Victoria Wood OTR/L

Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns

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Ocean animals cut and paste worksheet

This month we have been featuring summer worksheets to help you get your kids motivated to do “work” during the summer…or to use in a Summer occupational therapy session. Today we are adding another one to the toolbox!  Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns is yours to download for free. 

We also recently added our Ice Cream I Spy activity to our free downloads. We have other ocean and fish themed free OT worksheets as well:

Ocean animals cut and paste worksheet

Cut and Paste Worksheet for Summer

It is no secret that I love summer.  I love it even more, now that I am working in the schools and have nine weeks off!  I spent 25 years working year-round in a clinic. During those years I witnessed the struggles parents had keeping their learners engaged during the summer.  Parents (and their teachers/therapists) also had to contend with summer learning loss.

As a parent of grown children, I spent many summers keeping my girls active and cognitively engaged.  I have mentioned it several times, but I want everyone to understand the impact summer learning loss has on your child.

Hint- our ocean animals pattern activity is a cut and paste worksheet that is perfect for Summer!

Summer Learning Loss Facts

  • Students lose the equivalent of one month of learning during the summer vacation source
  • Students lose up to 2.6 months of math skills over the summer
  • Reading skills decline by about the equivalent of two months
  • Summer learning loss can be recognized as early as Grade One
  • Teachers spent up to six weeks reviewing past material in the fall to make up for summer learning loss

Those numbers are staggering, aren’t they? This was my panic every summer when my girls were young.  One way to minimize the summer slide is by adding daily routines and seated work. This does not mean eight ours at the kitchen table.  It means 20 minutes daily of targeted work.

CUT AND PASTE OCEAN PATTERNS TO THE RESCUE!

One way to get started is by gathering resources to meet the needs of your learners. This Cut and Paste worksheet is a good start! It’s an ocean animals pattern activity so it’s a great therapy theme for the Summer months.

Pair the cut and paste worksheet with the I Spy and Handwriting worksheets offered this month, and you are well on your way to developing a summer home program or treatment plan.  To get your FREE Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns PDF, simply enter your email in the box below. By the magic of the internet, your PDF will travel from our creator at the OT Toolbox, to YOUR inbox.

Want to avoid having to enter your email address below?  Become a member today.  Not only will you get these free cut and paste worksheets at your fingertips, but there is a ton of member only content available to you.  As a bonus, the materials in the member section are gathered into topics and categories for easy browsing.

HOW TO use CUT AND PASTE OCEAN worksheets

The directions are simple and straight forward on this one. 

  1. Color the animals on the worksheet.
  2. Then ask learners to cut the images.
  3. Glue them into the correct spaces to create patterns on the worksheet.

STEAM learning, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and math is at the forefront of learning.  Adding the “A” is new, to expand the reach of the program. Pattern learning is an important math concept. We are adding a dynamic component to it with scissors, crayons, and glue.

Take your project to the next level by asking learners to color the objects they see in matching colors.  Not only does this help build visual motor skills, but sorting items by color will aid your learners to understand the pattern concept.

If you are like me, you may have 100 kids on your caseload, all in different levels.  Even if you only have ten, they are likely to have different abilities. As a busy caregiver or practitioner, it is important to streamline your offerings to meet the needs of as many learners as possible.

HOW TO MODIFY THE CUT AND PASTE OCEANS PDF

There are some great ways to grade or modify this cut and paste ocean patterns worksheet to meet your learners where they are:

  • Precut the shapes for your learners who are not able to cut the squares
  • Shorten the activity by skipping the coloring section
  • Use Bingo markers or stickers to match the pattern instead of coloring. Using different colors will help them solve the pattern easier
  • Take out the motor component by adding to a smart board and moving the pieces with your pointer or finger
  • Higher level learners can write the matching words to the pictures, then create a story or memory.  This turns into a multilevel activity to use during many sessions.  They can also draw about their ideas, or copy the designs.
  • Laminate the page for reusability. This saves on resources, and many learners love to write with markers! Note: while some learners love to use wipe off sheets, others become upset they cannot take their work with them.  For those who want to save their work, consider taking a screenshot of it. 
  • When you laminate the worksheet, you can vary how you do it.  Precolor the shapes to make matching easier, have learners use dry erase markers to color the items, or use grease pencils/crayons to color inside the shapes.
  • Enlarging the font may be necessary to beginning level students who need bigger space to cut and color.
  • Vary the level or types of prompting offered, to grade the activity, to make it easier or harder
  • Drippy wet glue is messy, and not as convenient as glue stick, however it is superior for different reasons.  The added benefit is the sensory input from touching the wet glue, as well as fine motor strengthening from squeezing the bottle is worth the sticky mess.

How to Adapt a Cut and Paste Worksheet

You can use some of our tips (from an experienced OT) to take your ocean worksheet to the next level and meet different levels with the same sheet.

Think ouside the box by turning making this into a new activity all together, or using it as part of a larger plan.

  • Velcro the back of the squares, after laminating and cutting them, to create a matching game.  Velcro adds fine motor resistance for improving pincer skills and hand strength.
  • Make this cut and paste ocean worksheet part of a larger lesson plan, including gross motor, sensory, social, executive function, or other fine motor skills
  • Talk about the pictures, describe their characteristics, and give context clues to help your learner understand why certain pictures match
  • Learners can explore other games they could make using this activity 
  • Gross motor – run across the room collecting pieces to add to the cut and paste ocean activity. This is a great activity for an OT obstacle course.
  • Sensory – put the pieces into a sensory bin with an ocean theme. Use aquarium gravel as the base to your ocean themed sensory box.
  • Executive function – hand the papers out with very limited instruction. Record how well your learners can follow instructions and make the picture look exactly like the example.

The possibilities for grading and modifying activities like this free cut and paste ocean patterns worksheet are endless.

CHANGING YOUR MATERIALS IN ORDER TO GRADE/MODIFY YOUR TASKS

Do you think about the materials you offer to your learners as you hand them out?  Something as simple as changing the writing tool, type of scissors, or paper weight can make a big difference.  I mentioned glue above. Changing from a glue stick to wet glue can have a big impact on how the project goes.

Scissors: 

  • small toddler scissors are just right for tiny hands. 
  • Self-opening or loop scissors are another way to make cutting easier for those learning to cut, or lacking the intrinsic hand muscles to open and close scissors.  
  • Did you know left-handed people cut in a clockwise direction while their right handed friends cut counter-clockwise?  This allows the helper hand to support the paper adequately while cutting.
  • See this article on developing scissor skills.

Paper: 

  • lightweight paper is much more difficult to stabilize than heavy weight construction or cardstock paper.  
  • Colored paper may be easier or more difficult for children to work with because of color contrasts.
  • The page can be laminated first, using wipe off markers to color in the design.  This is a great way to make this page reusable. Cutting the pieces before coloring it may be necessary.  Although this takes away the cutting task, it may be a great adaptation for children who are not able to cut yet.

Types of writing utensils:

  • There are endless possibilities for coloring and writing. Markers, highlighters, crayons, colored pencils, paints, watercolor, chalk, or dry erase pens all provide different input, and require different levels of fine motor skill to manipulate. 
  • Small one inch crayons are excellent for developing those tiny hand muscles.  
  • Chalk, with its grainy texture, provides sensory feedback and can be a positive (or negative) experience
  • Markers glide easily, requiring less precision and grip strength.  Pipsqueak are smaller versions of traditional markers and are easier for smaller hands to grip.  They now come in fat and skinny versions.
  • Dot markers (Bingo pens) are great for making big marks
  • There are several different types of pencils and grips to try. Try the different types of pencil grips and see what works for each learner. 
  • Change writing utensils to appeal to different students, and improve their level of motivation. 

When you first begin to break your treatment plan down into its parts, it can seem like a lot of work. As with anything new, there is a learning curve.  Many of the adaptations and modifications come easily to me at this point in my career.  By doing this work, I am more efficient and effective. 

OTHER PARTS TO YOUR OCEAN LESSON PLAN

Teachers know what they are doing when they create fun lesson plans. It engages their students, and adds meaning to their work.  You can do the same with this cut and paste ocean page, along with some other fun activities:

  • Create an ocean themed sensory bin – there are many variables to this fun idea
  • Use our ocean animals matching game. You can use it virtually with the slide decks, or open the slide deck and print off the pages as a PDF.
  • Use hands on activities from our beach activity ideas.
  • Outdoor sensory paths – take your learning outdoors
  • Beach Therapy Kit -This Beach-themed Therapy Kit has everything you need to work on handwriting, scissor skills, self-regulation, motor planning, gross motor skills, and visual motor development…all with a Beach theme!
  • Pattern Activities for Kids Math Play
  • Learning Pattern Mats
  • Mermaid & Sandcastle Activity– Another free Google slide deck, this one is a fun interactive activity where kiddos can move the mermaid’s accessories. Have them write the words, recall the items they added, all while working on sequencing, motor planning, fine motor work & more. Then, use the interactive sandcastle slides to decorate a sandcastle. There’s also a writing prompt slide to address more handwriting or typing skills.
  • Scissor Skills Printable Pack – need to work on scissor skills?  Here you go!
  • Narwhal craft– great for scissor skills!
  • Beach crafts and activities– sensory & fine motor play ideas with a beach theme
  • Sensory diet activities at the beach– a sensory lifestyle incorporates the environment into sensory needs. When vacations or travel take sensory families on the road, self-regulation can occur anywhere.
  • Executive function at the beach– Use beach experiences to develop executive functioning skills in fun with the family.
  • This Narwhal craft is great for scissor skills and challenges graded scissor skills in cutting simple and complex shapes.
  • Beach ball seating idea– Need a sensory solution that doesn’t break the bank? Use a beach ball as an inexpensive sensory seat!
  • Beach play dough– Create a sensory play experience with a beach theme and challenge fine motor skills.

Hopefully this post inspired you to create an amazing ocean themed or summer lesson plan based on our latest freebie: The Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns worksheet.

Free Ocean Pattern Printable

Get the printable here, by entering your email address into the form. This one is also found inside our Membership club.

FREE Ocean Animals Cut and Paste Worksheet

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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.

    Age-Appropriate Chores

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    Text reads "age appropriate chores for kids". Images include kids doing chores like sweeping, dusting, cleaning up toys, and laundry.

    Whether it is summer break and you are looking to keep your kids involved, or curious about age-appropriate chores, here is a great post and printable for you. It feels like over the past couple of generations, there has been a shift from creating independent, to dependent children. I can not count how many times I advise parents that their child can be dressing themselves, helping around the house, and taking care of their belongings at a young age.  Included in this post is a FREE downloadable chore chart for listing and tracking jobs around the house.

    Also be sure to check out our resource on chores and executive functioning skills because these two things go hand in hand!

    Text reads "age appropriate chores for kids". Images include kids doing chores like sweeping, dusting, cleaning up toys, and laundry.

    The fact is that chores are a “lead in” to life skills. They aren’t exactly a job for kids to do, but a way to participate in the family. Giving kids chores that they can accomplish teaches them much more than just learning to do laundry or how to load the dishwasher. Our resource, Life Skills Chore Cards is a support tool to help teach these skills.

    AGE-APPROPRIATE CHORES

    “When I was a kid……” How many times have you heard or said that to someone?  Maybe it is because we are too soft on our children in this generation, or maybe people feel parents were too hard on their kids years ago.  Whatever your belief, do not lose sight of what your child is capable of.

    The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has some guidelines on chores for kids based on age and development.

    Image has a computer screen with a meme for age appropriate chores and lists different ages and chores. There are many social media comments on the inappropriateness of the chore ages listed.

    This Facebook post certainly got commenters worked up on the ages listed for many common household chores.

    Comments on a facebook post on age appropriate chore list

    Many of the comments on a recent social media post were very negative on the ability of young children to accomplish the chores listed on the image. Other comments were positive and encouraged others to consider working alongside little ones in these household tasks. It is a good read to gain perspectives from both sides.

