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‘A Bucket Full of
Ideas’
A booklet of activities to support parents to continue
to develop their child’s early attention, engagement
and turn taking skills, whilst home schooling during
COVID-19
Based upon the principles and 4 stage structure
underpinning the Attention Autism Approach (Gina Davies)
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Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
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Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………… 3
Stage 1 ……………………………………………………………. 4
Stage 2 …………………………………………………………… 6
Stage 3 ……………………………………………………………. 14
Stage 4 …………………………………………………………….. 21
Example 8 week schedule ………………………………… 28
Simple doh recipe…………………………………………….. 29
Useful video examples ....................................... 30
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Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
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Introduction
Parents/Carers,
We have gathered some general guidance and FUN activity ideas in which to help you to
support your child at home. The principles and structure underpinning the activities are
based upon The Attention Autism Approach. Practitioners in many settings across the city
have adopted this approach, in order to develop early focus, engagement and turn-taking
skills, in young people with autism. In settings, additional adults are encouraged to sit with
the children to offer support, model reactions and engagement. This may be difficult to
replicate at home. However, if there is an extra adult or an older child available, it would be
helpful if they could provide similar support.
We have included some general guidance for each stage of the programme, an example 8
week schedule, with activity guidance, examples of resources and some useful video links
which demonstrate the different stages of Attention Autism. We hope you will find it useful,
engaging and fun!
About Attention Autism
Attention Autism is an approach to support young people with Autism. It was designed by
Gina Davies, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. It aims to develop natural and
spontaneous communication through the use of visually based and highly motivating
activities. Gina’s primary objective is that the sessions are fun and “offer an irresistible
invitation to learn”!
There are four distinct phases to the programme:
Stage 1 - The Bucket Stage
Stage 2 - The Attention Builder
Stage 3 - Turn Taking and Re-engaging
Stage 4 - Shifting & Re-engaging Attention
NB - The activities are designed to be fun and engaging. Be forewarned they
can get MESSY! We would advise using a cheap shower curtain (or craft sheet)
to protect surfaces. We have included a MESSY STAR rating system to help
guide you, 1 star * being least messy, 2 ** being a bit Messy and 3 ***, being
very messy!
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Stage 1 – The Bucket Stage
The first stage teaches children to focus their attention on the
adult-led agenda quickly. We want the children to be irresistibly
drawn to the bucket and its contents
The ‘bucket’ is a non-see-through container/bag, that holds a
selection of small objects such as; wind-up, pop-up, musical or
mechanical toys the children will find visually appealing, but
which they have never seen before. Novelty value is key, so you
need to build up a collection of lots of different items to maintain the element of surprise.
During this difficult time, you may need to be creative and adapt/decorate general
household items such as sunglasses, hats, kitchen rolls, plastic bottles, containers etc. to
create visually stimulating items and musical instruments.
Environment - clear the environment of distractions and seat your child opposite you.
Structure- In keeping with good visual communication practice, you start
by drawing a bucket on a little whiteboard or piece of paper and write
‘bucket’ underneath. Then you set the scene by singing the bucket song
before taking the lid off the bucket and pulling out one of its secrets.
Language - Try to keep your language to a minimum at this point because you want your
child to look at the object, pay attention to it and engage with visually. You will be looking at
it also and so you will all have the same-shared experience. For example,
you might just say, “Light spinner” when you bring it out of the bucket.
Then you put it back in the bucket and pick out something else. It takes
maybe two or three minutes to do three objects in a row. Then you say:
‘It’s finished,’ sign ‘finished’ and cross the bucket off on the board and
move on to whatever else the children were doing. It might be helpful to follow the bucket
activity with a favourable activity such as snack.
Rules – Don’t be tempted to hand the toys/objects over to your child, they must remain
special.
Likewise, avoid including anything in the bucket that your child already possess and love
playing with. Imagine the distress of a child, whose special interest is Peppa Pig, when they
sees their favourite toy held up in front of him, but out of bounds!
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Stage 1- Attention Focus Ideas
Bucket Time- choose 2-3 objects to hide
in a bucket/bag
Resource Ideas – bubbles, balloons, windup
toys, push and go toys, musical toys, jack in
the box, light spinners, foam rockets,
musical instruments, funny glasses, party
blowers, party hat, party popper, funny
mask, pop up toy, pop up puppet, rice
shaker etc.
