Make Your Own Find-It Jar

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Make Your Own Find-It Jars

Hi faithful readers! I’m so excited that we have been creating new fun activities for our clients. Find-It tubes can be quite expensive and we’re always looking for affordable ways to teach our children skills. The tubes are quite easy to create and the variations are endless!

For St. Patrick’s day, add green dyed rice. Since the children aren’t actually touching the dye, it’s safe. Easter….try pink, yellow, or light blue rice with tiny erasers found HERE via our Amazon Affiliate link. There are also food erasers, vehicle erasers, and bugs…among MANY others.

Beads commonly found at large craft stores also work well in the jars. If you don’t want to use glass, try a plastic water bottle OR purchase plastic bottles at craft stores. The options are truly endless!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Jar with a lid
Several small items of your choice
Rice
Scissors
Packing Tape
Printed label

STEP 1:

Find a jar you want to use. The bigger the jar, the harder it will be to find the items. If you have younger children, try using a smaller jar or bottle at first.

STEP 2:

Find 10-20 items you want to put in the jar. They can be anything from legos and small toys to tiny erasers and craft objects. The smaller the items, the tougher they will be to find in the jar. Write or type a list of the items you put in the jar, so you can have a label for the outside of the jar.

STEP 3:

Place the items in your jar first, then fill the jar to the top with rice. Seal the jar tightly with the lid. If you’re concerned about the lid coming off, you can put super glue around the lid before sealing it for a permanent seal.

Looking for more information about sensory processing? Here’s my earlier post SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER 101.

STEP 4:

Use the packing tape to make a one-sided laminate for your label you wrote or printed off. Cut the tape just a little longer than the paper label. Press the paper label to the tape, with the words against the sticky side. Smooth the tape and label onto the front of the jar.

Have you seen our Sensory and Autism Activity Pack?

STEP 5:

Keep the Look and Find Jar in the car for long rides, or for places where there will be long wait times like the dentist or doctor’s office. This activity works best for children who can read since they will need to be able to locate items in the jar based on the label. If your child cannot read, give them a laminated index card with photos of each item in the jar. Give them a grease pencil or dry-erase marker to cross off each item as it’s found.