#Sensory Bin Tools

[waterbeads1993]

Aquatic Wonder: Dive into the Secrets of our Water Beads Set - A Sensory Extravaganza for Kids!

"Dive into the aquatic wonder of our Water Beads Set! With 40,000 small sensory beads, 50 jumbo water beads, and sensory bin tools, this set offers a vibrant, educational, and therapeutic experience for kids. Explore the hidden world of hydration science, eco-friendly play, and year-round fun. A mindful gift for 5 to 10-year-olds, ensuring non-toxic, reusable, and inclusive entertainment!"

15 Less Known, Hidden, and Surprising Facts:

Beyond Ordinary: These sensory water beads are not just regular; they are an aquatic wonderland, providing a mesmerizing sensory experience for kids.

Eco-Friendly Delight: Uncover the eco-friendly nature of these water beads, ensuring guilt-free play and a positive impact on the environment.

Color Explosion: Experience a burst of colors as the set contains 40,000 small sensory beads and 50 jumbo water beads, creating a vibrant and visually stunning sensory bin.

Educational Exploration: Engage in educational play as these beads foster learning through tactile exploration, color recognition, and counting activities.

Hydration Science: Delve into the fascinating science behind water beads' expansion and contraction, turning hydration lessons into a captivating experience.

Year-Round Fun: Whether it's a hot summer day or a chilly winter afternoon, these water beads provide year-round sensory fun for kids, indoors or outdoors.

Non-Toxic Assurance: Ensure the safety of your little ones with the non-toxic nature of these water beads, offering peace of mind during playtime.

Sensory Bin Tools: The set comes complete with sensory bin tools, enhancing the play experience by allowing kids to explore and manipulate the beads creatively.

Mindful Gift: Gift not just a toy but a mindful experience. This water beads set makes for a thoughtful and engaging gift for 5 to 10-year-olds.

Therapeutic Soak: Discover the therapeutic benefits as kids immerse their hands in the soothing touch of water beads, promoting relaxation and sensory awareness.

DIY Craft Haven: Unleash creativity with these beads, turning them into DIY crafts that go beyond sensory play, fostering imaginative and artistic expression.

Reusable Magic: Unlike a one-time show, these water beads are reusable, providing endless hours of play and learning opportunities.

Science Experiment Fun: Turn playtime into a science experiment by observing and documenting the changes in the water beads during hydration and dehydration.

Immersive Learning: These water beads go beyond play; they offer immersive learning experiences, making them an invaluable tool for parents and educators.

Inclusive Entertainment: Catering to various age groups, these water beads ensure inclusive entertainment, creating a shared space for siblings and friends to enjoy together.

FAQs About Water Beads Set -

Q: How do water beads contribute to sensory play for kids?

A: Water beads offer a captivating sensory experience for kids through their unique texture, vibrant colors, and the soothing touch, promoting tactile exploration and sensory awareness.

Q: What makes the Water Beads Set eco-friendly?

A: The Water Beads Set is eco-friendly as the beads are made with non-toxic materials, ensuring a guilt-free playtime that has a positive impact on the environment.

Q: How can parents ensure the safety of their children while using the Water Beads Set?

A: Parents can ensure safety by choosing the Water Beads Set, which is non-toxic, providing peace of mind during play, and ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for the little ones.

Q: What educational benefits do water beads offer for kids?

A: Water beads in the set foster educational play by encouraging learning through tactile exploration, color recognition, and counting activities, making playtime both fun and educational.

Q: Can the Water Beads Set be used for creative DIY crafts?

A: Yes, the Water Beads Set is versatile and can be used for creative DIY crafts, going beyond sensory play to foster imaginative and artistic expression in children.

Q: How do water beads provide a therapeutic experience for kids?

A: Water beads offer a therapeutic experience as kids immerse their hands in the soothing touch of the beads, promoting relaxation and sensory awareness, creating a calming and enjoyable playtime.

Q: Are the water beads in the set reusable?

A: Yes, the water beads in the set are reusable, providing endless hours of play and learning opportunities for children, making them a sustainable and long-lasting entertainment option.

Q: What sensory bin tools are included in the Water Beads Set?

A: The Water Beads Set comes complete with sensory bin tools, enhancing the play experience by allowing kids to explore and manipulate the beads creatively, adding an extra layer of engagement.

Q: How do water beads turn playtime into a science experiment for kids?

A: Water beads turn playtime into a science experiment as kids can observe and document the changes in the beads during hydration and dehydration, adding an educational and interactive element to their play.

Q: Is the Water Beads Set suitable for various age groups?

A: Yes, the Water Beads Set is designed to be inclusive, catering to various age groups, ensuring shared entertainment for siblings and friends, creating a space for collaborative and enjoyable play.

[therianhelp]

Masc/Andr Self-Care for a Skunk (not cutesy)

(It was actually surprisingly hard to find non-cutesy skunk things :o sorry, I did my best lol)

Indoor Tent

Phantoscope Faux Fur Pillow

Bugs and Beans Sensory Bin

Chewelry Zipper Pull

Skunk Journal

Skunk Pillow

Forest Forager Candle

Misty Forest Bath Bomb

[brownhairedbookworm]

Emptiness And (Other Sensations to Apply to a Stoned Girlfriend)

content: drug use, BDSM, women afflicted with the big gay

I lower the chilled can from my lips, letting out a relaxed sigh. Tonight, I have no responsibilities and I have no plans for tomorrow. I have just finished an entire can of THC-infused root beer. Does that make it root and leaf beer? Hm, a thought better left explored once the effects are more properly in progress. Addled thoughts are more fun.

I drop the can into the recycling bin. My next steps take me out of the kitchen and toward the living room, where my beautifully gothic girlfriend, Yuri, is reading. Careful not to disturb her, I climb into her lap. My hands naturally rest on her shoulders as I read over the pages. Ah, she's re-reading this one. We should head on a bookstore date, soon! Our personal library could always stand to grow.

"Mmm, my lovely lavender lady~? Are you too engrossed in your reading to help me prepare for a scene?"

Yuri looks over at my face. Her stoic expression is only betrayed by a spark of mischief in her eyes that I've just recently started to be aware of. "Hm... You've just chugged an entire can of something, and now you desire to 'prepare for a scene'... Miss Monika, are you planning to be stoned on the harness and let me have my way with you?" She taps my jaw with the black ring on her right hand.

"You've got it. Interested?"

"Incredibly. You make fascinating sounds, when you get inebriated." Yuri closes her book with slightly more force than necessary. She sets it to the side and picks me up. Her lips begin rising into a grin. It seems like she's excited to torture me, as always! Her sadistic streak is so surprisingly cute...~

It barely takes another 5 minutes before I'm stripped bare and Yuri has prepared me for sensory play in the basement. She locks my limbs into their cuffs, and then begins covering my head.

Blackness and silence. My face is masked, my ears are completely blocked off from the world with a noise cancelling device, and my hair is ever so carefully reshaped into a bun. I can't speak, I can't see, I can't hear, and the only thing I can feel is the sensation of my own weight sagging against my bonds. The world is absolute stillness, as far as I am aware. Even the playful taunts that I'm sure I'm being given fall on deaf ears.

As the THC begins stewing my mind, the first sense I lose is really my sense of time. When nothing is happening to your body, and your mind is slowly turning around, you can't tell how long anything has been going on for. I'm sure it can't be that long, but Yuri's deprived me of sensation for extended periods, before. It makes my reaction to stimulus that much more interesting to her. I can't help but let out a soft grunt as my mind begins to warp. Even without my sight, I can tell my eyes have settled into different focal lengths. A mild dizziness begins to float into my conscious mind.

The scratch of a nail (black, sharp, shining, I see it in my mind's eye) trails across my side, and my mind hyperfocuses on the only meaningful sensory information I've received in the past...hour? I don't even think she broke skin, but the stimulation of anything happening after being deprived for what feels like so long sends my body into a shudder. I feel a moan rumble out of my throat, unable to hear it once it escapes. My muscles twitch and my arms tug at my restraints, desperately flailing and twisting my body to receive a touch, once more. But hands or nails or tools do not contact my skin, again. I let out what has to be a pathetic whimper.

The (admittedly former, at this point) Literature Club president, goddess of this virtual world… Brought low by a mere sixty minutes of lacking sensation. Or… Has it been longer? I feel the desperation swirling and swimming between my core and my brain, up and down my spinal cord like a phone call that no one can answer.

Just as the sensation of my scratched skin begins to fade, I feel a chill applied to the small of my back. Ah, cold cold cold cold cold cold, is that an ice cube?! Is it a piece of chilled steel!? I feel it sticking to my skin, but I can't tell what it is. I let out a hiss and a moan, writhing about once more as my mind spreads the sensation of deathly chill throughout my bones.

My heart pounds, spreading the intoxicant in my digestive system through my body even faster.

My tension and arousal ebb and flow. I feel the effects of the drugs starting to peak. My senses remain unstimulated, but my brain's electric pulses begin leaking into each other. My angular gyrus is sending garbage data directly to my Wernicke's area, and I have a completely agreeable thought that ¥Ëć¼öĆòĨÀÔ is a concept for Thursday and would go well with taco night. At the immediate same time, the remaining sober parts of my brain rightfully ask "What in the goddamn hell are you talking about?".