    This post came about after a recent Facebook post on chores that had a lot of conversation. The post had an image that showed chores that kids could do at certain ages. However, some readers thought some of the chores were too difficult for the ages listed. Some readers said things like:

    • “This chore list isn’t appropriate at all.”
    • “This may be the dumbest chore list I’ve ever seen.”
    • “If this is a list created for neurotypical children, I’d take it down a notch for neurodivergent children.”
    • “This is just irresponsible.”
    • “I find these lists are extremely unsupportive as it’s back making comparisons of children and possibly causing shame for families.”
    • “Yeh. Fair. In between age expected tantrums”
    • “This is ridiculous!”
    • “This seems really off. My son helps a lot at 4 and I wouldn’t trust him to do many of these things safely and some of them he couldn’t even reach to do like clean a mirror?”
    • “Yeah, no. Some of these are age appropriate and others are certainly not.”
    • “This chore list is inaccurate and misinformed.”

    The commentors, in most cases, took the graphic very literally and viewed the chores and ages as the child independently attending to the chore items with an end result that would be as perfect as of an adult’s. It seems like most of the comments assumed the child would self sufficiently be able to do tasks like managing toilet cleaning, using knives, and other tasks.

    The thing is that these tasks might not work for every child. And they might not be able to independently and completely do the tasks, especially every time or on their own.

    But, if you ask a pediatric OT or a Montessori teacher, yes, these tasks could be done as a participant. As a learner. As an observer. As a helper. As an area of growth.

    That is, mayyyyybe these tasks can be done with the assistance and teaching of a parent or adult. And, with guidance, gentle lessons, and patience. A child could do most of these tasks, in many cases, alongside an adult or older child/teen. You would not assume they do them 100% perfectly on their own, and the image doesn’t suggest that. It also doesn’t say the child is responsible for these tasks in the home. It’s not meant to be unsupportive or guilt trip parents and families based on what kids can’t or are not doing in the home. It’s not a one-size-fits-all list of rules.

    It’s a guideline.

    When we see age appropriate lists like this, it’s not meant as a “to do list” as one commentor said. It’s designed to support parents and guardians with tasks that they CAN involve their kids in. Maybe you are cleaning toilets and your 4 year old participates alongside you or moves the brush in the toilet bowl. Are they 100% doing the task and is it perfect? No! But, they are learning about caring for the home, participating in IADLs, self-esteem, self-confidence, pride, and a sense of belonging in the family.

    Will a child between the ages of 1-2 years old do the tasks listed under that age on this list as a “chore”? NO, of course not. But can they watch an adult, participate in assisting, mimic, “help”, or even just watch as their adult talks through or just does the task. And that’s appropriate!

    One commentor mentioned the chore list “oozes with middle class Eurocentric normatively of household tasks”. Well, it’s one list out of millions that are out there. Is this list all inclusive? No. Is it going to mimic every family everywhere with typical tasks? No, of course not. Is it an idea? Is it options? Is it a guide for a place to start? Sure.

    This Facebook post was a reminder that not everything you see on social media applies to everyone, everywhere.

    Why not encouraging independence and age-appropriate chores?

    So, what are some reasons why a parent or guardian would not encourage independence with household chores? There are actually a lot that come up…and these reasons could be part of why so many negative comments came up in the Facebook post listed above.

    • I want them to be a child for longer – doing chores does not rob them of their childhood, it empowers them
    • I like things done my way – we all have a set way of doing things.  It is fair to our children to let go of some of that control and teach them. You can always sneak back and fix things if it bothers you that much.
    • It takes too long for them to do the chores – everyone is in a hurry. In the beginning it takes children a long time to do new things.  After a while it will get faster. At first, choose times when you are not in a hurry to include your child.
    • They can not do it alone – help them with the parts they can not do.  They might not be able to empty the whole dishwasher, but unloading the silverware is a great start. I remember learning to iron, and being tasked with ironing just the handkerchiefs for a long time ($.10 each)!
    • My child has special needs – people can learn at different rates, with cuing, or at a different age level. Not all three-year-old children will be able to dress themselves, but they can help with part of the task. A person who has significant needs may be able to direct their care if they can not do it themselves.  Something as simple as an eye gaze or gesture to make selections is a way of showing autonomy and empowerment.
    • Can they really do this? You will never know until you try. Teach with different methods such as chunking and backward chaining. 

    Chores versus Maintenance

    I just read an article that described the difference between chores and daily maintenance.  Chores are defined as larger jobs such as dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc.  Daily maintenance are the jobs that we do to take care of our belongings.  Daily maintenance might include hanging up your wet towels, putting dirty laundry in the basket, bringing dishes to the sink, or putting items away that have been used.

    Think of daily maintenance as the things your house cleaner does not do daily (unless you have a housekeeper who follows you around cleaning up after you). Add some of these daily maintenance items to your list of obligations. Add items such as bring your dishes to the sink, throw items in the trash, and hang up your wet towels to the activities of daily living list along with brush your hair and teeth.

    Another term for chores is instrumental activities of daily living or IADLs.  Check out this article on IADLs for more information.

    What are some of the other daily maintenance activities that adults do automatically and can be shifted to the responsibility of the mess maker?  Follow a teenager around for a day and make your list from all the things they “forget” to do.  A word of advice?  Start early, making this as much of a habit as brushing teeth or eating breakfast.

    HOW TO TEACH AGE-APPROPRIATE CHORES

    The first and most important step is to have the expectation that your young person can do it.  It takes significant teaching, practice, and lots of reminders, but they can learn.

    • Expectation- start with the mindset that you are going to make the time and effort to teach the tasks and expect they be attempted. The free Age-Appropriate Chore list you can download today has a list of expectations.
    • Follow through – once you have the mindset that your learner is going to do a certain chore, make it part of the daily/weekly expectations. The second and third sections of the free PDF downloadable age-appropriate chore list has a daily checklist to list the items to do each day/week, and a box to check when the chore is complete. Feel free to tweak this in a way that makes sense for you.
    • Reward- daily maintenance items such as hanging your towel and throwing your trash away do not need to have big rewards attached.  Maybe a “thankyou” or “way to go” can be given in appreciation.  Larger chores however, can come with some incentive. Your reward system can be personalized to your beliefs and values. I believe that I would not go to my job and work hard all day without some sort of compensation. This is why we get paid to do hard things.  The reward can be anything that is meaningful.

    REWARDS FOR CHORES

    Rewards are as personalized as the chores themselves.  What are some of the rewards you offer to your learners?

    One tool we love to use is our screentime checklist. It can involve doing chores that support the household as a system in order to get the screentime. Of course, you could include other tasks on the checklist like reading a book, working out, going for a walk, etc. but for many, including tasks like folding your laundry, feeding pets, and taking out the trash is a great list of jobs to do before playing video games.

    • Money – cold hard cash. There is value in teaching about money management.  A job well done can earn a cash reward to be spent on something of value to the learner.  Money management  is another subject entirely in how you teach this, and place expectations on saving versus spending.
    • Fake or pretend money – you can use pretend money as a value reward system to be traded for certain items at home or in the community. Items in your house such as snacks or new toys can have a monetary value on them to be earned.
    • Token Economy – this system is a cashless system.  It is not only used to buy tangible objects, but to trade them for other rewards. These rewards can be whatever is motivating.  TV time, electronics, Legos, a snack, free time, or whatever works.

    QUALITY TIME VERSUS MONETARY REWARDS

    • Quality time – this is one of the five love languages. Some people value quality time over a tangible reward. Once your learner can help with or complete some chores, this should naturally free up some daily time for quality interaction.  What does this mean for you?  Snuggles on the couch, movie night, a date outing, playing catch in the yard?  Quality time does not have to have a monetary value attached.  The time is the value. 
    • Tangible or monetary quality time – perhaps there is something that your learner would love to do that is often out of reach due to time or money constraints. Maybe this can be the reward for a week or month of hard work.  A trip to the ice cream parlor, an outing to the water or amusement park, going to the nail salon or a shopping adventure, or a day trip to a ball game can be a huge motivator for many.

    Some rewards can be bigger than others. There are times when your learner can delay gratification to earn something big.  Younger learners tend to need immediate rewards to tie into their hard work, like a Skittle for completing a step of the chore.

    Reward systems are as personalized as your child/learner themselves. Find out what works for them to help them get through the hard work.

    What chores for different ages?

    So, knowing what we do about child development, including the physical, cognitive, and social and emotional development of kids, asking a pediatric occupational therapy provider is a great way to decide on which chores to do with kids at different ages.

    A lot of these chore activities offer proprioceptive input that is coping tools to support sensory needs. These can be a great sensory diet to make a sensory lifestyle in everyday life.

    Chores for Toddlers

    The toddler years are a time of learning, and following along with mom, dad, guardians, and siblings can mean that they are involved in chores…even though you are not handing your toddler a dustpan and expecting them to clean the floor. At this age, it’s about watching to participate, rather than “doing”.

    • picking up toys with assistance
    • putting dirty clothes in the hamper, with assistance
    • helping set the table (putting cups on a table, with direction and assistance)
    • dusting low surfaces (wiping surfaces, with direction and assistance)
    • watering plants (pouring water, with assistance and direction)
    • putting away groceries (taking items out of grocery bags)
    • putting stuffed animals on their bed
    • throwing away trash- Putting garbage into a trash bin, with direction

    Chores for Preschoolers

    Preschool aged kids will also require direction and assistance. Again, you’re not going to expect your preschooler to assume the responsibility of doing any of these tasks. It’s about doing the chore alongside the child, with guidance and assistance. All of the chores listed below are teaching moments.

    • making the bed
    • putting away toys
    • helping set the table
    • watering plants
    • sorting laundry
    • folding towels
    • feeding pets
    • wiping tables and countertops
    • helping to put groceries away
    • putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket
    • dusting low shelves and furniture
    • helping to clean up spills
    • carrying light items to the trash or recycling bin
    • assisting with meal preparation (washing vegetables, stirring ingredients)
    • brushing their teeth with supervision
    • putting books and magazines back on shelves

    Chores for Elementary Aged Kids

    Older kids can do more challenging chore tasks but will absolutely need reminding, cues, and assistance. While elementary aged kids are gaining confidence, executive functioning, and motor skills, they are still developing in all of these areas. You still won’t be able to expect these chore tasks to be done efficiently or independently, but this is improving.

    • vacuuming floors
    • sweeping and mopping floors
    • taking out the trash loading and unloading the dishwasher
    • cleaning bathroom sinks and counters
    • folding and putting away laundry
    • helping with meal preparation (measuring ingredients, mixing)
    • setting and clearing the table
    • feeding and caring for pets
    • dusting furniture
    • cleaning windows with supervision
    • helping to wash the car
    • putting away groceries
    • watering outdoor plants and garden
    • making their own lunches
    • organizing their own room and personal spaces

    Chore List for Teens

    Teenagers can do more extensive chores and multistep chores. The teenage years still will need reminding and support at times, because we know that executive functioning skills are still developing.

    • cooking complete meals
    • washing and folding laundry
    • cleaning bathrooms (toilets, showers, sinks)
    • mowing the lawn and outdoor yard work
    • grocery shopping with a list
    • managing their own schedule and appointments
    • babysitting younger siblings
    • organizing and deep cleaning their room
    • washing windows
    • vacuuming and mopping floors
    • taking care of pets (feeding, walking, grooming)
    • helping with household budgeting and finances
    • running errands (picking up items, delivering packages)
    • assisting with car maintenance (checking oil, tire pressure)
    • cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry

    RESOURCES ON TEACHING SPECIFIC AGE-APPROPRIATE CHORES

    For some people, teaching tasks is a task in and of itself. Check out some of these great articles to help teaching certain chores. The chore in the article (such as laundry) can be changed to whatever task you are teaching, as the methods are the same.

    Life skills cards – This set of 10 pages of Life Skills Cards help break down functional skills and measure them. Some goals such as “improve self help skills” are broad, and often overwhelming. These life skills cards help break a large goal into functional tasks, giving learners a visual reminder of the tasks being practiced, and a way to track them. Learners use a punch, or other tool, to mark each time they have practiced the task.

    Laundry Skills – Washing and drying clothes is an independent living task that anyone who manages their activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living must learn. Check out this post to understand the “why and how” of teaching laundry skills.

    Cooking Skills – this post highlights how to teach cooking skills to children and why it is important.

    Bright Horizons has a good resource on how to involve children in chores that can be useful, too.

    What does a Pediatric OT think of chores for kids?

    As a pediatric occupational therapist whose worked with many kids, here’s what I think; Raising children is hard work. Taking time out of our busy day to teach them, is also hard work. This is something we signed up for. Make the time and effort to create wonderful, capable little people.  Your child’s future spouse, partner, roommate, landlord, or teacher will thank you.

