Sensory Activities for the Blind

Blindness, like any other sensory-depriving condition, requires you to take steps in order to adequately develop the remaining senses. For instance, echolocation uses hearing in place of sight, and is, in fact, something that can be learned by blind or seeing persons simply by exercising their sense of echoes and training the brain to recognize what they mean. The more highly developed these senses are, the less fallout is experienced by people who are blind.

Kids Make Play Doh

• In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup flour, one-quarter cup of salt and two tablespoons cream of tartar. Cook for about four minutes, stirring regularly. When it has turned to ball form place it on a sheet of wax paper and allow it to cool. Then, when it is cool enough to touch knead it for up to five minutes. Store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and it should stay nice for at least a few months. Play doh is a great sensory experiment for kids because they are able to use touching, during the cooking process and after by playing with the dough, as well as smell, object perception and hearing. A child using dough can experiment with the different sounds the dough makes when slapped against a surface or squished in the palm of his hand.

Kids Play Dress Up

• Gather all of the old clothes that you can find, of all sorts. Work on object perception by having the players try on various types of clothing, deciding which articles fit and how they fit. Take it to the next level, having them guess if the articles are women's or men's clothing, based on the style and cut. If you have a group, you can have them dress up as different characters, move about so that their clothes are making sounds and try to guess what others are wearing, either by the sounds of their heels or feeling the jewelry or hat that someone might have on.

Scientific Observation

• Set out tubs, pans and jars containing various materials. Ensure that all items placed in the containers vary significantly in smell, taste (they should all be edible), temperature, texture and noises that they make. You can use ice cubes, warmed syrup, salt, or various plants, so long as they are safe to eat. Then, have the person or group you are working with walk around the room recording all that they observe with their senses. Have them pay special attention to the difference in the way things sound when they are poured or handled, or the way things feel, smell and taste. When you are finished with the session have a discussion about what was sensed and try to figure out what was at each station or in each box.

Adult Activities

• For adults activity is especially important. The biggest challenges for some, after becoming blind, are everyday activities such as meals, money handling, grooming, and basic housekeeping. Practice and experiment with setting the table for meals in the most efficient and comfortable manner possible. Take time each day to sit and handle different types of money, feeling for and committing to memory the differences in each. You can also figure out a system in which to organize money, such as folding dollars or keeping change in a coin sorter, that makes identification easier. For housekeeping and grooming, label containers and items with braille; also, try practicing cleaning and grooming as much as possible, even if it is not needed. Offer assistance until the person feels comfortable doing things on their own.