And then any junk thoughts are interrupted by the raw sensation of Yuri biting my neck. Gently, almost too gently... Her teeth press into my skin, not breaking through. I feel the carefully coordinated pressure of her jaw. The scent of her perfume, the tickling of her loose hair brushing across my cheek, the warmth of her body, I feel every part of her so deeply in my soul. Another pathetic moan erupts from me as I wiggle in the restraints again. I try to call out with my mind, begging her to bite harder. She pulls away, probably smelling my naked craving for her. I whine as I helplessly wiggle toward where she was. Please keep touching me. Let me feel you.

I cling tightly to the memory of her scent as the void overtakes me once more. The phantom of her presence caresses my form as I hold tighter and tighter to the fading smell in my brain, washing away in the swamp of intoxication. I whine softly and squeeze my eyes shut with the useless effort of grasping at a faded thought.

My body goes limp against my will. I can feel the THC flowing into my motor controls. Complete relaxation finally penetrates my needy, greedy heart. I let out a sigh as the tension in my system slowly dissipates.

The mask and gag on my mouth are pulled away and Yuri makes her presence known once more. She kisses me gently, holding a hand to my chest. I feel my heart beat against her. I crave a liquid form so I can simply envelope her and experience the entire sensation of Yuri all at once. But a kiss and plenty of skin contact will have to do.

I feel a rumble in my stomach... I should have eaten, before getting bound.

Yuri leaves the kiss, to my whining disappointment. But this time her presence stays close. First, she releases my feet, then my arms, and finally removes the noise cancelling headphones. The blindfold stays on, as she embraces me. The sensations of the world slowly return.

"I felt that stomach growl up in your chest, my darling emerald. I think your body needs some dinner, before we continue."

The words scramble into a jumble of nonsense as they bounce around my skull. I simply nod, trusting Yuri to understand and tend to my needs.

"Ah, you're that high. Very well, then. I think I might keep the blindfold on you, to ensure your senses are not overwhelmed, but I will assist you to the couch and bring you some leftovers." Yuri picks me up and begins carrying me back upstairs to the living room.

Distorted through the green mush of my brain, the familiar sounds of our home are still welcoming. The air conditioner is sending a whoosh through the walls, I hear some evening birdsong just outside the door, the sound of Yuri's feet gently tapping against the floor as she carries me is almost soothing~

Yuri gently lays me on the couch. She covers me with a comfortably fluffy blanket. I resist the urge to grope around for a pillow and get comfortable for a nap. I want to thank my lover so much, but every single word of admiration melts completely before reaching my tongue. I settle for trying to make my hands into the shape of a heart and holding it up.

"I love you, too. And you're welcome." She gives a gentle, melodic chuckle as she brushes her hand through my hair, undoing the bun.

I groan softly, smiling as I let my hands drift back beneath the blanket. My words may be scrambled, but Yuri knows me so well that we don't need to share them.

"I believe the remaining half of an extra peppery bean quesadilla should be to your liking? Rest gently, love, I'll go heat it up and bring it to you."

She knows me so well~

Her presence fades once again as she goes to reheat my dinner. I'm left with a big pile of lovey dovey feelings to giggle about as I wrap myself up in the blanket, even tighter. Yuri is so wonderful and smart and beautiful~ I love her! I love her, so much~!

Some minutes later, Yuri returns with an absolutely fragrant dish. The spice of the reheated peppers gives my nostrils a pleasant sting. I carefully sit up, my stomach growling again in anticipation. I hold my hands out to hold the plate that I'm sure she's carrying.

"You remain blindfolded, my verdant-eyed dearest~ I'm going to need to feed you, so you don't make an enormous mess." She laughs again. It's music to my ears. I lower my arms and carefully open my mouth.

I greedily devour every bite she puts into my mouth. Now that something other than a liquid is in my stomach, the sensation of hunger multiplies. I'm drooling all over myself as I rapidly chomp down the remains of what I remember to be a rather hefty quesadilla.

Once she tells me that the food is finished, I cuddle right up to her. I think my word scrambling may last until I properly rest. Yuri gently removes my blindfold to find my eyes already closed.

"You're feeling quite warm. Time for a nap, or perhaps sleeping for the rest of the night?"

I only nod in response. She begins to carefully lay down, keeping my as still as she can until my head rests on her breasts.

"Sweet dreams, darling."

I fight to say one last thing through the storming swirl of messy words and trash information in my head.

"Love you... So much..."

"I love you, too." She gently begins to stroke through my hair, and I fall asleep almost immediately.

[eggcompany]

He's Just A Baby Part 4

The school wasn’t too far from the residential area. Daryl sat on the top of the cab of the truck with his feet dangling over the back glass. They broke up into groups, Shane and Lori went to the cafeteria, Daryl and Carol went to walk through the halls and classrooms. Each packing totes and a wagon, rolling down the tile floored halls. 

“Do you think we’ll find a rug? A racetrack one maybe, Carl would like it too.” Daryl asked as he swung his bow to clear the first room. Carol pulled the wagon to a stop outside the door and grabbed a tote from their folded stack. 

“Maybe, we could check the closets too. You look through the books, I’ll see what I can find.” Carol instructed. Lori and Shaen had two wagons given they’d really be the only ones bringing back useful things. 

The first few rooms brought not much other than books on culture, food, and kinds of dogs and a few notebooks and pens. The next few had coloring books and a large tube of art supplies that the two put in the hallway to get on their way back. There was a larger room, a special education room by the looks of it, in the middle of the row of doors. 

“Hey Daryl, why don’t you go look in the next room, I can look in here. We’ll be able to hear if anything comes in the hallway.” Carol said and the boy nodded and made his way to the next room down. Carol opened the door and went in. It was a special education room. There were three teachers' desks and lots of sensory toys and tools. There was also a shelf of books behind one of the desks. Carol quickly scanned them and found the one she wanted. “Helping Surviors Of Childhood Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and Mental Illness”, it was a rather thick book and Daryl probably wouldn’t be offended by the words he couldn’t read so she put it in her backpack. She found some fidget toys and bagged them, she then found some building bricks and a book of things to build from them. Carl and Sophia would like those too. She put those by the door on a child’s desk. Finally she looked over at the carpet, a plain blue one sadly, and found something she’d known Daryl would enjoy. A small bookcase of comic books and graphic novels. She picked a few, pirates, cowboys, and a few superheroes. 

“I found a cookie jar!” Carol heard from the other room and she quickly stashed the picture books away in her backpack and popped the bin of blocks in the wagon. 

When she turned the corner she found Daryl, sat down on the floor with his legs splayed open with a large cookie jar between his legs, stuffing his face. 

“Daryl?” Carol said with a smile and an eyebrow raised. He looked up at her with the biggest, brightest blue eyes. 

“No one needs to know. We can say it was half full.” He said and handed her a cookie which she rolled her eyes at and took. 

“You’ll get a stomach ache. Now c’mon cookie monster, eat and walk.” Carol said and Daryl happily walked around the school, a bit more pep in his step, with the jar clear acrylic jar in arm. 

They ended up finding quite a few candy and cookie jars. And most importantly a rug, a big racetrack rug. They pulled their wagon, full of toys and useless crap, back to the truck. Shane and Lori were sitting on the tailgate talking, behind them sitting a few very large cans of food and some pots. When they caught sight of Daryl, cradling a rolled rug and plastic tote in arms, Shane shook his head and Lori laughed. 

“Hey buddy, what’chu got there?” Shane said and watched the boy put the tote down and unrolled the rug, holding it so it didn’t touch the ground so his arms were raised high. 

“Racetrack. And cookies and books and uh building blocks and and candy jars.” Daryl listed off as he unloaded him and Carol’s wagon. Lori looked at Carol but she just shrugged and hopped in the back with Daryl for the ride back. 

Carl was overjoyed at what was brought back. Especially the large cans of pudding and the building blocks. Him and Sophia immediately carried them to Grime Temporary residence. 

Daryl was busy looking at the books he’d gotten himself while sitting in the kitchen. Carol said tonight he could work on reading, but really he knew she would read to him. He was looking forward to it. Since they brought so much back they didn’t have to do any more chores. 

Daryl just flipped through the wildlife book. He looked at the pictures, then he looked at the words. He knew what some words looked like. The, a… Actually that’s about it. He could say the letters, there was a D and then an E and another E and then an R. But duh, eh, eh, er didn’t really sound like a word. 

“Hey kiddo, you want a soda while we read this book?” Carol offered as she picked up the book from Daryl’s hands. Daryl shook his head and Carol chuckled. 

“We’ll work on this book until you can tell me each word alright? You don’t have to read it but you have to tell me each word. I’m not making fun of you, remember that.” Carol instructed and sat down next to him. Daryl nodded and paid attention. 

Carol read the book to Daryl, who was very content to stop her every other page to tell her about the time he hunted whatever it was. By the time they were done Daryl was yawning. 

