Making these DIY window clings is a great fine motor activity for kids and playing with them can promote coordination, body awareness, and more! *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. We love a good DIY project here at The Inspired Treehouse, especially one that’s cheap and easy! We think this one could be a really fun idea for an occupational or physical therapy session, or for a teacher to make and keep on hand in the classroom, or even [Continue Reading]
Beginner Cutting Skills for Toddlers and Young Kids
These simple beginner cutting skills are great for helping young kids and kids with fine motor delays to learn how to snip paper and move scissors across paper. *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. As a pediatric occupational therapist, when I first start teaching kids how to use scissors, I start with snipping – simply getting used to that motion of grasping, opening, and closing the scissors. But usually, it’s not enough to just have kids snip along [Continue Reading]
The Secret to Helping Kids Learn to Put On Shoes
Check out this occupational therapist’s secret to helping kids learn to put on shoes independently. *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. There are a handful of developmental concerns that parents and teachers come to me about time and time again. Some of the most common? Potty training, picky eating, handwriting, and hand strength. Another huge one is dressing skills – specifically, kids who can’t put on shoes on or tie their shoes independently. When Kids Can’t Put On [Continue Reading]
Wikki Stix: 12 Fun Ways to Play
Check out our favorite ways to play with this classic toy! This post contains affiliate links. Read more. There are a handful of toys and supplies that, as soon as I discover them, become instant staples in my day-to-day therapy practice. These materials are usually portable, multi-functional, and super appealing to kids. They’re things I can grab out of my therapy bag for a quick on-the-fly treatment session with a child, no matter how old they are or what skill [Continue Reading]
The Best Kids Tongs and 10 of Our Favorite Ways to Play!
Looking for fresh, fun ways to play with kids tongs to build fine motor skills? We’ve got you covered! Why Play With Tongs? As an OT, one of my favorite tools for building fine motor skills is kids tongs. Activities using tongs are great for helping kids develop the strength and coordination they need in the small muscles of the hands – the muscles responsible for cutting with scissors, grasping a pencil, and writing. Most importantly, when kids use tongs, [Continue Reading]
Why Kids’ Hands Aren’t as Strong as They Used to Be
Many kids these days don’t have the hand strength they need to complete simple everyday tasks. *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. One of the most common reasons kids get referred for occupational therapy evaluations is because they’re showing one or more of the red flags indicating that they have weak hands. Teachers or parents notice that a child is struggling with scissor skills, clothing fasteners, or pencil grasp and they call on me for suggestions and support. [Continue Reading]
Hand Strengthening Through Everyday Play
Check out some of our favorite ideas to build hand strength through everyday play! Strong hands are an important component of developmental skill building for all kids! Think about all of the functional tasks that kids use their hands for on a daily basis: opening doors, turning on faucets, buttoning clothing, holding and controlling a pencil… Pediatric occupational therapists spend all kinds of therapeutic time creating and implementing programs designed to improve a child’s hand strength. And, at The Inspired [Continue Reading]
How to Tell if Your Child Has Weak Hands
Use these red flags to help identify kids who have weak hands, and then you can introduce fun and playful activities geared toward building hand strength! When I first meet a student in my school-based OT practice, the first thing I ask the child is if they know what OT is. Most often, the answer is no, so over the years, I’ve developed a super simple way to explain what an occupational therapist does in the school setting: I ask [Continue Reading]