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:

Fall Crafts for Kids

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Fall crafts for kids

If there is one thing occupational therapists love, it’s crafts to develop skills, and these Fall crafts for kids are just that! These fall themed crafts support development of skills in all the best ways this Fall! Use the best of the season this time of year with Fall leaf crafts, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, pumpkin crafts, and more in occupational therapy sessions, or to build skills at home!

Fall crafts for kids

Fall Crafts for Kids

Some of our top picks for building skills are sorted out by theme. You’ll love these fall crafts that support development of skills in kids:

  • Autumn Art Activities– includes sensory painting, fingerprint art, painting leaves, corn husk painting, and more.
  • Fall Fine Motor Activities– Work on precision, pincer grasp, tripod grasp, hand strength, hand-eye coordination, and more with these fall themed activities that are perfect for OT sessions or therapy at home.
  • Fall Tree Crafts– This set of craft ideas include leaves and all the beautiful colors of the trees during this autumn season.
  • Halloween Occupational Therapy Activities– Pick the activities that meet the needs of your OT clients to support development of fine motor, gross motor, sensory motor, and visual motor skills.
  • Fall Occupational Therapy Activities– This mini e-book describes OT activities to support sensory and motor development this time of year.
  • Turkey Crafts for Kids– This time of year, turkeys, feathers, and Thanksgiving crafts are great ways to develop fine motor skills with a fun theme!
  • Thankful Turkey Templates– These free printables can be used in so many ways to work on scissor skills and fine motor skills. Includes a gratitude turkey cut out, too.
  • Print off this hot chocolate craft and target different skills. You can even make this into a pumpkin spice latte or a hot apple cider craft!
  • Thanksgiving tree– Another great Fall craft is to make the leaves to hang on a gratitude tree. You can target many skills with this one: scissor skills, handwriting, gross motor skills, and more.

Easy Fall Crafts Kids

Let’s break down these fall craft ideas to help you find just the craft that supports the development of skills.

Fall leaf craft

Fall Leaf Sewing Craft– This Fall craft for older kids builds fine motor skills.

This fall craft idea supports development of:

  • bilateral coordination
  • crossing midline
  • eye hand coordination
  • pincer grasp
Fall craft with a gratitude garland

Gratitude Leaf Garland– Cut out the paper leaves and write things you are thankful for this Fall.

This fall craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • crossing midline
  • hand strength
  • handwriting
Cute pumpkin craft for fine motor skills

This Fine Motor Pumpkin craft develops precision, pincer grasp, and tip to tip grasp.

This fall pumpkin craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • precision
  • dexterity
  • eye hand coordination

Thanksgiving suncatcher craft

Make this gratitude suncatcher craft for a window craft that brings color to the drab Fall weather.

This autumn craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • handwriting
  • working on a vertical plane
  • sensory motor input

Pumpkin seed craft idea using dyed pumpkin seeds

Dye pumpkin seeds and use them to make mosaics, suncatchers, and more.

This pumpkin seed craft supports development of:

  • pincer grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
  • tactile play
  • sensory motor input

Sunflower craft made from a cupcake liner

This sunflower cupcake liner craft is a fun fine motor activity for fall. Add this to a sunflower theme for therapy this Fall!

This fall craft supports development of:

  • pincer grasp
  • scissor skills
  • planning and prioritization
  • problem solving

Harvest craft made with bottle caps

These cute harvest bottle cap crafts are a great fine motor math activity for the Fall season.

This fall and harvest craft supports development of:

  • executive functioning skills
  • scissor skills
  • planning and prioritization
  • problem solving

scarecrow craft for a farm activities theme

Use this scarecrow craft as a math activity for the Fall and to develop fine motor skills.

This autumn scarecrow craft supports development of:

  • fine motor skills
  • scissor skills
  • planning and prioritization
  • problem solving

School bus craft for Fall

Fall means back-to-school and that’s where this school bus craft comes into play.

This fall craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • planning and prioritization
  • problem solving

Cute racoon craft

This cute racoon craft doubles as a fine motor activity and a fun hands-on math activity for kids.

This craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • graded precision
  • hand strength
  • problem solving

Bat craft for fall

Use this bat craft to work on scissor skills and handwriting!

This bat craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • handwriting
  • tactile sensory play

Stellaluna craft

Speaking of bat crafts, this Stellaluna craft is perfect for the Fall season.

This Stellaluna craft supports development of:

Pumpkin craft made with toilet paper tube.

Recycled Paper Roll Pumpkin Stamp Art– Make stamps using a toilet paper roll and create pumpkin stamps

This pumpkin craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • pincer grasp
  • tripod grasp
  • hand grasp
  • graded grasp and release

Pumpkin seed suncatcher craft

Dyed Pumpkin Seed Sun catchers are perfect for pincer grasp with a Fall pumpkin seed theme.

This craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • pincer grasp
  • tripod grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
  • graded grasp and release

Autumn craft idea for preschoolers-leaf placemat

Make a Leaf Placemat Craft which is the perfect autumn craft ideas for preschoolers.

This craft supports development of:

  • proprioceptive input
  • tactile sensory play
  • tactile sensory play
  • eye-hand coordination
Turkey napkin ring craft

Turkey Napkin and Silverware Ring craft– This is great for a harvest with kids.

This craft supports development of:

Cardboard turkey craft that doubles as a juicebox cover and an oral sensory tool

Turkey Juice box Cover– These are so cute for a kids Thanksgiving table.

This craft supports development of:

  • precision skills
  • pincer grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
  • scissor skills
Paper towel roll turkey craft

Recycled Paper Roll Turkey Stamp Craft– Grab a recycled toilet paper roll and make these turkey stamps.

This craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • pincer grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
  • scissor skills
  • planning and prioritization
Corn husk painting

Corn husk art is a fun way to celebrate the season. This Corn Husk Stamping is a sensory art activity kids love.

This craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • pincer grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
Ghost craft

This ghost craft is a powerful fine motor activity for kids and develops scissor skills and hand strength.

This craft supports development of:

  • scissor skills
  • hand strength
  • arch development
  • bilateral coordination
Ghost craft made from bread ties

Use bread ties to make mini ghosts from bread ties! They are so cute in a Fall sensory bin.

This craft supports development of:

  • precision skills
  • sensory play
  • crossing midline
  • bilateral coordination
Ghost craft made from milk cartons

Use recycled milk cartons to make this Ghost Catch Craft and Game. It’s a great tool for gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and core strengthening and stability.

This craft supports development of:

  • gross grasp
  • eye hand coordination
  • posture
  • upper body strength
Pumpkins made from egg cartons

These Egg Carton Pumpkins are always fun to make and to use in fall sensory bins!

This craft supports development of:

  • precision
  • hand strength
  • tactile sensory play
  • hand strength
Pumpkin emotional development activity

Identifying and Expressing Emotions Pumpkin Craft is a great Fall craft for toddlers and preschoolers.

This craft supports development of:

  • social emotional development
  • learning emotions
  • eye hand coordination
  • crossing midline
  • visual motor skills

Baked cotton balls turned into apples

Did you ever make baked cotton balls? These apple baked cotton balls are so much fun!

This craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • scissor skills
  • pincer grasp
  • tripod grasp
  • hand strength
  • following directions
Apple stamps

This apple stamp art is fun for kids and great for developing visual perceptual skills.

This craft supports development of:

  • visual perceptual skills
  • hand grasp
  • eye-hand coordination
  • tactile sensory play
Toilet paper tube apple art

Recycled Paper Roll Apple Stamps are fun for a Fall apple theme.

This craft supports development of:

  • tactile sensory play
  • eye-hand coordination
  • graded grasp and release
  • direction following
Pumpkin activity kit
Pumpkin Fine Motor Kit

Grab the Pumpkin Fine Motor Kit for more coloring, cutting, and eye-hand coordination activities with a Pumpkin theme! It includes:

  • 7 digital products that can be used any time of year- has a “pumpkins” theme
  • 5 pumpkin scissor skills cutting strips
  • Pumpkin scissor skills shapes- use in sensory bins, math, sorting, pattern activities
  • 2 pumpkin visual perception mazes with writing activity
  • Pumpkin “I Spy” sheet – color in the outline shapes to build pencil control and fine motor strength
  • Pumpkin Lacing cards – print, color, and hole punch to build bilateral coordination skills
  • 2 Pumpkin theme handwriting pages – single and double rule bold lined paper for handwriting practice

Work on underlying fine motor and visual motor integration skills so you can help students excel in handwriting, learning, and motor skill development.

You can grab this Pumpkin Fine Motor kit for just $6!

