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Victoria Wood OTR/L

Letter Formation Worksheets

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letter formation worksheets

Whether you are a teacher, therapist, or parent, you are most likely working on letter formation at some point, and maybe you’ve used letter formation worksheets to address that goal. To be most effective, it is important to have several different letter formation options in your toolbox. Not all students learn the same, therefore handwriting programs are not one size fits all. Learning happens through repetition and practice. Students do not need to repeat the same exercises over and over again to be effective. They need to learn to generalize using many different methods. Letter formation worksheets are a great tool to build a great handwriting lesson plan.

Letter formation worksheets

Letter formation worksheets

There are so many resources out there for letter formation worksheets. The results can be overwhelming and dizzying. The question is, where to start? One method can be to grab resources from several different websites, in order to feel well rounded.

Another idea is to find a website that has the type of materials you find work best, and build your toolbox around that. Today we are going to highlight letter formation worksheets found here on the OT Toolbox.

why are letter formation worksheets important?

We covered previously the considerations to keep in mind when using tracing sheets, and there may be a time and a place for those types of letter formation writing sheets. However, when it comes to practicing letter form with letter practice worksheets, there are many benefits.

  • Consistency – you can easily work on handwriting by scribbling some letters on a dry erase board or piece of paper, however this might not be consistent when it comes to data collection. Using prescribed letter formation worksheets will provide consistency in your teaching
  • Motivating – again you can scribble letters on paper, but letter formation worksheets have fun pictures and graphics to grab your learners’ attention
  • Easy to use – creating a treatment plan using letter formation worksheets is as easy as print and go. Another great idea is to create themed folders or binders containing the letter formation worksheets you like best
  • Free – you can spend a bundle on workbooks and costly downloads, but here at the OT Toolbox there are a plethora of free letter formation worksheets to use.

letter formation worksheets pdf

Before jumping right into letter formation worksheet PDFs, it is worth taking a look at the basics of forming letters.

We know that handwriting is more than just rote practice. There are many underlying skills needed for good letter formation. Understanding the prerequisite skills for writing determine what specific skills are deficient, rather than spinning your wheels drilling letter formation into your students.

Students need to understand what letters are, what they look like, and why we write letters and words. They need to have the motor coordination and strength for handwriting. Students need to be able to make pre-writing strokes including lines and circular forms in order to make letters. The Handwriting Book is the ultimate resource for tips, strategies, suggestions, and information to support handwriting development in kids.

FREE letter formation worksheets

One way to support letter writing is to use a variety of printable letter formation worksheet PDFs. We love to switch things up in therapy sessions to keep handwriting practice anything but boring. This can mean things like using sensory bins, writing trays, gross motor activities, obstacle courses, and multisensory learning opportunities.

First, let’s pull together a list of our free letter formation worksheets in one place:

  1. Letter Tracing Pages with Arrows– At the end of our blog post on letter formation, you’ll find a free printable set of letters with arrows to use in sensory trays or for handwriting practice.
  2. Number Formation Roads– These printable pages are great for working on number formation.
  3. Missing Letter Worksheet– This snowball themed worksheet supports letter formation in a given space for refined pencil control when writing…like when writing on a snowball!
  4. Letter Formation Tips Handout– This printable is a great resource to add to your therapy toolbox when working on letter formation.
  5. Flower Letter Tracing– This digital slide deck is designed to be used on a screen for virtual therapy sessions, but many OT providers print off the individual slide decks for an in-person tool too.
  6. Color Movement Activities– This is another digital slide deck, but it can be used as a motivating activity that encourages users to point and trace or air write letters to practice formation skills.
  7. Alphabet Writing Cards– This is another digital slide deck for finger tracing letter forms, but you can print off the slide decks as a PDF and finger trace to air write the letters.
  8. Tips for Letter Reversals- Print off multisensory resources for improving b and d reversals.
  9. Start from the beginning- If letter formation is challenging because of diagonal lines or pencil control needed to form legible letters, start with our free Prewriting Strokes and Handwriting. It’s a great article including a free printable to learn and remember the developmental milestones of writing.

Free Cursive writing worksheets pdfs

Forming cursive letters is another area where practice supports the motor plan to accurately and functionally form letters. Using cursive writing worksheet PDFs to support this practice can promote legible formation of cursive letters.

Be sure to grab the following three cursive letter formation printables:

  • Cursive lines worksheet- Not all cursive writing worksheets are rote practice. We love the multisensory options in our free cursive writing lines worksheet to support the movement of smooth pencil strokes.
  • Multisensory Letter Formation Pages- Or, print off our cursive writing journal for multisensory cursive letter formation practice.
  • Printable Cursive Letter Flashcards- Another free printable cursive handwriting worksheets PDF that you’ll want to add to your letter formation toolbox is our cursive letter flashcards. The printable PDF is designed to promote letter formation of each lowercase cursive letter and can be paired with the other printable cursive writing worksheets listed above.

