I want Thinking Thursdays to be a fun way to improve critical thinking skills, reasoning, listening, mindfulness, etc. without your children even realizing they are learning! I will post a minimum of one activity on Thursdays you can do with your child to increase their skills in this area. Bottom line, I want them to have fun because learning is fun! This week I want to have fun with mazes! How about building a maze with Legos! The maze could be built on a base plate or directly on the floor. Make the path wide enough to take cars or their favorite toys through the maze. They can add dead ends and wrong turns in their path. The more turns they have, the more difficult the maze.
An alternative to a Lego maze would be to build a room-size maze using books, boxes, toys, cardboard, etc. The path can be wide enough for your child to walk through or it could be the size for just using toy cars, stuffed animals, etc. Be creative and have fun!
I found a couple of fun writing activities that would allow our kids to journal the current “stay home, stay safe” situation. The first is My 2020 Covid-19 Time Capsule. It is a great way to look back on all the favorites during the time, how you felt, what you learned, ways you stayed connected with the community, etc. The other activity is more of a diary approach, My Lockdown Diary. It includes movie night, view from your window, activities you do so you don’t get bored, something you leaned about during the lockdown, what you are looking forward to when this is over, etc. Both activities could be completed as a whole or just some of the pages. It is a good way to remember this historical pandemic and to learn from it. I would love for my OT students to share this with me during our check-ins and to see one of them in its entirety when we physically see each other in the fall!
Today we are going to focus on scissor skills. Scissors are one of the most frequently used “tools” that students use in school, especially in early elementary. To start, let’s look at how we should hold a pair of scissors. First, your thumb should go through the small hole on top. Your middle finger, ring finger and pinkey should go through the larger hole on the bottom. Your index finger should help guide the scissors by sitting underneath the handle. See the diagram below for a functional grasp.
I like the six star cutting below to remind our kids of the key concepts when they are cutting! Feel free to download the handout for reference later by clicking on the link below. It’s a great visual for our kids!
For my young preschoolers, snipping with scissors might be the best they can do at this time. Try snipping different types of paper or straws.
Once they have accomplished snipping they can try cutting paper in two pieces. Kids can cut all sorts of paper. Try using tissue paper, cardstock, notebook paper, construction paper, etc. As they get older, cut in the direction of a line, on a line, then to curved lines, simple shapes, etc. There are many websites that have printable cutting activities. Below are a couple of websites that have cutting activities for children. If you don’t have access to a printer, it’s always fun to cut out pictures from a coloring book or magazine. Draw shapes or pictures and then cut them out. Get creative and have fun!
Build gross motor, eye-hand coordination, and crossing over the midline with completing these balloon activities.
Keep the balloon in the air using both hands or only one hand at a time.
Balance the balloon on your hand or long-handled spoon while walking around the room.
Keep the balloon in the air by hitting it with your foot, knee, elbow, or head.
Hit the balloon up and turn in a circle before hitting it again.
Keep the balloon in the air by blowing it up.
Hit the balloon up. See how many times you can clap before hitting the balloon again.
Keep two balloons in the air at the same time.
Keep it Moving and Don’t Let it Drop
Perfect for indoors for one or more children. Keep the balloon in the air and don’t let it touch the ground. See how long you can keep it in the air without it touching the group. Be sure to have adequate space and free from fragile items and tripping hazards.
Balloon Tennis
Clear a large space, free from tripping hazards and breakables. Blow up a balloon, use long-handled spoons as tennis racquets and play a game of indoor tennis. Hit the balloon back and forth using the long-handled spoons, not letting it touch the ground.
Balloon Waddle Races
This is perfect game to play outdoors with two or more kids. Place a balloon between their knees and race to the finish line without dropping or bursting their balloon.
Balloon and Spoon Race
This is a great game for two or more kids. It is much like the traditional egg and spoon race, but instead use long-handled spoons and balloons. Balance the balloon on the spoon and be the first to make it to the finish line. If it drops to the ground or bursts, they return to the start and try again. If playing outside, you can fill the balloon with water!
April is a very busy month! I hold this month very close to my heart as it is Autism Awareness Month and Occupational Therapy Month. As an occupational therapist, I have worked with many children and adults with autism. What is autism or autism spectrum disorder? Autism is a developmental disability that causes significant difficulties with a person’s social characteristics, communication and behavior. People with autism demonstrate decreased social, emotional, and communication skills. Individuals may also repeat certain behaviors and have a difficulty with a change in routine. Autism Speaks is a worldwide organization that is an excellent resource to learn more about autism. Since the foundation of Autism Speaks in 2005, the organization “has grown into the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.” Please click on the following links to get an in-depth description of autism, causes, symptoms, treatment, etc.
“Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.
Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Occupational therapy services typically include:
an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals,
customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.
Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science.“
I am proud to be an occupational therapist as I help people to become more independent in life. I have worked with individuals from pediatrics to geriatrics, from mental health to physical disabilities. I get to help put all the “puzzle pieces” together so individuals can live life to its fullest. It doesn’t get better than that!
What items can you find around your house for your OT Tool Box? Check off the items as you put them in a cardboard box, tote, bag, etc. These are excellent supplies you can use to maintain or progress your fine motor skills during your time away from school. Use your imagination and have fun! I will also post activities that will use your supplies in your tool box.