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.

Doubles and Near Doubles

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doubles and near doubles craft

If you have a second grader, than you may be familiar with doubles and near doubles. This form of math facts with doubles numbers (adding two numbers that are the same) and near doubles (adding two numbers that are almost the same), can help kids quickly learn math facts with a brain trick. We created a spider activity that was a fun way to practice doubles and near doubles!

Adding Doubles and Near Doubles in Second Grade Math up to 20, with a hands-on math, spider theme.

What are Doubles and Near Doubles?

We explained this a bit, but let’s expand on these math definitions.

You might be thinking, “What!?” I have to admit, adding near doubles is a concept that I learned along with my oldest when she went through second grade.

What is Doubles and Near Doubles in Second grade math?  

Doubles are the addends that are exactly the same.  These are addition facts that second graders need to know to add within 20.

Near Doubles are those addends that are almost a double fact. So, 4+5 is very close to 4+4.  Students can easily recall that the double fact for 4+4=8 and by adding one more, they quickly know that 4+5=9.  These are math fact tools that can help second graders add within 20.

Doubles Math Facts

Doubles math facts include:

  • 0+0=0
  • 1+1=2
  • 2=2+4
  • 3+3=6
  • 4+4=8
  • 5+5=10
  • 6+6=12
  • 7+7=14
  • 8+8=16
  • 9+9=18
  • 10+10=20

Near Doubles Facts

Near doubles facts depend on the doubles that the numbers are near.

  • 0+0=0
    • 1+0=1
    • 0+1=1
  • 1+1=2
    • 2+1=3
    • 1+2=3
    • 0+1=1
    • 1+0=1
  • 2+2=4
    • 3+2=5
    • 2+3=5
    • 1+2=3
    • 2+1=3
  • 3+3=6
    • 4+3=7
    • 3+4=7
    • 2+3=5
    • 3+2=5
  • 4+4=8
    • 5+4=9
    • 4+5=9
    • 3+4=7
    • 4+3=7
  • 5+5=10
    • 6+5=11
    • 5+6=11
    • 4+5=9
    • 5+4=9
  • 6+6=12
    • 7+6=13
    • 6+7=13
    • 5+6=11
    • 6+5=11
  • 7+7=14
    • 8+7=15
    • 7+8=15
    • 6+7=13
    • 7+6=13
  • 8+8=16
    • 9+8=17
    • 8+9=17
    • 7+8=15
    • 8+7=15
  • 9+9=18
    • 10+9=19
    • 9+10=19
    • 8+9=17
    • 9+8=17
  • 10+10=20
    • 11+10=21
    • 10+11=21
    • 9+10=19
    • 10+9=19

You can see how learning just a handful of doubles facts builds a bigger repertoire of math facts. This is a particularly good path strategy for learning tricky addition facts that kids often struggle with, especially with adding the higher 6’s, 7’s, 8’s, and 9’s.

Adding Doubles and Near Doubles 

Adding doubles is a math fact memorization technique.  It is easier for kids to remember that 2+2=4, 6+6=12, 7+7=14, 9+9=18, etc.  

Kids can first memorize the doubles facts. Once they’ve got those addition facts down pat, recognizing that the near doubles facts are just one off from the double makes learning a whole new set of numbers easy.

For example:

First the student would memorize the near double of 6+6=12.

Then, when that becomes a math fact they know by sight, they can look at the math problem 6+5 and recognize that the addend 5 is just one less than the doubles fact for 6. They can know the number sense that the problem 6+5 is one less than 6+6 and easily identify the answer of 11.

Similarly, if the student is presented with the near doubles problem of 6+7, they can recognize that the addend 7 is one more than the doubles fact for 6. They can identify by number sense that the answer for 6+7 is one more than 6+6 and that the answer is 13.

Near doubles assist students with adding one more or one less than the doubles facts.

By this, we mean that once a student knows the doubles fact of 6+6=12, they then also know:

  • 6+5=11
  • 5+6=11
  • 6+7=13
  • 7+6=13

You can see how the doubles and near doubles concept builds number sense and allows students to become much more fluent and efficient at math problems.


Doubles and Near Doubles Activity

We made this near doubles activity to help with second grade math concepts, specifically in adding Doubles and adding Near Doubles., using a fun spider craft. The OT in me loves that it works on quite a few fine motor skills and scissor skills too!

I wanted to create a hands-on math activity using the doubles and Near Doubles addition facts with a spider theme.  

It’s an easy and quick activity to set up, that will help second graders realize how to quickly figure out more addition facts quite easily.  This is a math skill appropriate for Common Core Standards CCSS 2.0A.1 and CCSS 2.0A.2.  You can see those Common Core standards here.

To make your Near Doubles Spider Activity

Cut out paper strips to write doubles and near doubles addition facts.

You’ll need just a few materials for this doubles and near doubles practice activity:

  • Black construction paper
  • White colored pencil
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Googly eyes

To make this doubles and near doubles craft, complete these steps:

  1. Cut out 8 strips of black construction paper.  These will become the spider’s legs.
  2. Using a white colored pencil, write out doubles facts on one side of the black paper strips. You’ll need to write the following doubles facts on the paper strips:
    • 2+2=__
    • 3+3=__
    • 4+4=__
    • 5+5=__
    • 6+6=__
    • 7+7=__
    • 8+8=__
    • 9+9=__
  3. On the other side of each spider leg paper strip, write with your white colored pencil:
    • 2+3=__
    • 3+4=__
    • 4+5=__
    • 5+6=__
    • 6+7=__
    • 7+8=__
    • 8+9=__
    • 9+8=__
  4. Cut out a circle out of the black paper for the head.
  5. Glue googly eyes onto the spider’s head.  
  6. Glue the legs to the spider head so the Doubles are all on one side and the Near Doubles are all on the other side.  

Kids can flip the legs over to see how closely the doubles are to the Near Doubles and how knowing the Doubles facts can quickly help them figure out the Near Double facts.

You can make multiple versions of these numbers, using the commutative property of addition. 

Spider craft to work on doubles and near doubles facts.

Adding Doubles and Near Doubles in Second Grade Math up to 20, with a hands-on math, spider theme.

More Hands-On Math Activities you will love:

 
Commutative Property of Addition  How to Add with Regrouping  Use play dough in math  Bottle caps in first grade math

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.

School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise- A Stress Relaxation Tool

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School bus deep breathing exercise for stress relaxation on the bus

Whether you are needing a bus stop activity to keep the kids calm and collected near a busy street or a sensory diet activity for the rides to school on the bus, this   school bus deep breathing exercise fits the bill. The school bus setting is unpredictable for sensory kids and this breathing activity is an easy stress relaxation tool that kids can add to their toolbox of coping strategies.

Time for school buses, school supplies, backpacks, new teachers, new friends, and new stressors.  While school can be fun and educational, it can also be a time of stress and overwhelm.  Teaching self regulation is important for school success.  Students and teachers love these Deep Breathing Exercises. 

School bus deep breathing exercise self regulation tool for stress relaxation on the bus.
Use this printable school bus deep breathing page as a sensory strategy for the school bus!

Just in time for back to school, the OT Toolbox has a great new School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise page to share. AND, it includes a school bus coloring page, too!

Stress Relaxation

One benefit of this sensory school bus strategy is the use in stress relaxation strategies in response to fight, flight, freeze, and other autonomic responses.

What do we mean by stress relaxation?

First, let’s cover how this works. When faced with an unfamiliar, unwanted, or overwhelming challenge, the central nervous system employs its fight, flight, or freeze response.  This is an automatic brain stem response to input.  Because everyone’s central nervous system is different, people respond differently to input.  Some people startle easily, are afraid of bugs, don’t tolerate loud noise or crowds, and are very sensitive. 

Others take life in stride, nothing tends to bother them. 

While this School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise is targeted for those who need to slow their central nervous system, everyone can benefit from taking a break once in a while to reset. When a body is in its fight, flight, or freeze mode, the central nervous system takes over.

The following may be symptoms of this autonomic response:

  • The heart rate may increase
  • Increased breathing rate 
  • Elevated heart rate/blood pressure/temperature 
  • Sweating
  • Hiccups
  • Excessive emotional outbursts
  • Decreased cognitive skills as all energy goes into protecting the body
  • Digestive issues

Because of this autonomic or automatic response to stimuli, people can make a conscious effort to combat these symptoms.  One quick and easy way to slow down heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and emotional outbursts is by using deep breathing exercises to relax the stress response. 

Education on self regulation is an important step of sensory based treatment.  Teaching a person to understand their body, triggers, and response to input will help them choose an appropriate treatment method, and a perfect time to use it. 