“How about a nap before dinner. You can help me wash the dishes before bedtime.” Carol really said, not leaving much room for discussion. 

Daryl did sleep. He slept till the next morning when everyone was looking for him. Why couldn’t they find him? Because Daryl had decided to sleep in the safest place in the house, the most comforting. The closet. Rick found him, drool dried on his face and hair an utter disaster under his blanket. 

“Hey kid, we’re packing up. We thought you mighta’ left us. Can’t leave withoutcha, buddy.” Rick said and got the boy to wake up and stand. Daryl yawned and realized it was morning. 

“I’m sorry Mister Grimes, I’ll get our stuff-” Daryl started apologizing, grabbing his bow and starting for the stairs but Rick stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“We already packed up everything. You better go find Carol before she has a heart attack. Worrying her sick is what you did. Go say sorry and get in the RV.” Rick told him sternly and lifted his hand away. Daryl nodded and ducked away. 

“Sorry.” Daryl mumbled as he hurried to find Carol. 

“There he is”, “Found the kid”, and “He didn’t leave” all rang out as Daryl hurried toward the RV where he could see Carl and Sophia’s head. Carol was sitting in the passenger seat and Daryl looked at her sheepishly but she pulled him into a great hug. 

“You scared the lights out of me! I couldn’t find you for dinner and thought you’d gone to do something but then I didn’t see you this morning and I had no idea where you had gone. Don’t you ever worry me like that again, Daryl Dixon, do you hear me?” Carol said with the flurry of motherly relief. Daryl looked down and nodded. 

“I’m sorry Miss Carol, I just- I been- I was… I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again. I’m really sorry.” Daryl said and felt about two feet tall. Tears pricked at his eyes. Carol hugged him in, one hand cardaling the back of the boy’s head and the other rubbing his back. 

“It’s okay. It’s alright. You’re back and we’re ready to head out. We saved you back some breakfast. Get settled.” Carol said forgivingly and pulled back to kiss Daryl’s forehead and send him to the body of the RV. Daryl sniffled and nodded, moving to sit on the bench behind the table where the two younger kids worked. 

Soon everyone was settled and ready to go. There was a large factoried area an hour away and they had hopes of finding cannery or a food distributor. Somewhere they could lock down and take for a few weeks, a few months, for as long as they could. 

They expected walkers, maybe even survivors, and factories of course. However the group did not expect to find a large distribution warehouse. There were no cars in front of it, no windows, and a solid roof. They had decided to check it out. 

There were brown cardboard boxes for what seemed like miles. There was utter silence but they still looked for any walkers. Everyone was in awe. It was clean, sheltered, and perfect. 

“This is it. We can build a fence, walls, we can make this permanent. This is… we can do this.” Rick said to the group as they got to the back wall. There were heavy duty locking doors, thick cement walls, steam beaming holding up all the roof, and of course room. Enough room to survive inside if they need to. 

“This is fucking insane.” Is all anyone said. It came from the back of the group where Daryl was standing, bow in a slack hand at his side. Everyone laughed and agreed. 

“Five bucks says I can find alcohol.” Daryl said and smiled. It was like a snapped rubber band, everyone rushed to the boxes. Shane, Rick, and Carol all looked at each other and shook their heads. They instead checked the doors and looked at the back side of the building. 

Everyone was relaxed, joyous, happier than they had been since the world started to end. There was in fact a case of liquor in the big room they had cleared, one of many it seemed. Liquor and boxed mattresses and bed frames and snacks and sodas and juices and jerky and season salts and gardening supplies. There was just so much of everything. 

Daryl had went away from the pack to look through boxes near one corner, he found containers and metal water bottles and rope and soap and jars of buttons. Carol and Sophia went off to decide somewhere to build their room, everyone had been rationed things, the basics: a bed, a frame and a ration of food. 

Carol had caught sight of Daryl staring down at something in his hands, unmoving and frowning. He didn’t look disgusted or sad but rather… miserable. She approached him and looked at the clear plastic bag in his hands. 

“What’s that Daryl?” Carol asked and Daryl dropped it back into the back and practically snarled at the offensive object. He huffed off but Carol looked. Small colorful stuffed animals. Cheap ones like they have at the carnival. She looked at the one Daryl had in his hands, a blue spotted dog. There were other colored dogs, farm animals, fish, birds, all sorts of small hand sized stuffed toys. Carol took the box to her stack that she was making walls out of but kept it to the side. 

She took the blue dog out of the plastic and tore off the tag. She put it in her vest pocket and went back to going through boxes. 

Daryl was moving empty boxes to one side of the room. It was methodical, he seemed to be calmer doing it. He took them and made stacks, sizes matching up. 

“Daryl? Do you wanna help me make up a space for me and Sophia? It would be a big help.” Carol asked the boy who nodded and started making two walls in a corner. He worked quietly, a small smile on his lips. Empty boxes and some tape, that’s all it took for him to relax and feel content. Carol didn’t want to disturb him so she just went to help the rest of everyone put things together. 

He made a rather large area, using the two walls of the facility allowed him to use the boxes to make the space bigger. He made a doorway and decided he was done. He then carried in the boxed bed frame and dragged in a mattress that was out of its box. He built the frame quickly and set the mattress on top. He made a cheap side table and put it next to it. He went to get Carol and Sophia’s things and carried them to the room. He looked into the last box and found the box of stuffed toys. 

‘ Stupid thing to want. Dumb fucking toys. Shouldn’t want a thing for a fucking baby’ Daryl scolded himself as he carries the box to the corner. Carol’s standing in the doorway, a hand over her mouth in awe. Daryl dropped the box by the doorway and looked at her sheepishly. 

“It’s perfect Daryl. You did more than you needed to. Thank you, Daryl. Really thank you.” Carol said and hugged Daryl tightly with a big smile on her face. He hugged her back and gave a little grin. She pulled back and reached into her pocket. 

“We don’t have to tell anybody. This can be yours, and no one needs to know. I'm giving it to you as a thank you.” Carol explained and pushed the blue dog into Daryl’s hands. He flipped it around his hands for a moment before nodding and held it to his chest. 

“Yeah. Yeah secret dog.” Daryl said quietly and smiled at Carol. Sophia then came running up with a pile of… colorful fabric things and Daryl excused himself to make his own area. 

Everyone had their own areas. 

Lori, Rick, and Carl took up the most space so they made walls out of shelves from the box truck and sheets. They had two beds, a larger one and a smaller one. Carl had taken a few posters and sheets with race cars on them. The bigger bed had soft silk sheets and a warm chic grey blanket. 

Shane made a space toward the entrance of the building, he had found a large recliner chair and a green blanket and a bottle of rum. 

T-dog had made a space which he was quite happy about, comfortable bed, food, water, and a few tiny tequila bottles. He had chosen to cover his box walls with some sleek grey sheets. 

Dale had made a small space for himself opposite of Shane’s against the front wall. He just wanted to look out. 

Glenn was happier than hell to have a room and had covered his walls in muscle car tapestries and squirreled away a bottle of wine.

Andrea and Amy decided to make one big room and split it down the middle with two sheets. They had taken the time to build clothes racks and made themselves little wardrobes, giddy about it almost. 

Sophia had decorated their room mostly. She had found sheets with stars for the walls, a colorful rug for the floor, and blue sheets with cats for Carol’s bed and pink sheets with cats on them for her own. It was… the happiest place anyone had seen in a long time. 

Daryl though… No one really saw a space for Daryl. There weren’t any other rooms built even though they could be. They decided to hang up a solar lantern they had found in the middle of the cleared area, it was bright enough to be able to find from any corner of the room. They wanted a final head count so Shane walked around passing out water bottles for the night and couldn’t find Daryl. Shane went back to Rick where he was helping Carl change into some real pajamas. 

“Hey, I can’t find the kid. He ain’t in a room.” Shane said to Rick who quickly excused himself from Carl to talk to his best friend. 

“What’d you mean? You can’t find him? Did you check with Carol, you know he hangs around her.” Rick asked and looked around to see if he could get a glimpse of the boy. Shane nodded. 

“I checked. She hadn’t seen him for hours either. Now I don’t think making such a big noise in an unfamiliar place-” Shane started to explain but Rick already had his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. He called out Daryl’s name and everyone moved to stand in their makeshift doorways. 

“What’s wrong? Where’s Daryl? What happened?” Carol said and hurriedly made her way to Rick and Shane. Rick shook his head and waited. 

“Just want a head count and Daryl hasn’t come up.” Rick explained calmly. Carol was about to get a little bit heated over the fact they lost a kid but there were a few footsteps and a head popped out from around the main stack of unopened boxes. 

“Um…. yeah?” Daryl said quietly and yawned. He’d been sleeping, he’d made a nice little place to sleep. 

AKA; he took the box from Shane’s chair and squirreled it into the big stack of boxes. He built the pile around the large box so it was hidden, a tunnel of boxes leading to the much larger one. He’d dragged in pillows for a bed, some blankets, and had taken a small flashlight. He taped his knife to the side and had his little blue doggy. Everything was good, comfortable, safe.

