Colleen Beck OTR/L

Colleen Beck, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and the owner and author of The OT Toolbox website. She manages all of The OT Toolbox social media accounts and runs the popular newsletter. Read about Colleen's experience and career as an occupational therapist, including how The OT Toolbox began on our About The OT Toolbox page: https://www.theottoolbox.com/about-us/ Colleen created The OT Toolbox in 2011 and since then has written thousands of blog posts designed to support therapy providers, educators, parents, counselors, admin, and caregivers in promoting the healthy development of kids. Check out Colleen's blog posts below:

Boo Boos Bee Gone Get Well Soon Card

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Sometimes a kid-made get well soon card can mean a lot to a sick loved one. We created this Boo Boo Bee Gone get well soon card using yellow band aides for a cute card made by kids.  



Follow our Bug Crafts for Kids Pinterest board here.
Boo Boos BEE Gone get well soon card made by kids. Friends and relatives will love receiving this card when they are sick or injured!


Boo Boos Bee Gone Get Well Soon Card

{This post contains affiliate links.}  Is there anything that kids love more than band-aides?  A simple bandage and a kiss from mom often times heals a boo boo for a child.  When they think of a sick friend or relative, they will get that their card made with band-aides will help heal in a big way.  Little do they know, it’s actually the child-made card and thoughtfulness that will help to make a loved one smile and feel a little better.



Get well soon card made by kids

Boo Boos BEE Gone get well soon card made by kids. Friends and relatives will love receiving this card when they are sick or injured!
To make these cute bumblebees, you need just a few materials:

yellow band-aides 
wax paper 
black permanent marker 
card stock


scissors
glue stick




To make the Get well soon craft:  Fold the card stock in half to make your card.  Cut a long rectangle shape from the wax paper.  Round the edges, much like the shape of the bandages.  Smear a small amount of glue at the center of each wax paper wing and glue onto card stock card.   Open the band-aides and stick over the center of the wax wings.  Use the marker to draw stripes, a face, and a stinger on each bee.  Add a personal message to the inside of the card.

Boo Boos BEE Gone get well soon card made by kids. Friends and relatives will love receiving this card when they are sick or injured!
Love it? Pin it!  

You can find more of our kids crafts on the tab at the top of our blog.  

Follow our BUG CRAFTS FOR KIDS Pinterest board for more buggy crafts.

Fine Motor Workout Foam Sensory Bin

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This foam sensory bin is a fine motor workout and SO much fun!  We actually did this activity (and took these pictures) last summer, but I’m just getting around to sharing them. 
 
 The secret to the foam is not what you might expect.  We used a common household item that you probably just throw away.  The hand strengthening that happens with this foam sensory bin is such a workout!   
 
Kids can get messy in the soapy foam and explore the senses, too.  This is a perfect outdoor summer activity, but could definitely be done indoors in a bin or sink.
 

 


Foam Fine Motor Strengthening Activity:

 
{This post contains affiliate links.}  To make our foamy soap, we used 

these soap dispensers. But don’t waste the bathroom soap! Save the containers after the bathroom/kitchen soap has been used up. Recycle the dispensers to create a foamy, soapy, sensory play activity that the kids will love!  You’ve probably seen this sensory foam activity.  We’ve never played with that version of sensory foam, but the colors and sensory fun of our activity reminded me of Fun at Home With Kids’ foamy fun.

Fine motor strengthening workout activity with foamy, soapy, sensory play!
 
It is so easy to make a soapy foam with these recycled dispensers.  Did you know you can re-use the dispensers?  Simply add a bit of liquid dish soap in the empty container and fill the rest of the container with water.  We added a squirt of liquid watercolors before putting the lid on and giving the dispenser a gently swirl.


Fine Motor Strengthening Workout:

Pressing the dispenser is really a great hand strengthening work out.  Not only that, if you position a bin on the ground, they are getting a workout to their whole upper extremity as they put weight through their arms.  They are moving around and shifting their upper body weight in a quadruped position while experiencing sensory input.  What an activity!
 
To extend this foamy sensory fine motor workout a bit more, try these ideas:
  • Add scents to the foam
  • Encourage your child to practice writing letters and numbers in the foam.
  • Hide animal figures or magnetic letters in the foam.
  • Continue the foamy play once the bubbles start to fade, by adding water at ta high pressure from the hose or kitchen sink.  The pressure of the water will bring the foam back to life for a second round!



