Build A Garden

 

Does anybody have a brown thumb, like me? Then maybe Build A Garden is the route you need to take - build an indoor garden that never needs tending. 

Build A Garden comes in several different boxed sets, each with a different number of pieces. I have the set in the image above and it comes with 98 pieces, all hard plastic. I'm going to show you the contents of the box first, as it will be easier to explain after.

I enlarged the image above so that you can see the details on the blooms. There are four different flower parts, and the names are even printed on the box. The largest petals pieces depicts a variety of flowers, including lily, petunia, orchid, and chrysanthemum. There are two of each bloom, but they are different colors. Therefore, you cannot build a model to copy by color, only by type. Each flower can be made up of several pieces and each time you "plant a garden", it can look different. There are 8 green base pieces, each with five holes for "planting" flowers and they can all connect.

The contents of my box.

Try this:

• Build a one-base piece garden. Take a picture of it and ask the individual to make the same garden.
• Build a four-base piece garden. Take a picture of it and ask the individual to make the same garden. There will be pieces in the background and some parts will be partially covered. More difficult.
  
• Work on color recognition. Make a garden where each flower is a single color.
• Call each flower part by its scientific name as you build.
• Add the stem to the base and build the flower. To add more of a challenge, hold the flower in space as you build it, then put it into the base.
  
• Follow up with flower crafts from Pinterest, there are a ton of inexpensive, fun craft online. Check this page out - Flower crafts.
  

Ned's Head

What's in Ned's Head?  Without looking, feel for the icky, sticky, hairy and scary stuff inside.

There's almost no limit to the surprises that you can find in What's in Ned's Head? Use it with the objects that are included and then let your imagination run wild as you put all kinds of everyday objects in for more fun and extended play.

Objects included in the game may vary a little as I have seen different things over the years in What's in Ned's Head?  including a frog, dirty gym sock, sticky sucker, lab rat, tongue, tooth, worm, bird poop with a worm in it, dirty diaper, used Q tip, spaceman, slice of cheese, spider, lost lunch (fake vomit), fried egg, screw, small spiky ball and a large ant.

 

Ned's Head with an adult hand in the nostril. Plenty of room to go in and out. Holes for the ears are even bigger.

The goal is to look at a card, put your hand into the head, and pull out that object just by the feel of it. A multi-sensory guessing game, I have liked this game from the start! The head is fairly large and has four plastic stays in it to keep it upright.  There are 2 openings for his ears and 2 for nostrils, and they are all large enough for an adult hand. The kids like the "gross" factor, although I have not seen the dirty diaper or bird poop in the recent versions. There is a card with a matching picture for each item, plus they throw in a few blank cards so you can add your own items if you wish. Show the individual each piece as you put it into the head, or for a more difficult version, don't show the objects beforehand. 

One of the best things about What's in Ned's Head? is that you can put your own objects in it and use it over and over. Either take pictures of the items or let the individual guess without images. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Fall - leaf, piece of candy corn, sucker, small squash or pumpkin, miniature ear of Indian corn, acorn, squishy eyeball, wax lips
• Christmas - small wrapped package, candy cane, small tree ornament, chocolate wrapped coin, package bow, jingle bell
• Nature - pine cone, rock, small plastic animals (dinosaur, giraffe, spider), small plush animals, twig, leaf, plastic star  

To see a list of fall-themed games, click here.

Try this:

•  Lay the cards all out in front of you.  Ask the child to put his hand in Ned's head, feel an item, and find the matching card on the table.
• Give the child a single card and ask him to put his hand into the head and feel around until he finds that item.
• Ask the child to put his hand in the head, pick up an item, and describe it to you using descriptive words such as smooth, bumpy, spiky, hard, soft, etc.
• Show each item to the child before putting it into the head. Have the child hold and finger the item, talk about how it feels.
• Take pictures of your own items and replace the items in the head with yours.
• Put plastic letters in the head to practice letter identification.
• Look at the cards and pieces, remove the cards and put the pieces in Ned's Head. Ask the child to pick up a piece and without pulling it out, describe what he can remember about the item (color, how many legs, what it is, etc.)
  
• Feel each object before putting it into the head. As the child picks up an object, ask him to close his eyes, feel it in-hand, and describe it.
• Instruct the child to put one hand in each ear and use hands together to feel the object.
  
• Put all new items in the head that the child has not seen. Ask him to put his hand in and find something smooth, bumpy, scratchy, work on different textures.
• Put one hand into each ear and use them together to identify objects.
  
• Describe an item and ask the individual to pull it out without looking. "Find an item that is green, has four legs, that you might find near a stream."
• Work on tactile discrimination, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, haptic memory, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just learning more about it, click on the image below to go to Amazon.com.