During this time it may be necessary to
make some of the resources yourself such
as pop up puppets/toys, sock puppets,
using a kitchen roll to make noisy shakers
or decorate existing glasses, hats etc.
Directions – Sing the bucket song,” I’ve got
something in my bucket, in my bucket, in
my bucket, I’ve got something in my bucket
I wonder what it is? (to the tune of here we
go round the mulberry bush)
Gradually reveal 2-3 visually stimulating
items from the bucket. Replace the lid each
time.
Then say “finished” and put the bucket
away and cross off the bucket picture on
your wipe board/paper.
MESSY RATING 1*
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Stage 2 – The Attention Builder
After anything from five to ten Bucket Full of Surprises, your
child should be ready for stage 1 and Stage 2, the attention
builder.
This involves introducing a longer activity that stretches
their attention span for up to 10 minutes. It has a clear
beginning, middle and end and is fascinating to watch from
start to finish.
Environment – as before, clear the environment of distractions and seat your
child opposite you.
Structure - you start by splitting the wipe board in two. Draw a bucket on one
side as before and a second activity on the other side. Deliver bucket time as in
previous sessions and then cross it off your board.
Language – continue to keep your language to a minimum because you want
your child to watch the activity, pay attention to it and engage with it visually.
Sharing your experience. Name the object e.g. “sieve, flour” etc. and the
actions. For example you might just say “shake, shake, shake” as you sprinkle the flour.
Example Activity – Draw a face - you might have a basket containing a box of flour, a sieve
and a piece of black paper and a plain shower curtain to put the paper on. You
draw on the board and write ‘flour shaking’. Then you unroll the paper, open
the box and scatter flour from a height all over the paper. Then you draw a
face on it. Finally, you tip the flour back into the box and start the whole
process all over again. You might do that three times, and then you say, ‘It’s
finished.’ Cross the activity off on your wipe board.
If your child wants to join in, that’s great, because it means they are engaged. But you gently
tell them, ‘It’s XXXX’s turn’, and they accept this, because they have become used to the
idea that your role is to show them things while theirs is to relax and enjoy watching.
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Stage 2 – Attention Building ideas
Flour shapes & stencils
Resources – flour, stencils can be everyday
objects or card cut outs, sand moulds,
paper, sieve
Activity – place stencils on paper, sprinkle
flour over the top and remove the stencil to
reveal the shape.
(Alternatives to flour include; glitter, sand,
snow, etc.)
MESSY RATING 1*
Flour Face
Resources – paper, sieve, flour
Activity – Sprinkle flour from a height onto
the paper. Say, “Shake, Shake, Shake”.
Draw a face in the flour naming the
features such as eyes, nose, mouth etc.
(Alternatives include; drawing lines, shapes,
letters, numbers, flowers, animals etc.
Alternatives to flour are; sand, glitter fake
snow, dry rice, shaving foam spayed and
smoothed)
MESSY RATING 1*
Flour Castles
Resources – four cups, piece of paper,
flour.
Activity – fill containers to the top and turn
over, splat from a height using the palm of
your hand.
(You can count the castles, introduce
big/small castles, and put letters, numbers,
shapes, pictures, words on the castles and
then splat!)
MESSY RATING 1*
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Funny Face
Resources – rope/string to make the face
shape, buttons for the nose and eyes, wool
for hair and mouth.
Activity – make a round shape with the
rope/string. Slowly add the buttons for the
nose and eyes. Use the wool to make messy
hair and a mouth.
(If you have access to numicon, this works
well too as do ribbons, feathers, natural
materials such as stones, leaves etc. You
can also explore emotions by making the
mouth happy/ok/ I am fine/ sad/ scared/
confused/surprised etc.)
MESSY RATING 1*
Rainbow Milk/magic milk
Resources – large flat dish, whole fat milk,
cotton bud, 2-3 drops of food colouring (3
colours are best), fairy liquid on the end of
the cotton bud.
Activity - Pour milk into the dish, add drops
of food colouring, dip cotton bud into fairy
and let it touch the milk to make the
pattern.
MESSY RATING 1*
Glue Reveal
Resources – bottle of PVA glue, paper,
glitter or (sand, flour, paint, snow, etc.)
Activity - use the glue to draw the outline
of an object, sprinkle with glitter (or other).