    Free Printable Chore List for Kids

    One tool inside our Membership Club is a resource for supporting routines and skill-development through chores. We put together a list of age appropriate chores, with simple tasks that kids can do at different ages. You’ll also find a page for the whole family to work together on tasks each day. Then there are weekly chore task sheet for larger chores like laundry that might take several days. You can print off this resource and use it over and over again.

    To get this printable set, enter your email address into the form below, or if you are a member, log into your account to grab the copy.

    Free Printable Chore List for Kids

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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.

      I Spy Ice Cream

      by
      Free ice cream I spy worksheet

      Summer is here!  My two favorite things are summer and ice cream.  What better way to honor these two things than a FREE I Spy Ice Cream printout!  Just because the kids are out of school, there is no reason to stop working on essential skills.  If you’re looking for a summer occupational therapy activity, then you are in the right place! Pair this I spy activity with our other ice cream activities for themed fun:

      Free Ice Cream I spy page

      Get the free Ice Cream I spy page by entering your email address into the form at the bottom of this page.

      In fact, this is the best time, since they are not getting daily reinforcement at school. I have written before about the staggering percentage of information lost during summer holiday. Here is the latest research on the “summer slide.”  Using some tools in a Summer OT program like the I spy activity below is perfect because it’s seasonal, yet fun for kids. Summer work and review is especially important for students with special needs, or those who are more prone to setbacks.

      I SPY ICE CREAM

      The mere mention of the phrase “school work” during the summer, can elicit groans and refusals that can be heard down the street. Head your reluctant learners off at the pass by providing fun engaging summer activities. Create a binder or notebook with lots of the free downloadable worksheets we offer on the OT Toolbox.  Start by adding your email below get your hands on this I Spy Ice Cream PDF.

      This great I Spy Ice Cream worksheet primarily targets visual perceptual skills, while also throwing some visual motor input in there.  As always, it can be adapted and modified to meet the needs and levels of many types of learners.

      Visual Perception Overview

      As a review, visual perception refers to the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eyes see. This is not the same as visual acuity which refers to how clearly a person sees (for example “20/20 vision”). A person can have 20/20 vision and still have problems with visual perceptual processing.

      Good visual perceptual skills are important for many every day skills such as reading, writing, completing puzzles, cutting, drawing, completing math problems, dressing, finding your sock on the bedroom floor as well as many other skills. Without the ability to complete these every day tasks, a child’s self esteem can suffer and their academic and play performance is compromised.

      Visual perception can be broken down into seven different sub-categories:

      • Sensory Processing: Accurate registration, interpretation, and response to sensory stimulation in the environment and the child’s own body.
      • Visual Attention: The ability to focus on important visual information and filter out unimportant background information.
      • Visual Discrimination: The ability to determine differences or similarities in objects based on size, color, shape, etc.
      • Visual Memory: The ability to recall visual traits of a form or object.
      • Visual Spatial Relationships: Understanding the relationships of objects within the environment.
      • Visual Sequential-Memory: The ability to recall a sequence of objects in the correct order.
      • Visual Figure Ground: The ability to locate something in a busy background.
      • Visual Form Constancy: The ability to know that a form or shape is the same, even if it has been made smaller/larger or has been turned around.
      • Visual Closure: The ability to recognize a form or object when part of the picture is missing

      VISUAL PERCEPTION AND THE I SPY ICE CREAM WORKSHEET

      After reviewing the visual perception overview, what skills do you think the I Spy Ice Cream addresses?  If you said sensory processing, visual attention, discrimination, visual memory, spatial relationships, and figure ground; you would be right! 

      If the ice creams were different sizes, shapes, and directions, form constancy would also be addressed.  There are a lot of worksheets out there that do just that (see below for links!).

      The directions for the I Spy Ice Cream worksheet instruct students to color each of the ice cream treats a different color, then find and color the matching items.  Lastly, they need to count how many of each item they found, and write it in the boxes.

      OTHER SKILLS ADDRESSED USING THIS FREE DOWNLOAD

      As mentioned above, visual perception is the key skill addressed with this free PDF of I Spy Ice Cream. There are many other skills being worked on simultaneously:

      • Kinesthetic awareness – This means learning by doing
      • Hand strength and dexterity – staying in the lines while coloring builds hand muscles and develops muscle control. 
      • Visual motor skills are combining what is seen visually and what is written motorically.  It requires coordination to be able to translate information from visual input to motor output. Coloring, drawing, counting, cutting, and tracing are some visual motor skills.
      • Sequencing – will your learner do the ice cream items in order?  Will they look for the easy and/or obvious answers first?  
      • Scanning – does your learner look in methodical order, or search in a haphazard pattern all over the page?  
      • Proprioception – pressure on paper, grip on writing tool
      • Counting/Learning Numbers – Count the items to understand number concepts in addition to writing them correctly.
      • Fine motor strengthening, hand development, and grasping pattern
      • Bilateral coordination – remembering to use their “helper hand” to hold the paper while writing is important for development.  Using one hand as a dominant hand instead of switching back and forth is encouraged once a child is in grade school, or demonstrates a significant strength in one or the other.
      • Strength – core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, head control, balance, and hand strength are all needed for upright sitting posture and writing tasks.
      • Executive function, following directions, attention, attention to detail, focus, sequencing, planning, task completion, neatness, impulse control, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance are all important skills to learn
      • Social function – whether working alone, or together in a group, you can address problem solving, sharing materials and space, turn taking, and talking about the activity

      Remember, you can assess all these skills at once, or focus on one or two.  Some skills above will be addressed without your conscious knowledge, while other skills you can be directly focusing on.

      HOW TO ADAPT AND MODIFY THIS ACTIVITY

      The beauty of children is they are not all created equal.  This can pose a challenge as you try and provide activities for learners of all levels. Fortunately, most of our downloadable worksheets can be graded or modified in some way to meet the needs of different levels of learners.

      • Lowest level learners can point to the matching pictures without having to use motor skills
      • Middle level learners can use dot markers or stickers to match the ice cream, instead of coloring. They can also circle the matching pictures if coloring is too difficult
      • Higher level learners can elevate this task by writing an idea about ice cream treats, then create a story or memory out of this idea.  This turns into a multilevel activity to use during many sessions.  They can also draw about their ideas, or copy the designs.
      • Use other items to mark the matches like Bingo chips, pom poms, pennies, pieces of play dough, cereal, Legos, or whatever you have handy.
      • Laminate the page for reusability. This saves on resources, and many learners love to write with markers! Note: while some learners love to use wipe off sheets, others become upset they cannot take their work with them.  For those who want to save their work, consider taking a screenshot of it.
      • Make this part of a larger lesson plan including gross motor, sensory, social, executive function, or other fine motor skills
      • Talk about the animals, describe their characteristics, and give context clues to help your learner understand why certain pictures match
      • Enlarging the page may be necessary to beginning writing students who need bigger space to write, or larger items to color.
      • Project this page onto a smart board for students to come to the board and write in big numbers.
      • Different levels or types of prompting may be needed to grade the activity to make it easier or harder
      • Learners can explore other games they could make using this activity 
      • Work in pairs or in a small group to address problem solving, turn taking, and negotiation skills.

      can you believe there are still more ways to adapt and modify the i spy worksheet?

      • Sensory – add real ice cream treats to explore. Describe it in detail. Talk about how it feels, smells, and tastes, or what emotions it might evoke.
      • Executive function – hand the papers out with very limited instruction. Record how well your learners can follow instructions without prompting.
      • Social skills – sharing resources promotes social function. Talking about a themed lesson plan builds social skills.
      • Have students write on a slant board, lying prone on the floor with the page in front to build shoulder stability, or supine with the page taped under the table

      OTHER RESOURCES TO ADD TO THE I SPY ICE CREAM WORKSHEET

      Creating a folder or binder is a great way to pre-plan your summer activities or save them for next year. The OT Toolbox is full of great resources for you to explore:

      • Free Summer I Spy worksheet
      • Free Beach I Spy worksheet
      • Weekly Fine Motor Plan
      • Beach Therapy Kit -This Beach-themed Therapy Kit has everything you need to work on handwriting, scissor skills, self-regulation, motor planning, gross motor skills, and visual motor development…all with a Beach theme!
      • Color and Write I Spy – add more I Spy activities to your packet
      • Summer Memory game – Use the memory cards in writing prompts, sensory play, and fine motor work, too: Kids can color and cut the memory cards, copying the colors from one sheet to the other to really build visual memory and visual scanning skills. 
      • Fairytale Fine motor kit This Fairy Tale Fine Motor Kit, with almost 100 pages of fun fairy tale themed activities is sure to please princes and princesses everywhere! 
      • ABCs of Summer Learning
      • Become a member of the OT Toolbox and get unlimited access to new and exciting content!

      Free Ice Cream I Spy Worksheet

      To get this printable, just enter your email address into the form below. We’ll send it to your inbox so you can print it off from any device and from any location (school or home). This printable is also found inside The OT Toolbox membership club.

      FREE Ice Cream I Spy

        We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.
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        All this talk about ice cream makes me think about summer treats. I think I hear the ice cream truck coming!

        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.

        Work on fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory tolerance, handwriting, scissor skills, and much more so that kids can accomplish self-care tasks, learn, and grow through play all summer long.

        This bundle is perfect for the pediatric occupational therapist who needs resources and tools to use in summer therapy sessions.

        The Summer Activity Bundle includes:

        • Summer Fine Motor Kit
        • Summer Writing Sheets
        • Summer Memory Game- perfect for playing Memory or using in sensory bins
        • Summer OT Packet ($20 value)
        • 180 Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards- for when your kiddo is “sooooo bored” or using in sensory diets
        • BONUS: Summer Sensory Activity Guide

        This is a digital product that will last all Summer long!

        Summer fine motor kit
        Summer Fine Motor Kit
        Summer handwriting lists
        Summer Memory Game
        Summer activities for kids
        Outdoor sensory diet cards
        summer sensory activity guide

        The Summer OT Bundle is your ticket to sending the kids back to school in the Fall without worrying about the “Summer Slide”. Each Fall, kids need to catch up on areas that they’ve lost over the summer months. With the Summer OT Bundle, there is no worry about falling backwards. Use the materials to maintain and even grow motor skill development this summer so kids can thrive and jump into learning next Fall.

        Summer OT Bundle

        Outdoor Sensory Path Ideas

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        Now that the weather has started to get warmer, you might be looking for some outside activities. I know a lot of people have 101 reasons not to go outside (too hot, too cold, pollen, etc.) but being outdoors provides such great sensory input. Without adding any activities, the outdoors provides natural input; there is sunshine, wind, birds, flowers, dirt, water, and more. For those looking for more than environmental sensory input, in this post you will find some great sensory path ideas.

        This is a Summer occupational therapy activity you can use for many goal areas.

        outdoor sensory path ideas

        There are so many ways to gain the benefits of sensory motor skill work using an outdoor sensory pathway!

        What is a Sensory Path?

        Before diving right into outdoor sensory path ideas, we need to take a step back to define a sensory path.  A sensory path is a defined path, or walkway that directs users to complete a variety of sensory-motor tasks. The activities that make up a sensory path are typically gross motor tasks that incorporate proprioceptive input, vestibular input, and visual input, in order to meet sensory needs. These sensory systems are powerful regulating tools to organize and this is why motor movements in a sensory path engage these systems. It’s a great tool for supporting gross motor coordination.

        Using an outdoor sensory path is a motor skills task. Read more about kinesthetic learning as a tool for skill development.

        A sensory path is typically a literal pathway on the ground; it may be painted onto a sidewalk or schoolyard. It may be stickers or images stuck to a floor or hallway in a school. Or, it might even be a chalk path on a sidewalk or driveway.

        Many of you are familiar with the  the (Amazon affiliate link) sensory pathways displayed on walls and floors of the school building. These are available commercially, or sensory paths can be made with paint and stickers.  The fun does not have to end there!  This Sensory Obstacle Path book is a great resource for getting started.

        Other ideas include using our printable version of sensory stations. These PDFs, when hung on a hallway or as part of an obstacle course, become an interactive sensory pathway. The ones you’ll find on The OT Toolbox include:

        Outdoor Sensory Path Ideas

        Many children (and their caregivers) do not know where to begin when playing outside.  Unfortunately, people have become so accustomed to technology, they have forgotten how to play.  Creating a sensory path gives defined boundaries to an activity.  Children really do thrive on structure and repetition. 

