Sock Practice

OT Activity of the Day:

Sock Practice

Target Age Range: 3 and up

Putting on socks can be a tricky and frustrating activity for kids and parents alike.  Here's a fun way to practice and increase success!

First, grab some hair ties.  You can buy some fun scrunchies or just use whatever you have around the house.  If you don't have hair ties, you can use string that you have tied in a circle.  Just know that hair ties work best as they mimic the elastic band of a sock.  

Then have your child put as many hair ties on their foot as possible!  One of the most challenging aspects of socks is making sure all those toes are in the sock.  By practicing with hair ties, your child is figuring out the best way to ensure that all those toes are where they need to be.  

Helpful tip: For activities like socks and shoe tying it's always best to set aside time (5 minutes at the most) during the day when you're not rushed to get out the door.  During the morning rush, the stress is high and the patience is low.  Not the best atmosphere for success no matter your best intentions.  

Enjoy!

Shoe Tying

OT Activity of the Day:

Shoe Tying

Target Age Range: 5/6 and up

A request I often get from parents is to help teach their children to tie their shoes.  This can be a tricky and frustrating task for kiddos, however there are a few tricks that may help reduce the stress and increase the success!

1. Make sure the shoe laces are long.  When children are first starting to tie their shoes they do not have the capacity to make tight, precise movements.  So the more slack they have the more successful they'll be in the beginning.

2. Try using two different color shoe laces (as pictured).  This helps children see both laces and the laces don't get lost in the jumble of shoe tying.

3. Backwards chaining.  This means that you complete all the steps except the last one, let your child complete the last step.  This takes the pressure off completing the entire task immediately.  Once the child completes the last step independently, then let them do the last two, and so on.  

No matter which method you chose (bunny/tree, or two bunny ears), these steps should make the process easier!  Enjoy! 

The Coat Flip

OT Activity of the Day:

The Coat Flip

Target Age Range: 3 and up                    

It's November, the leaves are falling, the air is getting cooler and children will once again have to start wrestling with their jackets.  While there are several ways for your child to put their jacket on, here is the easiest! The "coat flip" method!

First, have your child open their jacket and lay their jacket on the ground.  Then have your child stand next to the jacket so that their feet are lined up with their collar and tag (the jacket will be upside down when compared to your child).  Next, have your child bend over and start sliding their hands into the sleeve holes.  As your child stands up have them bring the jacket with them as continue to push their arms through the sleeves.  Last, have them flip the jacket over their heads and pull the jacket all the way on!  

Bundle up and enjoy! 

Shape Ghosts

OT Activity of the Day:

Shape Ghosts

Target Age Range: 4 and up

Today we're focusing on scissor skills with our shape ghosts.  Practice cutting out circles, squares and triangles then make them into ghosts!

For the older kiddos, have them write a spooky story to go along with their ghosts!  Happy Halloween everyone!  Stay safe and have fun! 

Hole Punch Spider

OT Activity of the Day: 

Hole Punch Spider

Target Age Range: 4 and up

This is a great activity for those older preschoolers and Kindergarteners.  During this craft we're focusing on scissor skills, fine motor manipulation and strengthening the hands.

For this craft you'll need construction paper, a hole puncher, pipe cleaners, and 2 googly eyes.  First you have your child cut a circle out of the construction paper.  This works best if you use a white crayon to first draw a guideline.  Then you take your hole puncher and punch 8 holes into the circle, 4 on each side.  Next you cut 2 pipe cleaners into 8 small pieces.  Fold the pipe cleaner so that a small part is under the spider and the rest is showing.  Bend the pipe cleaner so it makes a leg.  Last take some googly eyes and glue them on.

A spooky Halloween activity for all to enjoy!

Spider Maze

OT Activity of the Day:

Spider Maze

Target Age Range: 4 and up

This is a great activity for those oral seekers.  These are the kids that are constantly chewing their pencils or their shirts throughout the day.

All you need is a straw, a small plastic spider, some wikki sticks, and paper.  First I used the wikki sticks to make a small maze, however if you don't have wikki sticks you can always draw a maze with markers or crayons.  Next you place the spider at one end of the maze.  Last you take the straw and use your breath to blow the spider through the maze.  Repeat as many times as needed!

This is the perfect calming activity to do after school and before homework, enjoy! 

Halloween Kerplunk!

OT Activity of the Day:

Halloween Kerplunk

Target Age Range: 4 and up

Here's a Halloween spin off of our Kerplunk game.  This is a great game that targets problem solving and speed grading.  It's great practice for those kiddos who need reminders to slow down and think about what they're doing.

All you need is an old toilet paper or paper towel roll, uncooked spaghetti (last time we used pipe cleaners) and some Halloween knick knacks.  First you use a hole puncher to punch holes in the roll.  This can be done by you, or your child.  It's pretty tricky so it's a great hand strengthener for those older kiddos.  Next you put the uncooked spaghetti through the holes, so make sure you punch an even amount!  Last you place the Halloween knick knacks on top and you've got yourself a game!  

