Dancing is an activity in which virtually any preschooler, regardless of ability, can participate. Mimicking dance movements is a fun way to develop gross motor skills, such as balance and coordination. Many forms of dance, including those that involve upper body movement, can be performed using a wheelchair.
Incorporating a ball into daily play is another way to stimulate gross motor skills. Ball play offers versatility, as it can be done alone, in a one-on-one scenario or in a larger classroom environment with a group of children. For larger groups, seat the children on the floor in a circle. Introduce a large ball and allow them to take turns rolling it to one another, using their hands and feet. Place the children close together to minimize the time and effort required to retrieve the ball if it goes out of play. This activity allows for participation from preschoolers dealing with speech delays, as it requires only physical movement.
To develop fine motor skills, preschoolers can work on activities that coordinate eyesight with small muscle movements. Use safety scissors to work on cutting skills. Using a thick, black marker, draw guidelines on a piece of paper in various shapes, including straight lines, curves, angles and circles. Instruct the children to cut along the lines. For children with speech delays, repeat the names of the shapes several times as they cut, and encourage students to repeat the names as well. Children can work on finger pinching and placement skills by pasting small objects on paper. Help the children sort buttons, macaroni and string into small piles. Ask the children to paste the items onto construction paper or poster board. Children with visual impairments can sort and paste items together according to texture.
Preschoolers with sensory issues can explore their creative side with edible paint. This artistic activity stimulates the senses of sight, touch and taste. Using an edible ingredient, such as sweetened, condensed milk or whipped cream, add several drops of food coloring to create different shades of paint. Allow the children to fingerpaint on sheets of craft paper or poster board. Since the materials are edible, the children can taste their paint as they work. Be sure to separate the materials to avoid the spread of germs. Blown art activities offer health benefits to preschoolers with physical disabilities affecting the respiratory system. Place a sheet of paper inside a cardboard box and add several generous drops of paint in the center of the sheet. Let the children blow into a drinking straw positioned over the paint. Move the straw vigorously over the page to create different designs while they blow. Even children with severe physical disabilities, such as quadriplegics, can participate in this activity with the assistance of a teacher.
Listening to music and singing along are activities that foster creativity and social skills. Choose age-appropriate songs that incorporate hand movements or stories. Often, students with hearing impairments are able to participate since, depending on the severity of the impairment, they may be able to pick up on the beat and, in some circumstances, actually hear the vibrations of the lower notes.
Incorporate sign language into musical activity, or allow students to experiment with different musical instruments. Children with certain developmental delays and disabilities, such as autism, often have a natural ability to read sheet music and play musical instruments, sometimes without any formal training.