The use of stress relaxation strategies is a work in progress, and takes a long time to achieve self regulation.  Adults as well as children need help and reminders along the way when they are feeling out of control.

We have other fun and motivating breathing exercises for kids in the school setting on the site, too. These include:

School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise

The OT Toolbox is full of Breathing Exercise Worksheets.  The newest one, The School Bus, comes at a great time of year. It’s the perfect tool to use in stress responses on the school bus. Add this sensory strategy in school environment to the bus environment which can be unpredictable, full of loud sounds, vibration and unpredictable movements, and an opportunity for sensory overload.

Use the school bus sensory strategy to support different needs:

  • A sensory diet for the school bus
  • Waiting for the bus activity
  • Stress response to a simulating school bus environment

Have learners place their finger on a white dot.  Instruct them to breathe in while sliding their finger across the arrow.  On the next arrow, they are instructed to breathe out.  Learners can go around the bus as many times as it takes for them to feel more in control of their body.  

We’ve also included a deep breathing coloring page, in this set, too. Use it to work on coloring skills and pull in other areas of development such as fine motor skills and visual motor skills. Kids can then use the deep breathing coloring page as a coping strategy tool they have created and have ownership over.

How does this work?

These Deep Breathing Exercises are more than just working on breathing. Think about the following sensory systems that are activated using this free printable:

  • Deep breathing slows the heart rate
  • Visualizing the bus creates a distraction, or changes the learner’s focus
  • Listening to the sound of deep breathing can help tune out other stimuli
  • Counting breaths or holding for a number of seconds also creates a shift in focus
  • Themed breathing opens a door to change the subject and talk about the picture
  • Slowing the body down during the exercise, helps with regulation
  • Following a rhythm is organizing to the central nervous system

How to use the School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise Worksheet

Strategies such as breathing exercises are not as easy as handing your learner a piece of paper.  There is a lot of teaching, education, practice, and trial/error that goes into any of these treatment methods.

  • Initiate the activity BEFORE total meltdown or shut down occurs.  Once shut down occurs, it may not be easy for your learner to tolerate, listen, or sit and focus on this task
  • Use these exercises as part of your prescribed sensory diet, proving them at regular predictable intervals during the day, such as before/after transitions. We cover transitions for children extensively in another blog post.
  • Learner does not have to sit in a chair to work on deep breathing. They may lay on the floor, do yoga poses, climb under a blanket, sit in a rocker, or a comfy beanbag
  • If this exercise does not work for your learner, either try again at a different time, or move onto another strategy.  The OT Toolbox is full of ideas for self regulation

Thematic lesson or treatment planning is motivating for students, and a way for educators to organize their daily teaching. Back to school is a popular theme using school buses, school tools, and apples to get to know your students.  It is a great segue into the fall theme.

Other Back to School Activities from the OT Toolbox:

Free printable stress relaxation for the school bus

Want to add this printable stress relaxation tool to your therapy toolbox? Enter your email address into the form below.

This item is also available inside the Member’s Club. Members can log into their account and access the tool by heading to Mindfulness Tools. Grab this stress relaxation exercise as well as others including unicorn deep breathing, pencil deep breathing, rainbow breathing, and more.

FREE School Bus Deep Breathing Exercise

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    Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.

    How to Draw a Cute Owl Directed Drawing

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    how to draw an owl easy directed drawing sheet

    If you are looking for how to draw a cute owl, than this easy directed drawing owl activity is for you. There are so many benefits to directed drawing when it comes to visual motor skill development, so adding a cute owl to the fun makes sense! In this post, you’ll find a printable “how to draw an owl-easy” worksheet that you can print and use over and over again.

    If you are wondering what ages can use directed drawings, check out our resource on drawing milestones.

    How to draw and owl easy directed drawing sheet

    a word about directed drawing worksheets

    While this is a fun free occupational therapy worksheet, I have to say…sometimes “worksheets” get a bad rap. I mean, hands-on, occupation-centered function is what we do as OTs, right?

    BUT, for some kids, meaningful and purposeful are centered around topics, or themes. Owls are one of those popular topics that draw kids in. And, to take this concept a step further, drawing and creativity is a powerful tool to support and develop creativity as a cognitive skill, but also part of one’s self Creativity and creating are what we do as humans so when a child has an interest such as drawing or learning more about owls, that is meaningful to them.

    That’s where this how to draw an easy owl worksheet comes into play.

    This How to Draw an Easy Owl activity is a directed drawing worksheet that can be used in owl activities in OT or in the classroom. Draw an owl with step by step directions to work on visual motor skills, direction following, pencil control, and more. This easy owl drawing activity uses basic shapes and pencil lines, so it’s a great owl drawing activity for kids!

    how to draw an owl

    How to Draw an Owl

    Owl directed drawing activities like this one is a great way to help kids develop visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills. When kids follow the step-by-step directions on the drawing worksheet, they are developing several skill areas:

    • Visual perceptual skills (form constancy, visual discrimination, visual attention, visual closure, visual memory, sequential memory, visual spatial relations)
    • Pencil control
    • Eye-hand coordination
    • Direction following
    • Working memory
    • Copying skills needed for handwriting

    Directed drawing activities like this owl drawing easy directed drawing page are fun ways to help kids strengthen a variety of areas in a creative way!

    The directed drawing sheet walks users through the steps to form an easy owl drawing. From a circle, to adding circle eye details, and the beak, and horns, this easy owl directed drawing activity is step-by-step and supports developmental skills.

    Use this directed drawing sheet along with a woodland animals theme in therapy. Think: owl activities, deer crafts, mushrooms to hop along in obstacle courses and forest animal puzzles. There are so many fun ways to incorporate this directed drawing activity into therapy plans!

    How to draw an easy owl

    The directed drawing worksheet walks you through the steps to draw an easy owl:

    1. Draw a circle for the head.
    2. Add two circles for the eyes.
    3. Draw two curved lines to create wings.
    4. Add a triangle beak, triangle ears, and three lines for each claw.

    I like this simple owl drawing because it uses single lines to create the owl. It’s nice because you can work on pencil control and drawing milestones with this version.

    Free how to draw an easy Owl Worksheet

    If you are part of the OT Toolbox newsletter list, then you may have seen this free OT worksheet before. Be sure to subscribe by entering your email address into the button at the top of this page to access weekly free resources!

    I wanted to create a how to draw an owl EASY worksheet for younger kids starting out with pencil control, but also older students who need to work on skills outlined above. In this easy owl drawing, kids can use simple pencil lines to make the cartoon owl drawing.

    This owl drawing easy activity uses simple pencil strokes and only 4 steps to complete the owl cartoon. Kids that are moving from simple drawing lines like circles and curved lines can benefit from the four simple steps to add details to the owl drawing.

    Want to grab a copy of this free how to draw an owl EASY worksheet?

    Just enter your email address into the form below. You can print off the directed drawing sheet and use this to work on copying skills.

    FREE How to Draw an Owl (EASY) worksheet

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      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.

      Executive Function Tests

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      Executive Function tests

      There are many executive function tests out there, but which are the best when it comes to assessing executive functioning skills? Many times, parents and educators ask about testing children for executive functioning skills. Today, we’re discussing how an executive dysfunction test can provide the mental dexterity information needed to support students. Each test covers a range of cognitive skills as part of an executive functioning assessment. Let’s get started!

      Executive function tests by age

      Executive Function Tests

      These executive functioning assessment tools can be used as part of a formal assessment, or used in part as an informal executive function assessment of critical thinking skills. These testing tools can also be included in a full OT assessment.

      Assessment tools analyze dysfunction in various EF areas:

      When determining a child’s need for skilled occupational therapy services, it is important to collect data through an occupational profile, formal and informal assessment tools, observation, and client/caregiver interview. However, there are a lot of different executive functioning assessment tools available, so it can be hard to determine the best one for you!

      Related, check out this blog post on executive function coaching as a way to support individuals through a coaching model.

      Executive function tests for therapists, including formal and informal executive functioning assessments.

      Executive Dysfunction Test

      There are a multitude of different executive functioning assessment tools that vary in their applicable ages, administration type (questionnaire vs. participation-based), and standardization. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but check out a few favorites to see if one might fit your needs!

