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May Teaching Calendar

Teaching ideas and activities to celebrate the month of May including VE Day, Vesak, World Bee Day, Hedgehog Awareness Day, Whitsun, National Sun Awareness Week and more!


Featured


May 2 Space Day

May 4-10 Hedgehog Awareness Week

May 5 African World Heritage Day

May 8 VE Day

May 10 World Migratory Bird Day

May 12 Vesak Day

May 12 Florence Nightingale's Birthday

May 12-18 Sun Awareness Week

May 20 World Bee Day


National Walking Month

National Share a Story Month

National Smile Month


This Day in Sensory History:

May 24 1844 The first Morse Code Message was sent.


The April Sensory Garden

  • Plant fast-growing seeds; cress, carrots, peas, and sunflowers.

  • Sow wildflower seeds.

  • Pick dandelions, daisies, leaves and buttercups and make a May Day crown.

  • Join National Children's Gardening Week (May 24 –June 1).

  • Tidy and pull up any weeds.


What to Look for in Nature

Flora and Fauna

  • Comfrey, beech, dandelion leaves, gorse, hawthorn tips, marigolds, primulas, violets, wild garlic, wood sorrel.


The April Kitchen

  • Asparagus, peas, radish, cauliflower, lettuce, sping onions, spinach, spring greens, chives and parsley.


What to Look for in Nature

Mayflies, ducklings, cygnets, moorhens.


Bird of the Month: Nightingale

A small songbird with its powerful, melodious song often heard at night and celebrated in literature and folklore for its enchanting, flute-like notes.


  • Listen to a recording of a nightingale

  • Re-create the birdsong by playing a flutes or recorders.

  • Explore feathers; brown for the body, a red tail and cream belly and chest.


May 2 - Space Day

Get creative with this constellation art activity.


...or explore moon dust.


Moon Dust Recipe

You will need

  • 8 Tablespoons of Cornflour

  • 1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

  • Vanilla Essence


Method

Ratio 8:1

  1. Combine the vegetable oil and cornflour until you reach a powdered yet mouldable texture.

  2. Option to add flavoured essence to stimulate the senses.

  3. Press the footprint of a shoe to spark curiosity (the astronaut's footprint)


Suggested Resource

£3.98


'Mars has red rocks and a bright red sky,

the volcanoes reach my rocket they are so high

This planet is cold, at night, minus 80 degrees

If I stay here much longer, I'm going to freeze!'

'Journey into Space'
'Journey into Space'

Table of Contents

Buckle Up!

Story Props Checklist

How to Tell a Multisensory Story

Journey Into Space A Multisensory Story

Developing Comprehension & Understanding

Story Map

Space Sounds (Listening Game)

How to Make a Space Themed Sensory Bag

How to Make a Space Themed Sensory Bin

Space Relaxation – A Guided Relaxation Space Adventure!

Create an Astronaut Role Play Area

Galaxy Art

The Space Lab

Space Design & Technology


May 4-10 Hedgehog Awareness Week


Build Understanding of Animal Habitats and Develop Creative Thinking Through the Use of Different Materials

Hedgerows are a hedgehog's natural habitat, and our gardens also make a good habitat.


Explore a Hedge

Mark a section 1m x 1m and count how many species of plants you can find in that area.


Make a Hedgehog Habitat

Layer a container (tuff-tray or cardboard box) with fern/bracken, dried grass, straw, and leaves. (Alternatively, find a patch in an outdoor area amongst shrubbery, or in leaf/wood piles) Hedgehogs roll the leaves and grass into balls, can the student roll the leaves and grasses into balls?


Explore Hedgehog Food

A hedgehog's main diet consists of beetles, along with caterpillars and earthworms. Head outdoors. Lift plant pots, stones and logs and see if you can find any of these insects. Use a magnifying glass to see more detail


Make a Hedgehog Sensory Box

Line a shoebox with leaves (I used vine leaves, rosemary leaves, curry leaves and bay leaves for an extra sensory element)


Add a SSCD with a recording of a hedgehog snuffle.


Add hedgehogs (Spiky pom poms, pinecones and a nail brush represent the spikiness of a hedgehog or make hedgehogs by rolling Playdoh into a ball then create the spikes using dried spaghetti)


Simplify

Place a few items in the box for sensory exploration.

Remove the items the student doesn't interact with, replace them with other items.

