Setting Up Task Boxes to Encourage Independence

It can be a challenge for students with visual impairments to do activities independently, as they may not have easy access to materials or be fully aware of what the options are.  Teachers and families often ask what our students can do, and I have set up a number of "task boxes" with materials in individual plastic bins with activities that children can do by themselves.  These are a few examples, and you can use your creativity to think of ways that a child can practice skills during independent time at home or school.

Water Task Box

The water task box was created for a 4-year-old girl with low vision to take advantage of her love of water to encourage reaching and grasping, as well as searching within her work area for items.  This can be done as a more structured activity, such as "Can you find all of the yellow ones?" or asking the child to find all that match, or just allowing them to play and explore independently.

Spring Boxes

The two spring task boxes below were designed for a 2nd grader to encourage exploration of her work environment. She loves different types of textures, and enjoyed a bug search within the flowers or the black beans.  There are endless variations possible!