By playing on the playground, kids develop their fine motor and gross motor skills. Did you know it also helps with sensory processing and sensory integration? It is important that kids develop their vestibular system (head position, spatial orientation, balance), proprioceptive system (where you body is in space, force and pressure), tactile system, and visual system to help with every day tasks at home and in school. By encouraging your child to play on the playground equipment, you can help them their bodies learn to process and integrate various types of input. So go out there and have some fun!
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Vacation is a great time to work on skills while the kids are having fun. They will not even know you are trying to help them foster skills. Below you will find some great suggestions of things to do at the beach. Have fun!
Play is one of the best ways for your child to develop skills. By playing in your backyard, your child can not only have fun but they can foster skills such as fine motor and gross motor. By using some of the activities below, you can help your child foster important skills for life.
I found some resources that might be helpful for students as they adjust to wearing masks. They are from the website https://www.autismlittlelearners.com/. Please reach out to me if you need suggestions for your student to get use to wearing a mask. She has made some great resources for all kiddos during this time.
I am frequently asked how to maintain, foster, and promote skills in kids especially in the summer. My answer is always a simple one - PLAY.
Play is an essential activity for kids. Whether it be building with blocks, completing puzzles, playing a board game, kicking a soccer ball, or playing dress up - play develops many skills needed for everyday activities and tasks. So - put down those workbooks and flash cards and let your kid be a kid. Go outside and blow bubble with them, challenge them to a marathon Monopoly game, go on a bike ride together, lie on the floor and do a jigsaw puzzle, or simply roll down the hill with them. Have fun with them - not only will you be helping them develop, you will be making memories! Summer is almost here! A friend and colleague of mine, Miss Caroline Welch, helped me design an OT Summer Fun calendar. The activities on the calendar are fun and easy as well as need little to no prep and little to no supplies. We wanted to provide you and your family with a way to keep fostering skills without stress. We hope you take some time this summer to complete these activities. Try getting the whole family involved!
Growing up on raining days, I remember building forts inside and making obstacle courses around the house. My brother and I would pretend the floor was lava and we would jump from pillow to pillow. We would have to crawl on the floor and under the table to avoid being seen by a monster. We would have to guess numbers to crack a code to open the pantry for a snack. I did not realize as I was making memories I was also gaining skills.
A great way to incorporate many skills in one activity is through an obstacle course! Making an obstacle course for your child can help them with gross motor skills, motor planning, and fine motor skills just to name a few. Here is a sample of an indoor obstacle course: https://www.raisingdragons.com/indoor-obstacle-course-for-kids/?fbclid=IwAR0jUIUISMXvCjRe-2FQqFdb5wDZyatuGYcmH5nf74UVwca20vp-rdhALYQ Here are some ideas for outside: https://playtivities.com/obstacle-courses-for-kids/ Obstacle courses do not have to be fancy. Use what you have around the house. Let your kiddos help plan it. Be creative and have fun! As an OT, I prefer that kiddos play to gain skills. I do also recognize that the use of technology today is a big part of play. While I am not promoting sitting in front of a screen for hours, I do want to provide a list of suggested websites and apps that your kiddos might like. Not only are they fun but they work on skills and are educational.
Sensory play is a great way for kiddos to explore their environment. Being able to touch and interact with different textures will provide tactile input as well as visual input. Try encouraging and demonstrating sensory play bur do not to force a child to touch something they do not want to as this may cause a negative reaction. Think about something that you do not like the feel of - would you want someone to force you to touch it? Sensory play should be a positive experience.
Sensory play can also help promote various skills needed to participate in classroom tasks and activities. Skills such as manipulation, crossing mid-line, bilateral coordination, and visual motor integration. Have fun with it and remember clean up is also important for your child to participate in. Gross motor skills are important to develop for fine motor skills. One must have stability in their core and shoulders before they can develop mobility in their hands for fine motor tasks. Activities such as talking walks, riding bikes, and playing sports are great gross motor tasks. Below are some additional activities that will promote gross motor skills.
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AuthorMiss Vicki has been an OT for over 25 years and has worked as a school-based OT for over 16 years. Her goal is to increase collaboration between OT, school, and home to foster student success. Archives
July 2020
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