      The following executive dysfunction tests cover various areas. We’re covering these assessments:

      • Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA)
      • The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT)
      • Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning- 2nd Edition (BREIF-2)
      • Informal Executive Function Tests

      Other assessments for analyzing executive functioning skills (these are not covered in detail here) include:

      • Trail Making Test (TMT) Form B
      • Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) – F, A and S
      • FT Animals category
      • Clock Drawing Test (CDT)
      • Digits Forward and Backward subtests (WAIS-R or WAIS-III)
      • Stroop Test
      • Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)
      • D-REF. There is also the D-REF, which is free if you are on the Q-Global for Pearson. The “D” is the Delis Executive Function Assessment.  It is free and they have six computerized versions. 
      • Brown Scales
      • Trail Making-  This is an app used on an iPad to screen for working memory challenges 
      • Card sorting

      The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA)

      The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) is a fantastic non-standardized assessment of executive functioning skills.

      • The CKTA is geared toward children ages 8-12.

      Let’s dissect this particular executive functioning test.

      The CKTA asks children to make play dough from a recipe with both words and pictures. The CKTA itself is free, though you do need to make a kit of materials out of common household items. Children are rated based on the level of assistance they require, rather than their quality of performance.

      Prior to starting the activity, the child is asked to respond to a few questions, including predicting how much help they will need to perform the activity. The child also responds to questions after participating, including their perceived level of assistance and performance, as well as how they could have done better. This is a great opportunity to develop self-reflection!

      Try this executive function assessment using kitchen tasks: Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment.

      The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT)

      The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT) is another non-standardized assessment of executive functioning skills.

      • The EFPT does not have a specified age range, though with the nature of the tasks, it is best suited for use with ages 14 and up.

      During the EFPT, participants are asked to cook stovetop oatmeal, make a phone call, take a pretend medication, and pay pretend bills. Much like the CKTA, the participant is rated on their level of assistance and the participant also completes self-reflection components. Executive functioning skills become even more critical as a child grows up—executive functioning is critical in adulthood!

      Try this executive function test, the Executive Function Performance Test.

      Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning- 2nd Edition (BREIF-2)

      The BRIEF-2 is a standardized, questionnaire-based executive functioning assessment.

      • There are multiple options for the BRIEF-2: teacher report, parent report, and self-report (ages 11+). The general BRIEF-2 is for ages 5-18, though preschool and adult versions are available for an additional cost.

      In completing the BRIEF-2, raters are asked to respond to statements relating to a wide variety of executive functioning skills. In order to increase validity, there are 3 subscales to determine any responses that would decrease validity: infrequency, inconsistency, and negativity.

      To view or purchase: BRIEF-2.

      Informal Executive Function Tests

      There are several nontraditional and informal assessment methods for testing executive function skills.

      • An informal executive function test can be used for any age. You’ll need an age-appropriate activity that is meaningful and motivating.

      Executive functioning is important for nearly every task we complete each day. As a result, it can have an enormous impact on a child’s ability to participate in age-appropriate activities. However, these skills can also be easily assessed through many everyday activities!

      Daily tasks such as self-care routines, learning tasks, chores, kitchen tasks, games, or problem-solving tasks, consider these aspects of executive function listed below. These are informal executive performance tests in a very functional strategy, taking into consideration the environment in which the task actually is performed.

      • Forming ideas to do an action (planning)
      • Starting an action (task initiation)
      • Using organization of tools and materials
      • Maintaining an action until the step is finished and knowing when a step is done (task completion, processing speed, impulse control, attention)
      • Switching behaviors or strategies to do the next step needed (prioritization, foresight)
      • Regulating, controlling, and adjusting body actions to deal with changes and new information along the way (working memory, strategizing)
      • Planning a tactic down the road to deal with a new issue or new direction (planning, cognitive flexibility)
      • Holding details in the working memory (working memory)
      • Controlling emotions (self-monitoring, emotional control, emotional regulation)
      • Thinking abstractly (problem solving, persistence, shift)
      • Knowing when the whole task is finished, stopping that task, and moving onto a different task or activity (hindsight)

      Some simple tasks to assess these skills can be cooking a simple recipe, completing a chore, making a daily “to-do” list, preparing for a party or event, or other tasks that require several steps and a process of planning out tasks.

      Executive Dysfunction Tests in Everyday Tasks

      The thing about using a non-standardized assessment of executive functioning abilities is that this is where you may see some of the functional performance factors. These are the aspects of daily tasks that look like “struggle”. Some of these skills are very obvious and others are more inconspicuous.

      These areas of executive dysfunction are tested and observed in everyday tasks:

      • Distraction levels
      • Keeping track of materials
      • Emotional control
      • Response inhibition
      • Sustained attention
      • Task initiation
      • Flexibility in task
      • Rational thinking
      • Future considerations (Use this letter to future self as an activity idea)
      • Flexibility
      • Mindfulness– Ability to manage and be aware of internal thoughts, feelings, emotions
      • Interoception – including ability to manage mood (to reduce intrusive thoughts), ability to manage fatigue (knowing how to pace oneself and take regular breaks), and ability to manage physical comfort and needs (pain, hunger, thirst)

      When in doubt, select an activity and see if you can assess multiple executive functioning skills within the activity! Whether an obstacle course, board game, or a craft, there are so many options to gather “real-time” data on how these skills are impacting a child!  

      Informal executive dysfunction tests can be anything that is multi-step and a functional, meaningful part of one’s day. Some ideas include:

      • Cooking a recipe
      • Folding clothes/towels
      • Sorting objects
      • Starting homework (including getting materials from the backpack and returning them when complete)
      • Making plans in a planner
      • Making an appointment (doctors visit, dentist, etc.)
      • Watering plants
      • Dusting
      • Shopping
      • Managing bills

      Things to look at include ability to stay on task, managing all of the needed materials, planning out and following through with a task to completion. Take note of things such as:

      • How much help or assistance is needed?
      • Do visual prompts help?
      • Do verbal cues help?
      • Are one-step directions needed or can you move to two-step directions?
      • Can several steps be accomplished while thinking of other information?
      • How long can information be held (working memory)?

      Executive Function Tests in the School Setting

      Some of these tests that we described above will be used in school based occupational therapy and others will not. For therapists working in school settings, testing for executive functioning skills isn’t always necessary.

      Instead, skilled observation or teacher referral (checklists and screening tools) can provide the input needed for the part that executive functioning skills play in completing school tasks.

      I know that I have had many consults with educators as part of a collaborative model with executive functioning needs are mentioned. Sometimes simply having the discussion and then trying a few accommodations can support the needs of the student.

      Supporting EF needs that impact learning might start with requesting a school based OT evaluation because, while the OT won’t specifically address only executive functioning skills, they will target the functional areas that the student struggles in:

      • Managing papers
      • Keeping track of assignments
      • Organizing a locker or desk
      • Managing materials and belongings
      • So many other areas of learning throughout the school day!

      It’s really important to remember, and this is something that I find myself reminding parents all the time…that kids are very much in the developmental phase of executive functioning skills during their school years. They are at the toddler or baby phase of working memory, planning, prioritization, organization, and the main thing about this stage is repetition!

      Following up the Executive Function Assessment with strategies

      Looking for applicable resources to informally test executive functioning skills as well as incorporate executive function activities into daily tasks? The Impulse Control Journal is your printable guide to working through tasks, multi-step activities, and daily issues that impact executive function. Not only does it address impulse control, the journal is a resource in organization, establishing habits and mindset, working through goals, and getting things accomplished.

      Click here to access the Impulse Control Journal.

      Impulse Control Journal the OT Toolbox

      The Impulse Control Journal…a printable resource for helping kids strategize executive functioning skill development. When saying “calm down” just isn’t enough…

      When a child is easily “triggered” and seems to melt down at any sign of loud noises or excitement…

      When you need help or a starting point to teach kids self-regulation strategies…

      When you are struggling to motivate or redirect a child without causing a meltdown…

      When you’re struggling to help kids explore their emotions, develop self-regulation and coping skills, manage and reflect on their emotions, identify their emotions, and more as they grow…

      Grab the Impulse Control Journal to build organizational strategies, planning, prioritization, habits, and mindset in kids.

      Oral Motor Problems and Feeding

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      oral motor problems

      Many times, OT professionals receive referrals for oral motor problems and feeding. It’s through oral motor occupational therapy interventions that kids can move from challenges biting, chewing, and moving food around inside the mouth, to success with eating and trying new foods. Let’s get started!

      Oral motor problems lead to difficulty biting, chewing, and manipulating foods. They can cause difficulties with textures of foods, and can be a cause of extremely picky eating! A good place to start is with understanding the development of oral motor skills. Be sure to check out our resource on infant feeding therapy too, because we cover how to support food intake in infants and babies in practical ways that can help the caregiver or parent.

      Oral Motor problems

      One thing is for sure; individuals can have a huge spectrum of considerations when it comes to oral motor issues. No two kiddos will be alike. That’s why it’s so important to discuss oral motor issues with a professional.

