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.

  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • FAQ
  • Our Services
    • Motor Smart Kids
    • Continuing Education
    • FREE Resources
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Corona Virus (Covid-19) Response / Move to Telehealth

The Power of Kids to Influence Us!

May 3, 2012 by Stacy Menz

       

So, I am always amazed at what good enrollers kids are.  They do it naturally.  Yes, we have our agenda that we want to get through to them however their agenda always manages to sneak in as well.  For instance, I use a lot of different motivation techniques, especially for my 5-7 year olds and as a result I now find myself hooked on Smurf Village and Zombie Takeover (not from my choosing but because its what works with our kids).  As if I didn’t have enough to do on my ‘off’ hours, I am now monitoring Zombies and Smurfs because if I didn’t the kids would notice.  For instance, I walked into the clinic today and the first question out of my 7 year old kiddo’s mouth was ‘Did you get the Zombie Cheerleader yet?’.  We also have intense discussions about what crops we should plant on the Smurf Village based on time left in the session.  I know these sound like silly games but they are amazingly motivating for the kids.  You’d be amazed at what a child will do in order to harvest the next crop or feed a zombie.

In addition to being motivating for the kids it also works on finger isolation and precision for pointing.  They get to learn limits (they are not allowed to spend Smurf Berries) and we can talk about do we want to earn more XP’s to get to a higher level faster or more coins to be able to add things to the village.  In addition we work on standing balance, cross body reaching while having them tap on the screen, and visual attention while doing gross motor tasks to name a few.  They also get to talk about strategy in terms of what is most important to do first and prioritize on each game, its great to see their reasoning skills.

I am sure there are a ton of other games out there like these although I don’t know if I want to know about them because I don’t think I can handle overseeing another set of creatures on a daily basis – my Smurfs and Zombies are keeping my hands full!

Related

Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: apps, fine motor development, games, gross motor development, kids, motivation

Search

Subscribe To Our Emails

Subscribe and receive access to our FREE products, incredible list of pdfs, websites, readings, and many other useful recommendations!

Primary Programs

  • Motor Smart Kids
    • Free Play
    • Kids Action Hour
    • Yoga for Kids of All Abilities
    • Functional Movement Screen
    • Video Running Analysis
    • Youth Sports Injury Prevention
    • Concussion Screening and Management
  • Continuing Education
    • PNF 1: Introduction to PNF
    • PNF 2: Accessing the Trunk
    • Strength Training in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Resources
    • Telehealth
    • Informational Handouts
    • Useful Websites
    • Recommended Readings
    • Helpful Products
    • Blogs to Follow
    • Favorite Therapy Products at amazon.com

What Clients Are Saying

I could see the progress being made in my son’s communication and overall disposition. Not only were the classes fun, but he also became a lot less frustrated when trying to communicate with others.”

Recent Blog Posts

  • Occupational Therapy Round-Up
  • Should I Be Concerned?
  • Dr. Seuss Books and Activities
  • More Ideas for Catching
  • Book Inspired Activities

Disclaimers

  • Full Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • HIPAA Patient Notice
  • Accessibility Statement

Search

Patient Resources

  • New Patient Intake Forms
  • Starfish Resources
  • Our Services

Clinical Resources

  • Career Opportunties
  • Continuing Education

Contact

  (650) 638-9142
  (650) 638-9141
  admin@starfishtherapies.com

Join Our Online Community

Location

BURLINGAME
  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010

© Copyright 2023 Starfish Therapies · All Rights Reserved · Powered by babaLucas

 

Loading Comments...