Shake off to reveal the picture.
(A Spiders web is effective, cookie cutters,
play doh cutters are also effective)
MESSY RATING 1*
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Humpy Dumpty Egg splat
Resources– empty eggs shells, with faces
on, liquid paint in each egg.
Activity – sing the nursery rhyme and then
throw them from a height onto paper to
make a colourful mess saying “splat”!
MESSY RATING 2**
Lava Potion
Resources – glass jar, oil, water, drops of
different food colouring.
Activity - Pour about ½ cup of water into
the jar. Add some drops of oil, see what
happens, put the lid on and shake. Add
droplets of colouring and see what
happens.
(You can also add salt or soap detergent,
for different effects.)
MESSY RATING 1*
Sand Sift Secret
Resources – sieve, sand, small objects
(plastic animas, toys, jewels etc.) paper,
cup.
Activity - use the cup to pour the sand into
the sieve, shake over the paper and reveal
the hidden objects. Can also use different
coloured sands.
MESSY RATING 1*
Salt Pendulum
Resources – large plastic cup with holes in
it. String threaded through in 3 places. Salt
or powdered paint
Activity – swing the cup pendulum back
and forth over the paper to make
shapes/patterns.
MESSY RATING 2**
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Bubble wrap print
Resources – bubble wrap, paint, container
or block, elastic band, paper.
Activity - wrap the bubble wrap around the
container/block, dip it into the paint and
print on the paper or a tree.
(can also be used to create other
pictures/shapes/patterns)
MESSY RATING 2**
Magic Balloon
Resources – bottle, vinegar, funnel, baking
powder, balloon.
Activity - put baking powder into the
bottle. Fill the bottle 1/3 with vinegar;
attach the balloon watch as the balloon
inflates magically.
(Decorate the balloon with a face,
numbers, letters, sounds, smiley face etc.)
MESSY RATING 2**
Magic Potion
Resources - 1 litre plastic bottle, plastic
spiders, frog, magic wooden sticks, jewels,
3 beakers, magic colours, dropper, water.
Activity -pour water into the bottles, add
colouring (yellow add red) (blue add red)
(green add blue) and objects, watch as the
colours change. Name each object as you
drop it in then say “ahh a magic potion”.
MESSY RATING 1*
Rainbow Rain
Resources – yellow water, red water, and
blue water in different watering cans or
spray containers.
Activity – sprinkle/spray in an arch using
each colour on white shower curtain to
make a rainbow. Name the colours as you
do so. Then say “ahh a rainbow”
MESSY RATING 2**
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Rainbow Sponge
Resources – kitchen sponge, 4 colours of
paint, paper
Activity – squeeze paint in lines on the
sponge until covered. Take sponge and
spread it across the paper in a rainbow arch
shape to reveal the rainbow.
MESSY RATING 1*
Plant Pot worms
Resources – 6 small plant pots, shaving
foam, food colouring.
Activity – place pots in two rows add
shaving foam & colour, place plant pot over
the top and watch worms ooze out.
MESSY RATING 3***
Slime Ribbons
Resources – different coloured slime, trays
with holes in them (peg trays or a colander)
Activity – spread different coloured slime
over the top tray; lift up high to show it
oozing through onto the tray below.
MESSY RATING 3***
Painted Butterfly
Resources – different colours liquid paint,
A3 paper.
Activity – fold paper in half splat different
coloured paint onto one-half. Fold over,
press down and open up to reveal a
symmetrical butterfly.
MESSY RATING 2**
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Ice cream Delight
Resources – plastic cups (cones), shaving
foam, glitter, food colouring/paint
Activity – count the cups as you put them
out (1, 2, and 3) big/small. Squirt the foam
into each cup saying ‘ice cream’, add paint
over each one saying ‘sauce’, add glitter
saying ‘sprinkles’ , “ooh ice cream”.
MESSY RATING 2**
Lemonade Fizz
Resources – lemonade bottle, small tray,
shower curtain, Mentos.
Activity - Open the soft drink bottle and
place it in a tray – this will get messy. Listen
closely when you open the bottle. You will
hear a hiss. Drop about half a pack of
Mentos into the soft drink. Stand back and
watch your fizzy fountain.