Other letter formation PDF resources:

We have MANY printable letter formation PDFs inside The Member’s Club. In fact, there is a whole section dedicated to forming letters. You’ll find PDFs such as:

  • Themed letter writing worksheets (seasonal and specific themes like transportation, pirates, outer space, bees, etc.)
  • Letter formation sensory bin cards
  • Letter tracing sheets
  • Letter matching activities to target visual discrimination
  • Directional resources
  • Tracing pages
  • SO MUCH more

We have other other printable letter writing sheets and activities that can be used as well:

  • Here is a post including a letter formation handout to find all of the information you need to educate others
  • How about 10 Ways to Teach Letter Formation? In this post they covered ten creative ways to teach letter formation
  • Check out the Letter Formation Archives for lists of great blog posts including multisensory methods of practicing letters
  • A-Z Letter Formation Worksheets – This product is not free (unless you a Member’s Club member…grab it inside your membership), but it helps with letter writing by breaking down letter formation into segments. We love the segmented writing prompts, while using less visual cues, so kids learn to write uppercase letters the correct way. This packet includes 26 uppercase letter pages and strategies to incorporate sensory-motor letter writing activities
  • If you need a great way to document handwriting, here is a Handwriting Assessment post
  • Lowercase Letter Formation – some tips and tricks to teach students how to write lowercase letters and a tool that they will love
  • Name Practice for Kindergarten – This blog discusses the developmental criteria needed prior to introducing name writing to kindergarteners
  • Handwriting Resources – check out this post for more great letter formation worksheets and handwriting ideas
  • The OT Toolbox Shop has some great paid resources available if you have tried some of the free resources and want more great ideas
  • Handwriting Bundle – this one is from our friends over at Your Therapy Source. It is a great bunch of handwriting resources if you are looking to branch out from the resources on the OT Toolbox

Letter Formation Worksheets for each Letter of the Alphabet

We are beginning a letter worksheet for each letter of the alphabet. Grab your copy of each one in the blog posts below:

Final Thoughts Letter Formation Worksheets…

Teaching handwriting and letter formation is challenging. Students are not motivated to do things that are hard, and involve lots of mistakes. Find ways to make the tasks meaningful and motivating for your students, in order to be an efficient and effective therapy provider.

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.

Want printable handwriting and sensory motor activities to target the visual motor skills needed for letter writing? Grab a copy of our Letters! Fine Motor Kit. The printable PDF contains 100 pages of hands-on letter writing practice for multisensory handwriting!

Letters Fine Motor Kit

Inside the Letters Fine Motor Kit, you’ll find:

  • A-Z Multisensory Writing Pages: Roll a ball of dough letters, ASL sign language letters, gross motor movement, small-scale letter box writing task, finger isolation letter trace, and writing practice area
  • Alphabet Fine Motor Clip Cards– Clip clothespins or paper clips to match letters with various fonts to strengthen the hands and focusing on eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination, visual processing skills, and more.
  • Cut and place Fine Motor Mazes– Cut out the letter pieces and trace the maze with a finger to work on eye-hand coordination and finger isolation. Place a small letter on the letter spots to address in-hand manipulation and dexterity skills.
  • A-Z Cotton Swab Cards– Includes upper case and lower case letters. Dot the cards using a cotton swab or laminate the cards and use them over and over again.
  • A-Z Pattern Block Cards– These cards include a section for tracing with a finger tip for separation of the sides of the hand, eye-hand coordination, and finger isolation during letter formation. There is also a space to “finger write” the letter using the fingertip. This multisensory letter formation activity can be a great brain break during handwriting or literacy tasks. Learners can then form the letter using parquetry blocks.
  • Fine Motor Letter Geo-Cards– These geo board cards include A-Z in upper case forms. Users can copy the letter forms in a variety of multi-sensory strategies.
  • A-Z Color and Cut Letter Memory Cards– These upper case and lower case letter cards can be used to color for letter formation. Then use them in fine motor matching tasks or in sensory bins.
  • Color By Size Sheets– Help learners discriminate between tall letters, small letters, and tail letters. This visual perception activity invites learners to color small areas, using hand muscles for strengthening and handwriting endurance.
  • A-Z Building Block Cards– These LEGO block cards invite users to copy the cards to form letters using small building blocks. Users can place the blocks on the cards or copy the letter to address visual shift and visual memory. This activity set comes in upper case and lowercase letter forms.
  • A-Z Play Dough Letter Formation Cards– Print off these cards and laminate them to create play dough mats. Learners can form the letters using the arrows to correctly form letters with play dough while strengthening their hands and visual motor skills. Each card includes a space for practicing the letter formation, using a dry erase marker if the cards are laminated.
  • Graded Lines Box Writing Sheets– Users can trace and form letters in boxes to work on formation of letters, line awareness, starting points, and letter size.
  • Alphabet Roll and Write Sheets– Roll a dice and form the letter associated with the number of dots on the dice. This is a great way to work on letter formation skills using motivation. Which letter will reach the top first? This activity is easily integrated with a rainbow writing task to increase number or repetitions for letter practice.
  • Pencil Control Letter Scan– Use the letter bubble tracks to scan for letters. Users can fill in the letters of the alphabet to work on pencil control skills.
  • Color and Cut Puzzles– Color the pictures to work on hand strength and letter formation skills. Then cut out the puzzles and build visual perceptual skills.

Get your copy of the Letters Fine Motor Kit today!

Summer I Spy

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Summer I Spy

If you are already searching for more activities to do with your children, check out this free downloadable PDF! The Summer I Spy worksheet is a great multipurpose page to enhance your summer occupational therapy activities or learning program.

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summer I SPY

During the Summer months, having accessible and fun activities like a Summer themed I Spy activity is key. Why? Because an activity like our Summer I Spy sheet targets so many areas that are covered in typical occupational therapy sessions (depending on the needs of the individual).

One activity that occupational therapy providers love is an I Spy sheet. This I Spy Summer worksheet is a fantastic resource for parents seeking a creative solution on thos rainy Summer days. It can also be used by an occupational therapist or OTA eager to provide an exciting summer assignment.

These free printables offer therapeutic value, inviting children to uncover hidden treasures amid the sunny season’s charms.

From spotting colorful beach balls to identifying cheerful seashells and Summer treats, these worksheets encourage visual observation skills, attention/concentration, and cognitive development, all while having fun.

Whether utilized at home or sent home by an occupational therapist, the I Spy Summer printables are sure to engage young minds!