        With these outdoor sensory path ideas, you can create great occupational therapy obstacle courses with defined limits.  Set up the path, then determine how many times it needs to be completed in succession.  I love the idea of having students use counters or objects to define how many rotations they have done. I use puzzle pieces, coins, clothespins, or any other small item that can be slipped into a pocket.

        A lot of the following games use sidewalk chalk, but feel free to use rope/tape/paint/string or cones and buckets to define your space. We have other ideas in our indoor obstacle course post.

        Hopscotch

        This is a classic game. I hope it continues to be passed along from generation to generation. All you need is a piece of chalk, a couple of counters, and a little space. It’s easy to set up as a sensory path:

        1. Draw out your grid. 
        2. Learners can hop on one foot, jump with feet together, jump left and right or feet apart, squat to retrieve objects and turn around.

        Hopping and jumping are great proprioceptive activities that help to organize the sensory system.  Feel free to make your hop scotch permanent with paint, although changing the obstacle courses frequently adds to their appeal.

        Outdoor sensory path ideas – The Sensory road

        How about using that same chalk and creating a road to travel? Dust off the Big wheels or scooter boards, draw a path/road with chalk, and add some obstacles. If you use a scooter board, you can incorporate some prone extension activities.

        Have kids pick up objects along the way and deposit them in another container. Put cones or buckets in the road to navigate. Attach a wagon filled with weights to increase the workout.  You can use chalk, tape, rope, chain, or whatever you have handy. 

        You can even create a temporary space or paint the road on your space for long lasting fun. When my kids were young, we used a roll of masking tape to create a road in our unfinished basement. They would move their ride on toys around the basement along the masking tape road.

        Activity obstacle course

        • Another outdoor sensory path idea is an obstacle course. Think; relay races from field day or P.E class.  Use a large spoon to carry rocks or pinecones from one end to another.  This can be the entirety of the game, or spice it up with more obstacles.  Carry the pinecone, jump over the sticks, go around the bushes, crawl under another obstacle. Add calisthenics such as sit ups, pushups, jumping jacks, or side hops to the sensory path.
        • Amazon (affiliate link) has a nice Obstacle Course in a Box if you are looking for a prepackaged idea.  Here is a kit of simple staple supplies such as rings, bean bags, and cones.
        • Animal Walk Sensory Path- Another idea I love is using an animal walk theme, where the child can move through a sensory path with different animal walks. It prompts you to think about adding items for jumping, hopping, throwing, kicking, crab walks, crawling and more.
        • What do you have around the house you could turn into an obstacle course?  Once, we made a string maze with rope/string for learners to climb their way through. This is a great activity for supporting motor planning skills.
        • Use these pool noodle ideas to create a course of rings and hoops. They show ideas for the pool, snow, and more.

        Outdoor sensory walk

        • Check out these garden sensory paths that tie nature and sensory input into a delightful garden feature. These sensory paths feature the tactile sense. Take those shoes off and get your feet in the earth.  Create a path with different textures: grass, pebbles, stepping stones, concrete, pea gravel, sand, mud, wood planks, shells, sticks and more. There are some nature sensory paths that people have built into their landscape, as well as temporary ones build into carboard boxes or trays.
        • Temporary outdoor sensory walk – You can create an outdoor sensory path that can be removed when the play is done. Get different plastic tubs, fill them with different textures, and create a fun tactile path.  Ideas might include: rocks, water, pebbles, grass clippings, sand, birdseed, leaves, sticks, and more.
        • Benefits of Nature Play – This post highlights outdoor sensory path ideas using nature play.  Use what is already available to enlighten the senses and create some great outdoor play.
        DIY ninja warrior course ideas- wooden pallets, slack line, climbing structures, playground equipment, stepping stones

        Another idea for a sensory walk is a ninja warrior course.

        Ninja Warrior courses

        With the rise in popularity of American Ninja Warrior, kids and adults are really getting into fitness through obstacle course training. Have you ever thought about making your own DIY ninja warrior course?

        Build your own course or purchase ready-made pieces you might have around the house. Some ideas include:

        • wooden pallets
        • Wooden boards like a 2×4 in different lengths
        • Slanted wood balanced on rocks or bricks
        • Climbing walls

        You can also purchase Ninja Warrior materials and create a backyard ninja course:

        Chalk walk ideas

        I love using a chalk walk as a sensory path because it requires just chalk and an outdoor space. You can target so many skills with a single chalk walk!

        Chalk Walk

        We mentioned a few ideas to create a chalk walk (hopscotch, making a road, or an outdoor chalk line path), but what are some specific ways to incorporate different movements using just chalk? Here our our ideas to support proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual input?

        Where to make a Chalk Walk?

        Another nice thing about a chalk walk as a therapy tool is that all you need is a box of sidewalk chalk. We’ve made chalk walks at different places:

        • Sidewalk
        • Driveway (Read about our driveway sensory diet for more inspiration!)
        • Park or playground
        • Empty parking lot
        • Cul-da-sac in a neighborhood
        • Playground basketball court

        You can incorporate different sensory motor tasks that are inspired by sensory integration therapy, using just the chalk and a large writing space. Some ideas include:

        Hopscotch: Create a hopscotch grid with different shapes or numbers to promote balance and coordination.

        Balance Beam: Draw a straight or wavy line for kids to walk on, encouraging balance and body awareness. Here are more balance beam ideas to add to your list.

        Obstacle Course: Design a chalk obstacle course with different challenges like hopping, spinning, and tiptoeing.

        Alphabet Path: Write the alphabet in a path for children to follow, promoting letter recognition and movement.
        Number Line Jump: Draw a number line and have kids jump to specific numbers, integrating math skills with physical activity.

        Shape Jumping: Draw various shapes and have kids jump from shape to shape, enhancing spatial awareness and motor planning.

        Simon Says Path: Create a path with different actions written in each section, like “spin,” “hop,” or “crawl.”

        Color Hunt: Draw different colored circles or shapes and ask children to run to specific colors, integrating color recognition and Animal Walks: Draw animal footprints and have kids imitate the movements of different animals as they follow the path.

        Emotional Faces: Draw faces with different emotions and ask children to move to the face that represents how they feel, integrating Sensory Tracing: Draw large letters or shapes for children to trace with their fingers, enhancing tactile feedback and fine motor skills.

        Breathing Circle: Draw a large circle and practice deep breathing exercises while walking around the circle.

        Dynamic Paths: Create paths with different textures by adding elements like sand or water to the chalk, stimulating tactile senses.

        Chalk Mazes: Draw mazes for children to navigate, enhancing problem-solving skills and spatial awareness.

        Jumping Dots: Place dots in varying distances for kids to jump between, promoting proprioception and muscle strength.

        Shadow Tracing: Use chalk to trace shadows at different times of the day, combining sensory input with outdoor exploration.

        Body Part Path: Draw a path with labels for different body parts (e.g., “touch with left hand,” “step with right foot”), promoting body awareness.

        Spiral Walk: Draw a large spiral for kids to walk or run around, providing vestibular input and promoting balance.

        Toss at a Target: Draw circles with letters inside. Throw a pebble into a circle and then write that letter with chalk. Here is a letter writing activity with chalk.

        Inclusive Chalk Walk

        The nice thing about creating a chalk walk for kids is that you can individualize it to meet the needs of the kids you are working with. So, for some kiddos that require more inclusive ideas, you can definitely create a chalk walk that supports their needs. You could also incorporate self regulation strategies like deep breathing breaks in the task, or make it smaller or bigger. It really depends on the kids you are supporting!

        Grade the Chalk Walk Down– Grading down a chalk walk to make it more inclusive for lower-level kids involves simplifying tasks. This is something we do naturally as occupational therapy providers, right? We can offer the support level needed AND ensure that the activities are achievable and engaging, because that’s what helps the child achieve their goals! This is what we call the “just right challenge“.

        Here are some strategies that support occupational therapy goals of gross motor coordination, fine motor skills, sensory motor skills, and executive functioning skills:

        • Wider paths: Draw wider lines or paths to make it easier for children to walk on without losing balance.
        • Simpler shapes: Use basic shapes like circles and squares instead of more complex patterns.
        • Shorter distances: Reduce the length of the path or the distance between tasks to avoid overwhelming the child.
        • Fewer steps: Limit the number of steps in a sequence to keep tasks manageable and less confusing.
        • Visual aids: Add visual cues or markers, such as arrows or footprints, to guide children along the path.
        • Lower jumps: Create lower hopscotch squares or stepping pads to reduce the height children need to jump.
        • Verbal prompts: Use clear, simple verbal instructions to guide children through each activity.
        • Physical support: Provide hand-holding or use a handrail for balance and support as children navigate the path.
        • Use of props: Incorporate props like balance beams or stepping stones with tactile feedback to aid movement.
        • Repetitive patterns: Use repetitive patterns that children can easily recognize and follow.
        • Reduced speed: Encourage children to move at their own pace, focusing on slow and deliberate movements.
        • Inclusive themes: Integrate themes or characters that the children are familiar with to make the activities more engaging.
        • Stationary tasks: Include more stationary tasks like tracing shapes or drawing within a specified area.
        • Sensory breaks: Incorporate sensory breaks with simple tasks like sitting and deep breathing or stretching.
        • Pairing up: Pair children with a buddy for guidance and encouragement.
        • Positive reinforcement: Provide immediate positive feedback and encouragement to build confidence.
        • Adapted challenges: Offer different levels of challenges for each task so children can choose according to their abilities.
        • Consistent routines: Use a consistent order for tasks to help children anticipate and feel more comfortable with the activities.
        • Use of color: Utilize bright, contrasting colors to make the paths and shapes more visually distinct and easier to follow.
        • Minimize distractions: Ensure the environment is calm and free of excessive distractions to help children focus on the activities.

        Then, to grade the activity up, or add more challenging tasks to the chalk walk, use one or more of the items above and make it more challenging for the chalk walk user. This is how we can support individual needs and work on developing those goals!

        Sensory Chalk Walk

        In addition to the motor skills that a chalk walk supports, you can also add in sensory integration strategies that offer specific tasks for vestibular input, proprioceptive input, visual input, and even tactile input. For more information on this, check out our resource on Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy.

        For example, we used a wet chalk activity to add a messy sensory play experience. This was a fun way to work on visual motor skills while addressing sensory defensiveness. You could also make liquid driveway chalk paint to add sensory writing tasks to the fun.

        • Spirals for spinning around a central point
        • Maze for finding the way out
        • Wavy lines for tiptoeing
        • Hopping pads for both feet
        • Single line for walking or crawling on either side of the line
        • Zigzag paths for jumping side to side
        • Alphabet stepping stones
        • Numbered hopscotch squares
        • Dotted lines for skipping
        • Animal footprints to follow
        • Balance beam lines
        • Twisty lines for galloping
        • Shapes to jump into (circles, squares, triangles)
        • Arrows for direction changes
        • Line with stopping points (large circles) to take deep breathing breaks or a prompt to do a motor task like hopping 5 times)
        • Concentric circles for jumping in and out
        • Ladder rungs for stepping up and down
        • Patterns for matching (left foot, right foot)
        • Start and finish lines for timing races
        • Swirly lines for crawling
        • Parallel lines for jumping over
        • Star shapes for jumping to different points

        More outdoor sensory path ideas:

        The weather does not have to be perfect to use your outdoor sensory path ideas. Kids do not mind rain, wind, mud, temperature changes, or snow. “Back in my day” we used to get sent out no matter what the weather had in store for us.  It was great for our sensory system, along with building valuable skills. 

        Sidewalk chalk obstacle course

        Free printable set of resources!

        Free Chalk Walk Sensory Kit

        We created a free printable resource just for sensory motor skill development…a Chalk Walk Kit! This activity guide has chalk drawing figures designed to support proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual input for calming and organizing sensory input.

        Pick and choose the chalk walk options to create an individualized sensory path to meet specific needs.

        Work on motor planning, coordination, balance, midline crossing, and much more…all with just a piece of sidewalk chalk.

        To get this resource, enter your email address below. Member Club Members will find this resource inside The OT Toolbox Membership Club!

        Free Sidewalk Chalk Sensory Path

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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.