MESSY RATING 3***
Skittles Rainbow Magic
Resources – plate, skittles, hot water
Activity - Form a circle with Skittles on a
plate (colours should be in repeated order,
preferably according to colours of the
rainbow e.g. purple, green, yellow, orange,
red), then pour hot water over them. Wait
for the magic to unfold right in front of your
eyes!
MESSY RATING 2**
Growing Flowers
Resources – 3 plant pots, green paint or
wool, 3 washing scourer or circle shapes, 3
pom poms
Activity- place the plant pots, use the paint
or string to make a stem (long/short) add
The scourers and a pom pom to decorate.
Name each part of the flour as you do so
MESSY RATING 2**
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Bubble Snake
Resources - cut off plastic bottle, micro
cloth, elastic band, water and fairy liquid
(1:1).
Activity – attach the cloth to end of bottle
using elastic band. Dip in the soap liquid
bowl and blow. Keep blowing and watch
the bubble snake grow. Add different food
colouring to make a rainbow bubble snake
MESSY RATING 3***
Worm painting
Resources – cooked Spaghetti (if you can
get it) alternatively wool or string, liquid
paint, paper
Activity –dip the spaghetti into the paint
and move it around and along the paper to
make colourful swirls and patterns.
MESSY RATING 2**
Great Bouncing Balls
Resources – 3-4 small balls (such as tennis
balls), powder paint or flour, small bowl,
paper.
Activity – roll the balls in the powder and
then bounce them from a height down
onto the paper to see them splat.
MESSY RATING 3***
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Stage 3 - Turn Taking and Re-engaging
In stage 3, the children learn to shift their attention, participate in
interactive activities and take turns.
Turn taking is a deeply social skill, which does not make a lot of sense if
you are not socially aware. However, if you do it as an attention shift,
children with autism seem to be able to learn it much more easily. As
they become accustomed to the routine of transferring their attention
from watching, to taking part, and back to watching again, they do not actually need to
understand the social skill underpinning what they are doing.
This stage can be difficult to deliver if there is only you and your child at home, as its focus
is on taking turns and accepting if they do not always get to have a turn. If there are other
children or adults in the home, they should be invited to join in too. However if there is
only you and your child it will still work.
Environment – as before, clear the environment of distractions and seat
your child opposite you.
Structure - you start by splitting the wipe board into three. Draw a bucket
on one side as before, a stage 2 and add a 3 activity on the other side.
Deliver bucket time and stage 2 activity as in previous sessions and then cross them off your
board.
Language – continue to keep your language to a minimum because you
want your child to watch the activity, pay attention to it and engage with it
visually. Sharing your experience.
Example activity- It’s Raining, make sure you put the shower curtain down on the floor (or a
paddling pool) sit your child on a small stool under the umbrella, gently pour the water from
the watering can over it. Say “drip drop rain, drip drop rain, rain has
stopped”. Take turns with other children/adults in the house. This can also
be adapted to have hail (using rice) and snow (using fake snowflakes or
polystyrene, but this can be very messy!) After a few turns, the activity is
“finished” and crossed off your board.
Once you have both taken turns, you have created a shared experience, which binds you
together, making communication and interaction easier.
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Stage 3 –Turn Taking and Re- engaging
Attention Ideas
Cake Splat
Resources – 5 cake cases, shaving foam,
cherry or other object to decorate, your
hand or a fly swat.
Directions – spray the foam into each cake
case then exaggerate the splat from high.
Invite your child to come and take a turn.
MESSY RATING 3***
Water pistol/spray painting
Resources – large paper, different colour
paint or food colouring, water, water
pistols.
Directions – Take turns to spray the paint
over the paper to create a picture.
MESSY RATING 3***
Boo Bombs
Resources–small balloons, ghost faces
drawn on them, filled with flour.
Directions – take turns to drop them from
high to make them splat and watch them
burst.
MESSY RATING 3***
Paint Squirt
Resources – 3 squeezy paint bottles, a
shower curtain laid on the floor.
Directions -You stand at the front and
squeeze one of the bottles to produce a
huge red squirt, which lands splosh! On the
curtain. Then you say: ‘xxxxxx turn and your
child comes to you and chooses from two
bottles you offer them. They know exactly
what to do because they watched you first.
So they add a squirt of green – splosh! –
hand back the bottle, and you take a turn.
Continue until you have had 3-4 turns each.