“Hey, where were you? We all worried.” Carol said and gestured with her head to everyone standing in the doorways, they turned and went back to their areas. Daryl looked down at his feet, he’d replaced his boots with a pair of soft shoes, they were fuzzy on the inside and looked like regular shoes so he liked them. 

“Made a space for me in the pile. ‘Was sleepin.” He answered and looked back at the mountain of stacked boxes. Carol smiled at the two officers and made her way to walk Daryl back the way he came. 

Daryl stopped in front of the opening to his hideyhole. He looked ashamed almost, looking down, unable to catch the woman’s eyes. 

"Daryl? Are you sleeping in a box?" Carol asked and looked at the hole. Daryl swallowed and nodded. He knelt down and nodded toward the opening, it was just big enough for him to be able to pull himself through on his back, which he did to Carol’s delight. She giggled and bent down to look through the tunnel. She could see the opening to the bigger box and Daryl sitting with his knees to his chest. 

“Do what I did, I’ll help.” Daryl said quietly, so Carol did. She laid on her back and stuck her hands to find somewhere to pull herself in with but instead Daryl grabbed her hands in his and pulled her in. 

“Goodness!” Carol said laughing as she  sat up and looked around. She was glad to see he had gathered up blankets and made a nice little bed of pillows to sleep on. She was also very happy to see the little stuffed dog placed on the bed carefully. 

"hi" He said and looked at her. She smiled and patted his knee. 

"Did you see that Glenn found a whole big case of snack cakes? We're gonna organize everything tomorrow. There's even a stream a walkable distance behind the building. Maybe you could find one of the offices a nice place to sleep." Carol said and Daryl just looked at his feet. He knew eventually they would get rid of the box piles and he’d have to make a space for himself but until he found a nice small space for himself, the box was very good. Daryl just nodded he hadn’t heard about the stream but it made this place even better. 

"We can divide and ration the food. We have more than enough of everything else for everyone. We found water filters and medical supplies and charcoal. This is a good place isn't  it Daryl?" Carol said and moved to sit next to Daryl. 

"Yeah." The boy said quietly and leaned his head on her shoulder. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. 

"Are you tired?" She asked and he nodded his head after a moment. 

"Yeah" Daryl said. He was tired even though he just woke up. He wasn’t really tired . He just felt… a lot. His brain was tired but his body wasn’t. 

"Are you gonna go back to sleep?" Carol asked as she took in the way the boy’s body was all tense and the way his feet were fidgety like he was wiggling his toes around. 

"I dunno." Daryl mumbled and shrugged and swayed his legs back and forth a little bit. He was tired but he was just so awake. It was a weird feeling. Like if he laid down he would just be too wiggly to sleep. 

"Daryl, do you want to come with me and start organizing stuff in the other big room? I can't sleep either. Maybe we can tire ourselves out." Carol asked and bent her head to look at the boy’s face. She wasn’t really not tired but she wouldn’t like knowing Daryl was just sitting alone in what was basically a little cave. 

Daryl started to nod but looked over at his dog. Carol just smiled and moved to pull himself out of the box tunnel again. 

“The puppy can come too. We can get a safety pin and pin him to your pants.” Carol said with a smile as Daryl pulled himself out to follow Carol to the other large room in the building. 

“Okay.” He said and had a hop to his step as he followed her. 

When everyone woke up they were surprised to see that Daryl and Carol weren't where they left them. But soon Sophia woke up and said that her mom went to work in the other room. Carol had of course told her daughter, not wanting to stress or worry the kid. 

Everyone had gone to the other space and was surprised to see many of the boxes moved into stacks which were categorized by labels that were written on the floor in green and pink chalk. The first half of the words were written neatly and the second half were… unique. 

Food, Fabric, Hygiene, Hunting, Fishing, Ammo, Teknolje, Toys, Boocks, Shoos, and finally, drawn in big letters with stars drawn around it, Soler LIts. Some of the group giggled at the way the words were spelled. 

Lori asked Sophia if she had come and helped out her mom but the girl shook her head and said she hadn’t even gotten out of bed. 

"Carol?" Shane called out. It was best to know where the two went off to. There was a groan from behind one of the stacks in the corner and they all moved to peak around. There was a pile of colorful beach towels and Carol was sitting with her back against the wall and Daryl was laying on his side with his head in her lap. He had his little dog pinned to the hip of his jeans with one of his hands on it and the other in front of his face. 

Carol yawned and rubbed her eyes, blinking largely. He looked down at Daryl, just checking him. 

"Morning already? We did a lot in here so if you guys want, you can start with these and then we can tackle the other rooms. I think that would be best." Carol explained and yawned, she rubbed at Daryl’s shoulder to wake him up but he just scrunched his knees closer to his chest and made a complaining noise. 

“Yeah?” Rick said with a smile. He was proud of the boy, he had been so helpful to the entire group. He felt like Daryl was turning into a very hopeful and helpful young man. 

"Well Daryl did most of the moving. We make a good team. I opened them, went through them and he put them in their spot. We had to add more categories as we went along but, there is some great stuff here." Carol explained and there was a little sneeze from the boy. He sat up, yawned, rubbed the gunk from his face, and rubbed a fuzz from where it was tickling his nose. 

Carol patted his back and stood up. She groaned and he looked at where Shane, Rick, and Lori were all standing looking at him. He ran a hand through his hair to smooth it down. Rick came over and pulled the boy to his feet. 

"Hey trooper, Carol here says you're doing some team playing." Rick said and patted the young boys back. Daryl just blinked and yawned again. 

"Yeah, should get first dibs. I wanna ‘nother cake." Daryl grumbled at the officer. The man laughed and pulled Daryl against his side in a hug. 

“Absolutely buddy. Maybe we can whip up some pancakes this time around. We even found condensed milk, we can make a good cake this time around.” Rick said and Daryl smiled. He was excited to move more boxes and eat pancakes. 

It was a pretty great place, for being the apocalypse. They built a good wall out of cars from the surrounding parking lots and found a few good vehicles to use. They had solar lights inside the building that charged during the day. They had made planters full of fruits and vegetables and edible plants. They had basic water towers for rainwater and the stream always provided them with water to filter. 

Daryl grew to like living in the building. He had taken up a small control room that was built on the ‘second floor’, it was really just built high on the wall so he could look over the whole larger room. It was small but he’d ripped out the control panel and used it to build some of their wall.

He had been given gifts for being so helpful. He had a sleeping bag, a nice knife, coloring books, and plenty of easy reader books. Carol had been giving him lessons so he could read most of the words. He had a small desk, a chair, and a lofted bed. He liked his space. He put cool pictures of dogs over the windows so he could move them to see if he wanted but so no one could see him inside. 

They had everything they wanted. Daryl taught everyone how to make traps for crawdads and small animals. New people joined them and they kept expanding. The walls grew safer and stronger. New people shared new techniques and they kept growing and evolving. Tree houses were built, and in a few months they had expanded so they had two buildings within the walls. 

Daryl was happy. New people respected him because he was so educated in hunting and surviving. He usually stayed with Carol and the kids but he protected him. Everyone trusted him to protect the kids. He was happy to do chores and eat dinner with Carol. 

He was even happier when a small family joined them. 

There was an old man, Herschel, who became friends with Rick and one of the few doctors in the group. He was wise and nice and always had a good spirit. He was also very willing to snap his fingers at Daryl and tell him to go walk it off when he got huffy, or balled up on someone. 

There were also two sisters. One older, Maggie, who in a few weeks started to sleep in Glenn’s room. She was a good shot and helped the group build a fence and bring in cattle and a few horses. She helped tend to the pigs and cows. The younger one, Beth, was… Daryl liked her. She was like sunshine. She had very pretty blonde hair and soft hands for a farm girl and she teased Daryl and he just. He liked her a lot. His face always got red and hot when she teased him and grabbed his arm. 

Daryl and Beth usually hung out. They liked to help each other out, aka; Daryl liked to hear her talk. She liked to bring food up to the roof of the building and have picnics. She liked to brush his hair and remind him to wash it. He liked to bring her flowers because then she put flowers in her hair and that really made Daryl happy. 

Daryl was just happy. Sure sometimes he was sad. He was sad thinking about Merle, he was sad thinking about his momma, he was sad thinking about himself. But once he was done being sad he could go out and be happy with people who cared about him. 

Daryl liked his new home and his new family, even though it was the apocalypse.

[stevishabitat]

wodneswynn Hey, listen: We're not gonna get anywhere with this "socialism" stuff unless we can establish solidarity networks that provide. real, tangible aid. And I do mean "tangible" in the sense of "you can fill up a box with it."

Back in the old-timey days, when we didn't have things like a minimum wage or gov- ernment assistance, folks didn't think twice about paying union dues every month out of their meager paychecks. And in those days, when it was a regular, everyday occurrence for union people to get beat up or outright murdered for their union-ing, the unions still managed to win a lot of their fights. Reason for all that? The bigger part of them union dues I mentioned "went into a strike fund",

Time on a picket line means time off the clock. And as for me, in this economy, if I go a week without a check, my family don't eat. I go two weeks without a check, and we're homeless. And them's the brakes.