          Summer OT Programs

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          Summer therapy program

          Is it summer break yet?  This is what all the school based occupational therapy providers and teachers are asking. Whether you are working in a school system or with children who go to school, you are going to want some great summer programs to offer.  Summer activities can range from seated table worksheets, chores, arts and crafts, self-help skills to outings, camps, and classes. 

          All the above are great to work on retaining and learning new skills.  The only bad activity is no activity.  I know teenagers want to sleep all summer, but this is not going to help build critical skills, especially for those students who need a leg up.  In this post we will explore some great summer program and activity ideas. We also have occupational therapy at home ideas that you could do this Summer.

          SUMMER SLIDE

          David Quinn and Morgan Polikoff researched Summer regression and concluded on average, students’ achievement scores declined over summer vacation by one month’s worth of school-year learning, (2) declines were sharper for math than for reading, and (3) the extent of loss was larger at higher grade levels.

          According to Scholastic, students lose about a month’s worth of learning on average over the summer. Some studies show that children lose up to 40% of their learning over summer break. For example, children in grades 3 to 5 lose about 20% of their school year gains in reading and 27% of their gains in math. In the summer between 5th and 6th grades, 84% of students experience summer slide in math. 

          This is especially important for students who are struggling to keep up with their peers in school.  When I am doing end of year meetings, I make sure to stress carryover of goals with parents.  I want their students to have an advantage of practicing OT interventions all summer, not sliding backward. While everyone can benefit from a summer program, students with special needs are on the top of my priority list.

          Summer therapy program

          Summer Program Schedules and Routines

          One of the key components of summer vacation that differs from the school year, is schedules (or lack of them). Kids thrive on predictability, consistency, and expectations. Parents mistakenly feel that students have been on a strict schedule all year and need a summer free for all. 

          Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. A consistent daily schedule and step-by-step routines give children a predictable day.

          Schedules and routines in the group care setting and at home help children: feel in control, feel safe and secure, know what is happening next, and engage in learning. Engaging, predictable environments and ongoing positive adult-child interactions are necessary for promoting children’s social and emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors. You can help by following clear and simple schedules and routines. (Hemmeter, Ostrosky, and Fox 2006).

          Using a visual schedule at home is a great idea to keep this routine!

          KEY FACTORS IN ESTABLISHING A SCHEDULE and summer program

          There are several key factors in establishing a summer program (or any other time) schedule and routine:

          • Keep it simple. A routine does not have to include outings, pricey trips, or a packed schedule.
          • Help family members break down one of their scheduled tasks into steps to create the routine. For example, the morning routine might be: go to the toilet, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth.
          • Encourage families to let their children be as independent as possible. You might have to break a task down into chunks to have children help.
          • Let parents know that reviewing the schedule every morning and throughout the day with their child helps them know what is going to happen next.  They can use visual schedules, pictures, lists, timers, or whatever works for them.
          • Remind families to keep the routine and schedule as similar as possible each day but offer some choices when possible (do you want the red or blue shirt?)
          • Let parents know they should also be flexible. You can say something like, “Plans change, things happen, but give your child a warning ahead of time if things are going to be different. Let them know what is going to happen.”
          • Refer to the schedule before and after activities throughout the day. 

          Here is a fun June Summer Activity Calendar to get your summer program started!

          SENSORY DIET

          Some learners need a sensory diet or program built into their summer to keep their systems regulated.  This article on Sensory Diets is informative in building and using this tool. 

          You can of course incorporate your sensory diet into your daily schedule.  For example, after the morning routine, add animal walks.

          SUMMER break WORKSHEETS AND PAPER ACTIVITIES

          Personally, I love a good workbook or paper activity. Arts and crafts are my jam. The possibilities for workbooks are endless and often overwhelming. My standard advice is to pick a couple of websites and resources you trust, and go from there.  For example, the OT Toolbox (and The OT Toolbox Membership gets you everything done for you!) has multiple programs and printables to choose from that follow the same type of theme or pattern to add to your summer program.

          • Summer Activity Bundle Included in this bundle of printable resources are tools to address fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, pencil control, handwriting, and more. 
          • Occupational Therapy Activities – great OT activities to get you moving this summer.
          • Summer Fine Motor Kit Printable no-prep Summer fine motor activities and fine motor worksheets designed to build strong hands.
          • Handwriting Practice for Summer
          • Summer Bridge Workbooks – These workbooks are my go-to suggestion for parents. I used these with my own girls 20 years ago and they are still very popular.  Must be a good sign. I like that there are specific pages for each day on different subject matter to touch all the academic areas without being overwhelming  Prevent summer learning loss! Summer Bridge Activities is an AWARD-WINNING summer learning series that is an easy and proven way to help children retain their classroom skills. Research shows that on average, children can lose 2.8 months of grade-level equivalency skills over their summer vacation. By using Summer Bridge Activities books students enter their new grades prepared and confident.  These are available at other retailers, but I like all the information presented on their website.  Check out the contents of each book before deciding on a level. Some learners are going to be too advanced for their grade group. Whereas struggling students may need to drop down a level or two.
          • Teachers Pay Teachers is another one of my favorite websites for resources.  This search for Summer Packets brought up multiple different suggestions.
          • Check out this June Morning Work activity packet aimed at kindergarten level students. Carry over the important daily routine with a daily work page.

          SUMMER ACTIVITIES TO GET YOU MOVING

          A good mix of summer occupational therapy activities including indoor AND outdoor activities is great to add to your schedule. These activities use things you have around the house or can easily find at the Dollar Store.

          Summer CHOICE BOARD

          An increasingly popular option for home and summer programs is the Choice Board. A choice board is a visual tool that teachers can use in their classrooms to allow students to… make choices! Choice boards consist of two or more options of activities for students to complete.

          The teacher specifies what choices are available, and the student selects what activity (or activities) they’ll do. Choice boards give students a chance to make decisions about what they are going to do.  Eventually they will get all the activities done, so it does not really matter which order they get them done.

          Some choice boards are made to give students choices without having to do all the activities.  For instance, pick 3 from the board for homework.

          Summer Outings that build skills

          Summer programs would not be the same without outings!  Not everything has to cost a ton of money.  There are lots of summer programs for kids out there. Here are a few ideas that are free or low cost:

          • Summer bowling program
          • Movie series – older movies during the summer that only cost a few dollars
          • Library – the library usually has a book challenge or other activities like Lego club, book club, arts and crafts, and more
          • Recreation Center – check out your local recreation center for activities.  They usually offer lower cost summer camps as well as great activities.
          • Staycation – have you seen all there is to do in your home town?  How about being a tourist for a few days and check out the local sights.
          • Membership – a summer membership can help create a summer schedule. If you go enough times, the cost is minimal. We loved the aquarium, zoo, water park, amusement park, children’s museum, and more
          • Classes – several places offer fun classes during the summer. The craft painting and pottery places offer classes. Usually the dance studios have something going on, as well as the gymnastic centers.
          • Bible Camp – if this is your preference, Bible camps are usually free and you can check out more than one church.

          MY SUMMER PLANS

          This is only the third year in my 30 years as an OT to have summers off. You can bet I am super excited!  We have travel plans galore.  I am thinking of adding the Summer bucket challenge for adults to my summer plans.

          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.

          Visual Noise and Learning

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          Visual noise in the classroom

          In this post you will be discovering how to create a calm classroom, specifically tips to avoid the visual noise that distracts learning in the school environment. Classroom décor and organization can directly effect the engagement level of children in any classroom or learning space. When the environment is too visually stimulating, a student’s ability to focus becomes difficult. Keeping children’s attention can become frustrating. When a classroom environment that is soothing and organized is created, children are better able to stay engaged. In this blog, you will learn about the three different ways to make your classroom visually calm. 

          Visual noise in the classroom

          What is Visual Noise?

          When working with children, teachers think about all of the colors of the rainbow, and want to make classrooms bright and cheery. So many classroom theme sets have fun colors, bright designs, and patterns, contrasting bulletin board boarders, etc. Many believe that having a colorful classroom will keep children interested and engaged. 

          Visual Noise is just that: a visually distracting, or “noisy” visual scene in the classroom. A lot of teachers set up bulletin boards throughout the room with cut-outs in various themes: animal/monster/any theme , alphabet stickers, and painted murals on the walls. Maybe your classroom has a circle time rug that includes the ten different color squares. Perhaps you want to make sure all the children have something they like to do, so you have 20 fine motor choices in the manipulative area. 

          There is just one problem with using these types of visuals in the classroom, they are distracting! 

          • The bulletin boards all around the room are adorable, and fun to look at. So during circle time, you might find a child gazing at the wall, figuring out what new item is there. 
          • When there are rugs filled with colors, you may notice children looking down at the rug, maybe at the bright colors, while singing the color song in their head.
          • If teachers provide too many choices in one area of the classroom, children work with one toy for three minutes, then they are onto the next, without honing in, or practicing the skills that were intended.
          • For young children, and lots of adults, less is more! 

          visual processing

          Humans use vision from birth, to engage with the world around them. The way your brain process what you see, impacts how you interpret your interactions with the environment, and the people around you. To learn more about vision, this amazing PDF discusses visual hypersensitivity and under-sensitivity (or sensory seeking). 

          There are some visual processing red flags that may indicate difficulties with visual processing or ocular motor control:

          • Increased sensitivity to light
          • Easily distracted by visual stimuli, or difficulty sustaining visual attention to an activity
          • Frequently squints, rubs eyes, or gets a headache after visually demanding tasks such as reading, using a phone/tablet/computer, or watching television
          • Loses place in reading or writing
          • Trouble finding things they are looking for, even when they seem to be “right in front of them”
          • Distractions with reading
          • Difficulty tracking visual information
          • Difficulty initiating or holding eye contact
          • Difficulty focusing on one piece of visual information
          • Increased fear of, or desire for, being in the dark
          • Difficulty discriminating between similar shapes, letters, or pictures
          • Letter reversals or number reversals
          • Difficulties with handwriting such as letter reversals, sizing, spacing, or alignment of letters
          • Frequently loses their place while reading or copying
          • Often bumps into things
          • May be slow or hesitant with stairs
          • Difficulty with visually stimulating activities, i.e., puzzles, locating objects in pictures, completing mazes, word searches or dot-to-dots
          • Trouble knowing left from right or writing with both hands

          How to reduce visual noise when planning your classroom

          When planning out your classroom, visual stimulation is important, however there are many ways to make sure there is reduced visual noise, so the environment is not overwhelming.

          Think about how you feel when you go to the spa. Those deep earthy wall colors calm your bodies and nerves instantly! The Montessori and Reggio Emilia educational philosophies advise visual components as a way to keep their classroom calm and focused.

          The Reggio Emilia philosophy recognizes the environment as the child’s third teacher. What is in a child’s environment, how it’s organized, and what it looks like, directly impacts what a child will learn that day. 

          two ways to make sure your environment is visually calming 

          Colors – When picking out colors for your classroom, whether it be for the furniture, rugs, or wall decor, the best way to support a calm visual classroom, is to choose more natural colors. These include blues, greens and browns.

          • Choose toy baskets, or white bins, as opposed to brightly colored ones.
          • Consider turning toy shelves around or covering with neutral fabric to further reduce visual noise.
          • Choose predictable carpet rugs (Amazon affiliate link) like this one, instead of random colorful squares. Carpet samples of neutral colors are an excellent idea to create boundaries while limiting visual distraction.
          • When decorating your walls, allow for empty blank space, and use more of children’s artwork. Consider the use of cloth and fabric.

          Classroom Organization – When choosing how many activities and materials to place in each are of your classroom, keep in mind that less is more! When children have too many options to choose from, this can create a short attention span, and overwhelm from choice overload.

          Organization in the classroom can mean stacks of papers, tons of sticky notes, messy desks, and disorganized files, too.

          In a typical preschool classroom, there are 8 areas of learning: art, fine motor, science, reading, dramatic play, block, large motor and snack! When you use furniture to visually create specific spaces for each center, the classroom is organized, and children know what is expected of them in each area.

          Older classrooms may not have the toys, block areas, and motor components, but there are designated areas: group areas, centers, desks, cubbies, or lockers, teacher areas, information centers, etc. All of these areas can be considered when it comes to visual input.

          This blog from Lovely Connection, on preschool classroom set up, includes important aspects to think about as you plan your classroom layout. She includes information about including noise, popularity, supervision, boundaries, space, and the race track (when kids run around the room in a circular pattern!)