MESSY RATING 3***
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Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
16 | P a g e
Egg Splat
Resources – shaving foam, hand or fly swat,
paper, yellow powder paint/paint/food
colouring, paper, shower curtain
Directions - Use the foam to squirt 4 - 5 egg
shapes on the paper, add yellow in the
middle. Sing “ (child’s name) is going to
splat the egg, splat the egg, splat the egg,
(child’s name) is going to splat the egg
1,2,3” SPLAT! Invite your child to come and
take turns with you to splat the eggs
MESSY RATING 3***
Stacking Towers
Resources – 6-8 cups with faces/stickers on
stack them in a pyramid shape.
Directions - take turns to knock them down
and build them up again.
MESSY RATING 1*
Cotton Rounds Splat
Resources – 10 cotton rounds, paint, paper,
mallet or potato masher
Directions – place paint under the cotton
rounds, take turns to splat with the mallet
and watch the paint splat out.
MESSY RATING 3***
Popping Paint Balloons
Resources – 6 small balloons, liquid or
powder paint, sharp object to pop.
Directions – put paint in balloons and seal,
place on paper and take turn to pop them.
Watch the paint explode to make a
colourful mess.
MESSY RATING 3***
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WARNING: Take care supervising your
child with a sharp object and pre-warn
your child if they are noise sensitive.
A Walk on the Beach/park etc.
Resources - Collect a variety of natural
materials approximately 6 e.g., pebbles,
sand, shells, grass, water, sand, soil, leaves,
cones, twigs, etc. lay them in a path (baking
trays if you have them)
Activity – take turns to walk through the
trays experiencing the different sensory
experiences and use key language to
describe them.
MESSY RATING 2**
Tickle you awake
Resource’s – pillow, cover, duster,
Activity – encourage your child to pretend
to go to sleep under the duvet. Move
around the room as you sing a little song
such as; “she’s sleeping in the bed, she’s
sleeping in the bed sh sh sh sh s/he’s
sleeping in the bed”. When the song stops
run to your child shake/tickle them to
“wake up wake up”. Take Turns.
MESSY RATING 1*
Rainbow up and down
Resources – large piece of material
Activity - two people holding a piece of
material, child underneath shaking /waving
the material over the child’s head. Sing,
“move the rainbow up and down, up and
down, up and down, move the rainbow up
and until it drops”! Take turns being under
the rainbow.
MESSY RATING 1*
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It’s raining
Resources – an umbrella, watering can,
paddling pool, little stool to sit on.
Activity – invite your child to sit under the
umbrella and gently drip water over it. Take
turns to sit under the umbrella and listen to
the drops.
This can be adapted by using – rice for hail,
fake snow- flakes for snow.
MESSY RATING 3***
Row Row Your Boat
Resource – non needed
Activity – sit facing your child and hold
hands. Rock backwards and forwards
singing “Row row your boat”. If there are
other children in the family, encourage
them to come and take turns too.
MESSY RATING 1*
Funnel Painting
Resource- plastic funnel, different coloured
paint, paper
Activity – Take turns to pour the paint into
the funnel and move it around over the
paper to create a pattern.
MESSY RATING 3***
Honey Pot
Resources – small pot, cloth
Activity – sit under the cloth with the
‘honey pot’ near to you. Pretend to be
asleep. Your child needs to come, take the
honey pot quietly, and move around the
room. When they say ‘wake up Mr Bear’,
you begin the fun chase to retrieve it. Take
turns with other family members if
possible.
MESSY RATING 1*
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Sausage Chase
Resources – 5 paper sausage shapes, frying
pan, chair, newspaper/book
Activity – sitting on a chair, pretend to be
reading the newspaper/book whilst your
sausages are frying in the pan. Your child
will sneak up, take a sausage from the pan,
and run away. And so begins the fun chase
to retrieve it. Take turns to take the
sausages.
MESSY RATING 1*
Snow shooters
Resources – cotton balls, paper cups (can
be decorated if you want)
Activity – place the cups in a pyramid
shape. Take turns to throw the snowballs
into the cups.
(can be adapted to numbers on cups or
letter/phonic sounds, to encourage number
recognition and sound recognition)
MESSY RATING 1*
Roly Poly Ball
Resources – large ball extra people or
children if available
Activity – lie down in a line/circle
dependent on numbers. Take turns to
gently roll the ball over each other’s
tummies.