Rjenroses: In my community we started a co-op in order to, in part, purchase things with mass buying power (i.e, we can get things at wholesale if we order enough of them, so we can, for example, eat organic food for about what conventional costs a lot of the time.)

But we also set aside a little money each time we order, and that money helps pay for donation boxes... and the social network we created when we created the co-op means that if someone has a crisis, someone else probably has the answer. "This family just lost their job and can't afford to buy presents for their kids" may get a response of "Here are presents for every single family member" or it might end up with finding a job for the people looking for work, or both, because the co-op membership is diverse and represents a lot of people who are otherwise. very connected in the community.

When a part of town is out of power, it's usually possible to find a co-op member who can run for ice or bring a meal, or offer use of a washer/dryer for the evening.

We had one year where we were making donation meal boxes for a holiday, found out on the last delivery about a family in severe need, talked about it in the co-op group and ended up showing up at their house with not only a meal, but enough dry goods, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. for a month, plus a credit with the co-op for fresh fruits andveggies.

I cannot overstate the power of networking. in your community. This one started out. in a natural parenting group, but quickly spread beyond that, from college students to retirees. It's like a small town, only more open-minded. We started with about 20-30 families. There are now hundreds of people involved.

I had a trans kid land with me at one point and asked if anyone had size whatever clothes and within a few hours we had a box on my porch, within a couple days we had a bunch of things he needed.

The co-op keeps a lending library of tools and weirdly specific kitchen devices like an Æbleskiver pan, a food dehydrator, a capsule maker and a carpet cleaner. The kinds of things people need once or twice a year, but might not have the room to store.

We periodically do a buy of sensory toys and sensory bin supplies, for example, because we have a lot of autistic members and parents of autistic kids,I have bought socks from the co-op that were purple with unicorns farting rainbows on them. We recently got in Black History: flashcards and we've done a lot of Black Lives Matter and Hate Has No Home lawn signs. Pretty much if people want it and we can find it at wholesale, the co-op will order it.

It even spawned a side-business (more than one, actually, but this is the relevant one) of an online app for co-op managing, called http://managemy.coop so that other communities could take advantage of our experience and start out with an easier tool than the google spreadsheets we started out with.

Anyway... if you want to network within your community, this is a really, really good way of connecting with a broad cross-section of people.

nyshadidntbreakit: All that stuff about unions still applies, too. Unions have hardship funds. If you're a union member and you're broke, or you've been fired, or whatever, you can apply to the union for a grant to help you out. The binmen in Birmingham pulled off a months-long strike. recently thanks to the union paying their living costs. Unions force employers to pay decent pension contributions and have safe sick leave policies,

If you're employed, join your damn union!

solarpunk gnomes: You might check out http://www.transitionus .org/transition-towns too. They're trying to build resilient communities by getting neighbors to talk with each other about stuff.

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

Chaos Prompts!!!! (I'm gonna send a few so feel free to ignore any that don't vibe!)

It's a trash can, not a trash cannot, for Willex?

This got Bex versed. Which means it got Willexied. Again because of @narcissusbrokenmirror's request for the same: 10."It's a trash can, not a trash can't" for the bex verse. Thank you both!

“What- Are you three doing?” Alex asks, shoving the groceries onto the counter. He takes in the sight in front of him. There are crafting supplies everywhere. Bex’s hands are covered with glue. It looks like somebody dumped the recycling bin onto the table. There’s a hot glue gun on the other side of Willie and a handful of other tools scattered around that Alex can’t even begin to imagine purposes for.

“Crafting,” Reggie says helpfully. 

“Right.”

“Okay, so I was on Pinterest-”

Alex sighs, cutting him off. “Reggie, we’ve talked about this!”

Reggie waves Alex off. “I know, I know! But there were so many cute ideas for things we could make! And it’s reduce, reuse, THEN recycle, right?”

Alex groans as he starts unpacking the groceries. “You know that after they’ve been made into things, they can’t be recycled, right?”

“You know that most things sent to be recycled aren’t, right?” Reggie counters. Bex and Willie eye the pair warily but otherwise keep focused on their task: gluing pieces of cardboard to a painted milk carton.

“What are you even making?”

Bex holds up their creation, “Bird feeder!”

Alex runs a hand through his hair, biting back his frustration. “It’s beautiful, sweetie. Where are you going to put it?” He utters out the last few words through gritted teeth, very intentionally directed at his partners. “We live in an apartment building,” he reminds them with hushed exasperation.

“There are trees in the courtyard, surely someone will let us hang it in one of them,” Willie says without looking up from where they’re trying to secure a stick to the front of the carton.

“Don’t call me Shirley,” Reggie giggles, just under his breath.

Alex glares at him and finishes putting the groceries away. When he’s done, he walks around the island and stands behind Willie, watching them work for a moment. He squeezes Willie’s shoulders.

Willie tips their head back, looking up at Alex. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks,” Alex leans down and gives Willie a kiss.

“Blech,” Reggie and Bex say in tandem, grinning at each other like it’s some inside joke and not a bit they’ve been doing for months.

Alex rolls his eyes. He surveys the empty chairs to confirm one is safe to actually sit in without getting paint or glue or worse on his clothes. He deems the one at the head of the table acceptable and sits down. 

“Okay,” Alex sighs. “What else are you making?”

“Well, we have birdfeeders. And toilet paper roll butterflies. Ohhh, and show Daddy the sensory bottles, Bex!” Willie says excitedly. 

Bex climbs over the table, causing Alex to hold his breath in a practice of great restraint, and grabs the bottles of shimmery liquid. She crawls them over to Alex, setting them in front of him. She then climbs down into his lap. She reaches for the bottle closest to them and holds it out for Alex.

“Shake it!” Bex tells him. 

Alex complies. “Oh, very pretty!”

Bex beams at him and grabs another bottle, shaking it vigorously and watching the glitter swirl around.  

“Who knew you could make so many things from garbage?”

“Well, Hotdog,” Willie says, “it’s called a trash can, not a trash can’t.”

“I don’t… I don’t know what that means.”

Reggie laughs from where he’s sitting. “Neither does Willie,” he says at the same time as Willie’s, “Me neither.”

“It’s a meme and you're doing it wrong,” Reggie clarifies. “And also, Pinterest. Pinterest knows you can make so many things from garbage.”

[stupidwittlebaby]

I saw a tiktok the other day about a person talking about how they used their work bonus to splurge on a neck massager they can strap to their shoulders. To them, luxury is a fancy something to help them manage their disability. They told people to comment what tools they'd splurge on, and at the time I couldn't think of anything, but that video has been floatin' around my brain for the last few days now. I'd probably get...

More kitchen gadgets. My husband got me a rice cooker for my birthday, to help me meal prep when I start college. I did not realise how much it would fucking help with my ARFID shit-- (I am steaming dumplings as we speak)

More specific cleaning tools. Gloves, more trustworthy washer and dryer, drying rack for clothes. Things to make cleaning more sensory friendly.

Storage everything. Dividers, bins, shelves. Anything to make organising Less Complicated, because we all know ADHD Does That-

These are the things that have come to mind. At first, when I thought "accessibility tools", I thought of things like noise cancelling headphones and fidget toys, tools that expressly cater to my disability itself, but I already have those. They're great, sure, but quality of life updates would make my home itself more accessible, which means easier meltdown recovery, which means functioning a whole lot better overall.

I still live with family (and am poor--), so I can't really get a lot of these things right now, but it's been an interesting and helpful thing to think about. I've been looking at my environment more critically and noticing things that bug me, even if just a little, to know what to work towards in the future, or even tweak right now. Better to notice these things sooner rather than later.

[sparklyeevee]

My insights so far from living with five other people none of whom I'm related to, which is sort of like Being Part of a Community, specifically wrt the endless Stuff That Needs To Get Done, and how to decide what is and isn't your problem, without any chore schedules or other formal or informal accountability tools beyond "people will be stressed and irritable if this doesn't get done".

Is the need to do the thing a direct result of my actions? Probably my problem unless something else was worked out. (I make sure the cat I brought into the household gets fed and all that, but one of my housemates is really invested in If You Cooked Someone Else Should Do the Dishes so he usually washes the pots after I cook).

Will the thing get done if I don't do it? (No one else really sews, so for the couch blankets, or the dog toys, to be repaired rather than replaced requires that I undertake to repair them).

Will it make someone else's life substantially easier or more pleasant if I take care of this? (One housemate gets Stressed if the kitchen is messy when she gets up to make coffee, so I usually take a quick pass at the kitchen - empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, throw out obvious trash, maybe wipe the counters, about 30 minutes before she usually gets up. Note: if we didn't have a dishwasher, I would not do this because I can't Stand for that long and dishes are a sensory nightmare for me, and this is not about hurting yourself for others' convenience. I'm also the last line of defense against my housemates having to get up Early on a weekend to take the bins to the curb.)

