We have a toy microwave with an assortment of groceries that have been collected over the years. Here is a similar one and here are some additional groceries if you want more than what it comes with.
As with all of our toys, a lot of the benefit is that it motivates the child to keep participating or to move. Motivation is always the key with movement and repetition! And, its fun to push the buttons and hear the microwave ding when the food is ready!
Some of our therapists have used the microwave and groceries in the following ways:
- Sitting balance – we have one girl who regularly imagines a restaurant and while she is working on maintaining sitting, she takes orders from people and ‘cooks’ them in the microwave
- Sit to stand – select a piece of food and then stand up to put it in the microwave
- Squatting – pick up a piece of food from the floor and return to standing to put it in the microwave
- Walking short distances – have the food on one bench and the microwave on the other bench so they have to go back and forth between benches to get each piece of food and put it in the microwave.
- Standing balance – this can be a distraction for kids who are working on independent standing as they watch the food cook and wait for the microwave to ding
- Cruising – put the food at one end of the surface and the microwave at the other end so they have to go to the left and the right to get more food and put it in the microwave
Basically, you can use it any way you think will motivate a child! That’s the best part about working with kids is the imagination that goes into each session!