Task boxes can be highly beneficial for special education students for several reasons: They provide structured learning by way of presenting learning materials in an organized way, they provide visual supports, repetition & practice, and skill generalization.  Task boxes can also be customized to meet each individual student’s needs and IEP goals, promote independence, and allow educators to easily track student’s progress.

For younger grades, you might be used to seeing task boxes that contain sorting colors, shapes, letters…etc.  For secondary-aged students, you will want to move more towards tasks that are functional and transferable to everyday life.  If your student is stuck at “sorting” skills, they can begin to sort things that are more applicable to adult life like nuts & bolts for example.

Making task boxes can certainly add up in costs, but many great supplies can be found at dollar stores, Goodwill, or through donations.  There are even some printable tasks (which I will provide links to below) that will help save on costs as well.  Task boxes also don’t always have to be in a box or container, but can be stationed in the room.   Here are a handful of ideas to help you start creating some hands-on task boxes:

(Many of the supplies for these task boxes can be saved from recycled items at home, found at Dollar Tree, or with luck at a Goodwill or donation through a friend or family – but I have provided Amazon affiliate links for items that might be harder to find in these circumstances.). You can also find some FREE downloads below to accompany your tasks boxes as well!

Folding towels/napkins

There are several different ways towels/napkins can be folded. Take a few pictures (or you can find tutorial photos online) of how you want the napkins folded and put a stack of unfolded napkins in the boxes.

Setting a Table Setting

Provide place settings, napkins, silverware, plates, and cups, and have the student set an individual place setting or a full table of place settings.

Rolling silverware

This is a really inexpensive task to make! Take it up a level by using nicer restaurant napkins and silverware.

Matching & Folding Socks

Students will find the matching sock pair, and then fold them together. You can find socks at the Dollar Tree. I used baby socks that I purchased from the Dollar Tree because it came with several pairs for a dollar, and I was able to fit more socks in the task box!

Sorting Silverware

You can find all of these supplies at Dollar Tree, Walmart, Goodwill, or garage sales.

Battery station

Find different battery-powered items that take different-sized batteries. Students will find which batteries go in each device, and properly install the batteries so that the device turns on. Many of these items were found at the Dollar Tree, old items I wasn’t using anymore or got from a garage sale.

Printable Tasks

I have a variety of printable work task box activities that you can find below:

Money Sorting (into cash register)

You can use a play cash register, cash box, or just simply several containers. Students can sort play money to match bills/coins.

Filling salt & pepper shakers

Students will practice pouring salt & pepper into separate containers without spilling and being able to properly twist the lids back on. I found all of these items at the Dollar Tree, the salt & pepper shakers, the bottles that hold the salt & pepper, the plastic funnel, and the salt & pepper! If the pepper becomes too much of a sneeze problem – you can substitute it with sand!

Packing a Suitcase

You can find inexpensive suitcases at garage sales or the Goodwill. You can even ask your friends and family if anyone has an old piece of luggage to donate. Provide smaller bags for students to properly pack toiletries as well!

Matching and Closing Bottle/Containers

This one you can do for free! Save those containers once you are done using them (ask your staff and coworkers for donations). Try and get a variety of different containers so that students have to match and figure out which goes to which. Try to also get a variety of containers that have different ways to open a lid to practice those fine motor skills. Make sure to clean out the containers.

Advent Calendar Number Sorting

This one is random, but I made use of an old advent calendar. Maybe this will help spark some ideas of how you can use old items that are lying around your home, less money you have to spend!! You can download the printable numbers for FREE below.

Taping/putting together boxes

This can also be free. Save those Amazon boxes and cut the tape to undo the boxes. Students can practice folding or taping a box together. You can also ask your local pizza shop if they need any help folding their pizza boxes!

Keys & Locks

This activity can be done in several ways. Students can match letters, words, numbers, and so on. To make this functional, I had students figure out the next dollar-up answer. You can find locks and keys at the Dollar Tree. Find Key labels/tags HERE and lock sets HERE.

Wrapping gifts

This is a great one to do around the holidays. Have staff bring in gifts they need wrapped for the holidays, or if you have a birthday gift you are going to give, bring that in to have students practice this skill!

Assembling Hygiene Kits/First Aide Kits..etc

Many of these supplies can be found at Dollar Tree and you can find dozens more that you can make other types of kits with such as a pet kit, school/office supplies kit, hair styling kit, kitchen kit…etc.

Sorting mail

You can ask the front office if they have mail to sort and distribute. If not, check out this activity that has students sort mail by various categories like the state or zip code.