Is the thing gonna be substantially easier for me to do than for anyone else? (Part of why I picked up the kitchen routine is that I'm in there anyway because I make lunch for another housemate - this is four easy minutes for me because I'm nocturnal, so at 6am I am (still) fully awake and not trying to get through my own morning routine, whereas for my housemate it would be like 10 minutes several of which include staring at the pantry trying to remember how to make a peanut butter sandwich, and which they could instead spend sleeping or just taking their morning a little easier).

Did someone else agree to handle this and then forget? (This is another one that's kinda related to my partner and I being the night shift around here. If one housemate asked another to put away the leftovers and the other agreed but went to bed without doing it, I can just... handle it, and the the leftovers are put away and we avoid some needless interpersonal friction.)

Did *I* agree to handle it? This one is obvious.

Does it sound fun? (Idk I like dusting).

There's still absolutely stuff that gets missed, even with 5 adults and one almost adult doing their best, but it seems like if everyone does the stuff that meets one or more of these criteria for them, most shit gets handled and there's a minimum amount of Upset about it.

[autism-unfiltered]

Exploring Sensory Play: Nurturing Growth and Development 🌈

Sensory play is a valuable tool for promoting learning, development, and self-expression in individuals on the autism spectrum. Today, let's dive into the world of sensory play and discover its benefits.

Share your favorite sensory play activities, whether it's exploring different textures, engaging in water play, or creating sensory bins. Let's inspire one another to embrace the power of sensory experiences in fostering growth and development.

Through sensory play, we can nurture curiosity, encourage exploration, and provide a safe space for self-discovery.

[kidstoysonlineusa]

Creative Ways to Use Light-Up Puffer Slug Toys in Sensory Play

Sensory play is one of the best ways children can explore the world around them: stimulating the senses and developing children through hands-on activities. If you are a parent, teacher, or occupational therapist, including sensory toys in your children playing can improve their cognitive, emotional, and physical growth. Some of the more recent popular toys include the light-up puffer slug toy. The texture is squishy, and the lights are mesmerizing, making it fun and extremely helpful for sensory exploration.

We have our dig into creative ways to use light-up puffer slug toys in sensory activities. We'll discuss how they develop learning and engagement using the right activities. If you want to buy wholesale light-up toys or introduce these weird toys in bulk, then read on to see how they change your sensory play activities.

The Importance of Sensory Play

However, before naming specific activities, let's discover why sensory play is crucial. Sensory play is an activity that promotes the five senses. It includes participation that will stimulate children's senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Sensory play helps kids develop motor, language, and even social skills as it lets them learn about different textures, colors, and sounds.

How Light-Up Toys Enhance Sensory Development

Puffer slugs, among other light-up toys, add a dimension for sensory stimulation. A puffer slug's soft, rubbery body and flashing lights can stimulate a child's senses and induce them to new explorations with the toy. High-volume markets of bulk light-up toys can provide these sensory tools available for classrooms and therapy centers or as party favors without much strain on a budget since they help brighten children's sensory play.

Let's try some examples of using these toys in sensory play activities.

1) Tactile Exploration with Light-Up Puffer Slug Toys

The most visible way to play with light-up puffer slug toys is sensory play; they're soft, stretchy, and ideal for squeezing, pulling, and squishing for kids who like them.

The unique texture gives a deep, satisfying sensory feel that stimulates touch receptors.

Squish and Stretch Sensory Bins

In this sensory bin, many interesting objects exist to touch and explore, but the "star" is a light-up puffer slug toy. Kids have had so much fun squishing those puffer slugs, feeling the spikes made of rubber, and then pulling them apart to see how far they stretch. Bonus: the light flashes while playing with it so that the children would receive instant feedback through visible action.

How It Helps: This activity is helpful for children who need to strengthen their fine motor skills. Squishing and stretching the toy strengthen muscles in the hands and fingers, while lights stimulate the visual senses.

Sensory Massage with Puffer Slug Toys

Brightly lit puffer slugs may also be a soothing, stimulatory massage. Roll the toy on a child's arms or back, letting the child explore the soft, textured spikes. The flashing lights provide a calming visual sensation, making this activity great for winding down at bedtime or after a long, hectic day.

How It Helps: This activity will be helpful to children with sensory processing problems, specifically those who crave or need tactile input. The toy's softness and touch are soothing and can calm anxiety, thus reducing tension.

2) Visual Stimulation Through Light-Up Play

While the touch aspects of light-up puffer slug toys are fantastic, there is also significant visual stimulation that may profoundly affect the development of a child's senses. These toys light up when squeezed, making them a great tool to get the visual senses of children involved in the learning process.

Light-Up Hide and Seek

This activity is to turn off the lights and hide various kinds of light-up puffer slug toys around the room where the kids must search for them by tracking the flashing lights in dimly lit environments. This becomes an enjoyable activity and assists the child to focus his vision in poorly lit environments and develop tracking and spatial awareness skills.

How It Works: Low-light conditions stimulate the sight of a child to achieve better concentration and observation skills. It also brings in an element of adventure as the child searches for the glow toys.

Color Matching with Light-Up Toys

Using various colored light-up puffer slug toys, you can play a color-matching game. Put out matching colored objects, such as blocks or balls, opposite the child and challenge them to match up the color of the toy with the object. As soon as the light-up toy lights up, it reinforces the match in their minds from the two colors.

How it Helps: A child's color recognition and discrimination are enhanced in this exercise. It also teaches cause-and-effect relations, whereby the children will understand that when they smash the toy, the lights will come on, and they will encourage more stimulating, playful activity within their surroundings.

3) Encouraging Creative Play

One of the fundamental components in a child's development is creativity, and the light-up puffer slug toys will facilitate some creative play in several ways. This, with lights and flexibility, makes it appropriate for storytelling or pretending.

Create a Sensory Storytime

Use light-up puffer slug toys as characters in a sensory-rich story. For instance, you could tell a tale about glowing slugs that come to life when touched, helping to guide children through an enchanted forest. Encourage the children to squeeze the toys at key moments to bring the characters to life with light.

How It Helps: This activity combines auditory and visual stimuli to boost creativity and imagination. It also engages multiple senses, helping children to form stronger associations between the story and the sensory elements.

DIY Obstacle Course

How It Is Helpful: It helps the child develop properly on both physiological and mental planes. The children will be encouraged to be active since they stir up their senses while playing with the toys during activities in the program.

4) Using Light-Up Puffer Slug Toys in Therapy

Light-up puffer slug toys can be played around for fun, but they are very good for many children as useful tools in therapeutic practice. These toys help kids with sensor processing or motor skills to use with occupational or play therapy.

Strengthening Hand Muscles

The light-up puffer slug toys are perfect for physical training, especially in children whose hand muscles may not be strong or could strengthen their grip. Squeezing and positioning the toy gives resistance that strengthens the muscles of the hands and fingers.

How it Helps: It can be very useful for children with developmental delay or post-injury when fine motor skills are involved. Playing with these toys daily, they can build the strength required for doing ordinary activities such as writing, holding utensils, or tying their shoelaces.

Calming Sensory Input for Autistic Children

The autistic child could get a soothing impression from light-up puffer slug toys. These can align with both tactile stimulation and visual feedback. This could help a child concentrate and reduce the sensory overload they are experiencing. Such toys are soothing tools applied in any therapeutic environment during transitions or stressful events.

How It Helps: For children who experience anxiety or sensory processing difficulties, using these toys in therapy sessions can provide a safe, comforting distraction that helps them relax and engage more fully in the session.

5) Group Activities with Bulk Light-Up Toys

If buying bulk light-up toys for a classroom therapy center or an event, group activities where children may play together with the toys can be very appropriate. Such activities promote social interaction while still giving the sensory benefit.

Group Sensory Stations

Set up stations around a room with different activities using light-up puffer slug toys. Some kids practice squishing the toys, while others play a color match game. The groups should rotate so that every child can try each activity.

How It Helps: Group sensory play helps children's social skills, making them cooperate, share, and communicate with others. It also provides them with many sensory experiences to improve their cognitive skills.

Party Favors and Prizes

Light-up puffer slugs are great party favors or prizes for events. They have good visual stimulation and touch, so they become an instant winner for children. You can purchase in bulk wholesale light-up toys by considering this marketing tip to stock up for big celebrations without breaking your piggy bank.

How It Helps: Giving out light-up toys as party favors ensures that every child leaves with a sensory-rich gift they can enjoy long after the event ends. These toys keep the fun going while promoting continued sensory play at home.

Conclusion

Light-up puffer slug toys are not just visually stimulating—they offer many sensory benefits that can enhance children's development in fun, creative ways. From tactile exploration to visual stimulation, these toys provide endless opportunities for engaging sensory play. Whether you're a parent, educator, or therapist, incorporating wholesale light-up toys into your activities can bring joy and learning to any environment.

If you want bulk light-up toys, visit Luna Bella for a wide selection of high-quality toys that inspire hours of sensory fun!

[newinsightsbehavioralhealth]

Creating an ADHD-Friendly Home Environment

Living with ADHD can present unique challenges for children and adolescents, but it can be equally challenging for their parents who strive to provide the best support possible. At New Insights Behavioral Health in Connecticut, we understand the daily struggles and concerns parents face. Creating a supportive home environment can make a significant difference in managing symptoms and promoting overall well-being for your child. Here, we offer practical tips for organizing and structuring your home to better support children and adolescents with ADHD.

