By: Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L a pediatric occupational therapist and author of The Pocket Occupational Therapist and The Special Needs SCHOOL Survival Guide
www.PocketOT.com
Christmas time is 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 through engaging in play. When children are not asleep they are learning
about their environment through various play activities. Completing the tasks
of building blocks, working a puzzle, and drawing pictures will yield skills
and build connections in the brain that the child will use throughout his
lifetime. This year I’d love to help you with activities that fill fun and
functional requirements for your child.
We created BORED cards to help you immediately....just download, print, laminate and cut! Awesome OT approved activities right at your fingertips!
We created BORED cards to help you immediately....just download, print, laminate and cut! Awesome OT approved activities right at your fingertips!
-Practically every home has Legos or a set of Tinker Toys. Create models for your children and ask them to duplicate your
creations. You can provide complex models or simple ones for younger children.
Using the hands and eyes together involves visual-motor skills. They are
important for everything from writing to self-care tasks. This task can be
switched so that children create models for parents to follow.
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| My son's tree creation! |
-Pool noodles are commonly found at dollar stores and
are super cheap. Their possibilities are
endless. Children can jump over them as
part of an obstacle course. They can be
cut in half and taped or velcroed to the wall.
Kids can create a water maze by arranging the position of the noodles on
the wall. Another use for them is as
limbo poles if they are help up either by chairs or older friends. Kids can either play limbo with them OR crawl
under them in the quadruped (crawling) position. This helps to build core muscle strength
which will later be used for completing school tasks seated at the desk. Also, cut in half, pool noodles can be used
as balance beams for young kids. Walk in
bare feet to make this task easier.
-The feel and ID game is one of my favorites! You can buy one OR create your own. Grab any two items in your home that are the
same and add one of each to a paper bag. Place the second set in a line in
front of your child. Ask her to feel the
items in the bag and using only her hands to feel, find the matches. This
skill called “Stereognosis” is valuable. This is the ability to perceive and
identify objects by using only the sense of touch. It’s the same one we use when we reach into
our purse to feel for our lipstick or wallet!
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| Match items I found in our home. |
- Remember that heavy work is calming. Include activities and chores such as moving
chairs, picking up and placing dirty clothes into a basket and carrying the
loaded basket into the laundry room, or vacuuming. They are great ways to
encourage children to help to prepare for the party. Using a push broom is great for older
children as they sweep up snow or fallen leaves to clear a path for holiday
guests.
-Punch holes into Holiday cards with a one-hole
punch. Here's an example of one to purchase for older children. Gather up ribbon, string, or
twine and lace the holes. The results
can be quite pretty and could be given as gifts to family and friends! When
children use their hands together (bilateral integration), they build skills used
throughout their lifetime. Additionally,
while holding the string, kids refine fine motor skills. For additional fine motor work, use red and
white pipe cleaners/chenille stems and show kids how to twist them together to
create candy canes! Make an example for
them and watch them fall in love with this activity!
-Create Geoboards out of golf tees, sticks, small
pencils, and hair-pins. Use Styrofoam as
the base and encourage kids to pound or use hand muscles to push the items into
the board. Now, add colorful rubber
bands to create shapes such as stars, polygons, and more! Use colored bands for
more interest. We had all of these items
in our home and didn’t have to purchase a thing!
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| Geoboards from Amazon |
-Use paper, pillows, small tents, boxes to create a
sensory hideout! Often children feel
overwhelmed during the holidays and busy times.
Add pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals to give kids the cozy
feeling. Adding Lycra fabric in which
kids can roll up and wrap themselves in adds awesome proprioceptive input. My kids love having a flashlight in their
cozy space.
-BINGO is a great game for kids of all ages! Here's a link to free Christmas BINGO printables from our friends at Gift of Curiosity. We use Christmas colored Pom Poms, holiday themed erasers, colored blocks, even M&Ms! The game of BINGO is great for building social skills, active listening, fine motor, and visual-perceptual to search the card and find the desired picture.
With a little creativity, many activities can be fun
and therapeutic! Be creative and use
objects found in your own home or at the dollar store to keep the budget
low. Play with your child and the
memories you make together will last a lifetime!
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Please let us know if you've tried any of our activities OR if you have your own. We LOVE feedback from our readers and we appreciate shares to anyone who might find our post helpful.
More Holiday tips coming tomorrow!