Enjoy!

Paper Plate Skeleton

OT Activity of the Day:

Paper Plate Skeleton

Target Age Range: 4 and up

After a brief hiatus, thanks to the cyber attack and an early fall cold, we're back!  Today we're putting those scissor skills to good use and making a shape skeleton.  This is a great activity to practice cutting out various shapes and perfect for those older preschoolers and Kindergarteners.  

First we took a paper plate and cut off the bottom.  Then we took some black construction paper and scissors and got to cutting.  We used circles for the eyes, a triangle for the nose, and then squares for the teeth/mouth.  As always, you can always adapt yours in anyway you would like.  If your child is younger, you can always have the shapes pre-cut and you can work on the basic gluing sequence.

Enjoy!

Roll A Frankenstein

OT Activity of the Day:

Roll A Frankenstein

Target Age Range: 3 and up

This game requires a little prep from an adult, but once the game is put together it will be endless Halloween fun.  This is a game that can be played in a group of kids, with several Frankensteins, or solo.

First all the pieces need to be made, again, this can be adult prep, or if you have older kids (5/6 and up) they can help with the prep.  Once all the pieces are set you're ready to play.  The first item you need to roll to start your Frankenstein is the head.  This may not happen on the first roll and therefore is great practice for those super competitive kiddos.  Once the head is rolled, you can begin making your Frankenstein.  Play a few times and when the game is over you can have your child glue everything into place.

With this activity, we're targeting bilateral coordination by using both hands when the dice are rolled, sequencing through a 2-3 step task, patience/regulation, and fine motor manipulation by manipulating all the small pieces.

Enjoy!  

Skeletons

OT Activity of the Day:

Skeleton

Target Age Range: 5 and up

If you're looking for a Halloween activity that focuses on fine motor manipulation, look no further!  Today we're making a skeleton out of q-tips and cotton balls.  This activity requires your child to use smooth, fluid movements, especially when stretching out the cotton ball for the head.  

The first thing I did was carefully stretch out a cotton ball.  This requires light touch, the pincer grasp and patience.  Don't let your child get discouraged if they tear the cotton ball, just keep trying!  Next I put glue on paper and carefully laid out the q-tips.  Again, a wonderful challenge for fine motor manipulation.  Last, I glued the cotton ball down and cut out small circles for the eyes and mouth (scissor skills).

Spooky and fun!  Enjoy!

Halloween Fun/Sensory Bins

OT Activity of the Day:

Halloween Fun/Sensory Box

Target Age Range: 3 and up

I went to Target and walked the dollar section for these goodies.  In this box I have pumpkins, ghosts, spiders, bats, and skeletons.  While I have yet to add other modalities, feel free to add other textures like moon sand, poms, cotton balls, rice, beans, rice and beans, etc...  

The best part of a sensory box is that you can add fine motor manipulatives like tongs, scissor tongs, and small empty containers, like spice containers, that open with a twist top.  By continuously exposing your child to these manipulatives they will be more comfortable with them and master the skills quickly.

Enjoy! 

Fall Foliage

OT Activity of the Day:

Fall Trees!

Target Age Range: 4 and up

As I'm driving around I'm starting to see the leaves change color here in the Northern Virginia area.  So I thought we should channel that in the clinic!  

I recently went to Michael's and bought these fall leaf stickers, and I'm in love (and I promise the glitter does not go everywhere).  These types of puffy stickers are great for those little fingers.  They really challenge their hand function which translates to better fine motor manipulation.  I also used construction paper and cut out a tree outline and used an empty toilet paper roll as the trunk.  So in addition to targeting basic hand manipulation, we're also targeting those scissor skills.

Happy Friday and enjoy! 

Mummy

OT Activity of the Day:

Mummy!

Target Age Range: 5 and up

This is a great activity that focuses on the pincer grasp, wrist forearm rotation and scissor skills!

 All I did was rip long strips of tape (pincer grasp and wrist forearm rotation) and layer those strips on black paper.  While I used black paper, any color will work.  And of course if ripping the tape is too challenging you can always cut the tape.  I then drew a picture of a person on the tape and cut that person out (scissor skills).  Last I found some googly eyes and gave the mummy some eyes.

A fine motor triple threat! Enjoy!

Tic Tac Toe with a Halloween Twist!

OT Activity of the Day:

Tic Tac Toe with a Halloween Twist

Target Age Range: 4 and up

This is such a fun activity.  This activity is for those kiddos who need extra work with their fine motor skills but maybe hate traditional table top work.  Most kids love Tic Tac Toe, and with this version the real work is done before you even play!

First, you need to make your playing pieces!  I have chosen to make pumpkins and monsters, though don't feel limited to just these two options.  Your child will have to focus on using their fine motor manipulation, bilateral coordination, and overall hand/finger strength to make the play doh playing pieces.  (In addition to play doh, I also used googly eyes and pipe cleaners.)  Then, you play Tic Tac Toe!