 Sidenote: You can totally re-use these foam soap dispensers in the bathroom.  Just add a bit of scented liquid body wash and fill with water.  Instant scented hand soap for washing up at the sink.

Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip Recipe

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We’re back again with our Cooking With Kids A-Z series and today we’re sharing our J is for Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe.  This dip is an easy one to throw together with the kid chefs in your family.  The mamas will be happy to see their little ones gobbling up the fruit with a healthy fruit dip.  Make this dip when heading to a party or cook out this summer.   This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe


Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit dip recipe

This recipe is an easy one to mix up.  You’ll need just a few ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Strawberry Jam
2 teaspoons honey
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe
Kids can measure out the ingredients.  Use a spoon to fill a measuring cup with plain Greek yogurt, and simply scoop the jam and honey with the measuring spoons. (We mixed our jam in by the tablespoon to give all of the kids a chance to mix.)
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe
Combine all of the ingredients and mix together with a wire whisk.  You’ll want to ensure the fruit is completely combined into the yogurt.
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe
Next, pull out your favorite fruit.

Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe

Bananas are the perfect fruit for Toddlers to chop.  They can use a butter knife or child’s safety knife to cut the soft fruit.
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe
Dip away at that fruit!  
Cooking with Kids: Healthy Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip recipe
Stop by to see what the other bloggers in the Cooking with Kids A-Z series have created using Jam:


The Educators’ Spin on It: Orange Strawberry Jam Surprise Muffins
Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: Jam and Cream Cheese Bites
Rainy Day Mum: Strawberry Jam and Jam Splogger Cookies
Still Playing School: Super Simple Microwave Jam recipe
The Mum in the Mad House: Jam Tarts

Read more Cooking with Kids posts: 
A is for Apple Dumplings Recipe
B is for Banana Cheesecake Bites
C is for Carrot Veggie Puffs Recipe
Join our COOKING WITH KIDS Pinterest board for recipes the kids will love!

Want to cook healthy foods for your family?  Grab Yum! Deliciously Healthy Meals for Kids, a cookbook for busy families that want healthy meal ideas. 


Healthy recipes for kids

DIY Rhythm Sticks and Activities

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Rhythm and learning go hand in hand.  The beat of a tune and repetition of sounds make learning the alphabet and songs fun from a very young age.  We made these miniature DIY Rhythm Sticks using craft sticks for a fun beat activity with a little preschool aged learning.


DIY rhythm sticks and activities for preschool aged kids

DIY Rhythm Sticks for Preschool Kids:

We used just a few materials for this project.  Wooden craft sticks and embroidery thread that we received from our friends at www.craftprojectideas.com were all that we used.  You can find the colorful thread for purchase here.  

To make the miniature rhythm sticks, simply wrap the thread around the craft sticks.  We made a few sets; some in patterns, others in random colors.  My three year old liked the wrapping motion of continuously stringing the thread around the craft stick.  The bilateral hand coordination with this task is a great way to practice hand-eye coordination through play.  There is really no end product that you are looking for with this activity.  Ask your child to be as creative as they like with the task of making their rhythm sticks.  It’s a great process art craft for preschoolers.  After you’ve got the thread on the stick, just tie off the end in a knot.  This is a part an adult might need to help out with.
DIY rhythm sticks and activities for preschool aged kids

Once our rhythm sticks were done, we started on creative learning through rhythm and rhyme.  You can find tons of musically inspired learning and play activities on our Music Learning Songs and Instruments  Pinterest board.  Be sure to follow along!  


Rhythm Sticks activities for preschoolers:

We practiced beat and patterns with our rhythm sticks.  Have your child sit criss-cross applesauce and hold a miniature rhythm stick in each hand.  Show them how to tap out a beat as you hit the sticks onto a hard surface or floor.  They can copy you.  Speak in a rhythm to say a rhyme or story as you both tap out the beat.  Add more complex patterns with tapping, movement, and sounds.  


Learn the alphabet with rhythm sticks:  Say the alphabet together as you tap out a beat.  The adult can say the letters along with the child.  To extend the activity, pause at different letters and point to the child so they can say the next letter.  


Counting with rhythm sticks:  Count to 10 or 20 while tapping out a rhythm on the floor.  You can extend this activity by counting by even or odd numbers.  You can alternate numbers between children and take turns saying the numbers.


