20 (therapeutic) Summer Activities
20 summer fun activities for kids with and without special needs. Work on fine motor, gross motor, sensory, letters, scissors/cutting, and more with the tips in this post by The Pocket Occupational Therapist
Google Eye Slime!
Everyone LOVES slime! Slime is great for sensory, especially the tactile or touch sense. Kids all over enjoy making and playing with slime. We know that following a recipe and planning the outcome helps children to develop executive function skills. What are they? read my earlier blog post if you are looking for more information […]
What Are Pre Writing Skills?
What are pre-writing skills and why does my child need them? Babies are born with hands that are curled up and only reflexively grasp their caregiver’s finger. Through practice and play they quickly learn that their actions cause their toy to light up or their body to move around in space. The hands become stronger […]
Tuesday’s TOY of the Week – Tweezers
Cool TWEEZERs are Tuesday’s TOY of the Week! Fine motor skills are important, but we cannot start to practice cutting until a child’s hand is ready. Instead, we use play-based activities to build muscle memory and coordination needed for future functional use in school and life. One of the most fun activities for kids is […]
Feather Beading – Pre Writing Activity
Working on handwriting is fun but it’s important to work on PRE-WRITING skills. Kids need to first learn how to build fine motor coordination. The best way to do this is through crafts and play-based activities that work the little (fine) muscles of the hands and fingers. All kids like to see the results of […]
Holiday Break Activities for Kids + FREE Conversation Starter Cards
Holidays can be hectic and busy for grown-ups but our children can become bored quickly. I encourage my clients and my own children to limit screen time and be creative. Children of all ages learn skills by engaging in play. When children are not asleep they are learning about their environment through various play activities. […]
Valentine Perler Bead Craft
I love crafts that help to build fine motor skills. This is an awesome activity that really builds skills such as following directions, strengthening hand muscles, and works on visual perception. Supplies Red, pink and white Perler beads Square plastic Perler bead pegboard Perler bead ironing paper Perler bead tweezers White card stock Pink and […]
SLIME for my Valentine!
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and we know you’re looking for fun and creative ideas. This is the PERFECT idea for teachers, therapists, and gifts for friends. Materials: 1 Container of red glitter glue ¾ and ⅔ cups very warm water separated 1 tsp. Borax 2 Mixing bowls Mixing Spoon Red glitter Small plastic containers with […]
Developmental Milestones
Developmental Milestones for Fine Motor, Gross Motor, and Speech For children ages one through age six. Remember that each child develops at his/her own pace and the information below is for informational purposes only. You are your child’s best advocate and know your child best. Let your pediatrician know if you have concerns about your […]
How to Teach Cutting (With FREE Guide)
As a gift to our friends who subscribe to our blog, a FREE how-to-use scissors guide is provided at the bottom of this post! Thanks for reading, commenting, and SHARING. Children need to be proficient in scissors use in order to participate in school and leisure activities. The strong emphasis on hands-on learning is a […]
