Here in the Chicago area, we have had a cold and snowy winter! Needless to say, we’ve been exploring aspects of winter in our music therapy sessions. Over the holidays, I found Snowtime Anytime indoor snowballs at Hallmark.
I thought they would fit in perfectly with our winter theme and encourage social interaction amongst the students. I mainly work in classrooms that consists either of students who have Autism and/or those with severe and profound developmental disabilities. Much of the time, students interact with staff members who are there to assist them as opposed to their peers. I wanted to use these snowballs to create an atmosphere where students could engage with each other in an activity that is enjoyed by individuals of all ages.
I used the song, Trepak, by Tchaikovsky as background music for most of the rooms because it is lively, fast paced and fits the controlled chaos of a snowball fight. At first, students would engage with staff members, but as the music played on, many began noticing each other and began playing together. A good old fashioned snowball fight is a lot of fun and the same goes when using these “fake” ones. Although they are not cold, they feel like packed snow when squeezed and seem to have a vibratory quality. Very good for sensory input.
In addition to improving social interactions, this activity also improved mood which was evidenced by smiles and giggles from students and staff alike! See the videos below or here & here :