      The process of eating is a complex collection of movements patterns with physical and sensory components.

      When feeding is a challenge, many times individual oral structures and sensory-motor patterns are a cause. 

      If you are questioning whether an eating issue is sensory or oral motor, be sure to take time to explore each consideration. There can be different interventions and strategies depending on the underlying cause of eating difficulties. For example, there are specifics when it comes to issues with sensory food aversions and sensory food issues.

      What are Oral Motor Problems Occupational Therapy Addresses?

      The oral motor problems listed below are just some of the issues that can impact function in feeding.  

      In a small series of blog posts, I have broken down each oral motor problem that occupational therapists typically address. Each blog post includes information about the specific oral motor concern, the reasoning or underlying influences that relate to each oral motor issue, and feeding issues related to the specific oral motor problem.   

      This series of blog posts should be a resource for you to find more information relating to how feeding issues are related to specific oral motor problems and how these feeding issues can be addressed in treatment.   

      Click on the links below for more information on each oral motor problem area as they relate to feeding. 

      • Mouth Clamped Shut when eating- Consider the child who clamps their mouth shut during meals.  This is usually the biggest sign to a parent that the child is all done eating, is full, or is refusing to eat.  However, it might be an oral motor problem that is actually the cause of the clamped shut mouth.  The child falls back on this technique because it’s worked for them in the past in some way to provide stability, move out of the difficult oral motor exercises, or has resulted in a response from the parent.   

      Other oral motor problems include:

      • Tooth Grinding
      • Tonic Bite
      • Jaw Retraction
      • Tongue Retraction  
      • Tongue Protrusion
      • Tongue Thrust      

      Kids can have trouble with picky eating and difficultities in feeding when there are oral motor problems. Different types of oral motor problems.

      Occupational Therapy for Oral Motor

      Oral motor interventions in occupational therapy can cover a variety of intervention techniques. It is essential to begin with an evaluation and individualized assessment by a feeding professional. Occupational therapists are trained in this area, but some OTs have additional certifications.

      The list of occupational therapy oral motor strategies listed below is for educational purposes only and not a replacement for therapy of any kind.

      Some occupational therapy oral motor strategies that can be used are:

      1. Oral motor assessment- It is essential to start with the assessment process for safety of the individual. Addressed in more detail below.
      2. Oral motor stimulation- In occupational therapy, strategies include brushing to the lips or cheeks, towel stimulation, feeding swab, tongue mobility exercises, etc. These are explained in greater detail below.
      3. Oral Motor Exercises– We’ve listed a larger list of specific exercises to use in play and in therapy sessions.
      4. Oral motor coordination exercises– Use the oral motor cards in the deep breathing kit to improve oral motor coordination skills. Try mimicking the movements by using a mirror and visual modeling.

      Oral Motor Assessment Occupational Therapy

      Assessment occurs by a pediatric occupational therapist, but there are many things to be considered.

      Feeding is developmental and it’s essential to consider the level, age, and abilities of the individual as this will impact all aspects of feeding and oral motor considerations.

      Oral motor assessment and infants-

      In infancy, oral motor skills are both a means for self-regulation (nurturing through sucking) and nutritive. Things to consider in an occupational therapy oral motor assessment for infants and babies at this age and stage:

      • Is the infant able to suck in exploration for nipple of bottle or breast?
      • Does the infant suck in bursts and have pauses to allow for breathing while eating?
      • Assessment of the physical mechanics of swallow
      • Timing of sucking and pauses- sucking should occur at a rate of about one suck per second with pausing to swallow the liquid and breathing. This should occur in a coordinated manner.
      • Lip closure
      • Jaw movements to draw liquid into the mouth and to swallow (infants)
      • Anterior tongue movement during the sucking, along with cheek movement and jaw movement as the tongue draws milk or formula to the rear of the mouth to swallow (older babies)
      • Oral reflexes and whole body primitive reflexes (root reflex, a suck reflex, a swallow reflex and then protective reflexes like gag and coughing)
      • Liquid leaking from the mouth during eating
      • Anatomy of the mouth, tongue, lips, neck, etc.
      • Positioning during feeding
      • Family educational needs
      • Sleep and timing considerations

      Oral motor assessment in babies–

      In older babies, you begin to see certain developments. Missing these milestones can indicate oral motor problems. These considerations should be addressed in occupational therapy oral motor assessments as babies grow:

      • Hands in the mouth in exploration and play- this is normal part of exploration and supports development of tongue, lips, cheek mobility
      • Positioning and seating (high chair positioning)
      • Neck, head, and upper body control against gravity
      • Motor coordination at age appropriate levels
      • Bite reflex
      • Mouthing toys, teethers, etc.
      • Making sounds with a variety of oral motor movements
      • Mimic facial expressions (open mouth, tongue out, etc.)
      • Gag reflex present
      • Accepting variety of baby food textures, flavors
      • Accepts foods from a baby spoon
      • Lip closure
      • Tongue mobility (thrusting tongue after initial spoon offerings is normal)
      • Transverse tongue reflex- The baby/child feels stimulation on the side that tongue and the tongue moves in that lateral direction- needed for swiping foods
      • Attempts or tries a variety of flavors, textures, and softer, larger foods

      Oral motor assessment in toddlers-

      During the toddler years, oral motor issues can present in drinking, feeding, and other areas. Consider these aspects in OT assessments:

      • Drinking from sippy cup/open cup
      • Drinking from a straw
      • Drinking a variety of textures and thicknesses (water, juice, thick or thin smoothies
      • Eating a variety of textures and thicknesses
      • Eating fluids mixed with solids (cereal, soups)
      • Biting foods from a larger piece of food
      • Moving food around within the mouth
      • Swiping the mouth with the tongue to clear the mouth
      • Chewing with rotational movements of the jaw
      • Begins to remove food from the lips with the tongue

      Oral motor stimulation

      We cover specific oral motor exercises designed to support the oral motor stimulation to move the lips, tongue, and jaw to bite, move, swipe, clear the mouth of food, and swallow food in our resource on oral motor exercises. However, below you will find strategies to provide oral motor stimulation to the mouth, lips, gums, and tongue.

      Oral motor stimulation in occupational therapy centers around play in order to enable function. This focuses on independence with feeding with safe ability to bite food, clear food from the mouth with the tongue so that food can be swallowed.

      Tongue Stimulation-

      • Use a mouth swab– to touch, swipe, tap and swab the tongue on the sides, at the tip, and along the length, avoiding the back of the tongue to avoid activating a gag reflex.
      • Use a vibrating toothbrush- to stimulate tongue movement on the sides. This can help the tongue with lateral movements.
      • Use a gloved finger- Put on a latex or non-latex glove and use a finger to tap the sides of the tongue. The glove can be worn by either the occupational therapist or the individual themselves.
      • Use a mirror- Move the tongue by mimicking movements and watching them in a mirror. You can even have the individual touch their tongue to a clean mirror surface. Play in front of a mirror alongside the child or in front of the child above the mirror so the child can look at the therapist’s face and check their movements in the mirror at the same time.
      • Tongue movement exercises- Use the tongue and mouth exercises included in our Deep Breathing Exercise pack for ideas.
      • Tongue sounds- Make clicking sounds with the tongue on the roof of the mouth. As the child/individual to copy the sounds.
      • Push the tongue into the cheeks of the mouth to copy motions. This can help with lateral sweep of the tongue to clear foods by increasing tongue range of motion.

      Lip and Cheek Stimulation–

      • Washcloth oral motor simulation- this occurs with a dry wash cloth and then a wet wash cloth by rubbing the lips and cheeks. Each area can be separated so they are addressed in isolation. Use a dry washcloth or wet washcloth to wipe the face, without food use. Use a warm or cold washcloth to wipe the face.
      • Making faces- Cheeks and lips can obtain heavy work, or proprioception by puffing up the cheeks, making fish lips, sealing the lips and blowing, blowing raspberries, copying facial expressions, etc. Play “Simon Says” with facial expressions. We have oral motor Simon Says Commands to share!
      • Food stimulation- Some foods (sweet, sour) are very alerting. These can be used as a frozen pop in the form of a lemonade pop, smoothie, or popsicle. Or, add fruits and frozen foods to a mesh bag that is sucked on.
      • Ice pops- Freeze an ice cube on a popsicle stick and use it as an alerting and stimulating tool to “wake up” the lips and cheeks.
      • Vibrating tools- Play with vibrating mouth toys and touch the face, mouth, lips, teeth in the way of a vibrating toothbrush (offering input through the jaw).
      • Wilbarger Brushing Protocol– Use prior to eating foods (contact a trained therapy professional)

      Jaw Stimulation-

      • Vibrating toys- vibrating toys, chewing tools, or a vibrating toothbrush can offer oral motor stimulation through the jaw. This can be very alerting, so use with caution.
      • Chewing tools- biting on “chew toys” (described as heavy chewing therapy tools) or chewing tools that add heavy work through the teeth and jaws. This offers feedback to “wake up” the jaws.
      Oral motor issues related to feeding in kids

          As you can see there is a lot of different areas that need to be assessed and addressed when it comes to oral motor concerns related to eating and drinking.       