Understanding ADHD

ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, affects attention, impulse control, and activity levels. Children and adolescents with ADHD may struggle with organization, focus, and following through on tasks. A well-structured home environment can help mitigate these challenges and create a space where they can thrive.

Establishing Routines

Consistency is key for children with ADHD. Establishing daily routines helps provide structure and predictability, reducing anxiety and improving focus. Create a schedule that includes regular times for waking up, meals, homework, chores, and bedtime. Visual schedules or charts can be particularly helpful, allowing children to see what to expect and what is expected of them.

Organizing Spaces

A clutter-free environment can significantly reduce distractions and improve concentration. Here are some tips for organizing different areas of your home:

Study Area:

Designate a quiet, well-lit space for homework and studying.

Keep this area free of distractions, such as toys, electronics, or other non-essential items.

Provide organizational tools like bins, shelves, and desk organizers to keep supplies tidy and accessible.

2. Living Spaces:

Use storage solutions like bins, baskets, and shelves to keep common areas organized.

Label storage containers to make it easy for children to find and return items.

Create specific zones for different activities, such as a reading nook, a play area, and a relaxation space.

3. Bedrooms:

Encourage a clutter-free bedroom by providing adequate storage for clothes, toys, and personal items.

Implement a daily tidying routine to maintain organization.

Use calming colors and minimize decorations to create a soothing environment conducive to sleep.

Implementing Visual Cues

Visual cues can be extremely helpful for children with ADHD. These can include:

Charts and Checklists: Use charts and checklists for daily tasks, chores, and routines. Visual reminders help children stay on track and complete tasks independently.

Color-Coding: Color-code school supplies, folders, and storage bins to make organization easier and more intuitive.

Timers and Alarms: Timers and alarms can help manage time effectively, signaling when it is time to start or stop an activity.

Encouraging Positive Behavior

Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for encouraging desired behaviors. Establish a reward system to motivate and reinforce positive actions. This can include:

Sticker Charts: Use sticker charts to track completed tasks and behaviors. Offer rewards when a certain number of stickers are earned.

Praise and Encouragement: Provide specific and immediate praise for positive behaviors. Acknowledging efforts and achievements boosts self-esteem and motivation.

Token Systems: Implement a token system where children can earn tokens for good behavior and exchange them for rewards or privileges.

Creating a Calm Down Space

A designated calm down space can help children with ADHD manage their emotions and behavior. This space should be quiet and comfortable, equipped with calming items such as:

Comfortable Seating: A bean bag chair, cushions, or a soft blanket can provide comfort.

Calming Tools: Include items like stress balls, fidget toys, coloring books, and sensory bottles.

Relaxation Aids: Soft lighting, calming music, or white noise machines can create a soothing atmosphere.

Encouraging Physical Activity

Physical activity is essential for children with ADHD as it helps burn off excess energy and improve focus. Encourage regular exercise by:

Outdoor Play: Provide opportunities for outdoor play and physical activities such as biking, hiking, or team sports.

Indoor Activities: Set up indoor spaces for physical activity, such as a small trampoline, yoga mat, or space for dance and movement.

Integrating Professional Support

In addition to creating an ADHD-friendly home environment, integrating professional support is crucial. At New Insights Behavioral Health, we offer comprehensive services including therapy and medication management to support children and adolescents with ADHD. Our healthcare professionals can provide personalized strategies and resources to enhance home management.

Creating an ADHD-friendly home environment involves establishing routines, organizing spaces, implementing visual cues, encouraging positive behavior, and promoting physical activity. By making these adjustments, you can create a supportive and structured environment that helps children and adolescents with ADHD thrive. For further assistance and personalized support, contact New Insights Behavioral Health in Connecticut. We are dedicated to helping families manage ADHD effectively and improve the quality of life for their children.

If you, or a loved one are suffering from mental illness, please contact us.

[helloparent]

The Greatest Indoor Activities for Kids of All Ages

Keeping kids entertained and engaged indoors can be challenging, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate or when safety concerns limit outdoor activities. Here are some fantastic indoor activities for kids of all ages, ensuring they stay active, creative, and learning, whether at home or in preschool.

For Toddlers (Ages 1-3)

Sensory Play

Activity: Create a sensory bin with rice, pasta, or water beads.

Benefits: Develops fine motor skills and sensory exploration.

Details: Sensory bins can be made by filling a plastic container with different materials such as dry rice, pasta, or water beads. Add small toys, spoons, and cups for scooping and pouring. This activity allows toddlers to explore textures and improve their hand-eye coordination.

Storytime

Activity: Reading books together.

Benefits: Enhances language development and listening skills.

Details: Choose brightly colored books with interactive elements like flaps or textures. For toddlers, you can read aloud and encourage them to point at pictures, repeat words, and engage with the story.

Art and Craft

Activity: Finger painting and coloring.

Benefits: Encourages creativity and hand-eye coordination.

Details: Use washable finger paints and large sheets of paper for easy clean-up. Toddlers can explore colors and textures by using their hands to paint. Provide different tools like sponges and brushes to add variety.

Also Check: Preschools in Delhi

For Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)

Building Blocks

Activity: Constructing with Lego or wooden blocks.

Benefits: Improves spatial awareness and problem-solving skills.

Details: Encourage children to build towers, houses, or anything they imagine. You can introduce challenges, such as building the tallest tower or creating specific shapes. This helps in developing their creativity and engineering skills.

Interactive Storytelling

Activity: Using puppets or costumes to act out stories.

Benefits: Boosts imagination and narrative skills.

Details: Create simple hand puppets from socks and have your child tell a story using them. Encourage them to use different voices and actions for each character. This activity can enhance their communication skills and confidence.

Music and Movement

Activity: Dancing to music or playing musical instruments.

Benefits: Develops rhythm, coordination, and physical fitness.

Details: Have a dance party with favorite songs or create a band with homemade instruments like shakers and drums. You can also play musical games like freeze dance, where children dance until the music stops and then freeze in place.

For Early Elementary (Ages 5-7)

Science Experiments

Activity: Simple science experiments like baking soda and vinegar reactions.

Benefits: Introduces basic scientific concepts and curiosity.

Details: Create a "volcano" using baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. Place the baking soda in a container, add vinegar, and watch the reaction. Explain the science behind the reaction to make it an educational experience.

Board Games and Puzzles

Activity: Playing age-appropriate board games or solving puzzles.

Benefits: Enhances critical thinking and cooperative play.

Details: Games like "Candy Land" or puzzles with 50-100 pieces are perfect for this age group. Playing these games helps children develop strategic thinking, patience, and the ability to follow rules.

Craft Projects

Activity: Making crafts like paper mache or beading.

Benefits: Develops fine motor skills and creativity.

Details: Create a paper mache mask using newspaper strips and glue. Once dry, let the children paint and decorate their masks. This activity not only fosters creativity but also improves hand-eye coordination.

For Older Kids (Ages 7-10)

Coding Games

Activity: Learning basic coding through apps and games.

Benefits: Teaches problem-solving and logic skills.

Details: Use apps like Scratch or Code.org to create simple games or animations. These platforms provide step-by-step instructions and projects that make learning to code fun and accessible.

DIY Projects

Activity: Building models or creating DIY projects.

Benefits: Encourages engineering skills and creativity.

Details: Build a birdhouse from a kit or create a simple robot with a DIY electronics kit. These projects provide hands-on experience with tools and materials, fostering a deeper understanding of how things work.

Reading Challenges

Activity: Participating in a reading challenge or book club.

Benefits: Promotes literacy and a love of reading.

Details: Set a goal to read a certain number of books per month and discuss them. You can create a chart to track progress and offer rewards for completing challenges.

For Tweens (Ages 10-12)

Cooking and Baking

Activity: Making simple recipes or baking treats.

Benefits: Teaches math, following instructions, and kitchen safety.

Details: Bake cookies or make homemade pizza. Involve kids in measuring ingredients, mixing, and decorating. This activity also encourages them to try new foods and understand nutrition.

Photography

Activity: Exploring photography with a digital camera or smartphone.

Benefits: Enhances creativity and visual skills.

Details: Create a photo scavenger hunt around the house. Give children a list of items to photograph, encouraging them to think creatively and explore different perspectives.

DIY Craft Kits

Activity: Using pre-packaged craft kits for projects like jewelry making or model building.

Benefits: Provides a structured yet creative activity.

Details: Use a kit to make friendship bracelets or a miniature garden. These kits come with all necessary materials and instructions, making it easy for kids to complete projects independently.

Also Read: Activities for Nursery Class

Expert Insights

Melissa & Doug, a popular toy brand, emphasizes the importance of creative play in child development. Their range of products, including puzzles and craft kits, are designed to foster creativity and learning in a fun way.

National Geographic Kids offers various educational kits that combine fun with learning, such as their science kits that allow children to conduct experiments safely at home.

LEGO Education provides resources and kits that promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning through interactive and hands-on building projects, suitable for various age groups.