MESSY RATING 1*
Cotton Ball Splat
Resources –paper, cotton balls ( or used tea
bags), paint/food colouring
Activity – Take turns to dip the cotton ball
(teabag) into the paint. From a height,
throw it down onto the paper to reveal a
splat mess.
MESSY RATING 3***
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Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
20 | P a g e
Salt and Glue Fireworks
Resources – salt, PVA glue, glitter, black
paper
Activity – use the glue to drip firework
shapes onto the paper, sprinkle glitter over
the top. Shake off to reveal the sparkly
firework. Invite your child to have a turn.
MESSY RATING 3***
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Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
21 | P a g e
Stage 4 - Shifting & Re-engaging
Attention
In the final stage, your child can take this one-step further
by learning how to focus on you as lead adult, and then
shift their attention to an individual activity before
refocusing it again to return to you.
Your child will watch you demonstrate an activity, and then they each get their own little
box of materials and go off to try it out for themselves. For example, they might watch you
create a spiky playdough caterpillar, a spaghetti monster or a pretend cake. Then they retire
to the same table, unpack containers in their kit and get busy. When time is up, they come
back to you to share what they have done.
The results usually look terrific, but that is not what matters the most. It is the process that
counts. From learning to watch a wind-up toy for a few moments, the children have
progressed to being able to follow a demonstration, go away, do it independently, and then
return to show it as a member of a group. The development of their
attention skills has made that possible.
Environment – as before, clear the environment of distractions and seat
your child opposite you.
Structure - you start by splitting the wipe board into four. Draw a bucket on one side as
before, a stage 2, 3 and add a stage 4 activity on the other side. Deliver
bucket time, stage 2 and stage 3 activities as in previous sessions and then
cross them off your board as you complete them.
Language – continue to keep your language to a minimum because you
want your child to watch the activity, pay attention to it and engage with it
visually. Sharing your experience.
Example activity - Feather Monsters -demonstrate rolling play
doh/plasticine into a ball. Add a variety of feathers and stick on googly
eyes to make a monster character. Give your child a small tray/box with
the same resources in it. Direct them to a table and encourage them try
to make a monster of their own. When it is complete, ask them to come
and show you so you can share the experience.
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Stage 4 – Shifting and Re-engaging Attention
Copy me
Resources – lego/duplo blocks, pattern to
copy,
Activity – to copy a pattern or structure you
have modelled for them. Ensure that you
both have the same resources in two boxes.
Model making the patern or structure and
then hand your child their box to have a turn
at copying.
MESSY RATING 0
Make a rocket
Resources – boxes with card, tissue paper or
ribbons, colourded wool, string or pipe
cleaners, glue, sticky tape
Activity- roll the card into a tube shape and
stick with tape. Cut a circle shape from some
card and cut in half. Fold to make a cone
shape for the rocket head and attach to the
tube shape. Decorate the end of the rocket
with tissue paper etc. to represent the rocket.
Model saying “5,4,3,2,1 BLAST OFF”as you
pretend to alunch your rocket. Hand your
child their box to have a turn.
MESSY RATING 1*
Salt Stencils
Resources – boes with salt sprinkler ( or
glitter,flour etc.) cut out paper
stencils/shapes/
letters/numbers/animals/dinosaurs/transport
etc. paper
Activity – demonstrate placing the stencil on
the paper and sprinkling with salt (or other),
lift the stencil to reveal the shape. Hand your
child their box for them to have a turn.
MESSY RATING 2**
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23 | P a g e
Rainbow fish
Resource – paper plate, pencils, sequins, cut
out card shapes to make fins and tail, glue.
Activity – Model colouring you paper plate,
blue, drawing scales, adding your cut out card
shapesto make tail and fins, add a mouth and
eye and sparkle sequins. Give your child their
box to create their own rainbow fish.
MESSY RATING 2**
Feather Monsters
Resources – play doh or plasticine, feathers,
googly eyes
Activity – Roll the doh into a sausage shape.
Add feathers and eyes to decorate. Give your
child their box to reate their own feather
monster.
MESSY RATING 1*
Colour Match
Resources – colour match template (4-9
squared depending upon age/ability)and
matching cards.
Activity – Model matching the colours on the
board. Hand your child their box to
complete.
(can also be adaped to be used with
numbers, letters, words, shapes, animals,
special interests etc.)
