The holidays are fast approaching. Are you looking for gifts that also work on motor skills? Check out suggestions on our Toy & Gifts page!
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To improve your child's hand strength, please click on the following link for some fun exercises with theraputty.
www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/resources/ot-activityinformation-sheets/theraputty-hand-strength-exercises/ If your child/children are anything like mine, then they didn’t touch a pencil/marker/crayon all summer!! Did you know that there are over 30 muscles just in your hands? These muscles need to be used and strengthened every day to help with handwriting. Try to do one of these activities for the next month:
As our children are adjusting to being back in school and learning how to regulate themselves throughout the day, help guide them by using the resources found on the Zones of Regulation page. Picture taken from Leah Kuypers Zones of Regulation Program. https://zonesofregulation.com/index.html
This school year is off to a great start! Please refer to the Home OT Engagement Activities page for fun activities to work on motor skills at home. Children in kindergarten and grade 1 have started working on letter formation. See the DEW Handwriting Program page for the proper terminology and practice sheets. Enjoy!
Our new Community Resources page has information and links to a variety of adaptive programs, including athletic, social, and work skills, for families and children of all abilities.
We'll be posting new activities regularly so check in daily!
The Tool of the Month for March is alternative seating options. They provide sensory input to help calm, if you are in the yellow or red zone, or alert, if you are in the blue zone. There are many benefits of alternative seating options including improved participation and behavior, higher academic performance, better attention and focus, improved core strength and posture, and reduced restlessness.
Different seating options provide appropriate outlets for moving and fidgeting during the school day and at home. When children are taught to identify and honor their preferences for fidgeting, movement, and alternative positioning, they feel that their needs are being recognized, thereby increasing their engagement and motivation in the activity. No one is meant to sit still all day long, especially kids! Possible alternative seating options include:
We encourage you to ask your child what the March "Tool of the Month" is! The Tool of the Month for February is using your “inner coach”. Your “inner coach” is that voice you hear in your head that is like your own personal cheerleader. Your “inner coach” helps you to use positive self-talk to give you the courage and strength to get through a stressful situation. It can remind you to use strategies to stay calm and stay positive.
You can discuss with children times when they may most need their “inner coach”, for example if they are worried about a test or trying something that is new. Then have them practice words they can say that will help them. Remember, thoughts and feelings are connected. If you use your “inner coach” to say “I can do it,” it will change how you feel. Try these out for size: I can do it! It’s hard, but I can keep trying! I don’t know it….YET! I’ll try a different strategy... Mistakes help me to learn. I’m going to train my brain. We encourage you to ask your child what the February "Tool of the Month" is and try it at home! When throwing away your scraps and recyclable papers, please have your students “ball them up” to make "snowballs" using both hands! This is an easy way to incorporate hand strengthening and arch development into your day!
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