Montessori Method advocates for hands-on learning and play-based education. Many preschools follow this approach, incorporating activities like sensory play and practical life exercises that can also be done at home.

By incorporating a variety of indoor activities for Kids, parents and educators can ensure that children of all ages are engaged and thriving, no matter the weather or circumstances. For more detailed ideas and inspiration

[ashokamarketing]

Ashoka Child Development Centre is a specialized facility in Hyderabad that focuses on various aspects of child development and therapy. This helps us to focus on the unique needs of each child, fostering their growth, development and overall well-being. Significantly, our holistic approach ensures that various aspects of a child’s development are considered and addressed.

Our services:

Sensory Integration Therapy: Sensory integration therapy often includes activities that provide different textures and tactile experiences. This may involve touching different materials, playing with sensory bins, or engaging in activities that involve tactile exploration.

CBT/ABA Therapy: ABA therapy is highly effective in teaching new skills across a wide range of domains, including communication, social interaction, academic skills, and daily living skills. ABA techniques can help individuals with autism learn appropriate behaviors and reduce behaviors that may interfere with learning or socialization.

Vision Therapy: Vision therapy involves a variety of therapeutic activities and exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles, improve visual processing skills, and enhance eye-hand coordination. These activities may include visual tracking exercises, focusing exercises, and eye teaming drills. Vision therapy helps individuals develop better coordination between the eyes, leading to improved depth perception, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination.

Speech Therapy: Speech therapy begins with a thorough assessment conducted by a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP). This evaluation helps identify the specific areas of difficulty and tailor the treatment plan to meet the individual's needs.

Sujok Six Ki Therapy: Sujok Therapy involves applying pressure to specific points on the hands, feet, and other parts of the body to stimulate energy flow and restore balance. Pressure may be applied using fingers, thumbs, or specialized tools.

MAES Therapy: MAES Therapy recognizes that each person's movement patterns and abilities are unique. Treatment plans are tailored to address the specific needs and goals of the individual. MAES Therapy emphasizes the importance of integrating movement patterns across the entire body rather than focusing solely on isolated muscles or joints. It aims to promote balanced and coordinated movement.

For more info visit our website : https://ashokachilddevelopmentcentre.com/

[toyvault]

Top Montessori Toys for 3-Year-Olds to Enhance Learning

At the age of three, children are full of curiosity and energy, eager to explore the world around them. Montessori toys play a vital role in supporting this developmental stage by encouraging hands-on learning, independence, and creativity. This article outlines some of the top Montessori toys for 3-year-old that can enhance their learning experiences and foster various skills.

1. Building Blocks

Building blocks are a staple in Montessori education and provide endless opportunities for creative play.

Cognitive Development: Children learn about balance, gravity, and spatial relationships as they stack and arrange blocks.

Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating blocks enhances hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

2. Shape Sorters

Shape sorters are excellent tools for teaching shapes and improving problem-solving skills.

Shape Recognition: These toys help children identify and match shapes, fostering early geometry skills.

Critical Thinking: Figuring out how to fit shapes into the correct slots enhances cognitive abilities.

3. Puzzles

Puzzles are engaging toys that promote problem-solving and cognitive growth.

Cognitive Engagement: Completing puzzles requires focus and critical thinking, improving reasoning skills.

Fine Motor Skills: Handling puzzle pieces helps strengthen hand coordination and dexterity.

4. Montessori Trays

Montessori trays are versatile tools for organized play and learning.

Independent Learning: Trays can be filled with various materials for sorting, pouring, or counting activities, allowing for self-directed exploration.

Life Skills Development: Activities on trays often mimic real-life tasks, teaching responsibility and practical skills.

5. Sensory Bins

Sensory bins provide an immersive learning experience through tactile exploration.

Sensory Development: Filling bins with materials like rice, beans, or sand allows children to explore different textures and improve sensory awareness.

Imaginative Play: Sensory bins can be themed (e.g., beach, farm), encouraging creative storytelling and role play.

6. Musical Instruments

Musical instruments introduce children to the world of sound and rhythm.

Auditory Skills: Playing instruments helps develop listening skills and an appreciation for music.

Motor Skills: Instruments require hand coordination and movement, enhancing fine motor development.

7. Role-Playing Sets

Role-playing toys, such as kitchen sets or doctor kits, foster imaginative play and social skills.

Social Interaction: Engaging in pretend play with others teaches communication skills and teamwork.

Emotional Understanding: Role-playing allows children to express feelings and explore different perspectives.

8. Art Supplies

Art supplies like crayons, markers, and paints encourage creativity and self-expression.

Creative Development: Engaging in artistic activities fosters imaginative thinking and allows children to express their emotions visually.

Fine Motor Skills: Drawing and painting enhance hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

9. Nature Exploration Kits

Nature exploration kits inspire curiosity and a love for the outdoors.

Scientific Inquiry: Tools like magnifying glasses and bug catchers encourage children to investigate their environment.

Appreciation for Nature: Exploring nature fosters a sense of wonder and teaches children about ecosystems.

10. Sorting and Counting Toys

Toys that involve sorting and counting introduce basic math concepts.

Numerical Awareness: Engaging with these toys helps children grasp early mathematical concepts like counting and categorization.

Cognitive Skills: Sorting activities foster critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

11. Lacing and Threading Toys

Lacing and threading toys provide opportunities for fine motor skill development.

Hand-Eye Coordination: Threading beads or laces helps improve coordination and control over hand movements.

Concentration Skills: Completing lacing activities requires focus and attention to detail.

12. Balance Toys

Balance toys, such as wobble boards or balance beams, promote physical coordination.

Gross Motor Skills: Engaging with balance toys enhances coordination and core strength as children learn to navigate their movements.

Confidence Building: Successfully balancing boosts self-esteem and encourages risk-taking in a safe environment.

13. Activity Cubes

Activity cubes offer multiple learning experiences within one toy.

Cognitive Engagement: Features like bead mazes and shape sorters provide various cognitive challenges simultaneously.

Social Interaction: Activity cubes can be used in group play, encouraging sharing and cooperative learning.

14. Gardening Kits

Gardening kits introduce children to the world of plants and nature.

Responsibility: Caring for plants teaches responsibility and routine as children learn to water and nurture them.

Scientific Understanding: Engaging in gardening fosters curiosity about life cycles and ecosystems.

15. Construction Sets

Simple construction sets allow children to build and create.

Imaginative Play: These sets encourage creative thinking as toddlers design their own structures.

Problem-Solving Skills: Building requires planning and critical thinking, enhancing cognitive development.

Conclusion

Montessori toys for 3-year-olds are essential tools for enhancing learning and development. From promoting cognitive and motor skills to fostering creativity and social interaction, these toys provide rich, engaging experiences that align with the principles of Montessori education. By investing in high-quality Montessori toys, parents and caregivers can create a stimulating environment that nurtures curiosity and a love for learning. This foundational support will benefit children as they grow, setting the stage for a successful educational journey.

[mrsretrobee]

Toddler Activities - The Grand List!

I’m always on the lookout for things to do with Eloise and the internet is full of wonderful ideas for us to try! Here’s my list of things that are worth trying with your toddler:  1. Sensory Bins Materials: Rice, beans, sand, water, or pasta; add small toys or tools. Activity: Let toddlers explore textures and colors by digging and scooping. 2. Play Dough Fun Materials: Homemade or…

[tyrahread]

Step 1: Northshore Visit (Observations, impressions and Research)

1st of August, 2024

At present, the Northshore Site is home to the overwhelming majority of architectural constructions, both in progress and completed. It became apparent during the on-site visit that the numerous site had some wonderful features but can be progressed further to create an enjoyable and memorable location.

Sensory Observation:

SIGHT:

Multi coloured buildings

There was a bit of artwork on the established workshops precincts (as seen in the above image). It had intricate artwork of sea life as well as graffiti artwork on the floor and on the Maritime Green Hanger.

The site offers a wide space for all workshop precincts, attractions and retailers/dining.

Eyes are drawn to the beautiful Brisbane River.

SOUND:

Aside from the features of the site, when attending, it’s evident there is a lot of noise from either the construction going on or the noise of airplanes flying to and from Brisbane airport. This initially made me think of a precinct that has some type of attraction that blocks from all the noise (closed in- sound proof spaces).

Birds Chirping

Sound of the river

The wind

The noise of ships and cars

Other observations and impressions of the Northshore Site:

I observed a dearth of designs, artworks, or attractions that were representative of the aboriginal and maritime history, which could potentially diminish its cultural significance.

They have decided to repurpose a lot of old objects to make new and refurbished features. For example, old skips bins as pot plants for trees, recycled timber for beams and structure.

They have workshop spaces that allow kids to collaborate and learn all about music and instruments in an up-cycled shipping container, as well as allow other individuals to borrow any sort of equipment and tools in the ‘Brisbane Tool Library’

Lack of attraction and unused space over near the Maritime green hanger, which initially made me think of an interactive attraction that can fill the empty space and draw the community in together.

I also found it was quite empty and secluded from the community, apart from the construction workers.

Lack of public transport to and from the site, which can become a downfall for upcoming events and local tenants.