Thermic Tablets – Big

1. 6 Pairs of Tablets:
The set contains 6 pairs of tablets, each made from one of the following materials:
o Felt
o Cork
o Wood
o Glass
o Slate
o Steel
Each pair of tablets provides a distinct tactile experience, ranging from cool to warm
sensations depending on the material.

2. Temperature Sensory Exploration:
o Each material offers a different tactile temperature, with some feeling cool (e.g., glass and steel) and others feeling warm (e.g., felt and cork). This helps the child develop a differentiation between warm and cool sensations.

3. Polished Wooden Box:
The tablets are stored in a wooden box with six separate compartments, ensuring easy access and organized storage. The polished finish adds an aesthetic touch, providing a pleasing sensory experience for both the child and the educator.

4. High-Quality, Safe Materials:
Each tablet is crafted from non-toxic, child-safe materials. The set is designed to be durable and long-lasting, offering a high-quality tactile experience that encourages independent exploration.

1. Sensory Development and Temperature Discrimination:
The primary benefit of the Thermic Tablets – Big is to enhance the child’s ability to discriminate between different temperatures. By exploring the tactile differences between the materials, children develop their sensory awareness and the ability to identify
sensations of coolness and warmth.
2. Understanding Material Properties:
This material introduces the concept that different materials have distinct thermal properties. Children intuitively grasp that materials such as steel and glass feel colder because they are better heat conductors, while wood, felt, and cork feel warmer due to their insulating properties.
3. Fine Motor Skills and Muscular Control:
By handling the tablets, children engage in fine motor activities, which help develop their hand strength, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination. These skills are essential for later tasks such as writing, drawing, and buttoning.
4. Concentration and Focus:
The Thermic Tablets encourage children to focus on the temperature differences and develop their attention to detail. This sensory activity also promotes concentration and the
ability to stay engaged with a task for a period of time.
5. Preparation for Writing:
As children engage with the material, they strengthen the fine motor muscles in their hands, which prepares them for activities requiring gripping and writing. Holding and moving the
tablets helps the child develop the muscle memory needed for pencil grip and other writing- related tasks.
6. Introduction to Basic Science Concepts:
By exploring different materials, children are introduced to fundamental concepts of thermodynamics, such as thermal conductivity and insulation. This introduces them to scientific inquiry and the exploration of how the physical world works.

1. Initial Exploration:
o Present the Thermic Tablets to the child and encourage them to explore the tablets by feeling them one by one. Ask questions such as, "How does the steel tablet feel? Is it warm or cool?" or "Does the felt tablet feel warmer or cooler than the wood tablet?"
2. Pairing and Sorting:

o After initial exploration, invite the child to match pairs of tablets based on their
temperature. They can sort the tablets from warmest to coolest or group them into
two categories: one for warm materials and one for cool materials.

3. Concentration Exercises:
o Encourage the child to close their eyes and feel the tablets one by one to enhance their concentration and improve their tactile discrimination. Ask them to focus solely on the temperature difference, promoting mindfulness and sensory
awareness.
4. Material Exploration:
o Discuss with the child why each material feels different. For example, "Why does glass feel cooler than cork ?" This can lead to conversations about the scientific
properties of materials and their ability to retain or conduct heat.

5. Extended Activities:
o Introduce a real-world connection by discussing how temperature differences affect
daily life. For instance, you could explore how felt is used in insulation and why steel
is often used in materials that need to conduct heat. This encourages early scientific
thinking.
6. Group Activities:
o The Thermic Tablets can be used in group activities where children take turns
feeling and describing the differences in temperature. This promotes social learning
and improves communication skills as the child describes their sensory experience
to others.

The Thermic Tablets – Big offer a valuable opportunity for children to develop their sensory
awareness and gain an early understanding of the different thermal properties of materials.
Through tactile exploration, children improve their fine motor skills, concentration, and sensory
discrimination while being introduced to basic scientific concepts. This activity is foundational for
the development of skills needed in writing and other daily tasks that require fine motor
coordination.
By using the Thermic Tablets – Big, children not only refine their tactile senses but also deepen their
understanding of the material world around them. Would you like more ideas on how to integrate
this material into a specific learning environment or classroom activity?