Fine motor and fun, the perfect OT blend! Enjoy!      

Bats!

OT Activity of the Day:

Bats!

Target Age Range: 3 and up

There's something about Halloween colors that makes my heart happy.  Here we're using a template and creating shadow bats!  

This activity can be done several ways.  I used corks (mostly because I didn't want to get my hands dirty so early in the morning), but you can easily use fingers!  If you're using corks, this is a great way to work on promoting an age appropriate tripod grasp.  If you're using fingers, this is a great way to promote finger isolation.  If you have small kiddos you can tape the template down while they dot around.  If you have older kiddos, you can have them hold the template as they dot, a great way to focus on bilateral coordination.

All in all, this is a great fine motor activity! Enjoy!

Using your spider sense!

OT Activity of the Day:

Laundry Basket Spider Web

Target Age Range: 3 and up

This is a great activity for kiddos of all ages.  The trick is to move slow and use your "spider sense", or body awareness, to pick up the Halloween goodies.

All I did was take some yarn and thread it through my laundry basket in a criss cross pattern.  (Now I didn't use enough yarn, so trust me, you'll need a very long piece!)  Then you can throw whatever you want to "rescue" in the bottom of the basket.  Challenge your child to, not only stay away from the web, but also not use the same path each time.  This way you're working on body awareness and problem solving at the same time!

Enjoy!

Pumpkins With Attitude

OT Activity of the Day:

Pumpkins with Attitude

Target Age Range: 4 and up

Today we're making jack'o'lanterns and talking about our emotions/feelings at the same time.  Being able to identify how one is feeling or identify those feelings in others is very important to self regulation and for basic social skills.  For some children, this ability to recognize feelings in themselves and others is very challenging.  

Here, we're using magazine clippings to build jack'o'lanterns of all emotional ranges.  You can have your child pick an emotion to illustrate or you can challenge them by picking the emotion for them.  If either challenge is difficult, you can always use a mirror and make the different emotions in the mirror with your child.  You can then discuss what your faces look like and what the jack'o'lantern's face should look like.

Either way we're having fun and also learning, enjoy!

Spider Webs!

OT Activity of the Day:

Spider Webs!

Target Age Range:  3 and up

This is a great activity for the younger kiddo and older kiddo.  I know I did a lacing craft recently and the craft was such a hit with the kiddos it was a no-brainer to showcase another lacing activity.  Here, we're making spider webs!

First I grabbed a paper plate and I cut out the middle of the plate.  For the younger kiddo, I would definitely suggest the adult completing this part.  For the older kiddo, challenge them to cut out the center.  Next I punched holes into the edges of the paper plate.  Again for the younger kiddo, I would have the adult do this part and for the older kiddo challenge their hand strength by having them punch the holes.  I would suggest no more than 10-11 holes, I made too many in my model and paid the price.  Then I grabbed some yarn, wrapped the start of the yarn in tape as a makeshift needle and started lacing.  Lastly, I made a small spider to glue onto my spider web.  By having your child cut out the spider you're not only working on lacing, but scissor skills as well!  It's a win/win!

Enjoy!  

Pumpkins!

OT Activity of the Day:

Pumpkins!

Target Age Range: 4 and up

It's now October which means all things Halloween are fair game.  First up, we have pumpkins!  This activity is great because it really focuses on scissor skills and the ability to cut across a piece of paper and on a line.  By the age of 4, your child is developmentally able to cut on a line with scissors.  If this is a skill your child is still working towards, here's a great way to practice!

First, I cut several strips of orange paper, and one strip of green paper.  Next I laid the orange pieces down and fanned them out in a circle while keeping the bottom ends together.  I then stapled the bottom ends together and then brought the strips together at the top where I stapled them again.  Last I glued the stem on top!  Feel free to decorate with markers or stickers, another great way to hone in on those fine motor manipulation skills.  

Enjoy!

Recycled Leaves

OT Activity of the Day:

Recycled Leaves

Target Age Range: 2 and up

Today we're making Fall leaves 3 different ways.  We're using our fingers, wine corks, empty toilet paper rolls, and of course washable paint.  There's a little something for everyone here so this activity is easily scaled up or down.

For the older kiddos (4 and up) you can focus on finger isolation and use your fingers to finger paint the leaves.  Challenge them to use different fingers for different colors!  Also challenge them to write a word or short sentence that will describe their tree! 

For the younger kiddos (2 and up) you can focus on establishing a functional grip by having your child use the wine cork or empty toilet paper roll as stampers. (As with broken crayons and pip squeak markers, the shorter the writing tool, the more it naturally promotes a functional grip.  This is because it's short and does not allow for multiple fingers on the tool.) Hint:  the toilet paper roll was folded so it makes more of an oval shape.  You can always cut the toilet paper roll down to really facilitate a functional grip as well.  

Enjoy!