          What happens when children are still overwhelmed, even when the environments are visually calming?

          When a child feels overwhelmed for any reason, having a calm down corner, that is easily accessible and they can stay in as long as they need, is a must have.  My “Soothing Sammy Emotions Program.” is an effective calm down area because students are excited to spend time with the adorable golden retriever Sammy. Not only does “The Sammy Program” teach children how to calm down, it guides them through communication and problem solving situations in a visual way that isn’t overwhelming.

          Check out this great blog about visual processing and visual efficiency from the OT Toolbox archives. When a child has visual processing difficulties, they have a harder time taking in visual information, and processing it in order to make sense of it.

          This visual processing bundle, also available in the Toolbox, can support children who are demonstrating visual processing challenges. 

          The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook (also available on Amazon) written by Colleen Beck of the OT Toolbox, is a great resource to start understanding sensory processing disorders.

          A final note about visual noise

          Visual noise doesn’t only occur indoors, it can happen outdoors, especially if there is a lot of activity and sunlight. Being mindful of the visual stimuli outdoors, is just as important as setting up an indoor classroom.

          If you have a child who is having a hard time visually processing their environment outside, these visual sensory activities can be completed outdoors to support their sensory system.

          While considering visual sensory overload in the classroom, also be sure to check out our resource on auditory sensitivities in the classroom. Both are very useful in setting up an inclusive classroom environment for success.

          Classroom themes are adorable and cute! When planning your classroom, keep in mind how “busy” and overstimulating different colors and amount of objects can be. This will help keep your students calm and engaged. Although everyone processes their environment differently, anyone can all benefit from a more calming environment, especially when learning new skills! 

          Jeana Kinne is a veteran preschool teacher and director. She has over 20 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Her Bachelors Degree is in Child Development and her Masters Degree is in Early Childhood Education. She has spent over 10 years as a coach, working with Parents and Preschool Teachers, and another 10 years working with infants and toddlers with special needs. She is also the author of the “Sammy the Golden Dog” series, teaching children important skills through play.

          How to Support Sensory Needs in the Cafeteria

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          how to support sensory needs in the school lunchroom

          The cafeteria is a terrible place for people with sensory sensitivities.  If you have ever joined your child for lunch at school, you will agree.  Two hundred or more children, 1000 different smells, and the chaotic noise level do not create a great eating environment for anyone. In this post we will explore how to support sensory needs in the cafeteria. For the school based OT, the cafeteria can be an alternate environment for addressing daily functional needs. Because this setting is so commonly targeted in school occupational therapy, we wanted to create a blog post centered around the sensory considerations in the school cafeteria.

          How to support sensory needs in the school lunchroom

          There are three great steps I use to try and untangle the web of sensory processing difficulties. I try and understand, communicate, and accommodate.  When the behavior is noticed first, we tend to focus on that, without taking the time to understand and learn what is really going on. If a behavior is based on a sensory reaction, often it will diminish once the sensory needs are addressed.

          Much like the sensory stimulation of a fire drill, the sights, sounds, scents, and overwhelming amount of people in the cafeteria can result in sensory overload. We might see sensory dysregulation pop up and if this happens on a regular basis, we might even see overstimulation anxiety because the student knows this highly stimulating experience is coming up at a specific time each school day. It’s very stressful!

          This post is just one of several, highlighting strategies and tips to understand, communicate, and accommodate sensory needs. “How to support sensory needs in the cafeteria” is an excerpt from my book, Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.  I wrote this book to provide a road map to assist caregivers in navigating environments and settings that trigger sensory outbursts daily.  It is a great resource for therapists, educators, and caregivers.

          How to support sensory needs in the cafeteria

          The first of many strategies on how to support sensory needs in the cafeteria includes understanding what senses may be triggered in this environment.  This sensory input may be great for seekers, or too much for avoiders:

          Understand

          Almost all your senses can be considered in the cafeteria lunch room:

          • Visual:  200 children, 100 different food items, sitting close to peers, people eating with their fingers, people chewing with their mouths open, messy eating, lunch boxes, trays, drinks, food, and containers all create a visual distraction.  This makes it difficult to focus on eating when there is this much visual stimuli present. Sometimes it takes a combination of input to send a person into overload, while for others one event such as watching someone lick their fingers can be a trigger.
          • Olfactory:  200 children and 100 different food items combine to form thousands of combinations of smells.  One food might smell fine, but when added to twenty others, it is an unbearable combination. The brain and olfactory system have difficulty making sense of the number of the smells coming in at once.  For me, smelling food at a time or place it “does not belong” is a big trigger.  I cannot tolerate the smell of lunch foods cooking early in the morning, or someone bringing their smelly lunch into our office.
          • Auditory:  200 children all whispering at the same time creates a loud noise, especially when combined with eating noises, chewing, burping, gulping, licking fingers, and smacking lips.  Misophonia is a newer term used to describe the hatred people feel toward certain sounds, especially the sound of chewing food. Plus, then you have trays dropping, teachers yelling announcements, kids that get louder and louder it seems…the sudden sounds, students moving quickly through the lunch lines…all of this combines to impact the sensory sensitive person, especially when it comes to auditory sensitivities.
          • Gustatory:  students buy cooked lunch food, or bring food from home.  Unexpected or disliked food options can present an issue for a picky eater.  While the cafeteria is an opportunity to try new foods by sharing with peers, this is not advised, as allergens and germs can be spread this way. 
          • Tactile:  many children sitting in proximity, sitting on benches, touching feet underneath the table, touching food, and struggling to open different containers can quickly feel overwhelming.  The sensory avoider has difficulty processing this much tactile input, while the sensory seeker becomes energized and craves more.
          • Proprioception:  sitting close to other people can set off alarm bells to someone who is sensitive.   A person without body boundaries struggles to stay seated and keep an appropriate distance from their peers.
          • Vestibular:  while attempting to sit still for a length of time the students will be in and out of their chairs, leaning on the table, standing at the table, or moving around the room.  Some students have such difficulty sitting still, they are unable to do anything else.
          • Emotional/behavioral:  anxiety, lack of control of the situation, lack of self-control, frustration, anger, interrogation, inability to express oneself, and excitement all contribute to acting out behaviors.  Often the behavior is noticed first when there is a sensory trigger.

          When the senses overload, we might see a fight or fright reaction, impacting the limbic system. Overwhelming sensory input can trigger an automatic safety response called a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. We might see all kinds of sensory responses as a result.

          There is visual noise where there is overwhelming background noise constantly. There are a lot of moving pieces happening all at once. Sometimes a simple conversation can ease the anxiety and set the stage for new or difficult situations.

          Lunchroom Sensory story

          The second strategy for how to support sensory needs in the cafeteriais learning to communicate about sensory preferences; how things look and feel, and what can be done to make life easier to navigate. 

          This is a sample conversation about the cafeteria:

          “The cafeteria is where you eat lunch.  There are many other students eating at the same time.  This can be a fun break for some, while overwhelming to others.  It is important to eat good food while you are at school to help you learn, focus, stay healthy, and grow.  We can decide together if we are going to pack you a lunch from home or have you buy food at school.  We can decide each day by looking at the menu.  There are rules to follow in the cafeteria to keep everyone safe, and I need you to make good choices while you are eating.”

          You’ll want to make the lunch room sensory story very specific to the individual. This means that you want to include specifics about the time the student goes to lunch, where they sit, and the routine that they need to follow for getting their lunch and putting their tray back, or where they get their packed lunch from and where they throw away trash. These specifics mean that it’s difficult to use a social story found online or on websites as a download, because the overwhelming nature of the school lunch room is different for each individual because of the specifics of the setting, which is completely unique for each school.

          But, you can use the cafeteria sensory story in different ways, which can be very beneficial:

          • Laminate the lunchroom sensory story and use it each day as a handout on the lunch table. The student can use a dry erase marker to check off tasks as they happen.
          • Put a small version of the cafeteria sensory story into the student’s lunchbox. This can be laminated as well.
          • Read through a lunchroom sensory story before going into the cafeteria. This can be incorporated as part of the student’s routine.

          Sensory Questionnaire for the Cafeteria

          One thing that is helpful is to do a sensory questionnaire with the student to really identify where the sensory challenges are popping up. A sensory processing checklist is helpful for this.

          These are some questions to ask someone about their perception of the cafeteria:

          • Do you like the cafeteria?  Do you like sitting with your class all together?
          • What can you smell in the cafeteria?  What smells great or terrible?
          • Do you like the food in front of you?  What is your favorite?  Do you eat all your food each day?  If not, what makes it hard to eat in the cafeteria?
          • Is it loud in the cafeteria?  Do you even notice the noise?  What can you hear?  Does it make it harder to concentrate on your food, or are you able to tune out the chaos?  Can you hear people eating, talking, chewing, and moving around?
          • Are you having trouble staying in your seat for a long time?  Do you like sitting this close to people or do you feel like people are in your space?
          • Is it hard to have conversation while trying to filter out all the noises and eat at the same time?  Would you rather sit quietly; maybe with a book, or at the end of the table?
          • Are you able to open all the containers, cut/scoop your food, use a napkin, and drink from your cup?
          • Do you like touching the food, or would you rather have a fork?  Do you need more napkins or wipes so you do not feel so messy? Are you spilling food on your face, hands, or table?

          Accommodate by learning how to support sensory needs in the cafeteria

          Step three involves making accommodations to assist a person with sensory processing disorder navigate the environment easier, and with less distress. 

          For example, autism and the loud noises or sudden noises can impact the rest of the day. Keeping this in mind, caregivers can help the transition go smoothly before, during, and after lunch time. Some things that specifically might help include visual schedules, a visual timer (Amazon affiliate link), noise cancelling headphones (Amazon affiliate link), quiet sitting spaces, and transition strategies for entering and leaving the cafeteria.

          Some people frown on making accommodations as they feel it is giving people a crutch or making excuses.  Always keep your end goal in perspective. Is the goal of the cafeteria to sit quietly and enjoy the meal like everyone else, or to refuel and get nourishment for the rest of the day? 

          • Provide accommodations such as ear plugs, headphones, compression vest, weighted vest, or lap pad.
          • Consider possible flexible seating options.
          • Provide preferential seating at the end of the row to minimize distractions.
          • Create a sensory friendly table away from the crowd for the children who are overwhelmed.  This can be called the sensory table or the overflow table.  Children can choose to sit at one of these smaller tables if they are feeling over-stimulated.  This separate table is to foster improved self-regulation, not to make the student feel punished or isolated.
          • Create smaller areas for dining such as an empty classroom.  Smaller areas help children focus on their food.
          • Essential oils help mask noxious odors.  A child can wear an essential oil necklace or have a drop of oil under his nose which may be more pleasing than the combination of smells in the cafeteria.
          • Talk to the child about what foods are preferential, as well as the ones that are going to be difficult to eat.  Cafeteria staff and the teacher can work with families to decide if hot lunch is preferential, versus a packed lunch from home. 
          • Allow the child to stand at the table and eat if sitting is proving to be too much to handle. As long as the child stays in his designated spot while eating, this can be an acceptable choice.  It is not acceptable for children to walk around the room with bites of food in their mouth.
          • Provide conversation starters to aid in social skills.
          • Be specific about the cafeteria rules.  These might include: no throwing food, stay seated, do not share food, use a napkin, use utensils, chew with your mouth closed, and clean up after yourself.
          • Be sure the child can open all their containers.  Provide safety scissors for opening baggies if the child does not have the strength or coordination to pull them open.
          • Allow middle school or older students to read quietly instead of talking; if socializing is too overwhelming.  While social skills are important, lunch can be a nice break time during the day.  Students can use this time as a sensory break, by engaging in a book.  Ask your students why they might prefer to read instead of talking to friends.  Is it because they need help socializing, are being teased, or they would prefer a break during the day.

          Real Life Examples of situations observed in the cafeteria

          We often see or hear about situations in daily life that do not make sense. By being able to understand and untangle these situations, it is easier to provide support.