        

       
       
       
       
       
       
       

      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.

      What you Need to Know About a Thumb Wrap Grasp?

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      thumb wrap grasp

      If you’ve worked with kids on handwriting skills, then you’ve probably seen a thumb wrap grasp at one time or another. Also known as a crossover grasp, a cross thumb grasp, a thumb wrap grasp, (or other descriptive names), a thumb wrap grasp is just that: a holding the pencil with the thumb wrapped around the pencil shaft. Here we are talking about what this type of pencil grasp looks like and what to do about it. Let’s discuss!

      Thumb wrap grasp information

      Thumb Wrap Grasp

      Kids can use some pretty interesting grasps on pencils.  You can see the thumb squashed up against the pencil, the pointer finger wrapped around the pencil, or the thumb wrapped around the fingers.

      Very often, the pencil grasp that a child is using is not one of stability and rather, is a demonstration of instability as weakness in the muscles of the hand is compensating during handwriting. This thumb wrap pencil grasp exercise is an easy one to put together and one that will help kids gain strength in the muscles that make up a functional grasp.  Read on to find out how to work the muscles of the hand to improve the “dreaded” thumb wrap grasp!

      I’ve had a few questions from readers about the thumb wrap grasp.  It seems like this pencil grasp is becoming more prominent in classrooms.

      So, what does a thumb wrap grasp look like?

      The thumb wrap grasp is what you see when you the end of the thumb is wrapped around the pointer finger.  The pencil is supported with the tip of the pointer finger, and supported by the middle finger. The end of the thumb wraps around the pencil to support and stabilize the pencil. With a thumb wrap grasp, typically mobility of the pencil strokes are limited by the thumbs positioning on the pencil.

      However, a thumb wrap grasp can be functional as well. While it’s not a completely horrible pencil grasp, it isn’t a great grasp for speed and efficiency in writing.

      Several anatomical components are involved with a thumb wrap grasp:

      • Opponens Pollicis
      • Flexor Pollicis Longus
      • Interphalnageal Joint (IP Joint) of the thumb
      • Intrinsic muscles

      An open thumb web space is a skill that can help to fix the thumb wrap grasp. Try these fine motor activities to promote an open thumb web space.

      A thumb wrap or thumb tuck grasp can be a part of developmental progress of pencil grasps, but might be one to address during this progression. Read more about pencil grasp development for more information.

      A thumb wrap grasp can also be called different names:

      • Thumb wrap grasp
      • Thumb tuck grasp (pencil is tucked under the pencil, but similar anatomical positioning exists and strengthening can be used to address a thumb tuck)
      • Crossover grasp
      • Cross thumb grasp

      A thumb wrap can also exist in combination with other grasp patterns:

      • Tripod grasp with thumb wrap
      • Lateral thumb wrap grasp
      • Quadrupod grasp with thumb wrap
      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.

      Is the THumb Wrap Grasp Functional?

      *Note* I am one who takes pencil grasps in stride.  So, when I say “dreaded” thumb wrap grasp, I am not completely serious in that this grasp is dreadful or something to fear.  Many (many) of us have unique and very functional pencil grasps.  The issue is when a quirky grip on the pencil becomes a cause for illegibility, fatigue, joint strain, or other concern.  In those cases, a grasp should be addressed. Read more about functional pencil grasp and how a functional grasp can exist even if it doesn’t look like they typical tripod grasp.

      Remember that a functional pencil grasp is the one we want to see. A functional pencil grasp might look like various things. Every child may have different tendencies when it comes to “functional” 

      Functional means the student can hold the pencil, write with legible handwriting, and doesn’t have joints that are hyperextended or otherwise inefficient in joint positioning. Fatigue and endurance play a part in a functional pencil grasp.

      This resource on what therapists want parents to know about pencil grasp is a great read.


      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.
       

      What is happening when a child uses the Thumb Wrap Grasp?

      Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

      The tip of the thumb bends over the pencil and pointer finger, providing stability to the grasp.  Instead of using the opposition muscle of the thumb to grasp the pencil, the child is using the adductor muscle.  The thumb wrap grasp provides stability but it does not allow for quick pencil movements.

      As a child is required to write faster to take notes, the legibility of their handwriting will be sacrificed. Rather than moving the pencil with the tips of their thumb and index finger, the child is manipulating pencil motions with their wrist and forearm.

      In order to improve this grasp, a child needs to strengthen the opposition muscle, Opponens Pollicis, along with Flexor Pollicis Longus to bend the tip of the thumb or the Interphalnageal Joint (IP Joint) of the thumb. Strengthening the intrinsic muscles along with addressing an open web space will improve IP flexion in pencil grasp. 

      Working on precision skills will also help with a thumb wrap grasp.

      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.

       

      Exercise to Work on a Thumb Wrap Grasp

      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.

      This is such an easy activity.  Use store bought Play Dough or homemade sensory dough.

      Press flower beads into the play dough with a bent thumb. Encourage your child to press the flowers into the dough using a their their thumb in a bent position on the edge of the flowers.  This is important, because it works the muscles needed to oppose with an open web space and flex the tip of the thumb.  This is the mobility needed to advance the pencil fluently.  These flower beads are perfect for this exercise because of the length of the flower that can press into the Play Dough.

      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.

       

      Next, ask your child to pull out all of the flower beads by using the tips of their pointer finger and the tip of the thumb, while ensuring that your child maintains a slightly flexed (bent) thumb IP joint.

      Encourage learning and playful math by counting as your child pulls out the flowers.  If your kiddo is like my preschooler, those flower beads will be hidden pretty far into the play dough.  The search and find is a great overall hand exercise and a fun math activity as you add up the beads!

      ONE Simple Trick to Help Kids With Their Pencil Grasp

      SO? How can you use this info to help kids with their pencil grasp? Make them aware of that little bent thumb joint.  Point it out as they are doing the play dough activity and then again when they are holding a pencil.  Remind them of that bent knuckle when they write.  Too much for your kiddo?  Don’t fret. 
       
      Another tip is to use the pencil grip needed for a thumb wrap grasp. This blog post includes pencil grips for each type of grasp.

      Pencil Grasp Tricks and TIps

      Working on the underlying skills of a functional pencil grasp? Battling a thumb wrap grasp that slows down handwriting so much that the kiddo you are seeing on your caseload falls behind in writing speed? Know a child who has hyper-extended joints when holding the pencil?

      Here are some pencil grasp tricks that can help to improve functional grasp. These strategies can address pencil grasp issues such as thumb wrap, inefficient joint positioning, a closed thumb web space, poor separation of the sides of the hand, and other pencil grasp concerns.  

      Use this pencil grasp tricks to help kids improve pencil grasp when writing.
      human hands with pencil and erase rubber writting something

      Pencil Grasp Exercise

      • Try this trick: Ask the child to hold and manipulate a small item such as a kneadable eraser in the non-dominant (non-writing) hand while holding the pencil with the dominant hand. Ask them to manipulate the object with just the thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger. Sometimes that symmetrical movement makes a big difference!
      • This pencil grasp trick uses an item you probably already have in your therapy bag: a clothes pin!
      • This pencil grasp trick helps to work on thumb IP joint flexion…and requires only a marker.

      The pencil grasp exercise and tricks above will help with many kids that need to work on an open web space, not just the thumb wrap grasp.  Try it and let me know how it goes!

      MORE PENCIL GRASP HELP

      Working on a functional pencil grasp with your child or occupational therapy caseload? Need activities to improve pencil grasp that kids WANT to do? These games that improve pencil grasp through fine motor activities are activities that boost the skills kids need for pencil grasp and games that strengthen the hands. Working on pencil grip to make and efficient and functional pencil grasp can be as easy as adding a few fine motor games to your therapy toolbox!

      • Want to know how to fix a problem with pencil grasps?
      • Need help knowing where to start when it comes to immature pencil grasps or a child hating to write because their hand hurts?
      • Need help with carryover of pencil grasps?

