Painting with Toothbrushes

This is a great idea for many reasons.  Roll out a long piece of paper.  Have your child lay on their stomach to paint.  This provides great weight bearing through the upper extremities for strengthening.  In this pictures, some of the children are using paint brushes, and some are using tooth brushes.  Try using old toothbrushes for a different way to paint.  The kids will find it fun.  This is a great social activity, as well, if doing it in a group.  The kids will need to share and are able to talk to each other while they paint.  Older kids can collaborate on the picture they would like to draw, then divvy up the work. 

Scooter Board Train

And yet another fun way to work out your kids' muscles on a scooter board... take two large cardboard boxes, paint them up and zip tie one scooter board to the middle bottom of one.  Then cut out half the bottom of the front one and zip tie another scooter board to the rear (what's left) of the bottom of the box.  Tie the two boxes together with some rope laced through the scooter boards and you have one fun train!  We used some styrofoam packing scraps to make a headlight and tail end.  Get as creative as you want... we tend to keep adding things as we play with it.  Load up the back train car with another kid, stuffed animals, or cargo and have your child sit in the front one and use his feet to scoot around.  If you cut windows in the engine, they can reach through and hold into the scooter board handles for assistance.  Great for trunk stability and extremity strengthening!

Benefits of Skating for Sensory Seekers

OK, so I've been recommending this a lot lately...  skating, whether it be ice or roller.  There are many benefits to trying this activity.  Great heavy work (got a high energy or sensory seeking kid?), balance, and self-esteem boost to name a few.  Your child will sleep well that night!  The trick is to find a place that will let you and your child approach the challenging task in your own way so as not to frustrate your child with too great a demand.

• Roller rinks will tighten the wheels so they roll less... try tightening them down so your child can walk on the wheels at first, then slowly loosen them.  It might take a session or two to get to gliding, but this way they can advance at their own speed.
• Although they may seem harder, some kids respond better to rollerblades type wheels all in a row vs. the traditional roller skate two wheels in front two in the back.  Try both kinds to see which one your child can move better.
• Ice rinks often use metal frames or even big orange cones for the kids to hang onto while they're learning to skate.  It is harder than roller for sure, but if you're up for the challenge or a hockey or figure skating fan it's worth a try.
• If your child is pretty much skating, but still nervous, try holding a wooden spoon between the two of you... when you and he feel he's ready, you let go of the spoon.  Sometimes they'll keep right on skating holding onto that spoon, watching them realize they're doing it alone is great!

Challenging himself on the ice!

Resting on the boards... skating is hard work!

Calming Activities for Preschool

Calming Activities for Preschool

Prior to or upon arrival to school

• Walk to school if that is an option, carry a heavy backpack or pull a wagon, push a stroller with heavy objects or another person in it.  
• Use a scooter, scooter board, roller skates or a bike to get to school
• Open (heavy) doors independently 
• Various animal walks incorporating crawling, jumping, arm movements, etc.

Circle Time or seated tasks

• Hold squeeze toys, silky fabrics, vibrating toy, small amount of playdough
• Sit on a ball, rocking chair, bean bag, or almost fully deflated beach ball on a chair
• Do chair push ups while sitting (place palms on seat of chair and push body upward) 
• Hold objects with weight (books, cans) in lap
• Tape a circle on the floor or use a carpet square where child is to sit
• Allow child to lie on stomach on floor 
• Have child slide or carry chair to circle area
• Incorporate animal walks (frog, bear, crab, snake etc.) to provide movement to seated tasks
• Incorporate reward system (small piece of gummy or crunchy candy, stickers, stamp to hand, high five, verbal praise) intermittently for appropriate behavior.  Be sure to simply explain appropriate/inappropriate behavior

Heavy work throughout the day (center time/guided free play)

