My “I Spy” Sensory Box is tons of fun!

Check out this awesome home-made “I Spy” sensory box! This engaging DIY activity is great for addressing visual perceptual skills, especially figure-ground skills. All you need to create the "I Spy" activity is a sturdy shoe box, small beads, and a variety of small items.  Fill the box approximately 1/3 full of colorful beads, and hide the small objects under the beads. Here are some example items:

• Mini toothbrush
• Barbie doll clothing pieces
• Small plastic pieces of food
• A tiny book
• A small plastic doll 

As the child finds the hidden objects, you can encourage language by asking questions about each object. For example, “What color is that shirt? What do you do with a toothbrush?”

If the child closes their eyes while locating and identifying the items, this will address stereognosis. To make the activity easier, hide larger objects, and to make it more difficult, hide smaller objects.

This project was completed by a Master of Occupational Therapy student at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and posted with permission.