Here are some ideas to get your child moving today:

• Practice walking up and down stairs 
• Take a family walk 
• Practice hopping – play hopscotch 
• Play tag – the kids love to be chased 🙂 

Lets practice using a spoon and fork!

Using a spoon and fork can open up a new world of independence for your child. Here are some helpful tips you can use with beginners.

Using a Spoon:

• Initially you can try handing a loaded spoon to the child to take to their mouth. If they are able to grasp it, support their forearm and guide it towards their mouth.
• When learning to load the spoon, use food that is more likely to stick to it such as mashed potatoes, yogurt or rice pudding.
• Use bowls with high sides or a pot to assist with loading.
• You can also use hand-over-hand to help your child learn a scooping action.
• Practice at the beginning of the meal when your child is most hungry and more motivated.
• If your child loses concentration/interest easily, have the spoon yourself and alternate between your child feeding themselves and you giving a spoonful.
• Always make sure you are consistent with your language, for instance, ‘scoop’.

Using a Fork:

• Once the child has mastered using a spoon, they can progress to learning how to use a fork.
• Begin using a plastic bowl, then progress to using a plate.
• A suction bottom or Dycem mat placed under the bowl will help keep the bowl in position and stop it from slipping.
• Use foods that are easier to pick up and can be cut into larger pieces, for example chicken and sausages. Avoid foods that will fall apart, such as boiled potatoes

Additional Supports:

• You could use a visual schedule of the steps involved.
• A reward chart for independent completion of tasks (or attempt at, in the early stages) is also helpful.
• Routine: Use the same routine or strategy each time you complete the same task to help learning.
• Consistency: Be consistent with the words and signs used to assist your child and keep instructions short and simple.
• Motivation: Start with food or drinks that your child really likes to increase motivation.
• Support: Work from behind your child when assisting them or showing them how to do something so that your hands and their hands are moving together in the same direction.

Visual For Eating:

 Today, let’s focus on sensory activities! These ideas all involve water so to eliminate a mess do this in the tub or outside if its warm enough. 🙂

Toy Washing Station: Fill an empty plastic bin with soapy water and give your child toys to wash.  (Make sure the toys are water safe!)

Pouring Station: Give your child plastic cups, measuring cups, pitchers – anything you have around the house – and allow your child to practice pouring the water. 

Today we will practice early subtraction by playing one of our favorite songs. You can play the song a few times. The second time playing it, pause the video each time a monkey falls off the bed. Practice pointing to the monkeys on the bed while counting how many are left out loud.

I have attached a printable activity you can do with your child while you sing or play the song. Click the link below to download it. I will also be sending the activity home later this week. The last video is of a little girl using the song board. Have fun!

This week is all about the letter “U”! Here are some fun ways to make the letter around your home. I also have some fun crafts you can make.

• Use Lego’s or blocks to form the letter
• Put rice on a baking sheet and use chopsticks or a stick to make the letter in the rice
• Form the letter with Play Dough
• Trace the letter
• Flatten Play Dough/cut straws in fourths. Stick straws in Play Dough to form letter.

CRAFT IDEA: Make an umbrella. Cut a paper plate in half and have your child paint or color it. You can add glitter, beads, or jewels on it.

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you all enjoy your special day with your family!

Here are some ideas to get your child moving today:

• Move like an animal – dog, bunny, frog, snake, etc.
• Try some yoga moves from the YouTube video below
• Practice kicking or catching a ball

Lets focus on cleaning up after ourselves today! Here are some things we do at school that you can do at home.

• Wipe down tables
• Putting dirty dishes in the sink
• Throwing away trash after a snack
• Put away toys

Here are some ideas you can try at home today to help your child practice their skills:

• Paint with q-tips
• Punch holes with a hole puncher
• Use tongs to pick up objects
• Hang socks with clothes pins

Check out the video below for more ideas of things you can do with items from around your house!

Lets do some number recognition and counting today! Here are some fun activities you can do that are related to counting…….

• Count your fingers and toes
• Count your stuffed animals
• Build a block tower and count how many blocks you used
• Look around the house for objects that have numbers on them
• Go in your backyard and count all of the flowers you see