Packaging snacks is an excellent group activity where students can practice many different types of skills at their own level. Skills that can be taught through this type of activity include: counting and number concepts; sequencing; concepts of in/out, open/closed, more/less; positional concepts of left to right, top to bottom; money skills; communication, and social skills. This activity from Manila is a great example of how these functional skills can be taught.
This boy places snacks into individual plastic bags. Note that he wears plastic gloves, for hygenic purposesA boy uses a heat sealer to close the snacks he has packaged. Note how the activity is carefully set up in left to right sequence with the unsealed bags in the left, then the sealer, then the completed items on the right. Having a clear workflow and an organized presentation of materials encourages greater independence.A boy carries a plastic bag of packages snacks. This helps him to develop motor coordination, as well as orientation and mobility skills.A boy holds up a package of snacks and asks a teacher if he would like to purchase it. This helps to develop communication, social skills, and money concepts.A teacher hands a boy money to purchase a bag of snacks that he is selling. This helps to reinforce money concepts, social and motor skills.The teacher assists the boy to place the money in his shirt pocket. The money can be used to purchase ingredients, to pay for classroom materials or a special event or shared among the students.Motor scooter taxis are parked in front of Resources for the Blind in Manila.
