Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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Holiday Activities

December 9, 2011 by Stacy Menz

Thanks to my mom for digging through her files and sending me these great ideas!  I grew up helping my mom run activities for people of all ages and every year we had a Christmas in July where the whole week was holiday themed activities.  Here are a few of them for you and your families to explore this year!  Look for more in upcoming posts!

Big Mouth Reindeer Toss- Paint reindeer faces on a large cardboard box.  Cut out the open mouths.  Paint the numbers next to each mouth.  Each player, in turn, throws a soft “Nerf” type ball, into the open mouths.  Keep score: the player to get 500 pts first wins.

 

paperwad.jpg Materials Old Newspaper. Game Play creativeyouthideas.com

Blizzard Blast:

  1. Snowball Bombardment– Before going to the activity you need to make rolled up newspaper balls.  The group is then divided into two teams.  Separate them across a field or a room.  You can then play like bombardment.  If you get hit with a snowball you are out.  However if you catch the snowball the person who threw it is out.  Continue until there is nobody left on one side.
  2. Snowball Fight- teams wad up stacks of newspaper into “snowballs” and throw them into the other team’s territory.  The team with the least amount of snow in their territory at the end of the game is the winner.
  3. Ice Melting Contest- Each team gets a tub of ice or a block and must try to melt it using only their hands (rubbing it).  Game goes for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Mining for Marbles- Try to find as many marbles as you can in a large pan of ice using only their toes.
  5. Snowflake Contest- Kids try to make the best snowflake.
  6. Ski Relay- Make something to resemble skis or find an old pair of snowshoes.  Have the kids put them on and race.
  7. Snowman Feed- Hold a pie eating contest (use vanilla pudding).  No hands permitted.
  8. Santa Feed– pie eating contest with whip cream (no hands permitted)
  9. Santa Look Alike– use whip cream and see who can make themselves or their partner into the best looking Santa

 

We told you more Christmas stuff would be coming! nekoandtekonetwork.blogspot.com

Candy Canes

Supplies: Deck of Cards, candy canes, pencil, paper and quick hands
If you have played the card game Spoons, then substitute Candy Canes for spoons and you are ready to play. If you have never played Spoons, here are the directions so you can play Candy Canes.
This game is best played with 6 people or less, as you need to be able to reach the Candy Canes.

Getting Started
To get started you will need a deck of cards, candy canes (you’ll want 1 less candy cane then people playing, so if 6 people you start with 5 candy canes), pencil and paper.
Have everyone sit around the table and place the Candy Canes in the middle of the table.
Select a dealer, have them shuffle the cards and deal out 4 cards to each player. The remaining cards are then placed face down in front of the dealer.
Game Goal The goal of Candy Canes is to be the first to get 4 of a Kind in your hand. Once you have 4 of a Kind you can take a Candy Cane as unnoticeable as possible.
After the first Candy Cane is taken, any player can then grab a Candy Cane (you don’t need 4 of a Kind to grab a Candy Cane at this point) and the player who does not grab a Candy Cane is given a point or letter in the word C-A-N-D-Y.
If a player get 5 points or has all the letters in the word C-A-N-D-Y, then they are out of the game and 1 Candy Cane is removed from the middle of the table.
Last player remaining wins.
How to Play Candy Canes
Once all the players have been dealt their cards and the remaining cards are in front of the dealer, the game begins.
The dealer selects the top card from the remaining deck of cards and decides whether to:
a. Add the card to their hand and discard an unwanted card by passing it to the next player on their left.
b. Immediately pass the card on to the next player on their left.
Once a card is passed to the next player, the dealer may then pick up the next card in the deck.
The person receiving the dealers card must then decide whether they want to keep or pass the card. This continues as each player around the table begins reviewing cards. Be aware cards will be moving at a very fast pace, so you need to decide quickly if you want a card.
Note: Players can only have 4 cards in their hand so every time a card is added one must be discarded.
The last player to receive the cards, the player on the dealer’s right, will create a pile of unwanted cards then are no longer in play.
If all the cards are passed and no player gets 4 of a Kind, then the unwanted cards are shuffled by the dealer and the process begins again. Note: This rarely occurs, but it can happen.
Once someone has 4 of a Kind, they pull a Candy Cane from the middle and then others will follow. The person who doesn’t get a Candy Cane earns a point or a letter in the word C-A-N-D-Y. Once a player has 5 points or the word C-A-N-D-Y is spelled out that person is out of the game and a candy cane is removed.
Once a Round of Candy Canes is complete the candy canes are placed back in the center and the cards move to the next dealer. Play until there is a winner.

 

Related

Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: balance, coordination, education, exercise, fine motor development, games, gross motor development, kids, moms, motor planning, Motor Smart Kids, outside, peer play, playing, Starfish Therapies

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