Running from soccer practice to dance to dinner and more? You can still have a car full of calm kids with these awesome sensory ideas for when you’re on the go! *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. Therapists often make recommendations to families so therapeutic interventions can be carried out at home. The limited time that we are able to see a child one on one requires that, for optimal improvement, skills be practiced outside of our sessions. [Continue Reading]
DIY Calm Down Kit
These are our favorite ideas to add into a calm down kit for kids – what else would you add? This post contains affiliate links. Read more. Recently at The Treehouse, we’ve worked with several kiddos who often become overstimulated and overwhelmed during our play groups. During our groups, kids move through all different kinds of play-based activities – some quieter seated activities and some more active movement activities. For many of our kids who have behavior challenges, who struggle [Continue Reading]
Creative Tic Tac Toe Games for Kids
Try these creative tic tac toe games for kids and boost developmental skills while you play! What is the one game that your family can take anywhere and everyone will know how to play? Tic Tac Toe! Our family will whip up a quick game on a restaurant placemat, on a random scrap of paper or on a paper plate after a slice of pizza. All you need is a place to write and a pencil! As I was browsing [Continue Reading]
Fine Motor Patterning Holiday Game for Kids
Looking for fun holiday games for kids? We’ve got you covered with these free printable block pattern cards! It’s that time of year! Santa’s elves are working tirelessly to finish making, wrapping and shuffling all of this year’s gifts into his sleigh. Last week, we inspired some gross motor movement with our present stacking Christmas game. It was perfect for promoting core strength, balance, and social skills. We thought we would just continue on the present theme so you [Continue Reading]
Christmas Games for Kids: Present Stacking!
Add this fun and simple idea to your list of Christmas games for kids – it’s perfect for promoting core strength, balance, and social skills! We were short on present-themed gross motor activities during our play groups at The Treehouse this week and this fun idea came to mind at the last minute! The kids loved it! All you need are some basic props and the game can be changed up based on what supplies you have on hand. What [Continue Reading]
Basic Drawings for Kids & Why Drawing Matters
These templates offer some basic drawings for kids so they can get the practice and exposure they need to feel more confident and creative with drawing! At the beginning of this school year, our school-based therapy team met to discuss what supports we could put into place for our kindergarteners who were struggling in some developmental skill areas, but had not yet been formally identified by the team as needing services. As we made our way through the list [Continue Reading]
Reindeer Boot Camp: 6 Holiday Gross Motor Activities for Kids
These holiday gross motor activities for kids are perfect for a classroom holiday party or just to keep kids moving inside on a cold, snowy day! It’s time for Santa to get his crew all geared up for that grueling Christmas Eve delivery schedule! The elves are lifting weights and running on their treadmills to gain the endurance and strength they need to move presents, Santa is doing plenty of planks and sit-ups to strengthen his core so he [Continue Reading]
Kids Gift Ideas 2018
These kids gift ideas are perfect for promoting developmental skills for all ages and abilities! *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I logged into my Google account yesterday and was immediately confronted with my daughters’ wish lists, color-coded with fancy fonts as if they will get exactly what they want as long as it all looks good on paper! :) So I decided to jump in on their game and create the [Continue Reading]
50+ Hands On Learning Activities for under $50
Check out how we shopped for and prepped more than 50 hands-on learning activities for less than $50 and packaged it up with Playful Learning Lab for Kids to make the best teacher or therapist gift ever! *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. We just finished up almost a year of hard work on our book, Playful Learning Lab for Kids. And as soon as we had the beautiful final copies in our hands, it occurred to me that [Continue Reading]