Learn phone number with rhythm sticks:  As you tap out a beat with the rhythm sticks, say the numbers of your phone number.  You can also practice learning a home address with the rhythm sticks.

DIY rhythm sticks and activities for preschool aged kids

Love it?  Pin it!

Be sure to Follow our Music Learning Songs and Instruments Pinterest board.


You can also find tons of creative ideas and fun shared on our Facebook page.  Join us!

Outer Space Books for Kids

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You may have noticed that we’ve been on a bit of an Outer Space theme.  We’ve had a stack of space library books and favorites from our own collection out in the traffic of the living room for a few weeks now.  These are our favorite Outer Space books for reference, fun, and space-themed activities.  If you’ve got a space fan, rocket lover, or future astronaut on your hands, these are the books for you!


Outer space books for kids


Best Outer Space Books for Kids:



On the Moon
by Anna Melbourne is a picture book that we have read probably 1,500 times. I’m sure you have books in your own personal library that are hits with the kids. They are the books that you read every night before bedtime for 6 months strait. This is one of those books for us. My husband was able to recite the 24 page book from heart…and he can still do so! This is a special book in our house! It’s got great illustrations and and facts that your preschooler and toddler will love.


Basher Basics: Space ExplorationThis book is for a little older kids, but we love it for it’s fun illustrations and information.


 The Planets
by Gail Gibbons is great for kids with it’s big illustrations and interesting facts on each planet.


 
What Is the Moon Made Of?: And Other Questions Kids Have About Space (Kids’ Questions)
by Donna H. Bowman is such a cute book with lots of facts about space. This book ignites more questions and fun discussions. This is a must-read for space fans.


The Kids Book of the Night Sky
by Ann Love & Jane Drake is a wealth of information. We loved all of the activities in the book that extend concepts. Read the book and find out how to make a sky carousel, a sighting tube, and a pinhole eclipse view among other experiments.


 
The Planets in Our Solar System (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
by Franklyn M. Branley has bright and engaging illustrations with lots of facts mixed into the text. We loved the instructions on how to make a solar system mobile at the end of the book.


 
Where Does the Moon Go? (Question of Science Book)
by Sidney Rosen answers questions that my kids are always asking. This is a fun book all about the moon.




If you’ve got a little space fan, be sure to check out our Outer Space theme learning and play activities for crafts, activities, snacks, movement, and sensory fun.


Follow our Outer Space Awesome Pinterest board here.

Follow Sugar Aunts’s board Outer Space Awesome on Pinterest.

Summer Kick-Off Bucket

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One fun way to celebrate the start of summer is with a family fun activity and this summer kick off idea is just that! We wanted to to start summer off with a bang and came up with this summer bucket full of summer toys and activities. We do love using Summer occupational therapy activities with warm and festive themes for this time of year, and a bucket of activities would be a great addition! Check it out…

Summer kick off bucket

Summer Kick Off Idea

This summer kick off idea came about years ago at the start of a summer break, but the idea is still a fun one!

Passing on kindness with a simple and surprising gift is an easy way to make a person smile.  Sometimes, all it takes is an unexpected token that says another is thinking of you to make your day.  

Kindness is contagious and it can easily start with a fun gift like a Summer Kick-Off bucket.  

Certain items make you think of summer:  sparklers, Popsicles, buckets and shovels, and hanging out with neighbors on hot summer evenings.  

We decided to make a Summer Kick-Off bucket as a surprise for our favorite neighbors.  You know the ones: that family down the street that you hang out with on hot summer evenings while the kids run around the yard; the family that is always up for firefly catching, sitting around a fire pit while commiserating about teething babies who are up all night.  

You could also use the summer bucket idea for other fun events:

  • To celebrate the end of the school year
  • Summer kick off party
  • Summer birthday parties
  • Neighborhoods block parties
  • Any Summer kick off event!

Neighborhood friends are there every day, and are always up for playing, chalking on sidewalks, and walks through the neighborhood.  Our Summer Kick-Off bucket will bring a smile to friends and start the summer off right!

You’ll also be interested in our new Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet. It’s a collection of 14 items that guide summer programming at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. The summer activities bundle covers handwriting, visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, regulation, and more.