When you pull out one of these sheets, you can work on the same skills that were addressed in weekly school-based OT sessions:

According to a new study, children lose up to an average of 40% of the gains they have made over the school year while on summer break. While some students retain and gain as much as 32% during the summer months, others lose up to 90% of what they learned during the school year!

The ‘summer slide’, or ‘summer learning loss’, reversing some of the progress students have made over the year, is a well-known effect of the summer break.

“Because summer losses accumulate over time, consecutive losses add up to a sizeable impact on where students end up on the achievement distribution.”

Skills like written work are not typically addressed during the summer months for most children. This is why having fun activities like summer handwriting practice or an all-in-one Summer-themed I Spy activity is key to preventing these loss of skills.

Adding meaningful activities during the summer months can help reverse some of the summer slide. One great activity to add, is the free Summer I Spy resource. Throughout the summer (as well as all year round), the OT Toolbox will be providing you with great new resources to add to your toolbox.

Avoid the summer slide with a fun activity like our I spy printable!

The great thing about a lot of the resources available on the OT Toolbox for learners of all ages, is that many of them are multipurpose, meaning they help students work on many skills at once. This is especially helpful during the summer months when students are even more reluctant to complete anything that looks like school work.

The Summer I Spy activity page primarily addresses visual perception. In addition, it addresses visual motor, number concepts, and executive function skills. To use the Summer I Spy page:

  • Ask learners to search for the different icons within the page. It is best if they color code the pictures so they can easily count the items. The Summer I Spy page is different than the I Spy Beach printable also featured on the OT Toolbox, in that learners have to count how many of each item they find. This adds to the complexity of the activity, along with math and counting skills.
  • After finding the items, learners will write down what the items are called on the next page. They will have to recall spelling, letter formation, phonics, and the rules of good handwriting. On the side of the page is a rubric to help students remember the rules of written expression. Pair this with our handwriting rubric information for more complete data collection.

benefits of using the summer I spy printable

  • Hand strength and finger dexterity – staying in the lines while coloring, and writing accuracy, builds hand muscles and develops muscle control
  • Visual motor skills – 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
  • Visual Perception – 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 Spatial Relationships: Understanding the relationships of objects within the environment.
  • 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 perceptual skills are important to academic development. 
  • Sequencing – will your learner do the pictures 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 pencil
  • Counting/Learning Numbers – Count the items to understand number concepts. Practice writing numbers
  • Handwriting: Letter formation – correctly forming the letters top to bottom.
  • Letter sizing – correctly fitting the letters into the size boxes. Spacing, line placement, directionality, and spelling are also important
  • 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

How to Use the Summer I Spy in Therapy

Therapy providers love using a resource that can be slightly adjusted to meet the needs of their entire caseload. Most therapy providers can print off 15 copies and use the same sheet in many different ways for each individual.

Check out the various ways to modify and grade the Summer I Spy worksheet using the tactics below:

  • Lowest level learners can dictate what they would like written
  • Middle level learners can copy words from a model, while higher level learners write the words from memory
  • Higher level learners can write ideas about summer, then create a story or memory out of each idea.  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 can not 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
  • Make several copies, cut the shapes and make a matching game instead of using a writing tool to draw lines
  • Use small manipulatives to mark the items such as bingo chips, pompoms, pennies, playdough, or buttons. This helps build a pincer grasp
  • Talk about the pictures, describe their characteristics, and give context clues to help your learner understand why they match
  • Enlarging the font may be necessary to beginning handwriting students who need bigger space to write.
  • Hand the papers out with very limited instruction. Record how well your learners can follow instructions
  • 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 great resources

In order to build great skills and generalize them across different environments, a skill needs to be addressed several different times. Creating resource packets will help keep materials organized.

  • Summer Handwriting Practice from the OT Toolbox
  • Summer Fine Motor Kit from the OT Toolbox
  • In addition to the great free resources found on the web, there are great workbooks out there. My go to is the (Amazon affiliate link) Summer Bridge series. This series has been around for many years (I used them when my girls were young). We liked this series because it addressed many different educational areas in just a couple of pages a day.

Free Summer I spy download

Want to add this resource to your therapy toolbox so you can help kids thrive? Enter your email into the form below to access this printable tool.

This resource is just one of the many tools available in The OT Toolbox Member’s Club. Each month, members get instant access to downloadable activities, handouts, worksheets, and printable tools to support development. Members can log into their dashboard and access all of our free downloads in one place. Plus, you’ll find exclusive materials and premium level materials.

Level 1 members gain instant access to all of the downloads available on the site, without enter your email each time PLUS exclusive new resources each month.

Level 2 members get access to all of our downloads, exclusive new resources each month, PLUS additional, premium content each month: therapy kits, screening tools, games, therapy packets, and much more. AND, level 2 members get ad-free content across the entire OT Toolbox website.

Join the Member’s Club today!

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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.

    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

    Finger Games for Fine Motor Fun

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    Finger games

    Fine motor “finger games” like finger twister, Where is Thumbkin, and a thumb battle are a powerhouse of motor skills. Did you ever think about using a finger game as a warm-up to handwriting or a fun way to target fine motor skills like finger isolation? Finger games are fun fine motor activities using the fingers or hands. They have the added benefit of being great for developing motor coordination, finger musculature, finger dexterity, and eye hand coordination.

    We need fine motor skills for school, play, work, and daily functioning! Adding fun fingerplay to the mix is a great way to build these essential skills.

    Finger games benefits

    why choose finger games?

    Hand therapists work with fingers all day long. They use some great exercises to strengthen and rehabilitate the hand. Imagine trying to use these same exercises on a four year old.

    Finger games and songs are actually great for engaging circle time activities, just like action rhymes we see in young childhood. These movement-based activities are driven in play but offer opportunities for motor skill work, language development, comradery, and fun!

    Plus, finger games offer ways to build grip strength and pinch strength through play.

