I love when I find an unexpected treasure (and in the $ bin no less)! This morning I stopped at our local Rite-Aid to stock up on soda (not healthy I know but sometimes that’s what it takes to keep up with the kids) to feed our addictions at work and I was […]
Stickers – So Simple, Yet So Effective
When working with kids motivation is the key. Depending on the day, the hour or the child that motivation could look different. One of the simplest yet so effective methods of motivation are stickers. Kids love them! Not only are they great motivation but they actually work on skills and the child doesn’t even realize […]
The Power of Kids to Influence Us!
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 […]
Suction Cup Balls
Suction cup balls are one of our favorite toys to play with. We can usually find them in the party favor section at Target but they also sell them on Amazon. We use them to work on many skills such as: Throwing: By having the kids throw the balls at a window or mirror they […]
‘Melting’ Drawing/Letters
(this activity was melt the monster) Here’s something that is really simple that the kids get a kick out of and can spice up drawing, handwriting, coloring, etc. We have them ‘melt’ their letters or drawings after it is completed by using a spray bottle or a pipet with water. The kids love the […]
Pre-Crawling: Problem Solving and the Desire to Move
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER5x4Irc3Dw&w=560&h=315] This post probably should have come before last weeks post about pivoting and reversing but they are still all part of the same idea for kiddos who are learning how to figure out a new movement such as commando crawling. You can see in the video that he sees a toy or toys […]
Getting into Sitting
Babies these days are getting really good at sitting. The invention of the Bumbo seat has definitely helped with this (although it is a great tool for kids who need extra help with sitting to develop other skills). Its also a lot easier to pick your baby up and sit them down. What I am […]
What Does Low Tone Mean?
Muscle tone is the resting state of your muscles. When a child has low muscle tone it means that they need to put a lot more energy into getting their muscles to turn on to do what they want them to do. I often try to explain this to parents by describing that feeling when […]
Using Apps in PT
Okay, I’ll admit, I have app envy for the OT’s and SLP’s that have these great apps that they can use for their therapy sessions. I keep checking out all the apps that I see recommended to see if I can figure out how to modify them for use in PT. So […]