You’ll find ideas to use in virtual therapy sessions and to send home as home activities that build skills and power development with a fun, summer theme. Kids will love the Summer Spot It! game, the puzzles, handouts, and movement activities. Therapists will love the teletherapy slide deck and the easy, ready-to-go activities to slot into OT sessions. The packet is only $10.00 and can be used over and over again for every student/client!

Grab the Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet HERE.

 
 

 

summer occupational therapy activities for kids

Summer kick-off bucket to share and create summer memories with friends and family this summer. Start summer off right with this kindness gift that kids can help make! #ShareMemories #ad
 

Summer Kick-off Idea: a bucket of activities 

This summer bucket is a literal summer bucket list! Gather a few items:
  • Plastic bucket
  • Fun snacks and drinks
  • Sidewalk chalk
  • Print off a list of 100 things to do this Summer and add it to the bucket
  • Sparklers
  • Popsicle molds
  • Glowsticks
  • Toys like jump ropes, etc.
 
When you make your bucket, fill the bottom with tissue paper. This will help to position the items in the bucket and keep everything in place.

Summer kick-off bucket to share and create summer memories with friends and family this summer. Start summer off right with this kindness gift that kids can help make! #ShareMemories #ad

 

Once you have your bucket full of goodies, gift them to your favorite neighborhood family at a backyard barbecue, firepit fire, or as a surprise on the doorstep.  
 
Our kids spend so much time with our neighbor friends: riding bikes, playing “spies”, and catching bugs.  Good food with good friends and the start of summer is a special time.  
 
Our little ones are lucky to have sweet neighborhood kids the same age.  
 
Brothers and Sisters and Friends are always up for adventures as they catch bad guys, take wild Big Wheels rides on the driveway, and run through the sprinkler.  Summer means adventures and these neighborhood friends have a blast playing together every day.
 
 
 
We are excited to kick off summer with our Summer Kick-Off bucket and share memories with our neighbors.  How will you create memories with family and friends (and neighbors) this summer?

Want to take summer play to the next level? Be sure to grab your copy of the Summer OT Activities Bundle!

Summer activities for kids

Galaxy and Outer Space Sensory Activities

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We have been loving all things Outer Space lately.  We have been having a ball pinning to our Outer Space Awesome pin board.  And last week’s constellation crafts were such a hit that we had to dig for more fun space ideas. When we saw the Outer Space Discovery  bottle from Artsy Momma linked up in this week’s Share It Saturday, we had to check it out.  Of course we wanted to find more sensory activities dealing with space, the galaxy, planets, and stars.  We’ve got them all here for you:

If you’ve got a little space fan, be sure to check out our Outer Space theme learning and play activities for crafts, activities, snacks, movement, and sensory fun.

Outer space ideas for sensory play


Outer Space Sensory Play Ideas for Kids



Space Sensory Tub from One Perfect Day
Outer Space Play Dough from I Can Teach My Child
Space Discovery Bin from Craftulate
Coffee Beans Sensory Bin from I Heart Crafty Things
Sensory Galaxy Jar from Lemon Lime Adventures
Galaxy Oobleck from Two-daloo
Glowing Bedtime Stars Bottle from Kids Activities Blog
Galaxy Slime from Two-daloo
Glowing Galaxy Water Bin from Fun-a-Day


Which will you try first?

How to Take Phone Pictures and Stay in the Moment

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Capturing Summer memories is easy when your phone is on hand.  Most of us have a phone always in the back pocket or within reach in a purse pocket, so capturing summer memories of the kids at the park is quick and accessible.  How do you capture the moment in a photo while engaging and savoring the time with your kids?  There is nothing that moves faster than time when a child is small.  It seems like a blink of an eye and they have grown from chubby little babes to running toddlers.  The precious summer fun can quickly turn to headaches when us moms are focusing on the “stuff”: the snacks, the sunscreen, the water bottles, the keys (CAN’T lose those!), the sun hats…all a mom wants is a quick picture of the kids on the slide.  Then the kids are off and running and the moment has passed.  Are you focusing on all of the stuff and juggling with the phone before the moment has gone?  Do you find yourself missing the fun and engaging with your kids?  We’ve got a few tips to help with the balance of capturing the memories and enjoying the moment.  