Keep changing the items to keep the activity interesting and motivating



May 12-18 National Sun Awareness Week

'Sensory Sun' by Sparrow's Class at Hebden Green School, Winsford, Cheshire
'Sensory Sun' by Sparrow's Class at Hebden Green School, Winsford, Cheshire

Create a Sensory Sun


Class teacher Vicky Ormerod-Jordan explains how the Sparrow Class Hebden Green School in Winsford, Cheshire, celebrated the sun!


'We danced with a yellow stretchy band which is the centre of our sun.

We added oranges and lemons, having smelt, touched, and tasted them.

We explored sweetcorn, peeling off the leaves.

We smelt yellow marigolds and added them to the sun centre.

We bounced, tennis balls and rolled them down a ramp.

We enjoyed a song I wrote called 'The Sun will Shine,' where we shone a torch on various body parts.

The best part of the picture was making hand and footprints in yellow paint for the sun's rays. Very messy!'


Thank you to Vicky, the team, and the students.


Other Ideas

Discuss the importance of staying safe in the sun (link to skin cancer Awareness Month)

Make a sun safety box and place sun protection items inside for exploration

  • Sunscreen

  • Hats

  • Sunglasses

  • Protective clothing (round neck cotton t-shirts)

  • Bottle of water

  • Sunshade


Extend Learning

Can the students tell you what the items are used for how they protect you from the sun?


Click below to view to gallery to see more of the Sparrow's sun themed sensory activities taken from 'Summer - A Multisensory Exploration' £3.98 



May 5

African World Heritage Day

Celebrate of the culture of the Continent of Africa. Explore the importance of Africa and its vulnerability due to climate change and poaching.


Explore animal 'skins'

This presents an opportunity for students to explore and express their likes, dislikes and sensory preferences and can help in everyday life such as clothing.

- Faux fur

- Faux leather (fake leather belts, handbags)

- Fabric craft feathers

- Faux suede


Extend Learning

Animal Match Game

Print out an African Animals picture grid (see example below)



Print and cut out the animal skin patterns below.

Can the students match the animal pattern to the animal?



VE Day Teaching Pack
VE Day Teaching Pack

May 8 VE Day

Capture the celebration of VE Day, reflect on the sacrifices, memory, and legacy of those involved in World War II and explore daily life in Britain during the war with this VE Day sensory story.


Includes over 50 VE Day grab and go activity ideas linking to areas of the curriculum for sensory learners of all ages; re-create an air raid, cook wartime recipes using rations, 'Dig for Victory', dress up and organise a street party, role-play an evacuation, explore a soldier's backpack, join the war cabinet and become a code breaker, make Picasso's Dove of Peace and more! Includes a bonus Anne Frank Sensory Story.


Activity: Explore a Soldier's Backpack

Soldiers' backpacks in WWII were designed to carry essential gear like rations, ammunition, medical supplies, water, and personal items. They were often made of canvas with adjustable leather straps. The backpacks were heavy, weighing between 30 to 50 pounds making long marches and battle eld conditions even more challenging.


Place items into a backpack for sensory exploration: blanket, compass, clothes: poncho, socks, undershirt, first aid kit: antiseptic wipes, bandages, sterile gauze, tape, tweezers, flashlight, gas mask, letters from home, metal spoon, photo of loved ones, rations: canned food, biscuits, crackers, chocolate, instant coffee, sugar, water canteen.


Invite the sensory explorer to wear the backpack.


Build Functional Language skills

Can the sensory explorer name the item?

Can the sensory explorer tell or show you how you use the item?


Extend Learning

Place 'red herrings' in a pile of soldier's backpack items, things you would not take to war e.g., compact disc, plastic spoon, (standard issue was metal),LED tealight, plastic water bottle (not used commercially until 1947), phone charger, salad tongs.

Can the sensory explorer tell you why? e.g., CD's were not invented!


May 10th - World Migratory Bird Day

Raise awareness for the conservation of birds and their habitats.


Explore a Variety of Different Shapes, Sizes and Colours of Feathers

Feed the Birds: Birds need to prepare for migration by eating food.


Bird Song Sound Bingo

  1. Print out a picture card with the pictures of migratory birds: Cuckoo, Dove, Goose, Flamingo, Heron, Hummingbird, Starling.