    The idea behind teaching young children is to use play in order to reach their goals. Play is the occupation of the child, and is much more motivating than rote exercises. Using finger games incorporates play into therapy, while working on important objectives.

    what is the benefit of finger games?

    Finger games work on multiple different skills. Some in isolation, others grouped together. Besides the obvious answer; coordination, there are many other skills being addressed using finger games:

    • Hand strength and dexterity
    • Finger isolation
    • Open thumb web space– targeting this fine motor skill can be helpful to support dexterity in tasks requiring object manipulation and opposition of the thumb and finger.
    • Motor planning – the body and brain receives feedback, or a motor concept that tells the brain and body that we have moved in a certain way in order to accomplish a specific action. This is the motor plan for that particular task at work
    • Rhymes with action movements inspire rhythm and rhyming skills
    • Sequencing – can your learner do the steps in order?
    • Proprioception – getting a sense of where the hands and fingers are. Adding the correct amount of pressure when playing
    • Precision of grasp and release– Movement of the fingers with precise range of motion needed to complete finger game activities can support the ability to pick up and release small objects using minute finger motions.
    • Bilateral coordination – while many finger games involve two hands at the same time, there are just as many that rely on one hand (usually the dominant one).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. Participating in finger games can even support development of bilateral coordination work.
    • Separation of the sides of the hand– Playing with finger games allows for range of motion and strength with separation of the sides of the hand. This separation provides grip strength and dexterity sides in functional grip.
    • Arch development– In the palms of the hands are arches. These allow us to hold objects in the palm of our hands and are essential to grip strength. Moving the fingers through finger games can target this area, which in turn supports pinch and grip strength.
    • Language – many of these finger games involve songs or rhymes to remember
    • Strength – core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, finger strength
    • Building the intrinsic muscles – the intrinsic muscles are in the middle area of the hand.
    • Executive function, following directions, attention, attention to detail, focus, sequencing, planning, task completion, impulse control, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance are all important skills to learn
    • Handwriting warm ups

    Read more about fine motor skill components in our post on “what are fine motor skills“.

    classic finger games

    There are many finger games that you probably grew up playing…think about the hand games you’ve played as a child. The following is a list of the classic finger or hand games children play (or used to):

    • Rock, Paper, Scissors – bilateral coordination, focusing on a dominant hand, quickly forming hand movement
    • Cat’s Cradle- All you need is a long length of string tied into a loop for this classic finger game. This activity develops wrist stability, wrist range of motion, finger isolation, hand strength, bilateral coordination, and crossing midline skills.
    • The Itsy Bitsy Spider – this song involves using both hands to create different motions
    • Patty Cake – who hasn’t done this classic finger game with babies?
    • Thumb War – 1,2,3,4 I declare a thumb war! This is a great finger activity for building upper extremity strength, and hand strength!
    • Hand Jive – this hand clapping game was made popular by the movie Grease. Here’s how it goes: Pat your thighs twice. Clap twice. Wave your hands, one over the other, in front of your chest. Then do it with the other hand on top. Bump your fists twice, one on top of the other. Then do it with the other fist on top. Point your right thumb over your right shoulder twice, then your left thumb over your left shoulder twice. Play this song and put it all together to the beat! Pat-pat-clap-clap-hand-hand-bump-bump-thumb-thumb!
    • Miss Mary Mack – this classic finger game dates back all the way to the civil war. Miss Mary Mack, all dressed in black, with silver buttons, all down her back… Check out this tutorial.
    • Steeple People – here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the people!
    • Shadow Puppets – make animals using your hands, a darkened room, and a light
    • Here is Thumbkin – work on isolation of the thumb
    • 5 Little Ducks, 5 Speckled Frogs, 5 Little Monkeys – learners sing the song as they do hand movements and count down on their fingers
    • Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes – this uses more arm movements than fingers, but is great for coordination
    • 1,2 Buckle My Shoe
    • Nursery Rhymes – there are finger plays for several classic nursery rhymes such as: Hickory Dickory Dock, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, London Bridge
    • Hand Clapping Games – we all remember Miss Mary Mack and Patty Cake, but what about Say Say oh Playmate, Stella Ella Ola, Rockin Robin, Miss Susie, Down Down Baby.

    Another great idea is to use paper and pencil handwriting games to create letters, numbers, or shapes and offer fine motor and visual motor work.

    a new generation of finger games

    These differ from the classic games but are wildly popular. I love seeing kids waiting in long lines playing Finger Twister, Hot Hands, or Sticks, instead of being glued to their phones.

    • Finger Twister- This is a fun version of the classic Twister game, on a smaller scale. Use a small Twister board: Draw a row of colored dots on the board. Then, spin a spinner, or roll a dice to determine the sequence to touch the colored dots. This is a great activity for finger isolation and executive functioning skills.
    • Simon- You can also play a finger version of the Simon game. Rather than use an electronic toy, create your own Simon game and ouch the colorful areas using sequences.
    • Finger Aerobics– This is such a fun way to warm up the hands and foster finger and hand ROM and dexterity.
    • Paperclip Spinners- Make a game board spinner using a paperclip, tip of a pencil, and a circle drawn on paper.
    • Hot Hands – learner one puts their hands out palm up in front of learner two. Learner two places their hands palm down on top of learner one but not touching. Learner one has to try and touch learner two’s hands before they pull them away.
    • Sticks – this is a finger tapping game that is very popular among kids now. It involves tapping the fingers on your opponent and adding their number to your own hands. Look here for a more thorough explanation.
    • DIY Fidget Toys are a fun way to spark fine motor play. Use them in games or copying activities.
    • Odd or Even – this is a great finger game for working on finger isolation. Two people face each other. Each player can put out only one or two fingers. 1,2,3 shoot. Decide if odd or even wins.
    • Board games- You can learn with board games you already own by using the game pieces: spinners, dice, timers, game pieces all offer opportunities to move those hands. Use the game pieces for hand strengthening, precision, and dexterity.
    • Baby Shark – this is not a classic (yet) but it is well known
    • Create a special handshake – how many moves can you remember?
    • Sign Language – learning sign language or finger spelling is great exercise for the hand muscles. How about a finger spelling bee?
    • Pair these concentration clapping games with hula hoop activities and backyard tag games for old school fun!

    old school or new?

