What is pediatric occupational therapy? We LOVE being pediatric occupational therapists (OTs)! We feel lucky to be able to be involved with so many children and their families that challenge and inspire us daily. In occupational therapy, we encourage development, independence, and rehabilitation through the practice of everyday activities in schools, homes, and community settings. What makes this career so inspiring is that no two days at work are ever the same because OT encompasses so many diverse skills and is practiced in so many different settings. We consider the child’s whole body ... Read More about WHAT IS PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
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5 THERAPIST-APPROVED VALENTINE’S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Today, we’re giving a virtual high-five to a few bloggers who have created some awesome Valentine’s Day motor skills activities for kids that target a variety of motor, visual, and cognitive skills. These fun movement activities get our therapist stamp of approval for keeping kids active and engaged this Valentine’s Day! :) Crafts for Kids: Chalk Stencil Heart Collage - Buggy and Buddy This creative art project from Buggy and Buddy incorporates some great targeted grasping practice - a perfect way to isolate those Super Fingers! It touches on bilateral coordination skills by requiring ... Read More about 5 THERAPIST-APPROVED VALENTINE’S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
EDUCATIONAL GAMES: SPECIAL DELIVERY GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITY
Looking for cognitive skills games that get kids up and moving? You’ve come to the right place! This Valentine's Day game challenges motor and cognitive skills at the same time and can be adapted to target a variety of skills and concepts. We did the activity with a Valentines Day theme, but you could substitute the hearts and pink paper with Christmas trees cut out of holiday-themed paper, or you could make the cutouts look like letters in envelopes for a fun “mailman” activity with preschoolers during a Community Helpers unit. WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 3 shoe boxes with slits cut in the top, 3 ... Read More about EDUCATIONAL GAMES: SPECIAL DELIVERY GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITY
3 SIMPLE VALENTINE’S DAY VISUAL MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
3 Valentine's Visual Motor Activities When teaching visual motor and fine motor skills to younger children, sometimes the simplest activities give you the most bang for your buck. Older children who have already developed basic skills in these areas can work on activities that require more precision and control such as complex in hand manipulation tasks (see our Clinical Closeup page for a more in-depth look at fine motor skills). Here are some quick, easy Valentine’s Day activities for kids that are fun while also delivering a developmental boost! Enjoy and happy heart day! WHAT TO ... Read More about 3 SIMPLE VALENTINE’S DAY VISUAL MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
MERMAID TAILS BALANCE ACTIVITY
Ever since she was a little girl, my oldest daughter has loved mermaids! She reads books about them, draws pictures of them and even makes up spells to try to become one of them. She even asked Santa for a mermaid tail last year, WHAT???? My husband was convinced that she was just testing us, to see if Santa was real. I was sure that she truly believed that if she had a mermaid tail, she would be able to live in that fantasy world she was imagining. Even though we did manage to find mermaid tails for sale, she did not get one. Santa said that he couldn't deliver mermaid tails because ... Read More about MERMAID TAILS BALANCE ACTIVITY
OCEAN DRUM
We’re happy to be featuring our good friend, Daria from World Music for Children with more great music activities for kids! To kick off our “Under the Sea” theme, we used Daria’s convenient instructions to put together an awesome Ocean Drum! This diy drum for kids is pretty simple to assemble - an adult will have some cutting and taping to do, but otherwise the kids can have at it! We used an empty granola bar box for the body of the drum and the clear plastic front of a box from a toy we had gotten for Christmas for the front of the drum. My little guy filled it with small blue, green, ... Read More about OCEAN DRUM
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES: “SNOW”CICLES
Stuck inside on a cold snowy day? Let the indoor games begin! This winter fine motor activity will make inside time fun. Who can be the fastest to make the longest “snow”cicle? This game can be played by one, two, or ten children. It’s going to take some great fine motor skills to win this race! WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Cottonballs WHAT TO DO: Assign each child a doorknob to build their “snow”cicle. Show each child how to break apart a cotton ball using their Super Fingers until it is large and fluffy. Hook the first fluffy cottonball over the doorknob for each participating child in any manner ... Read More about FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES: “SNOW”CICLES
Winter Gross Motor Activities: Snow Dance
There’s nothing more fun than pairing a good book with winter gross motor activities for kids. Introducing an activity with a book provides such great context, giving kids a sense of purpose behind what they’re doing. *This post contains affiliate links. Read more here. One of my favorite books and winter activities for kids is Snow Dance by Lezlie Evans. I’ve come back to it year after year because of the cute, catchy story and because it provides the perfect opportunity for little ones to create a one-of-a-kind motor activity to go along with it! No snow outside? Why not create ... Read More about Winter Gross Motor Activities: Snow Dance