  2. Play the sound effect of the birdsong/call

  3. Can the student identify the bird that makes that sound?

  4. The students may not know all the sounds, so this is a good exercise in listening to new sounds. You can repeat the activity later in the day (week) and see if the student(s) remember any new sounds they have learnt.


Simplify the Activity

Although not all of these birds are not migratory, this activity will teach sound discrimination.


Make a Bird Nesting Material Feeder

You will need

  • Wire Bird Feeder/Suet Cage

  • Materials for Nesting: Cotton Wool, Feathers, Fluff, Grass Clippings, Dried Grasses, Hair, Leaves, Moss, Mud, Pine Needles, Plant Stems, Shredded Paper, Sticks, Straw, String*, Wool* and Yarn*. *Use only natural fibres (not plastic or acrylic.)


Activity

1. Ensure the nesting materials are broken/cut into small pieces/lengths as they are a potential choking hazard for birds.

2. Mix the materials.

3. Loosely push the nesting materials into the bird feeder (option to open the top to create a wider opening) Hand the feeder in a place safe from predators.


May 12th

Vesak Day/Buddha Day

Vesak is the celebration of the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.


Mark the Day the Sensory Way

Meditate: Dim the lights in the room and close the blinds, switch on an LED candle or play footage of a candle burning on your interactive whiteboard.

People traditionally wear white clothes.


Explore white clothes or white fabrics

Provide a selection of white fabrics of different textures for the student to explore their likes, dislikes and sensory preferences: Acrylic, Aertex, Chenille, Corduroy, Cotton, Crepe, Crinoline, Fake Fur, Felt, Flannel, Fleece, Hessian, Jersey, Lace, Linen, Mesh, Net, Percale, Polyester, Polycotton, Satin, Silk, Terry, Velour, Velvet, Viscose, Wool.


Family & Friends decorate temples with flowers and exchange cards.


Make a Vesak Day Flower Card

You will need

  • A piece of card

  • Double sided tape

  • Daisies and dandelions


Activity

  1. Cover one side of the card with double-sided sticky tape or a layer of PVA glue (if using PVA, leave until it is almost dry but tacky enough to stick the flowers and grass on.

  2. Take the learning outdoors

  3. Show the students the flowers and grasses that are safe to pick (dandelions and daisies)

  4. Invite the students to pick the flowers then stick them onto their card.

  5. Option to place a photo of the student on the card.


Hands Free Alternative

  1. Cut a wide band of card and secure into a bracelet

  2. Apply a thin layer of PVA glue or cover one side of the card with double-sided sticky tape

  3. Place the band on the student's wrist.

  4. The student will have both hands free to explore, pick and place their items onto their band


May 12th

Florence Nightingale's Birthday


Explore the contents of a first aid bag/box

This activity will raise awareness of the contents of a first aid box* and reduce the anxiety some students may have around first aid.

*I have included extra items that may not be in your box

  • Sterile plasters of assorted sizes

  • Large and medium-sized sterile, individually wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings

  • Sterile eye pads

  • Triangular bandage

  • Disposable gloves

  • Foil Blanket

  • Sterile wound wipes

  • Finger dressing

  • Burns gel dressings

  • Adhesive tape to secure dressings

  • An updated first aid guidance leaflet.


  • Practice simple first aid;  bandaging "wounds", wrapping foil blankets around casualties, taking pulses and listening to breathing. Gently press the 'patient's' nail and notice how the colour changes from pink to white, see how quickly the colour changes, the quicker the better the circulation. Assess level of consciousness by speaking to casualty;  Encourage participants to swap roles between being patients and medics. ‘Hello are you ok? Can you hear me?’ ‘What is your injury?’

  • Discuss how to raise the alarm in an emergency.


May 20th

World Bee Day

A day to appreciate and raise awareness of bees.


National Smile Month

The aim is to make someone smile. This could be through a compliment, telling a joke or an act of kindness.


  • Explore Mirrors Exploring mirrors teaching an awareness of your own reflection and how we convey emotion. (Point out safety when using mirrors) Explore a range of different shaped, sized and colours of mirrors.

  • Pull funny faces

  • Model wearing hats, wigs, glasses, and clothes so the student can change their look. Encourage the student to observe how their mouth changes shape as they talk.

  • Draw funny faces on balloons.