Filing documents, index cards, alphabetical

This idea can be as simple as writting a letter on each index card and filing them. Here are some activities you can use to practice filing documents.

Sorting Various Items

Anything that comes in a set like these buttons or screws make great sorting activities. You can also buy things that come in multiple sizes. I was able to get these sets on sale at various stores like Michaels or Home Depot.

Letter Board Activities

Students can do several activities with a letter board! First you can have students put today’s date for display. Next, students can use flashcards and spell vocabulary words. Lastly, you can have students sort the letter board letters. You can find letter boards HERE.

Pop Toy Activities

I used a calculator pop toy which you can find HERE, with math flashcards I found at the Dollar Tree. I used a keyboard pop toy which you can find HERE, with vocabulary task cards for higher-level students. You can browse vocabulary task cards HERE.

Hanging Clothes on Hanger

Putting clothes on a hanger is a skill in itself. Take it to the next step by having students sort the clothes by type (eg. Pants vs Shirts) or by size. I used these colored rings to help distinguish sizes so students could start sorting by color.

Folding clothes

To add to the hanging clothes activity – if you can have students determine what clothes should be hung up vs. which ones can be folded. From there, students can practice various folding skills depending on the clothing item. You can find a folding board HERE if your students need a little more assistance!

Adding Dates on a Calendar (dry erase)

If you have a school calendar with important events like a field trip, school dance, graduation…etc, have students practice writing these into a planner or calendar! I have a printable activity you can download and use with a dry-erase calendar which you can find HERE, if your students need more practice (linked below).

Assembling Packets (sorting, stacking, stapling)

If you ever have packets that need to go home to parents, or you can reach out to your office and see if they need any packets assembled, this is a great way to have your students practice various office skills.

Wrapping Burgers

For this task you’ll need toy burgers -you can find some from children’s toys or dog toys you can get HERE and you can wrap the burgers in tissue paper which you can find at the Dollar Tree, or burger wraps which you can find HERE.

Sorting/Stocking Coffee Supplies

This is fairly inexpensive, and most supplies can. befound at the Dollar Tree. Students can work on counting, sorting, stocking and reporting inventory. These are great tasks especially if you run a coffee cart student business. Download the Count The Packets visual for FREE below.

Sorting Recycle

There are several ways you can practice this skill. You can collect cans/bottles in your classroom or around campus and have students sort them before taking them to the recycling center. Or there are fun little sensory boxes you can create. Dollar Tree has a recycling kit in the education section you can manipulate a few different ways.

Shredding paper

This is a great office skill to practice and some students even find it calming. to shred paper! Make a pile of papers you need shredded or collect shredding paper from teachers around campus. Students will also practice confidentiality by not reading what is on the documents they are shredding.

Flower arrangements

I purchased all of these supplies at the Dollar Tree and you can download the printables for FREE below.

Bagging Groceries

Save empty containers or use those expired canned foods for this activity. Students can practice bagging groceries. Take it to the next level by having students be aware of having heavier items on the bottom, or bagging food separate from chemicals. Download printables to assist you with this activity. below:

Measuring length & weight

Have students measure the length, circumference or weight of various items (can be anything free you have laying around). Download the worksheets for FREE below, and you can find measuring tape HERE, and a weighing scale HERE.

Measuring cups

This is an inexpensive task to create. All you need if a set of measuring cups which you can find at Dollar Tree, and a bag of rice! If you want to use the color-coded fraction measuring cups, you can find those HERE.

Work Order (making copies)

If you have any copies that need to be made, have students help with doing this task!

Sweep

Taping a square on the ground helps students focus on an area to bring the trash they are sweeping to. You can also do this in a task box by putting various small items with a mini dustpan set and mini trash can (which you can find both at the Dollar Tree.)

Assemble Drink Cups

Have students practice fine motor skills of placing sleeves and lids on coffee cups. You can also do this activity with cups that require straws. You can buy a 50 pack of cups with lids, sleeve and stirrers HERE.

Assemble Reading Glasses Packages

Reading glasses & cases can be found at Dollar Tree or Daiso (or maybe you have a bunch lying around). I used a label maker to label the prescriptions onto the cases and students will match the glasses to the correct case and put them into the case.

Practice Cutting

This is a wonderful wood & velcro set from Melissa and Doug you can find HERE. Students can practice the appropriate motion and hand placement of cutting food before moving onto practicing with actual food!

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Thanks for reading!