          The child or person:

          • sits in the cafeteria for the 20-minute allotted time but does not eat.  The cafeteria is overwhelming to the child with sensory sensitivity.  Children with sensory processing disorder often have difficulty maintaining focus; they are unable to do much more than remain in their chair.  Providing accommodations or preferential seating can help the child maintain his arousal level and focus enough to eat.
          • is disruptive.  The cafeteria is overwhelming and less structured than the regular classroom.  Adding accommodations or preferential seating can help the child focus and make better choices.
          • is awkward with peers.  Social skills are difficult to learn and use correctly.  Socializing is even more difficult when trying to eat while filtering out all the distractions in the cafeteria.  Provide opportunities for good socialization, such as conversation starters or topics.
          • gets out of his seat to move around the room.  The cafeteria is overwhelming and unstructured time, therefore self-control tends to deteriorate in this space.  Adding accommodations such as a wiggle cushion, ankle weights, head phones, ear plugs, preferential seating, or standing on one spot instead of sitting can help the student maintain self-control.
          • gags or covers their face.  There are many different smells and sights in the cafeteria, including cooked lunches and food brought from home.  A sensitive child may have difficulty filtering these different odors and visual input.  The combination of smells may prove to be too much.  Preferential seating at the end of the table away from the center of the smells, sitting further away from the kitchen, or adding essential oils to mask the odors can help.

          Fun activities about how to support sensory needs in the cafeteria

          Sometimes children are not able to sit quietly when they are waiting or finished with what they are supposed to be doing.  Adding a few quiet ideas to pass the time can be great.  Of course some of the items are not going to be appropriate for the cafeteria, but can be used in other settings:

          • Waiting Games for Kids – these games are great for times when waiting is necessary. In an effort to get away from screen time, these are great suggestions.
          • Practice walking in line activities to work on spatial awareness.
          • Use a toolbox of coping strategies.
          • Focus on body awareness.
          • Focus on turn taking in getting food from the cafeteria line, waiting for dismissal, etc.
          • Would you rather questions– Ask each other questions which begin “would you rather”? The Measured Mom has 100 questions you can print out if you prefer to keep a supply in your bag.
          • 20 Questions – this is a classic game that never gets old. Use this for students who are finished eating, waiting, or having difficulty getting their body organized
          • Riddles and brain puzzles are a great way to quietly get kids thinking about something other than the cafeteria
          • Social stories are another great idea for how to support sensory needs in the cafeteria.  This set of fun and engaging social skills activities are a great starting point to help students navigate acceptable cafeteria behavior and tackle social and emotion problem-solving situations.
          • Cafeteria Expectations activity- Often, students forget proper cafeteria behavior. You can easily review and help your students be ready with this movement game and craft.
          • The OT Toolbox is full of great resources.  Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes –  This guide can assist caregivers, individuals, families, therapists, and teachers untangle the web of senses to give correct guidance and assistance.  The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook – The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is your strategy guide for turning sensory diets and sensory activities into a sensory lifestyle. The Sensory Processing Disorder Handbook – This 26 page guide explains SPD in easy-to-understand terms.
          • Social stories for the lunch room.
          • Take some time after eating lunch in the lunchroom and calm down or regulate in the calm down corner or a school sensory room.

          Sensory Lunchroom Considerations

          Because of my sensory “issues,” I avoid the cafeteria like the plague. Luckily for me, not much OT treatment has to be done in the cafeteria. I can work on feeding, opening containers, and social skills in the classroom. 

          However, when the cafeteria is the best option, I take a deep breath and forge ahead. Teachers and other staff can easily be triggered by environments as well as children. Structure sensory breaks after overwhelming situations for both staff and students, and encourage accommodations as needed.

          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.

          What is Overstimulation Anxiety?

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          overstimulation anxiety

          Do everyday environments like the grocery store, the mall, or your office leave you feeling anxious and stressed? Does the thought of going to these places that are highly overstimulating with sights, sounds, smell…and people… fill you with dread or a sense of anxiety? If you answered yes to both these questions, you might be suffering from overstimulation anxiety, or some aspect of social emotional skills worries. Our kiddos that we work with with sensory processing needs probably have some aspect of stress associated with overstimulation, and maybe even a sense of doom that they feel when thinking about or heading into stimulating environments.

          overstimulation anxiety

          In this post we will explore what is overstimulation anxiety, what causes it, and therapeutic interventions to help minimize symptoms. Overstimulation anxiety can play a huge role in sensory dysregulation, especially when it comes to self regulation and the ability to use coping tools to support the worries!

          Our resource on sensory processing red flags can be a helpful tool as well because it highlights how sensory processing issues, like overstimulation worries, might show up as our OT kids being overwhelmed and overstimulated.

          What is overstimulation anxiety?

          Sensory overload (another term for overstimulation) is when your five senses — sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste — take in more information than your brain can process. When your brain is overwhelmed and overstimulated by this input, it enters fight, flight, or freeze mode in response to what feels like a crisis, making you feel unsafe or even panicky. Read more about this in our blog post on the limbic system.

          All of this recognizes the ability to check in with emotions and feelings. This is can be a real challenge point for some of our kids! It requires:

          When suffering from overstimulation anxiety, also known as sensory overload anxiety, you may experience sensory overload in unfamiliar environments, when you are surrounded by new people, or when expectations are unknown to you. Your senses become heightened and perhaps you are over-responsive to sensory information that would not affect a person without anxiety.

          To learn more about situations that can trigger overstimulation anxiety, check out my book, Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes. It is a comprehensive guide to helping yourself or others navigate different environments. It is broken down into chapters for ease of scanning to find the relevant information.  Ultimately, the book answers the question, “why do they do that?”

          If you are a child or adult with sensory processing dysfunction, it is probable that being in certain situations will cause you anxiety. The fear of not knowing what sensory experiences may arise is enough to cause you to have a heightened arousal level and be anxious about the “what-if’s” or “maybe’s,” with new experiences. It can even lead to a sensory meltdown.

          What is sensory overload

          What is Sensory Overload?

          So what is sensory overload? According to WebMd, sensory overload and anxiety are mental health conditions that are deeply related to one another. In some studies, up to 80% of people with sensory processing difficulties experience anxiety. When a person feels anxious or already overwhelmed, they may be more prone to experiencing sensory overload in certain situations. Likewise, experiencing sensory overload can make you feel a sense of anxiety. 

          Sensory overload and anxiety are mental health conditions! It’s when overwhelming sensory input interferes with our ability to filter out unnecessary and conflicting sensory input. This impacts participation in daily tasks.

          So, whether your anxiety causes sensory processing difficulties or your sensory issues cause your anxiety, it is important to address both manifestations.

          The way I like to explain it is by describing a busy mall at Christmas time. The lights, crowds, sounds, hustle and bustle are VERY overwhelming. We even wrote a blog post about Christmas mindfulness that goes into this a little more. It’s very overwhelming and that sensory overload is just too much for many of us!

          Another way to explain it is by describing therapy burnout that most of us are familiar with. The feeling of overwhelming stress because of productivity, caseloads, extra tasks, emails, phone calls, and everything else that puts us on the verge of burning out. Adding extra sensory input like a jackhammer outside your window will likely cause an overload and you might want to just toss your desk…but you likely won’t. Our kids with sensory needs, however, just might toss that desk.

          What causes sensory overload?

          According to the folks over at Psych Central, there are many causes of sensory overload, and some underlying conditions that can make you more sensitive to sensory overload. 

          • Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)– People with higher levels of SPS, or heightened awareness and reactions to their environment, are also known as highly sensitive people. Being highly sensitive is a personality trait, with about 1 in 5 people fitting into this category. Take the sensitive person quiz to find out if you are an HSP.
          • Sensory processing disorder (SPD)– SPD is usually diagnosed in childhood, although adults can also get a diagnosis. It involves either much higher or much lower responses to sensory input than most people experience.
          • Autism spectrum disorder. Autistic people are more likely to experience both SPD and anxiety.
          • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)– People with all types of ADHD may also experience higher rates of sensory overload than people without neurodevelopmental conditions.
          • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)– Experiences of trauma that cause PTSD can create more hypervigilance, or awareness of your surroundings. People with PTSD may experience more sensory overload and anxiety in response to sensations that remind them of past trauma.
          • Anxiety disorders– Many anxiety disorders, but particularly generalized anxiety disorder, have been linked to sensory processing issues.

          What are the symptoms of overstimulation anxiety?

          Overstimulation can be triggered by too much input in the environment. You might feel overwhelmed and sensitive to

          • bright lights, chaotic movement, or a cluttered environment
          • rough, tight, or itchy clothes
          • loud noises, voices, or music
          • scents including chemicals and perfumes
          • foods with strong flavors
          • hot or cold temperatures
          • too many people in one place (body awareness and proprioceptive sense when there are people in your space)

          As a reaction to overstimulation, you might feel:

          • overwhelm that makes you want to either shut down or have a meltdown
          • irritation or rage
          • tension in your face, neck, shoulders, or back
          • having either too many thoughts in your mind, or none at all
          • exhaustion
          • dissociation, or being separated from yourself and your surroundings

          Because children have limited problem solving, language, and emotional regulation, their responses are often more exaggerated. They exhibit tantrums, meltdowns, shutdown, or other maladaptive behavioral reactions. We notice the behavior first, however, meltdowns caused by overstimulation usually can be traced back to a trigger.

          What can you do to help combat sensory overload anxiety?

          Speak to your doctor. Your doctor can help you navigate mental health resources by suggesting specific therapy sessions or medications that could be helpful. Depending on your age, particular triggers, and any associated conditions that you may have, your doctor may recommend some kind of anti-anxiety medication or antidepressant. 

          Self Care. Keeping yourself well-rested, well-fed, and hydrated are easy ways to empower yourself should you encounter an unexpectedly difficult or overwhelming situation. You can also explore techniques like meditation, mindfulness, and breathing exercises to help yourself de-escalate if you find your sense of anxiety on the rise. 

          Different types of therapy. Many people find that therapy can be very helpful in navigating anxiety and developing tactics for managing difficult situations.

          Identify and avoid triggers. Once you are aware of the particular sensations, situations, or stimuli that make you feel overwhelmed, you can make efforts to stay clear of them. Being upfront with your friends and family can allow them to help you avoid these triggers, too. For example, instead of enjoying a birthday celebration in a busy restaurant, opt for someone’s quiet backyard. Instead of visiting a crowded, loud theater, host a video viewing party at home.

          Create a support network – Reaching out to friends and family and sharing with them the struggles you are facing can allow them to offer support. Helping them to understand what you are going through can also make you feel less alone. 

          Some situations that cannot be avoided can be helped with therapy, medication, and a supportive social network.

          Tips for dealing with overstimulation anxiety

          There are certain steps you can take on your own to help address your struggle with overstimulation. These are not replacements for therapy but can help you cope with sensory overload in the moment. Here are some tips to address overstimulation:

          • Control your environment – Making sure to avoid environments that are full of triggers is a way to help alleviate the frequency of your symptoms. You may find you need to avoid loud concerts, or big parties, or make accommodations to better tolerate them.
          • Create a safe space – The world is full of unknowns, and creating a space where you can feel at ease is one way to help give you peace of mind. We call this a personal bubble when helping kids with this safe space. We can also help them to understand personal space. Try to create a space that you can go to feel safe. Somewhere that is free of any triggers that may cause you to feel overstimulated. This is what sparked the Man Cave and She Shed!
          • Develop a plan – There are only so many ways to control our environment. Preparing for situations in which you may be exposed to a trigger can help you feel more at ease when going out into the world. Practicing deep breathing exercises, engaging in positive self-talk, keeping noise-canceling headphones (affiliate link) nearby, and developing an exit strategy for situations that might trigger you can make you feel more prepared. I travel with earplugs (affiliate link) and a sweater wherever I go.  As a side note, I have tried all types of earplugs and find Mighty Plugs to be superior.
          • Stay healthy – Getting regular and high-quality sleep, exercising, and eating a healthy diet are all ways to stay one step ahead of overwhelming situations. If you do these things, the likelihood of feeling prepared for whatever challenges you might face is much higher. You may find you are extra sensitive when you are tired or hungry. A little beach therapy goes a long way!
          • Communicate your needs – Whether it is at work or school, communicating your needs is an important part of living with sensory overload episodes. It is possible that accommodations can be made to help you feel more comfortable in the spaces that you need to attend.  Open and honest communication can make you feel vulnerable. It is worth the trade off for some peace of mind.