  • Smile:)


May 24th 1844

On this Day the First Morse Code Message was Sent


Dots and Dashes Artwork

Create artwork using different tools and materials to make dots and dashes


Dots: Bingo dabbers, cotton wool bud, fingerprints, paint brushes, pipettes, pom poms, sponges, stickers, vegetable printing, paint bubble wrap

Dashes: Chopsticks, cinnamon sticks, dried spaghetti, feather quill, pipe cleaners, rollers, roll balls/toy cars through paint, ribbon, rubber bands, straws, string


Other ideas:

  • Spray paint through card templates/stencils

  • Colour through the hole in an old cd

  • Play dot-to-dot


This Month is National Walking Month



  • Enjoy a listening walk outdoors.

  • Enjoy a listening walk around your school/setting.

  • Make a sensory pathway. Use different textured materials and natural items to form a pathway (sand/gravel/carpet/water/leaves/wood/foam etc) Would the students like to walk barefoot to stimulate their senses?

 

Share a Story Month

For me, the best part of storytelling is the bond shared between the storyteller and story explorer as you share your adventures.


For anyone new to multisensory storytelling you can watch free training videos here: 

The videos will talk you through how to source story props and using the props/resources as a tool to promote communication skills, independence, areas of learning and for students to explore and express their likes, dislikes and sensory preferences providing opportunities for them to make choices and rejections.


There are FREE stories to download here


Other Resources

Join your favourite fictional book characters and explore the world of non-fiction with this fully resourced, step-by-step sensory story perfect for celebrating Share a Story Month, World Book Day, World Poetry Day, International Literacy Day, National Library Week and other book festivals and awareness days. Includes 70 Plus activity idea for sensory learners of all ages and ideas for students extending their learning.



Other Titles in this Series

Fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory stories linking individuals to literature, culture, history & topic through the senses.


Each resource includes themed, sensory activities aimed at promoting communication skills, independence, and areas of learning.


FULL LIST OF TITLES

The Seasons Collection

A Winter Walk (Free Resource)

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

The Weather (Free resource)


Christmas

Dear Santa (Free resource)


Culture & Celebrations Collection

A Train Ride Through India

Burns Night

Chinese New Year

Halloween

Holi

St Patricks Day


History

The King's Coronation

The Queen's Jubilee (Free resource)

The Romans

VE Day


Life Skills

Jobs and Work Experience


Maths

Shapes - A Multisensory Exploration (includes 130 shape themed, sensory activities)


Reference

Listen - An A-Z of Sensory Inspiration to Stimulate the Auditory System

Sensory Resources for Sensory Learners (800+ ideas)

January 2024 Teachers Almanac


Self-Care

The Dentist (Free resource)

Washing Hands (Free resource)


Topic/Theme

Elephants

Journey into Space

Minibeasts

Superheroes

The Beach

The Farm

The Rainforest


Traditional Tales Collection

The Gingerbread Man

Goldilocks

Jack & the Beanstalk

Little Red Riding Hood

The Three Little Pigs




Subscribe to the Members Library for unlimited access to all resources to view online, download and/or print out, training videos and bonus content.

£95 per year (school/setting site licence - multiple users)

email rhymingmultisensorystories@outlook.com for more information.


Visit the Story Library for your FREE resources


Download the Latest Catalogue




Workshops

Pricelist


1-1

£45


Private Group Workshop

£99


Whole school/setting INSET

£199

Includes a free 6-month subscription to the Members Library


Get in Touch!

Your questions, queries, comments & feedback are always welcome!

Twitter: @RhymingStories

Pinterest: Rhyming Multisensory Stories


The Health & Safety Bit!

Please Read Before Engaging in any Activities


Health & Safety Advice & Disclaimer

  • The author has used their best efforts in preparing the information on this website and makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness to the contents.

  • The information is for pleasure purposes only.

  • If information in this blog are ideas for activities. If you are unsure, please ask for advice.

  • ​The activities are designed to be led and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.


​​A Note on Allergies/Intolerances

  • ​If you have any doubts regarding any activity or prop used, then seek advice before starting.​

  • ​Be aware of potential choking hazards.

  • Check the ingredients in any items you may be using for any potential food or skin allergies or respiratory reactions. If you see any signs of redness, swelling or other symptoms of a suspected reaction seek immediate medical advice.

  • The interactions should be led by the sensory explorer who should be allowed to participate without expectation.

  • ​Never force stimuli and stop the activity if the person shows signs that they are not enjoying the session.


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