    Whether you come from the old school classic finger games, or the newest ones, these are great skill building tools that cost nothing, but are priceless. Old school people can try their “hand” at the new games, while the younger generation learn the classics. Nostalgic games have a way of bringing us full circle back to our past as we teach the future generation.

    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.

    Need more ways to develop fine motor skills through play? Check out our seasonal Fine Motor Kits!

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

    Check out the seasonal Fine Motor Kits that kids love:

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

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

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

    Wheelbarrow Walking

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    wheelbarrow walking

    Raise your hand if you have a permanent back ache from wheelbarrow walking with your children or clients? In this post you can discover how to do wheelbarrow walking, the benefits of this gross motor coordination activity, and some more ergonomic methods to save your back. Let’s get started with wheelbarrow walking for occupational therapy!

    Wheelbarrow walking

    Amazon affiliate links are included in this blog post. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    What is Wheelbarrow Walking?

    Wheelbarrow walking is (or used to be) a classic game parents play with their children, or peers engage in. For parents, this was a means to wear your kids out.

    We didn’t really think of the benefits of wheelbarrow walking, just that it would hopefully produce a nap later on.

    Therapists, of course, focus on the benefits of wheelbarrow walking, otherwise they would not ruin their back just for fun.

    wheelbarrow walking benefits

    the benefits of wheelbarrow walking

    I already mentioned the aching back as a drawback to this great activity, but what are the benefits?

    • Proprioception: this is the information translated from the muscles and joints to the brain. Wheelbarrow walking improves regulation and awareness of this system with the pressure on the hands
    • Vestibular: movement in the inner ear is definitely happening while wheelbarrow walking! The head is down or up at an angle, while the body is moving forward. This can improve vestibular awareness and regulate this important system
    • Bilateral coordination: each arm is doing the same motion, but at different times. It takes a fair amount of coordination to make these movements happen smoothly
    • Motor planning – the body and brain receives feedback, or a motor concept that tells the brain and body that we have moved in a certain way in order to accomplish a specific action. This is the motor plan for wheelbarrow walking at work!
    • Strength and endurance – core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, head control, balance, and hand strength are all needed for wheelbarrow walking. If you see your client supporting themselves on their closed fists instead of open palms they are trying to use their shoulders instead of wrist strength. This can be considered cheating, or compensation for lack of strength.
    • Executive function, following directions, attention, focus, sequencing, planning, task completion, impulse control, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance are all important skills to learn
    • Teamwork and trust: you need both in order to complete wheelbarrow walking effectively. Imagine the amount of trust involved in being placed almost upside down while someone holds onto your legs. Many people find this restraining and fight the process. Both members of the wheelbarrow team have to work together to make this activity a success.
    • Visual Convergence– Moving across the room toward a target requires the eyes to simultaneously move and focus both eyes together in an adducted position toward an object. With visual convergence, the eyes work together to shift inward toward a target object, with single vision occurring with fixation on the object.
    • Interoception– Moving the body in an activity like wheelbarrow walking offers opportunities to determine how the movement makes the body feel. Ask the child: Do you feel tired? How do your muscles feel after doing this task? Do you feel pressure on different areas of your body when you do a wheelbarrow walk?

    how to do wheelbarrow walking

    The essence of wheelbarrow walking is: the body is positioned to look like a wheelbarrow. You need two people for wheelbarrow walking, and there are benefits to both individuals, making this a great group OT activity!

    Person number one puts their outstretched arms on the floor in front of them.

    Person number two lifts person number one’s legs high off of the ground.

    Ideally the body of the person being “pushed like a wheelbarrow” is straight, at about a 45 degree angle, with the arms/hands supporting the upper body. The arms/hands represent the wheel of the barrow, while the feet represent the handles. Poor person number two is schlepping the heavy wheelbarrow to the destination and back.

    While the person being pushed like a wheelbarrow is gaining upper body strength and sensory benefits, there are benefits to the person pushing and driving the wheelbarrow, too! You’ll see core strength, upper body strength, shoulder, forearm, wrist stability, and hand strength. Added benefits include motor planning and visual skills needed to maneuver the wheelbarrow walker around.

    Here is a YouTube video to demonstrate wheelbarrow walking, if you are more of a visual learner.

    games to play while wheelbarrow walking

    Because of the general nature of children, adding a play element to wheelbarrow walking is going to garner more success than rote practice back and forth across the carpet.

    The back and forth activity involved in many of these games, improves skills while definitely giving an endpoint. Some kids need to know how many times they are going to do something before they are finished.

    The occupation of a child is play, so go for it!

    • Puzzle game – have students wheelbarrow walk across a designated area to pick up a puzzle piece. They place it in their pocket and wheelbarrow walk back to the puzzle. The act of placing the puzzle pieces in the pocket and the puzzle gives students a much needed break between trials.
    • Bean bag game – put small bean bags around the room. The student has to wheelbarrow walk toward one of the beanbags. They place the beanbag on the back of their neck and wheelbarrow walk to a basket in the middle of the room
    • Farmer game – students use play food, or beanbags as the crops. Put the crop on the student’s back and have them deliver it to the market
    • Obstacle course – set up an obstacle course with pillows, cones, ramps, hula hoops, tables. Create a path to navigate. Going around, up, and over obstacles makes this challenge more difficult
    • Spot the dot – use circle dots, tape, or other items to mark a trail on the floor. Students wheelbarrow walk along the trail, placing one hand on each spot
    • Cars to the garage, food to the stuffed bear, shapes to the sorter – use these different ideas to gather an item and bring it to a destination.

    how to modify wheelbarrow walking

    There are different ways to modify wheelbarrow walking to make it easier or more challenging. Some of them might even save your back!