          Additional resources

          Taking a look at the input from the environment with “sensory eyes” means that we look at how the sensory information can be a form of overwhelm!

          overwhelmed and overstimulated

          If you or someone you care for struggles with overstimulation anxiety to the point that the overwhelm becomes too much for functioning in day to day tasks, you/they are not alone. This is not a behavioral disorder, or a personality trait. It is caused by something in the wiring of the brain. Try and think of it that way, as if it was a vision or hearing loss. Keep returning back to the feelings and advice you would give to someone who needed glasses.

          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.

          Sensory Needs and Navigating the School Fire Drill

          by
          fire drills and autism

          Who remembers a childhood fire drill?  Did you know that memories are driven by emotions?  People remember times or events that trigger emotional responses because of the overwhelming input leads to sensory dysregulation.  Luckily having a few strategies in place can help the child with sensory needs navigate a fire drill.

          sensory needs and fire drills

          Sensory Processing and Fire Drills

          A fire alarm is one of them. If you work in a school system (school based OT or otherwise), you are probably faced with regularly scheduled fire drills. In the southern United States, there are also tornado and earthquake drills. Due to the increasing number of school shootings, a lock down drill has also been implemented. 

          The sudden sound, moving quickly out of the building, excitement/fear during the event, and an unexpected change in routine during the day, can create a lasting memory for a sensitive person, especially when it comes to auditory sensitivities.

          The fire drill does not have to be a traumatic event. In this post we will learn about Navigating the School Fire Drill; including understanding, communicating, and accommodating for sensory processing difficulties.

          Navigating the School Fire Drill

          Fire alarms are not isolated to school buildings. While teaching a seminar last year in a large hotel, the fire alarm went off.  This brought up old feelings and memories as people rushed out of the building to gather near the tree outside of the building.  There was no protocol to gather by the tree, however, old habits die hard!  The adults were able to fairly quickly resume class after the fire alarm was resolved, however, some people were shaken.  A person with sensory processing disorder can be out of sync for several minutes, or the rest of the day. For example, autism and loud noises can impact the rest of the day. Keeping this in mind, caregivers can help the transition go smoothly during and after the alarm.

          While this post focuses on navigating the school fire drill or alarm, the information can easily transfer to anywhere there might be an alarm.

          Today’s post comes from an excerpt from my book, Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes. It is a comprehensive guide to helping yourself or others navigate different environments.  I broke it down into chapters for ease of scanning to find the relevant information.  Ultimately, the book answers the question, “why do they do that?”

          There are three steps you can implement when working on helping someone with sensory difficulties (or typical people who need to learn to prepare for something new).  Understanding, communicating, and accommodating are great strategies.

          Fire Drills and Sensory Processing

          The first step to repair and remediate the sensory reaction and response is to understand what is going on when trying to navigate the school fire drill.

          Almost all your senses can be triggered during a fire alarm:

          • Visual:  flashing lights, disorganized movements, lots of people rushing down the hall or stairs, many children and adults moving at the same time, fire truck, and fire fighters.  It is especially difficult to process all of this concurrent visual information, as there is an expectation to move quickly.
          • Auditory:  alarm buzzing or beeping, children and adults talking, children crying, fire trucks, opening and closing doors, shuffling feet, and moving furniture.  Sudden unexpected sounds and disorganized sounds happening at the same time creates auditory chaos.
          • Tactile:  several people close together, who might bump into each other, the difference in air temperature from indoors to outside, quickly donning coat or hat, or bumping into parts of the building. In a tornado drill students sit in the hallway with their head tucked down, or under a mat or desk.  Sitting under a desk can be especially confining to a sensitive person.
          • Proprioception:  sudden disorganization can cause a decrease in body awareness.  A person may trip over his feet, fall on the stairs, bump into people, get too close, push people out of the way, or stumble.  In a tornado drill students sit close together, under a desk or mat, tucked into a ball, or against the wall.  This feels overwhelming to a sensory avoider.  The amount of activity can be stimulating and exciting to a seeker.
          • Vestibular:  child may become disoriented by the sudden movement, walking down the stairs, and quickly navigating the building. Sounds and other incoming information can increase vestibular disorganization.
          • Olfactory:  the close proximity of many people, or fire/smoke odors if there is an actual fire.  Not being able to get away from smells can feel overwhelming to a person who is sensitive.
          • Emotions:  Maladaptive behavioral reactions can be caused by: fear, anxiety, excitement, clumsiness, impulsivity, lack of control, difficulty following directions, difficulty processing what is being said, shut down, or defiance can cause maladaptive behavioral reactions.  The emotions are often the first outward signal of distress.

          All of the sensory input happening during this time is especially a challenge because for the child with sensory processing needs, or regulation needs, this is very sudden input. Sometimes teachers know that the drill is going to happen and other times they don’t. We need to keep our kiddos safe during this time but the onslaught of input can be very distressing for some of our students.

          We see a hit to the limbic system, the sensory system receives sensory messages, like the shrill fire drill sound, and directs them to the part of the brain that needs to process it to keep us safe. The sudden sensory input can trigger an automatic safety response called a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. We might see all kinds of sensory responses as a result.

          COMMUNICATION

          The second step to seeing the community through “sensory eyes” and navigating the school fire drills, is learning to communicate about sensory preferences, how things look and feel, and what can be done to make life easier to navigate.  When you think about all of the visual input happening during a fire drill, it can be a lot for those with sensory needs.

          There is visual noise in the way of students and classrooms rushing to their designated safe space. There are a lot of moving pieces happening all at once. Sometimes a simple conversation can ease the anxiety and set the stage for new or difficult situations.

          conversations about the fire alarm

          The loud fire alarm sound can be very distressing. Having a conversation about the fire alarm can help.

          This is what a conversation about the fire alarm might sound like

          “There are times when the fire alarm will go off.  Sometimes it will be a drill.  Let me explain what this is.  In the event of a real emergency, we need to know what to do, so we will practice first.  The fire alarm is very loud. It lets us know there is an emergency, and we will need to move quickly.  When you hear the alarm, get out of your seat, and make a line at the door.  We will go down the hallway, down the stairs, out the back door, and stand by the tree at the far end of the parking lot.  I will count and make sure we are all here.

          we can go back inside after the drill or emergency is finished. There will be a fire truck and fire fighters.  They are here to help us.  If it is a drill, there is no emergency, just a practice.  The fire fighters will talk to the principal and we can go back inside.  If it is an emergency, they will do their job to make sure the building is safe before we go back in.

          It is important to follow directions and stay together.  Let everyone do their job and remember each person has a different job to do.  Focus on your own job.  What is your job during a fire alarm?

          If everyone follows directions, it will go quickly and smoothly.”

          Ask Students Questions about Fire Drills

          These are some questions you can ask to understand the fire drill better:

          (You can modify or eliminate some questions depending on the audience)

          • How do you feel about the upcoming fire drill after hearing about it?
          • Do you remember other fire drills, or is this the first?
          • How did you feel after going to the fire drill?
          • Were you scared the noise the alarm made?
          • Were you able to follow directions and listen?
          • Was it exciting doing something new and different?
          • Do you have questions about why there is a fire drill?
          • How did you know it was a drill and not an emergency?
          • What do you do differently in a real emergency?   Answer: nothing. Treat a drill the same as a real emergency.
          • Did anyone cry during the drill?  What can you do to be a good friend?
          • If the sound of the alarm bothers you, what can you do?

          How to Accommodate for Fire Drills

          The third step in navigating the school fire drill involves making accommodations to assist people with or without sensory processing disorder participate in the event easier, and with less distress.  As with most sensory adaptations, it is a lot of trial and error to determine what the right combination is for each of your students.

          • Provide ear protectors for sensitive children.  This will lessen the sound, allowing them to focus on the instructions.  In the middle of a fire alarm (rather than a planned drill), this may not be the best option due to timing.  In this case, allow child to hold hands over his ears.
          • Use the buddy system; children who are not bothered by the fire alarm can assist the more sensitive children. Children like being in charge, and a struggling student can have a good example to model.
          • Stand near children, or hold their hand, to insure they are not stumbling or falling.
          • Place sensitive children near the back of the line so they do not feel overwhelmed by being so close to other children.
          • Use a guide rope to help guide small children.  Each child holds onto a portion of the rope.  This keeps them in a line and gives a specific place to be.
          • Have strollers or a wagon ready for children who cannot safely navigate out of the building. Sometimes slow moving children are even slower when faced with a stressor.
          • Reassure children throughout the alarm, while continuing to provide information about what is happening.  Sometimes not knowing what is happening is worse than knowing.
          • Provide a calm and quiet environment after the event is over.  Dimmed lighting, quiet reading, small group, or independent play can help restore equilibrium after an event such as a fire drill.
          • Use a toolbox of coping strategies.
          • Use noise cancelling headphones for sensory intolerance
          • Use earplugs for sensory overload

          Real Life Examples on Fire Drills and Autism

          Sometimes you can see the behavior but not untangle why they are behaving a certain way. Here are some examples you might see when navigating the school fire drill

          The child or person:

          • shuts down and will not move.  The sudden noise has set up a flight, flight, or freeze reaction.  The child is unable to make decisions, follow instructions, or move.  Solution: physically help the child move out of the building.
          • is out of control.  The alarm has triggered a fight or flight response.  Solution: help the child physically to move through the building while reassuring him.
          • is loud or making strange noises.  The child is trying to drown out the sound of the alarm with his own sounds.  This is a normal reaction for a person with auditory sensitivity.  Solution: allow humming during this loud experience or provide alternatives such as ear plugs, covering the ears, or headphones.
          • covers his ears.  The sound is loud and feels deafening to a sensitive person.  While it makes sense for a child to use their hands to steady themselves or grab a teacher, covering the ears is a natural reaction and should be allowed, unless an alternative is provided.
          • stumbles and falls.  The child has diminished body awareness because they are focused on the sound of the alarm.  Solution: physically help guide the child down the hall and out the door to avoid an accident. Focus on body awareness.
          • bumps and pushes others.  Fight or flight reaction triggers the child to need to get people out of the way.  The child may have lost awareness of his body position in relation to others due to the sound and chaos.  Sometimes people do not realize they are pushing others. When someone may have accidentally brushed up against them, a sensitive person may respond as if they have been attacked. Solution: physically help guide the child out of the building. You can also focus on turn taking in hallways.
          • cries for a prolonged period after the alarm.  The after effects of an event such as a fire drill can last the rest of the day, or longer.  Solution: provide calming techniques after the alarm, structured time during the rest of the day, dimmed lighting, and a quiet classroom environment to allow the child’s sensory system to re-acclimate.

          What are some other strategies for navigating the school fire drill?

          • Social stories for a fire drill- A social story about a fire drill can help. Include information related to the student and the school.
          • Fire Safety activities are easy to use as traditional classroom lesson plans, centers, homework, independent work, or they’re great for fast finishers in first and second grades. 
          • Fire safety activities- Try activities on Firefighters, Fire Safety, and Classroom Fire Drill Procedures to help your students know the importance of practicing fire drills, what to do in case of a fire, and not be afraid of fire fighters!
          • Fire prevention week – this website has a lot of resources for learning about fire safety
          • Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes – This manual is a valuable tool for understanding and effectively communicating with those affected by sensory processing disorder.  This guide can assist caregivers, individuals, families, therapists, and teachers untangle the web of senses to give correct guidance and assistance.  You can read this guide cover to cover for optimal learning, or by selecting chapters as needed.
          • The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook – The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is your strategy guide for turning sensory diets and sensory activities into a sensory lifestyle.
          • The Sensory Processing Disorder Handbook – This 26 page guide explains SPD in easy-to-understand terms
          • A fire drill song might be helpful for some kids:
          • This video on fire drills is helpful:

          Fire Alarm and Sensory

          Adults can be triggered by sensory input the same as children.  Do not discount the feelings of others in the building, or making your own needs known. It is amazing the things we remember from our childhood.  Who remembers Stop Drop and Roll?  I remember practicing this and feeling terrified that I might actually catch on fire one day.  As a young parent, thinking about my own children being trapped in our house during a fire elicited some strong emotions. We prepared at home for any emergency and practiced as well.

          Do you think it is right to let teachers and staff know when the fire drill is planned? While this helps them prepare for the drill ahead of time and make accommodations, it ruins the element of surprise that would happen in the event of a real fire.  Planning and practicing are great ideas, however maybe there needs to be a couple of surprise drills thrown in the mix to simulate a real life emergency.  Something to think about.

          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.