• Playdough, dough, putty (rolling pin, flatten, pull apart, knead, push together, push pegs/coins into it, hammer)
• Dry noodles, rice, beans, birdseed, sand, water (pour, touch, mix)
• Mop, sweep, vacuum
• Use hole punch 
• Finger-paint, shaving creme
• Tweezers
• Blow toys (straws, instruments, cotton balls)
• Vibrating pens, drawing on textured surface (sandpaper, bubble wrap, Lego table)
• Standing at an easel for painting, drawing, cutting
• Resistive manipulatives (pop beads, Legos, foam puzzles)
• Wear heavy backpack during this time (be sure to remove prior to gross motor play)
• Laundry play (fold, iron, carry laundry basket, slide another child sitting in the basket)
  instruments (marching, banging, blowing)
• Obstacle course
• Make a quiet area with pillows, beanbag, tent or small child pool with balls in it (ball pit), low light, calming music, books, squeeze toys or vibration, silky fabrics for self calming
• Row your boat (stand or sit holding another’s hands, rock back and forth)

Heavy work for outside/gym

• Bikes, scooters, scooter board (pull another child as they are on their stomach or have child hold rope as they are pulled on their stomach on scooter board), roller-skates
• Swinging, monkey bars, playground equipment, tug of war
• Shovel snow, rake leaves
• Spray bottles, chalk, blow bubbles, paint walls/ground with paintbrush and water
• Obstacle course (jump, roll, run, crawl, etc.)
• Wagon pull and wagon rides
• Catch, kick, throw, t-ball
• Fly a kite
• Sand and water play

Snack/Meal Time

• Have the child be a snack helper to pass out cups, plates, etc.
• Wipe off the tables using large motions
• Carry heavy cans of juice, pitchers
• Chair push-ups
• Crunchy or gummy candy, Twizzlers, milkshakes through a straw
• Stack chairs at the end of meal times

Nap/Bedtime

• Quiet music, white noise, low lights
• Rocking, vibration, deep massage
• Heavy blanket on legs, wrap in blanket or youth sleeping bag
• Lie in hammock or beanbag
• Hold silky fabric, Taggie blanket, etc.
• Token rewards (stickers, verbal praise) for staying in bed, on mat
• Page through books

Fidgety Kids Part 2

Here's some more ideas to help your child focus through homework sessions:
Chew gum, or fruit snacks, i.e. one per row of math problems correct...
Wear wrist and/or ankle weights to help ground them...
Wrap a stretchy exercise band around the front chair legs so the child can bounce his heels against it, or slide his feet between the bands and try to swing his legs - this one's great for those who crave deep pressure...
Break up your session with movement, i.e. one run up and down the stairs after X amount of work, or try somersaults, push ups, or jumping jacks...
Attach a finger puppet to the end of the pencil and tell the child to take him for a ride...
Allow the child to stand at an easel instead of sitting for some of the homework...
Send them on an errand in between assignments, i.e. put away laundry, walk the dog, help unload the dishwasher... something that will increase feeling of self-worth while feeding the need to move...
Encourage your child by providing leading questions, ones that help teach the concept but don't provide the exact answer... this can improve a child's self-esteem and view of homework in general if they achieve success themselves.

Stay tuned for more ideas in a future post!

Upper extremity weight bearing

To have good fine motor skills, including hand writing, it's important for children to have stability in the should girdle. As the saying goes, "proximal stability for distal mobility". So, it's important for children to do upper body strengthening (although not with weights).  Weight bearing through the upper extremity is good to improve shoulder strength and stability.  Young children should not lift weights as their joints are not yet able to handle the stress.  If you have access to an exercise ball, have your child lay on his stomach and roll forward so that his/her hands touch the floor.  He/she can then rock back and forth by using his hands.  (This is also good for core strength and stability). 

Chalk is fun

Chalk is a fun, outside activity that kids enjoy doing.  Give them a piece of chalk and the driveway and let them be creative!  Have them draw shapes, people, hop scotch, houses, etc.  Practice writing their letters and numbers.  This is a great way to help them learn to write and draw.

Wheelbarrow races!

It's nice outside so get the kids out there and excercise!  One great idea is to have the kids have wheelbarrow races.  This is great for strengthening the upper extremities and helps both children gain control of their movements.  The kids will have a blast trying not to land on each other or take headers into the grass!  This is an activity that should be done on a soft surface such as grass.  Get the neighbors and have races.

Weightbearing for Writing

Today's OT Strategy:

Lay out a large piece of paper on the floor.  Have your child lay on his/her stomach and color a picture.  This not only allows the child to be creative, it provides weight bearing through the arms.  We have a saying, "Proximal stability for distal mobility", which translates to mean that a child needs to be stable at the shoulders to effectively use the hands.