      The Pencil Grasp Challenge in open for you! In this free, 5 day email series, you’ll gain information, resources, specific activities designed to promote a functional, efficient pencil grasp.

      know about the skills that make up a functional pencil grasp. You’ll learn what’s going on behind the inefficient and just plain terrible pencil grasps you see everyday in the classroom, clinic, or home. Along with loads of information, you’ll gain quick, daily activities that you can do today with a kiddo you know and love. These are easy activities that use items you probably already have in your home right now.

      Besides learning and gaining a handful (pun intended) of fun ideas to make quick wins in pencil grasp work, you’ll gain:

      • 5 days of information related to pencil grasp, so you know how to help kids fix an immature pencil grasp.
      • Specific activities designed to build a functional pencil grasp.
      • Free printable handouts that you can use to share with your team or with a parent/fellow teachers.
      • You’ll get access to printable challenge sheets, and a few other fun surprises.
      • And, possibly the best of all, you’ll get access to a secret challengers Facebook group, where you can share wins, chat about all things pencil grasp, and join a community of other therapists, parents and teachers working on pencil grasp issues.

      Click here to join the Pencil Grasp Challenge.

      free pencil grasp challenge
      Pencil grasp exercise to work on an open web space and flexed thumb needed to remedy the thumb wrap grasp.

      More fine motor activities you will love:   

      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.

      The Handwriting Book is a comprehensive resource created by experienced pediatric OTs and PTs.

      The Handwriting Book covers everything you need to know about handwriting, guided by development and focused on function. This digital resource is is the ultimate resource for tips, strategies, suggestions, and information to support handwriting development in kids.

      The Handwriting Book breaks down the functional skill of handwriting into developmental areas. These include developmental progression of pre-writing strokes, fine motor skills, gross motor development, sensory considerations, and visual perceptual skills. Each section includes strategies and tips to improve these underlying areas.

      • Strategies to address letter and number formation and reversals
      • Ideas for combining handwriting and play
      • Activities to practice handwriting skills at home
      • Tips and strategies for the reluctant writer
      • Tips to improve pencil grip
      • Tips for sizing, spacing, and alignment with overall improved legibility

      Click here to grab your copy of The Handwriting Book today.

      Easy Fine Motor Precision Activities

      by
      Precision activities

      Helping kids develop and strengthen fine motor skills is essential for functional tasks, and this resource on fine motor precision activities supports that development. Here, we are addressing what fine motor precision means and specific activities to do with kids to help with grasp manipulation, dexterity, and graded movements like managing a zipper, buttons, and adjusting a pencil within the fingers to write and erase. These are just a few examples of how grasp and release activities support fine motor skill development. Let’s break this down…

      Fine Motor Precision Activities

      Before we get to the fun stuff…the actual fine motor activities that support graded grasp and release, manipulation of objects within the hand, and various amounts of pressure and precision needed to perform functional tasks, let’s cover exactly what precision skills look like, what the term means, and why this area of development is so important.

      At the bottom of this post, you’ll find specific strategies to support precision development so that kids can complete these tasks and not fumble with objects in the hands.

      A good place to start is with our resource listing games with paper clips as a tool to support precision and refined dexterity.


      This post is part of my 31 Days of Occupational Therapy series where you can find 30 more ideas like this one with easy treatment materials.

      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

      What is Fine Motor Precision?

      Fine Motor Precision refers to the ultra-fine motor skills in the hand, broken down into areas: grasp and release, fine motor rotation, in-hand manipulation, and proprioception. Together, these precision skills enable us to pick up an object with the right amount of pressure and motor dexterity so you can grasp the object accurately taking eye-hand coordination skills into consideration. After grasping the object without overshooting or missing the item, it is necessary to position or rotate the object within the hand

      Let’s cover each of those areas in greater detail below.

      But first, it’s important to note that a child’s ultra fine motor dexterity is dependent on bigger things.  And by that, I mean that in order for a child to use their hands super fine motor tasks, they first must demonstrate strength and control of their core, shoulder, and arm.  If any of these areas are not fully developed in stability or control, then the child will show compensatory strategies as they try to use their hands in handwriting or cutting with scissors. Gross motor coordination is a great place to start if precision skills seem to be “off” or delayed. Related to that is the key input of body awareness and the impact of heavy work on more distal motor coordination skills.

      One way to remember this is this:

      “Proximal stability allows for distal mobility.”

      Colleen Beck, OTR/L

      Before a child can manipulate and move an object with dexterity and refined motor skills, there needs to be a base of support in stability in the core and upper extremity, mobility and coordination in the proximal joints (shoulder before elbow…elbow before wrist…and wrist before hand).

      Breaking it down further, arch development and strengthening of the intrinsic muscles in the hands are both areas that are essential for precision in the fingertips.

      The following resources will be a great way to break these areas of development down:

      Fine Motor Precision

      Kids and fine motor skills go hand-in-hand. (That is my funny-OT attempt at a fine motor skills joke!) But really, fine motor skills are a staple of a child’s development and are essential to function.

      Precision occurs with development of grasp when child to use the pads of the index finger, middle finger, and thumb to manipulate objects with opposition.  I talked a little about strengthening these types of grasp patterns.  

      Today, I’m sharing ways to work on the controlled use of these fine motor patterns in controlled dexterity tasks.  The precision of grasp and release is essential for very small motor movements in activities like picking up beads and releasing items like blocks with precision. This is broken down into areas of dexterity that all work together:

      • Grasp and release (we’ll break these two areas down even further)
      • Fine motor rotation
      • In-hand manipulation
      • Muscular force, or the amount of force applied through the muscles in small motor use, also referring to proprioceptive input through the hands and fingers.

      What is precision of grasp and release?

      Precision in grasp, manipulation, and release of small objects makes the difference between fumbling with zippers and buttons and efficiently grading movements in very small dexterity patterns like threading a string through a needle (kid-friendly, of course!) 

      Precision in grasp is related to the picking up of items.  A graded lateral grasp is needed to cut with scissors and only squeeze the scissors halfway shut for accurate cutting lines in some situations.  Around 3-4 years, a preschool aged child typically develops a greater variety of grasping patterns, including precision.  They begin to grade their scissor strokes so that they can cut a line or shape without opening and closing the scissors completely.  Grasps in babies typically begin with a raking motion and work towards a pincer grasp.  Precision in this skill occurs when the child is able to pick up very small items like beads with accuracy and graded movements.  

      Precision release is needed for stacking blocks without toppling them over, placing cards on a pile, opening scissors just a small amount, or placing small beads into a bowl.  Precision is needed for a child to let go of an item in a controlled manner.  If they are not exercising precision in release, you might see them rolling or tossing an object as they let go.  They will knock over a stack of blocks, or over open the scissors when cutting lines, making their accuracy very choppy.   

      Precision in rotation is another task that children develop around age 5. Rotation is a portion of in-hand manipulation and seen when turning a coin on the edges and the child rotates it in a circular motion.  Precision in rotation also occurs when holding a pencil between the fingers and the child rotates it over and over. 

      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

      One way to develop these skills is through practice! One precision grasp and release activity I love is using popsicle sticks in various colors. You can stack the popsicle sticks so they build a wall without toppling over. Using the different colors allows kids to see how the sticks are aligned by offering contrasting colors. If they see a bit of yellow stick under the green stick, then they need to adjust the top stick with refined motor movements.

      Grade this activity for younger kids or those developing skills:

      • Simply place a single popsicle stick down on a table surface. Then pick it up.
      • Younger kids can stack just one stick on top of another.
      • Match colors.
      • Make a wall of popsicle sticks to develop more refined precision skills.
      • Place and sort popsicle sticks into a container on the vertical position (shown below)

      To practice precision in grasp and release, I showed my preschooler how to pick up and stack Popsicle sticks.  Picking up the sticks required a tip-to-tip grasp.  We used different colored Popsicle sticks for my 4 year old and my 17 month old.  

      The preschooler was able to pick up the sticks accurately without pushing other sticks around.  She could grasp the specific stick she wanted by an end or middle accurately.  

      The toddler grabbed the sticks with a pincer grasp, but showed much less accuracy.  

      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

      To advance this popsicle stick sorting, the next step is precision in rotation. This can be addressed by asking the individual to sort popsicle sticks into containers.

      Different small cups (Dixie cups would work) but we used a popsicle mold to encourage a single hand to hold the mold as the assisting hand.

      We used an empty Popsicle mold to place the sticks into the cups.  What a great way to practice grasp precision!  We worked on sorting the craft sticks by color and had to hold the mold with one hand to work on bilateral hand coordination.  For the activity, we placed the mold on the floor and sorted the colored sticks without knocking the Popsicle mold over. Both the preschooler and the Toddler loved this simple activity.  