    • Wheelbarrow “walk” over a ball – use a therapy ball to support the legs. Students either support themselves like this while working on a fine motor task in front of them, or they can walk the ball forward and back with their legs. You can also use a therapy log or roll.
    • Vary the grip on student’s legs – holding the student’s by the feet is the hardest variation of wheelbarrow walking. As you move your hands toward their hips you reduce the weight load on the student’s arms. While it is true you might be holding more weight in the legs, it seems less weight as you are supporting a good bit of the torso by moving toward the hips
    • Wheelbarrow over the edge of the bed – use a mat table, bed, or other stable surface to hold the torso while your learner supports themselves on their arms
    • Sitting on a rolling stool/chair – in order to save your back, position yourself on a rolling tool or chair on wheels. Essentially the chair or stool supports the learner’s heavy weight instead of your aching back.

    other activities to build strength and coordination

    • Crab or other animal walks
    • This Animal Exercises Games set is a fun way to play.
    • Monkey bars or hanging from a trapeze swing.
    • Use these Jungle Animal Heavy Work activities.
    • Traditional push ups, triceps dips, burpees, plank. Kids of Steel has body workouts for kids.
    • Our sensory paths and sensory stations have fun themed activities using wall push-ups to grade the strengthening. These are all free downloads.
    • The OT Toolbox has you covered with information about Upper Body Strength
    • The folks at (Amazon affiliate link) Super Duper (affiliate link) have a nifty fun deck with 52 double-sided 3″ x 5″ cards teach controlled use and stability of trunk, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers. Content/Game idea cards. Tin box.

    a final thought

    Whether you are looking for an indoor activity to do during the cold or rainy weather, or some great outdoor fun, wheelbarrow walk games are a classic for building a multitude of skills. I still remember my aching muscles after wheelbarrow walking for what felt like hours.

    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.

    Looking for more ways to support strength through sensory motor play? Our year of heavy work activity cards do just that! Print off the cards and use them as brain breaks, exercise routines, as part of therapy sessions, and at home or in the classroom.

    Grab a copy of the Summer brain breaks and heavy work activities:

    Each set includes brain breaks, pretend play prompts, exercises, and sensory motor tasks with a Summer theme.

    Auditory Sensitivity: Tips and Tools

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    Auditory sensitivity in the classroom

    In this blog post, we are covering an important aspect of the classroom environment: auditory sensitivity. Students with auditory sensory overload are challenged to learn and participate in classroom activities, and not only that, auditory sensitivities, or sound sensitivity can lead to anxiety, overwhelm, avoidance, self-regulation issues, and social emotional considerations. Let’s discuss auditory processing with the focus on classroom sounds with sensory tips and strategies, as well as supports to set up a classroom for success. This blog post is a great resource aligned with our post on visual noise in the classroom.

    Auditory sensitivity in the classroom

    What is Auditory Sensitivity?

    First, it’s important to consider what auditory sensitivity means. Basically, we are referring to sensitivities to sounds, or an over-awareness of the noises around us. A noise sensitivity can lead to discomfort in the ears as well as repercussions throughout the whole body as a result of anxiety, worry, overwhelm, and hyperawareness of auditory input.

    There’s more to it, though. Auditory sensitivity can refer to a hyper-awareness of sounds, a buzzing sound or tinnitus in the ears, or other considerations. Here are some red flags indicating auditory sensitivities are present:

    Red flags for auditory sensitivity:

    • Overly upset over loud sounds
    • Anxious that loud noises will happen
    • Complains of buzzing in the ears, or tinnitus
    • Hyper-aware of noises happening in other rooms
    • Overwhelmed by conversations happening around us
    • Complains of discomfort as a result of sounds
    • Normal hearing but also overly aware of certain pitches of sounds or certain decibels of sounds
    • Scared of the fire alarm or door alarms, or fire drills
    • Hearing loss
    • Overly concerned about everyday sounds
    • Prefers social isolation due to potential for certain sounds
    • Increased sensitivity to sounds that most do not consider to be a distraction: the heater buzzing, a refrigerator humming, lawnmower running outside, etc.
    • Challenges with daily life due to sounds

    There can be more red flags related to noise sensitivity, and these are all very individualized. No two individuals will present with the same auditory sensitivities due to personal preferences, environment, and personal experiences. 

    Diagnoses with auditory sensitivities

    Sensitivity to auditory input can be common with certain diagnoses. However, the list below is not exhaustive, meaning there can be other diagnoses that also have a sound sensitivity. Also, being overly aware of sounds to the point that the sensory preference impacts daily life functioning does not indicate that a diagnosis is present. It simply means that the individual has that particular sensory preference. 

    Diagnoses that may have sound preferences:

    • Autism
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
    • Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
    • Lyme Disease
    • Depression
    • Head Injury
    • Phonophobia

    Auditory hypersensitivity can be present in other diagnoses as well. 

    How to test for auditory sensitivity

    Because auditory preferences are so individualized, it’s important to seek out testing, particularly when the sensory preference impacts daily functioning or learning. 

    One such tool in an individual’s toolbox is the occupational therapy practitioner. An OT can complete a sensory preferences profile using specific tests, interviews, and checklists as well as assessments to discover sensory preferences. They can then provide tools and strategies to support those auditory preferences. 

