Class project: Texture boards

I am taking a couple of childcare classes right now, and one of them is Children and the Arts.  It's a lot of fun: we get to play with children's art supplies during part of each class.  We also have gotten to do some fun projects.  As usual, I went a little over the top in making my texture boards.

Texture (or sensory) boards are designed to help develop young children's sense of touch and tactile awareness.  They can also help develop motor skills as the child moves his or her hands to feel the different textures.  Even Bella, age 4, loves to explore my sensory boards when she visits my house.


Here is a close up look of one board:

These are the materials used, from left to right:

top row:    large buttons, random piece of knitting that I found in the basement, fake fur
2nd row:   blue metallic scrubby cloth, shelf liner, sponge
3rd row:    aluminum foil, practice free motion quilting sample, big bubble wrap
4th row:    real textured silk, carded wool from a Cornell sheep, netting
5th row:    poly-fil micro beads in a self-stitched vinyl pouch, flannel, a piece of plastic lid
6th row:    bumpy poly plush fabric, sequenced dot fabric, scrunched up wax paper
final row:  canvas, cardboard, felt


A close up look at the second board, and an apology for the quality of the picture:

top row:   sandpaper, bubble wrap envelope (with bubbles facing opposite direction), burlap
2nd row:   denim, thin metal grating, pleather
3rd row:    real velvet, fake feathers, carpet-like upholstery fabric
4th row:    polyester satin, glass plant filler beads, polyester plush fabric
5th row:    hair gel mixed with glitter sealed in a plastic bag (a fave of many because it's squishy), leftover elsa cape fabric - sheer with bumpy glitter snowflakes, cork board
6th row:    textured vinyl tablecloth fabric, mop fabric, fake grass
final row:  corduroy, scrubby sponge, terry cloth

Whew- that's a lot of materials!  My favorite texture is the velvet, and my second favorite is the silk. I love different textures myself - thus my obsession with sewing, and the overabundance of fabric in my collection.