Tips to Capture Memories while Staying in the Moment:

Keep the phone close.  But then put it away:  Keep the phone in your back pocket for quick shots.  And when I say quick, capture a series of images by pressing the shutter button quickly.  There are a ton off iphone photography tips out there, but sometimes you just want to get the shot and move on.  Get your pictures then put the phone into your purse or away so you can get into the action of play.  Connect with your child with snuggles, tag, getting in close and be in the moment.  Don’t worry about sharing the image or adding a filter on Instagram.  Do it later after the kids are in bed.  Be in the moment during the moment.


Get in the photo:  Kids (usually) love to be in a picture with their mom.  Take a  quick selfie with your kids. Or ask a friend to capture a picture.  But again, put it away and play.


Take pictures of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  (The real moments):  You don’t need three smiling kids to savor a moment at a special event.  Kids will be kids and there will be tears, pouts, and maybe a little shoving.  Take the pictures anyway.  Get the real shots.  You might have two smiling faces looking in opposite directions, but it is the real thing.  You can also take action pictures while the kids aren’t even looking at the camera.  Maybe they are dancing in puddles or spinning around a tree trunk.  Those are the real moments.




Rhyming Grace Before Meals

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prayer before meals for kids

In this blog post, you’ll find some ideas to use as a prayer before meals for kids. A rhyming grace before meals is an easy way to use the rhythm and rhyme to make the rhyming prayers “stick”. Take a look at the rhyming prayers for kids and families below.

prayer before meals for kids

One of my favorite memories from mealtimes as a child was the blessing, or the prayer before meals. A prayer before meals, for kids, is a wonderful way to connect with families, while saying grace and thank you for the food at the table and other blessings in life.

I can still remember the rhyming thanks to God that started each meal.  We would all bow our heads and fold our hands as we said a small prayer that showed our gratitude for the day’s blessings.  

Now as a mom to small children, that blessing is one of the best slow moments of our day. My children have their small chubby hands (and usually sticky fingers) clenched into small folded prayer hands.  

They have their heads bowed and are all saying a rhyming prayer together as their baby sister looks on from her high chair with wide eyes at the moment. And then someone starts the prayer in their opera voice. Or Pig Latin.  It happens.  

Life with four kids 7 and under brings surprises and chaos.  During blessing time is no exception.  We just start over and try again! 

rhyming grace before meals

The routine of a meal prayer, or a meal time blessing is a blessing in itself! To a family of any size, a prayer before meals can signal the start of a meal and a time to slow down and connect.

For families, a prayer before meals offers a moment of quiet and calm from the chaos a family brings.  

Saying a blessing at meals is a time to focus on the gifts from God: each other, the food, events from the day.  It’s that simple prayer before meals that adds another routine to family meals.

Having a palpable moment of quiet (usually!) during a blessing prayer is a calming moment and a signal to regroup as a family together around a meal.

Even the smallest children can recognize the moment of calm during a prayer before the meal.  A mealtime blessing is a time to express gratitude.  And when those sweet little children that are the biggest blessing of all are saying their prayer, this mama just has to sneak a look up and express her gratitude too.  Until a glass of milk spills.

In these cases, a simple prayer before meal can be a calming moment of self-regulation for the parents, too!

 
 
 
prayer before meals for kids
 

Rhyming Prayers to Say before Meals

Growing up, my family said our blessing at each dinner meal until we were much older than preschool age. I’m sure that is why it’s stuck with me for so long.
 
These are blessing prayers that can stay with a family for a lifetime, starting from a young age.
 
Toddlers start to recognize rhyming words, making rhyming grace a great addition to dinnertime. This is a time when sitting at the dinner table for a whole meal is possible due to greater attention during meals. The routine of a prayer before meals for kids is part of that attention-building development.
 
These blessings are prayers that we’ve either said as a child or my kids have learned through their preschool class.  
 
They are now part of our meal!

Try these Family Blessings to say before a meal:

God is Great Rhyming Prayer 

(This food prayer is simple and effective, with a nice little rhyme.)

 
God is great, 
God is good. 
And I thank Him for our food.
Amen
 

Johnny Appleseed Rhyming Prayer

 
(This is one from my son’s preschool class)
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need.
The sun and the rain
and the apple seed.
The Lord’s been good to me.
Amen

Thank You God Prayer

 
(said to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Thank you God 
for Food and prayer.
Teach us how to love and share.
Amen

prayer before meals
 

Do you have a special prayer before meals that you say with your family?  



Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.