    It’s also important to seek out evaluation from an audiologist. This professional can determine the frequency range the individual can hear using equipment and a sound stimulus.

    Auditory Sensitivity in the Classroom

    Students are VERY busy! Whether they are at home, school, or out in the community, children are affected by their surroundings. Setting up a preschool classroom for success is essential.

    The environment can make children “hyper”, or calm them down. Sometimes preschool (and older kids) have ears sensitive to noise that impact learning and participation in their education.

    Noise impacts a child’s ability to calm, that can be modified by adults in any environment. We are going to dive into how to support children who are sensitive to noise throughout this blog!

    Setting up a Preschool Classroom for Success

    Have you ever noticed when there is a lot going on, children tend to lose focus? A child sensitive to loud noises will be challenged to be successful in the classroom environment because the sensory need takes priority. Adults, when they have multiple senses engaged, can be overwhelmed by chaos as well.

    This is especially true when there is overwhelming auditory input.

    One way to look at this concept is by experience. This is overstimulation in adults that we have all experienced at one point or another.

    Think about an amusement park and all of the sounds happening around you in a noisy crowd. While one of my favorite places to go is an amusement park, it can be very overwhelming! I love the rides and the shows.

    But, when I go to the food court, I start to get overwhelmed. Children are usually crying because they are hungry, parents are annoyed, people are talking on their phone as they wait in 30 minute lines for a $10 hot dog, and there are attendants screaming “next”, or “move along!”

    There is so much going on auditorily, that many adults get frustrated, and want to find a quiet corner to eat with their family. 

    Just like a noisy dining hall, a classroom sensitivity can be overwhelming for some students.

    That’s where tools for auditory sensitivity for the classroom come into play.

    But before we explore the various tools for auditory sensitivities, we should consider what the auditory impact of the classroom is and how that input can impact learning, social emotional skills, communication, and daily functioning.

    What is the noise like in your Classroom?

    In a typical preschool classroom there might be 24 or more children running around, laughing and screaming, while a CD player is playing rambunctious music, and parents are talking about what their child had for breakfast. The preschool setup can become very noisy.

    In an elementary classroom, you may have more towards 28 or more students. Kids having conversations, dropping books, running the electric pencil sharpener, screeching tennis shoes, or scraping chairs. Then there is the announcements over the loud speaker, teacher instructions, hallway noises, and the lawn mower outside the classroom window. It can get noisy, quick!

    With different types of sounds echoing throughout the classroom, auditory overstimulation can affect behavior and engagement. For ears sensitive to noise, this can be huge.

    According to an exploration of sensory processing and the limbic system, the sensory system receives sensory messages, like sound, and directs them to the part of the brain that needs to process them. This process is also responsible for keeping your body safe. Sometimes it will trigger an automatic safety response called a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response.

    This response is a protective mechanism based on our ancient ancestors who had to be on constant alert for saber tooth tigers rustling bushes. While we no longer need to worry about the threat of danger lingering in our periphery, we have this awareness of auditory input that keeps us safe in other ways. Our brain and body regulate the sensory input that comes in so it’s not too overwhelming for us.

    An example; when you jump if you hear an unexpected sound.  The “sensory traffic controller” in the brain tunes in to help locate and identify the sound.  You may be instantly more alert if you hear your head teacher, or manager’s voice. Researchers think this part of the brain processes sounds differently in children or adults who are overwhelmed by sounds, noise, or auditory sensory input.

    Auditory overload often occurs when there are too many sounds happening at the same time, or if the noise is at a certain frequency.  In addition, the brain can also become overwhelmed by a constant noise which has occurred over a period of time. This information is important when setting up a preschool classroom.

    Tips for setting Up a Preschool Classroom

    Once you have an understanding of what sound input is like in your classroom setting, you can then explore tools for auditory sensitivity.

    In order to create a calm preschool classroom environment, the sound needs to be purposeful! Being cognizant of all of the different environmental sounds, is key to creating a soothing classroom.  

    Consider the classroom set up

    The classroom arrangement can impact auditory sensitivities, as well as how and where various tools for auditory sensitivity are available in the school setting.

    Here are aspects of your preschool classroom setup to keep in mind when addressing noise:

    • Music – Depending on the time of day, music is a wonderful addition to any classroom. This can be through singing or the electronic media. Use calming/soft music to calm down a classroom during free play and nap time. This can include nature sounds, white noise, soft melodies and children’s music. 
    • Echoing noise – Every classroom is created differently, keep track of where there may some extra echoes. Hearing noise from multiple places at once can be very overwhelming, especially when echoes are coming from multiple children. This can be important when it comes to hallway noises, outside noises (lawnmowers), or echo within the classroom. Some ideas to support echo sensitivity include adding padding to the bottoms of shoes or desks. Felt sheets or foam sheets are inexpensive options for this. Other things to consider is going into the cafeteria, gymnasium, or area with higher ceilings and larger groups of children such as special events.
    • Sensory Headphones- One tool to support students with sensitive ears is a pair of sensory headphones. There are many on the market that can reduce the auditory stress of a child in the day to day noise of a classroom. Other options include sensory noise-reducing earplugs and noise cancelling headphones. To increase sounds try a DIY whisper phone.
    • Consider Other Students – Children are noisy, especially during free play! When indoors, encourage children to use an inside voice, while they are playing and talking. When children are focused and engaged, they tend do this naturally. Creating learning centers that support engagement is the best way to keep noise down, and children learning. Some children who have difficulty regulating their verbal output may need extra help in this area. Check out all of the learning stations (block, art, science, manipulative, sensory, dramatic play) ideas on how to set up your classroom by the age of the children you teach in this Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale.
    • Consider Other Adults – Keeping tabs the adults in the room is key when thinking about the noise in a classroom. Caregivers tend to talk loudly when around a lot of children, either to get their attention, or intervene when they see a problem about to occur. If caregivers practice talking to children, while getting down to their level, and making eye contact, the level of our voices naturally decrease. You can also try a “do not disturb” sign in the door during important lessons or instructional periods. Consider these auditory attention activities.
    • Consider Classroom Pets – Classroom pets are wonderful additions when setting up a preschool classroom. Although they are fun, they can also be noisy! The most popular classroom additions are fish tanks and guinea pigs. The sounds of the bubbles can be soothing for some, but loud to others. Guinea pigs are quiet until they start shuffling around and squeaking. When thinking about where to place a fish tank or cage, keep in mind where the children will nap, and where the quiet spaces are. 
    • Small group activities – When children are actively engaged in activities as a group, their voices tend to become loud. This is a great time to teach children how to turn taking skills, by waiting for others to ask questions. Allowing children to communicate with each other, have discussions, and engage in play, is more productive when they are using their inside voices. 
    • Consider the classroom sound system- There are many options when it comes to auditory needs in the classroom. We talked about the low tech strategies above, but along those same lines is a “high tech” classroom auditory system. This can include things like wireless voice amplifier for teachers, a classroom sound system with wireless microphone, a classroom speaker system, a voice amplifier for classroom, and other technical pieces of equipment.