MESSY RATING 1*
CD Fish
Resources – used CD’s, tissue paper, sequins,
fethers ect to decorate, glue, card cut into fin
and tail shapes.
Activity – Decorate the disc and add tail and
fins to make a shiny fish. Hand your child
their box to make their own.
MESSY RATING 1*
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
24 | P a g e
Make a friend
Resources – doh/plasticine, pipe cleaners,
eyes, pom pom nose, wool hair,
Activity – model making a friend and adding
legs,arms,nose, mouth hair etc. Hand your
child their box to create their own doh friend.
MESSY RATING 1*
Lolly Stick Pictures
Resources – glue, lolly sticks, card
Activity - draw the outline of a house ( or
other object) on the card. Glue the lolly sticks
onto it ot create a picture. Hand your child
their box to create their own picture.
MESSY RATING 1*
Spiky Frog
Resources – green doh/plasticine, cocktail
sticks, big eyes.
Activity - roll the doh into a ball, add cocktail
sticks and eyes. Hand your child their box to
create their own picture.
MESSY RATING 1*
Threading beads
Resources – Pipe cleaners, beads ( cotton
reels, cheerios, buttons etc. can also be used)
Activity - thread the beads (or other) onto
the pipe cleaners either by colour sort or
possibly you could make a pattern. Hand your
child their box to thread their own beads.
MESSY RATING 1*
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
25 | P a g e
Ice Cream Cones
Resources - egg boxe, cotton wool, pom
poms, glue
Activity - cut the cone shape from the egg
box. Add some cotton wool for ice cream.
Decorate with pom poms or glitter. Say “
mmm yummy ice cream”. Hand your child
their box to thread their own ice cream.
MESSY RATING 1*
Man in a Boat- Treasure Island
Resources -soil, round blue circle for the sea,
small box for the boat, pretend jewels for the
treasure, cocktail stick and paper to make a
pirate flag, small figure.
Activity - Create a treasure island scene using
the soil and blue paper. Bury the treasure and
plant the flag, put the man in the boat. Re-
enact him getting out of the boat, finding the
treasure and taking it back to his boat to sail
away. Hand your child their box to make their
own treasure island scene
MESSY RATING 1*
Cupcakes
Resources - card cut into a cup cake shape,
stars/sequins and glitter glue to decorate.
Activity - model decorating your cup cake.
Say “mm yummy”. Hand your child their box
to create their own cup cake.
MESSY RATING 1*
Paper Plate Art
Resources - paper plate, paint (3 colours),
paint brush
Activity - choose a colour and paint your
plate. Add splodges of colour onto it to
decorate. Hand your child their box to
decorate their own plate.
MESSY RATING 2**
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
26 | P a g e
Paint a sunflower
Resources - Picture of a sunflower to show,
yellow and brown paint, picture of a
sunflower to paint.
Activity - Demonstrate paining the sunflower.
Hand your child their box to paint their own
sunflower.
MESSY RATING 2**
Make a Boat
Resources - doh/plasticine, feather, cut ut
triangle, square piece of card.
Activity - use the doh to make the boat
shape. Lay it on the card. Add the feather and
triangle for a sail. Hand your child their box to
make their own boat.
MESSY RATING 1*
Birthday Cake
Resources - doh/plasticine, cake case,
sequins, candles.
Activity - use the doh to make a ball and put
into the cake case. Add the candles and
sequins to decorate. Sing “happy Birthday”.
Hand your child their box to make their own
birthday cake.
MESSY RATING 1*
Bunny Rabbits
Resources - pre painted paper plate, cut out
bunny ears and nose, sticky tape, pens
Activity - fold the plate into a triangle and
stick down. Stick on the ears, nose and eyes.
Draw on the mouth and whiskers. Hand your
child their box to make their own bunny.
MESSY RATING 1*
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
27 | P a g e
Roll a Rainbow
Resources - card/paper, rainbow coloured
paint, cling film, roller.
Activity - Place blobs of paint along the
bottom edge of the the card/paper. Cover
with cling film. Roll the paint to make it
speara upwards in a rainbow arch. Hand your
child their box to make their own rainbow.
MESSY RATING 1*
Rockets
Resources - card, rectangle rocket shape, 3
triangle boosters, 3 circles for windows, red
and yellow pens to draw flames.
