Fall (or Autumn for us Brits!) is a fabulous time of the year, with so many changes in the natural world and treasures to look for and find! We’ve been making natural fiddles/fidget boxes.
Maybe you would like to make one too?
There are loads of wonderful sensory things that you can add to a natural fiddles/fidget box.
I’ll show you what we’ve put in ours so far (as well as a few extra surprises). We are also looking forward to adding some beautiful leaves when they fall soon.
Pine cones – We live near some pine woods, so we’ve gathered these lovely cones for our fiddles/fidget box.
Wooden batons – These lovely, tactile wooden batons are cut from fallen branches in the woods near our home.
Conkers – We had to walk a bit to where there is an avenue of horse chestnut trees, but it was worth it to get these smooth conkers (be careful if you use these that you supervise their use as they could be a choking hazard).
Feathers – Our home borders the countryside, so there are always plenty of pheasant feathers to find. There are lots of other lovely feathers that you can find in your area. Just remember to wash them first so that they are nice and clean!
Shells – We also live near the sea (We know, we are very lucky), so we could go and pick up some sea shells to add to the fiddles/fidget box. Again, remember to wash them first!
There are other natural things that we’re going to add to the fiddles/fidget box; I’ve mentioned autumn leaves, but we’re going to find some nice smooth pebbles too. We’ve also added a few ‘bought’ items but have tried to make them in keeping with the natural approach as much as possible, which—for example, means no plastic.
Here are some of them:
A colouring book and pencils.
A natural linen scarf.
Painted wooden dominos.
Painted wooden maracas
Painted wooden twist-lock blocks.
Wooden box – Finally, you will need a wooden box to contain everything. We have found one that we can customize with paint or decorations to make it look special.
So, how about creating your own natural fall/autumn fiddles/fidget box?
It will be lots of fun exploring and collecting together, and you will enjoy using the fiddles/fidget box throughout the winter—maybe then you could make a spring one!
Get collecting!
© Mark Arnold/The Additional Needs Blogfather is the Additional Needs Ministry Director for Urban Saints Church, Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. Follow his writing at https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com.
