Today was kind of an unusual day in Physical Education, but a day I thought was important to discuss with young children. In several of my classes we have been talking about the 5 senses, especially sight, touch, and hearing. Since today was white cane safety day, I wanted to visit with my preschool classes about what this meant. We talked about the word "blind" and the use of a long white cane to help a person maneuver from one place to another via touch. We talked also about the importance of hearing and how a person with a vision impairment uses it to help determine what is going on around him or her. I wanted to find a way for young children to experience this so I provided blindfolds and white golf tubes for children to use as the cane. They moved from one location to another following my voice and eventually found their way to me or the teacher's aide. It was an interesting activity, but one I hope will help children be more aware of what a white cane means, should they happen to see one.
Being blindfolded is often an uncomfortable feeling. It takes time to adjust.
These students find their way to their classroom aide.
These students have fun following the sound of my voice and using their white canes to keep from bumping in to each other.