      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

       Another precision in release activity was simply stacking the craft sticks.  The four year old could do this, but used her non-dominant hand to stabilize. 

      Precision in in-hand manipulation- In hand manipulation skills include different components as well. In our blog post, we cover rotation, refined movements within the hand, and how to actually move objects from the fingertips to the palm and ice versa. These are precision skills at work!

      Muscular force- This refers to knowing how much force to use to pick something up. When it comes to muscular force in fine motor skills this can mean the difference between overshooting an object when picking something up, fumbling with small objects, pinching things with too much force, or dropping items because not enough force is applied.

      As described above, muscular force also refers to the amount of force applied through the muscles in small motor use, also referring to proprioceptive input through the hands and fingers. Another term for this concept is force modulation, or graded force.

      Muscular force is a must for picking objects up, putting them back down, manipulating them within the hand, and rotation.

      We go into greater detail on the proprioceptive input in our blog post on proprioception. In summary, muscular force means the ability to inherently know how much force is needed to pick up and hold and manipulate a ladybug as opposed to a heavier rock. Too much force and the bug is squashed. Not enough force, and the rock slips through the fingers. Another example is pressing too hard when writing and holding a pencil. This experience and muscle knowledge happens through play!

      As you can see, all of these concepts work together to enable precision skills in functional tasks!

      Precision Activities

      We’ve covered a couple of precision activities related to grasp and release and rotation, but let’s go over a few more that include all aspects of precision, including muscular force activities and how these are related to functional participation.

      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

      This post contains affiliate links.

      Looking for more ways to practice precision in grasp, release, and rotation with Occupational Therapy students or your kids?  Try some of these ideas.  While they are not all free (going with our series this month!), they are creative ways to practice precision.  

      • Precision engineering activities that use play dough and blocks to work on force modulation in the hands as well as eye-hand coordination.
      • Small motor pegboards like this precision pegboard activity combining crafts with fine motor skills
      • Perler beads- Try manipulating Perler Fuse Beads with Pegboards (affiliate link) for precision in grasp and release. These pegboards are very small and work on very fine dexterity with precision. 
      • Stamp sets (affiliate link)- Playing with stamps is a good way to practice graded grasp and release. Use these stamp blocks to accurately stamp within a specific area on a page. Draw squares or circles and the child needs to stamp in those areas. 
      • Tweezer games and activities like this Bed Bugs Game (affiliate link) encourage a precise and graded grasp and release of the small game pieces using tweezers. This game is on my must-buy list for Christmas this year! 
      • This Avalanche Fruit Stand (affiliate link) for another fun way to practice precision with a pair of tweezers. Stack the fruit with precision of grasp and release in a fun and colorful way! 
      • The Perfection Game (affiliate link) is another game that is great for precise grasp and release. Encourage kids to rotate the pieces by twirling the peg of the game pieces to work on precision in rotation as well. 
      • Jenga (affiliate link) is a precision work out in grasp and release of the blocks. My kids love this game!
      • Stacking blocks is a precision pattern activity that is perfect for working on graded grasp and release. 
      • This Tobbles stacking toy (affiliate link) is a version of that, with bright and bold colors. Try stacking and taking these balls down without knocking them over! 
      • Sometimes, simple is best! These Wooden Color Cubes (affiliate link) are perfect for simple block building and stacking while working on precision of grasp and release. 
      • Kids need precision of the thumb, too. These Slide Puzzles (affiliate link) are not only fun, they work on small motor skills needed for graded movements in cutting and pencil control.
      Easy precision in grasp, release, and rotation in fine motor skills for kids. Precision is so important in dexterity in many skills like handwriting, cutting with scissors, and everything done with the hands!

      It’s my hope that this post and ideas were helpful and a resource for you!  Looking for more fine motor activities for functional grasp?  Try these: 

      Working on fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory tolerance, handwriting, or scissor skills? Our Fine Motor Kits cover all of these areas and more.

      Check out the seasonal Fine Motor Kits that kids love:

      Letters Fine Motor Kit
      Kit de motricidad fina de verano
      Summer Fine Motor Kit
      Outer Space Fine Motor Kit
      Space Fine Motor Kit
      Spring fine motor kit
      Valentines Day fine motor kit
      winter fine motor kit
      Winter Fine Motor Kit

      Or, grab one of our themed Fine Motor Kits to target skills with fun themes:

      Want access to all of these kits…and more being added each month? Join The OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

      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.



      Acorn Activity for Learning Vocabulary Words

      by
      Acorn activity for learning vocabulary words

      This acorn activity is an old one on our website, but it’s still so much fun! In the Fall months, acorns can be found all over in many forests and lawns, and here we are showing a creative way to use acorns to support learning vocabulary words…BUT, you could apply this idea to use acorns in learning letters, spelling words, or any aspect of elementary learning and preschool development!

      Pair this with Fall fine motor activities or a Fall leaves therapy theme for fall OT sessions!

      Acorn Activity

      Do you remember reading over vocab lists, memorizing as much as you can the night before a test?

      If you are a hands-on learner, you have a lot of trouble with memorizing lists.   


      At best, you recall the words for the morning of the test.  But a week later?  A day later?  That afternoon?  It’s all gone.  As soon as the teacher says, “Ok, turn in your test!”, it all wooshes out of your head.


      This Acorn Vocabulary Activity is perfect for hands-on learners that just don’t do memorizing and lists.  And we’re not talking about acorn terms, acorn parts, or acorn types.  This fun Fall activity is perfect for vocab fords of any kind!

      Kids can practice and learn vocabulary words and definitions with a hands-on learning activity using acorns and a Fall theme tree. It's a fun way to learn vocab words without just memorizing a list! Perfect for second grade ELA!

      This was a fun activity to make with my oldest daughter.  Second grader with a vocab list in her hands + pile of acorns in the backyard = fun, hands-on learning activity!


      To practice vocab words, you’ll need just a few materials:
      (Affiliate links are included in this post.)

      One way to gather the acorns is on a family nature walk. Once you’ve gathered a bucket or basket full of acorns, you are ready to go!

      Acorn Activity for Learning Vocabulary Words

      This is a great vocabulary activity for elementary students. The adult or the child can try to write the words right on the acorns. Younger students like preschoolers can use just a letter on the acorns.

      To practice vocab words with acorns:


      Draw a tree on a paper or cardboard.  Note: This is my tree. My very fingernail-finger-not-treelike-tree.  Not my 2nd grader’s tree.  (She could draw a better looking, less fingernail-y tree.)  But no matter what your tree looks like, it is perfectly tree-ish and will be perfect!


      Get the kids involved in drawing a tree.  You’ll want the branches to be wide enough for writing (which is why we did the activity with my tree-like figure).  


      Write vocabulary words on acorns, using a black marker.  Washable is great, then you can rinse the acorns and throw them back outside for the squirrels.

      Use acorns in vocabulary activities for elementary students

      Have your kiddo write out the definitions to vocab words on the tree branches, on the ground of the picture, or anywhere they like.


      If you would like a printable tree, I’ve got one here for you.  Simply print and write the definitions along the lines of the branches.

      Acorn activity to practice vocabulary words.

      Match up the acorns to the definitions. You can tape the acorns on with a ring of tape on the back of the acorns or just place them on the branches to practice over and over again.


      Have fun practicing vocabulary words, the hands-on way!

      Vocabulary acorns on a cardboard tree

      More Acorn Activities

      Add these movement and learning ideas to create an acorn theme to develop skills in therapy or at home:

      • Add squirrel themed brain breaks to the mix for nuts and acorn fun. These are great for self-regulation or for transitions between activities
      • Acorn Counting Cards– Cut out the acorn counting cards in the Fall Fine Motor Kit. Use them in sensory bins or to work on number formation and fine motor tasks.
      • Acorn Sensory Bin- Create a sensory bin with real acorns or use the printable materials in the Fall Fine Motor Kit.
      • Work on fine motor skills with an acorn array with this activity. Cut out the acorn images and place them on the mat to work on fine motor skills and visual motor skills.
      • Work on copying skills and handwriting with this acorn copy work activity.
      • Cut out the acorns and squeeze clothes pins for fine motor work and strengthening with this acorn craft and banner activity.
      • Acorn play dough mats- The Fall Fine Motor Kit has printable play dough mats to develop strength and eye-hand coordination by rolling play dough balls onto an acorn printable.

       
      You will love these other hands-on learning ideas: 

       

         


       

      fall fine motor kit
      Fall Fine Motor Kit