Sunflower Mobiles
This was a writing/craft activity I designed for Lemon Day 2012 in Wymondham, initially: it was for all ages. However I think it'd be great for adults with learning difficulties, which is why I've put it here.
(Photo courtesy of Anna Meek.)
Aim: To make sunflower mobiles that have nonsense sentences hanging from them.
Target Age: ANY!
Key Skills: Sentence construction, generation of adjectives and verbs, manual dexterity.
Resources:
- Sunflower 'petals' cut out from yellow and orange paper in various shapes and sizes.
- Paper plates painted black.
- Pots to put the petals in.
- Revision cards/pieces of card.
- Marker pens.
- Embroidery thread/sandwich bag 'twisters'/similar (to make connecting the cards simpler).
- Masking tape (enough rolls for the group).
- Pritt sticks.
- Holepunches.
Steps:
1. Get each person to write (one word per card), using the marker pens:
a) "I"
b) "like"
c) "sunflowers"
d) an adjective
e) another adjective
f) a verb in ing form e.g. 'running'
g) a place (e.g. library, New York, kitchen)
2. (Repeat this if necessary - you want enough words to have an element of randomness.)
3. Place the words in piles - all the "I"s in one pile, adjectives in another pile, etc. Shuffle them.
4. People pick one word from each pile (except they can pick two adjectives if they want).
5. They try to form a sentence using their words NB they will probably need to add some 'connective' words like "and" or "with" - they write these on spare cards.
6. BE CAREFUL TO KEEP THE CARDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER.
7. Each person takes a paper plate and chooses the 'petals' they want from the tubs.
8. Then they punch two holes in the top of the paper plate (if you want to hang it with string - you can just stick it up using bluetack), and two in the bottom.
9. Using prittstick (if wanted) and masking tape, each person sticks the petals to the back of their paper plate.
10. Then they punch holes in the top and bottom of all of their word cards EXCEPT THE LAST WORD IN THE SENTENCE, which has just holes in the TOP of it.
11. Using silk thread OR sandwich bag 'twisters', connect the cards together, one above the other.
12. Then connect the cards to the bottom of the sunflower, and tie string to the top (if you've decided to do it that way.)
13. Display the mobiles with pride!
(Photo courtesy of Anna Meek.)
Aim: To make sunflower mobiles that have nonsense sentences hanging from them.
Target Age: ANY!
Key Skills: Sentence construction, generation of adjectives and verbs, manual dexterity.
Resources:
- Sunflower 'petals' cut out from yellow and orange paper in various shapes and sizes.
- Paper plates painted black.
- Pots to put the petals in.
- Revision cards/pieces of card.
- Marker pens.
- Embroidery thread/sandwich bag 'twisters'/similar (to make connecting the cards simpler).
- Masking tape (enough rolls for the group).
- Pritt sticks.
- Holepunches.
Steps:
1. Get each person to write (one word per card), using the marker pens:
a) "I"
b) "like"
c) "sunflowers"
d) an adjective
e) another adjective
f) a verb in ing form e.g. 'running'
g) a place (e.g. library, New York, kitchen)
2. (Repeat this if necessary - you want enough words to have an element of randomness.)
3. Place the words in piles - all the "I"s in one pile, adjectives in another pile, etc. Shuffle them.
4. People pick one word from each pile (except they can pick two adjectives if they want).
5. They try to form a sentence using their words NB they will probably need to add some 'connective' words like "and" or "with" - they write these on spare cards.
6. BE CAREFUL TO KEEP THE CARDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER.
7. Each person takes a paper plate and chooses the 'petals' they want from the tubs.
8. Then they punch two holes in the top of the paper plate (if you want to hang it with string - you can just stick it up using bluetack), and two in the bottom.
9. Using prittstick (if wanted) and masking tape, each person sticks the petals to the back of their paper plate.
10. Then they punch holes in the top and bottom of all of their word cards EXCEPT THE LAST WORD IN THE SENTENCE, which has just holes in the TOP of it.
11. Using silk thread OR sandwich bag 'twisters', connect the cards together, one above the other.
12. Then connect the cards to the bottom of the sunflower, and tie string to the top (if you've decided to do it that way.)
13. Display the mobiles with pride!