Activity - Place the rectangle rocket shape
onto the card. Add the triangle boosters and
windows. Draw flames coming from the
bottom. Say “ 5,4,3,2,1 BLAST OFF”. Hand
your child their box to make their own rocket.
MESSY RATING 1*
Q- Tip Daisies
Resources - yellow doh, cotton buds, green
pipe cleaner, card.
Activity - Place the pipe cleaner onto the card
to make a stem. Add a leaf. Roll the doh into
a circle and squash it slightly onto the middle
of the card. Stick the cotton buds around the
doh to make petals. Hand your child their box
to make their own daisy.
MESSY RATING 1*
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
28 | P a g e
An Example 8 week Activity Schedule
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Introduce Stage 1 activities – Attention and Focus - Bucket Time
Week 1
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Week2
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
Bucket Time
If you feel that you and your child are ready, introduce Stage 2 activities – The Attention Builder
Week 3
Bucket Time
Flour Shapes
Bucket Time
Flour Castles
Bucket Time
Rainbow Milk
Bucket Time
Make a Face
Bucket Time
Glue Reveal
Week 4
Bucket Time
Humpty Splat
Bucket Time
Lava Potion
Bucket Time
Sand Sift
Bucket Time
Bubble Wrap Print
Bucket Time
Salt Pendulum
If you feel that you and your child are ready, introduce Stage 3 activities – Turn Taking and Re-engaging Attention
Week 5
Bucket Time
Flour Stencils
Cake splat
Bucket Time
Rainbow Rain
Water Pistols
Bucket Time
Magic Potion
Boo Bombs
Bucket Time
Plant Pot Worms
Stacking Towers
Bucket Time
Slime Ribbons
Cotton Rounds splat
Week 6
Bucket Time
Rainbow sponge
Popping Balloons
Bucket Time
Printed Butterfly
A Walk in the Park
Bucket Time
Ice Cream Delight
Tickle You Awake
Bucket Time
Growing Flowers
Rainbow up/down
Bucket Time
Flour Castles
It’s Raining
If you feel that you and your child are ready, introduce Stage 4 activities – Shifting and Re-engaging Attention
Week 7
Bucket Time
Skittle Rainbows
Row Your Boat
Copy Me
Bucket Time
Flour Face
Funnel Painting
Make Rocket
Bucket Time
Bubble Snake
Honey Pot Bear
Make a face
Bucket Time
Make Face
Sausage Chase
Feather Monsters
Bucket Time
Glue Reveal
Snow Shooters
Matching colours
Week 8
Bucket Time
Bouncing Balls
Humpty Splat
CD Fish
Bucket Time
Bubble Wrap Print
Egg Splat
Make Friend
Bucket Time
Plant Pot Worms
Paint Squirt
Lolly Stick Pictures
Bucket Time
Worm Painting
Cotton Ball Splat
Ice Cream Cones
Bucket Time
Salt & Glue Firework
Roly Poly
Happy Birthday
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
29 | P a g e
Homemade Playdough Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp cooking oil Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup water
food coloring
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar) and
mix well.
Mix food coloring with your water first. Then add the vegetable oil and water with
food coloring to a large pot. Mix together.
Add the dry ingredients to your pot and mix well.
Cook over low to medium heat until the dough
starts to form and becomes dry.
Once it starts to form a ball together and looks fully
cooked, take off the heat. Let the dough cool first
before touching.
Once cool, knead the dough for 5 minutes to make
the dough soft.
If your dough is not soft, continue kneading for another 5 minutes. If you find it is
still too dry add a little bit more oil and knead in. Store in an air- tight container.
SENISS
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Support Service
30 | P a g e
Useful Demonstration videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88oPmbEDg-k Attention Autism stage 1
(special school setting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMEhkD0W5Z8 Attention Autism Stage 1
(senco demonstrates)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2RiYnluVXY – Attention Autism stages 1-3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFYnc4xcZ6k – Gina Davis demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzpW4xKc9c – Reception Class
demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WlYPvYwWak – Halloween Special
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkzDpAVH4JI – Gina Davis demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jiv5yIt-Ak – Bucket Time demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta87aBv8FNY – Bucket Time demonstration
Additional activity ideas and video demonstrations can be found on
YouTube search for ‘attention autism’ and www.pinterest.co.uk or
on Facebook - Gina Davies Autism Centre
