This activity is inspired by the didactic aides developed by pedagogists like Maria Montessori and Bruno Munari, to help develop the five senses. The children work on creating books, which thanks to digital machinery such as laser cutters, can integrate materials that were previously hard to incorporate (wood, cork, plastic). The materials are cut and engraved based on the them chosen by the class.
Children and their teachers will participate in an unusual and stimulating quest to merge visual messages and tactile perception. The final product is a surprising book-object that can be touched, read and explored from different angles.
Each book is a different experience, each page a different sensation: cold plexiglass, soft felt, soft fleece, rough raffia. The children are both the authors and producers of their book and use thread to write stories and create suggestions. And even the choice of the pages is fundamental ...
The Young Makers of Sensory Books activity is described in Tinkering Coding Making Ages 4-6 volume published by Erickson ICS. It’s an easy to use, practical manual for teachers and parents to programme, design and experiment together with children. Try this activity!
