzi

Educational Toy Ideas for Visually Impaired Children

So the point of Sensory Sun is to develop fun, educational toys for visually impaired children. I'm talking toys that you would buy at your "local" chain toy store or one of those other huge stores we shop at least once a week (you know which ones I'm talking about, I'll just leave out the trademark names for legal reasons in case there are any...) But really, how nice would it be for parents and anyone wanting to buy a toy that a blind child is really going to love at a competitive price with the toys designed for every other sighted child? We want to make this a reality...

Is your child just learning braille? No problem! Just pick up the Braille Cell Learning Tree for about $25-40 next time your doing your shopping. Your child will learn the braille cell dot numbers, how to type letters a-z, letter sounds and more! Want to introduce basic math? (One of the harder subjects for blind kids) No problem! Just toss the Touch & Slide Zoobacus into your cart on your way through the toy section and pay the same price as you would a pay for a popular handheld game (again, trademark issues). And guess what! Your child's sighted siblings, friends, and even you are going to enjoy the toys (and learn, of course) just as much as your blind child! Yes, that means they're going to play together, maybe even fight over who is going to slide the three bananas to the right to feed the hungry monkey next... Okay, you may have to buy two! But hey, wouldn't your rather be in that position than feeling lost and frustrated when you can't find anything completely accessible?! I would!

**Note, the Braille Cell Learning Tree and Touch & Slide Zoobacus are patent pending.