    Auditory input can affect behavior

    Young children can feel overwhelmed by many environmental components. This can affect their behavior at home, and in the classroom. The sensory system, and the way the brain processes information, varies for each person. The ability to respond to the environment, greatly depends on how sensitive you are to sensory stimuli. 

    The OT Toolbox has a great sensory processing checklist to better understand the sensory systems. You can learn more about this sensory processing checklist here.

    What happens when a child is so overstimulated by their environment, they are nor able to calm down, without being redirected?

    One strategy is having a safe space such as a calm down corner. Consider setting up a preschool classroom with a calming area.

    Including a space in your classroom or home that allows children to take a break form their environment, along with using calming techniques (such as deep breaths, squeezing a ball, sipping water), are wonderful ways to help a child center themselves, so they can reintegrate into the classroom in a more calm state of mind. 

    Enourage the use of visual, tactile and auditory calm down cues when setting up a preschool classroom, that two year olds understand. 

    *If you notice a child having a hard time calming down, even with the removal of noise, they may have more sensitivities to stimuli than others. This is a sign that an Occupational Therapy evaluation might be appropriate, to determine if they need more supports with their sensory system. The occupational therapist will review the sensory systems, triggers, and behavioral outcomes.

    A therapist may then suggest a sensory diet as part of the plan. For more information about a sensory diet, check out this search on the OT Toolbox. In addition, this amazing printable includes 130 different ideas on introducing a sensory diet for your child.  

    Auditory classroom management is just one aspect of setting up a preschool classroom

    Other aspects to consider are:

    • visual input – is your class cluttered, messy, or busy
    • tactile – is there a lot of touching going on, are children in close proximity
    • olfactory – what are all the good/bad smells in the class
    • vestibular – are there times for movement breaks and outlets for energy

    Preschool classrooms are a lot of fun, and children are born to be noisy, but if caregivers take the time to create a classroom that has more soothing sounds indoors, children learn to socialize in a calm way. This allows for classroom management to be easier and more productive, supporting every child’s needs. When planning your classroom, home environment, or an outing with your child, notice the auditory stimuli, and how it is affecting your child.

    Free Handout: Classroom Auditory Sensitivity Strategies

    One tool for auditory sensitivity is the free printable you’ll find below.

    We’re coming up on the end of our Summer Handout Series here on the OT Toolbox. Want to print of a list of strategies to support auditory sensitivities in the classroom? Use this printable handout as an educational tool to support auditory needs.

    This handout is also available inside our Member’s Club. Just go to the handouts section to grab it without entering your email address.

    Get the handout by entering your email address into the form below:

    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.

    Auditory Processing Kit
    Auditory Processing Kit

    The Auditory Processing Kit is one tool to support auditory needs. Use this auditory processing kit to support learners with hyper-responsive or hypo-responsive auditory systems. Use the hands-on activities to support learning and active listening through play and handwriting tasks. Use the handouts and posters to teach about the auditory system and auditory sensitivities, with strategies to support individualized needs.

    The Auditory Processing Kit supports listening and comprehension activities into multisensory learning styles.

    Winter Crossword Puzzle

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    Winter crossword puzzle

    This winter crossword puzzle is a therapy tool designed to work on visual perception, handwriting, visual attention, and so much more! Just print off the winter crossword and use it to develop so many skills all season long. Today’s post is all about winter words.  

    This free Winter Crossword Puzzle is a great addition to the blustery winter season. Upon first glance at the title; “Winter Crossword”, you might be thinking this is too difficult for your young learners, or too narrow a focus for a treatment session.  Wait until you see THIS Winter Crossword packet!

    Also be sure to grab our new tall and short worksheet which not only supports visual motor skills, but incorporates the cold thermometers of winter!

    Winter crossword puzzle

    As a related resource for the wintery season is our Winter Fine Motor Kit for winter coloring, cut and paste, sensory boxes, and fine motor fun to get through this blustery season.

    winter crossword puzzle

    We love creating resources that expand on many areas of skill development, and this winter worksheet is no different. What starts out looking like a regular winter crossword puzzle, is full of writing, coloring, visual perception, motor planning, bilateral coordination, strength, executive function, and more.

    This Winter Crossword Puzzle is not just for occupational therapists, parents, or teachers to use. Parents, educators, and speech pathologists will love teaching their learners the words that match these winter pictures, talking about what they mean, as well as practicing writing skills.

    I posted the other day in one of the winter blogs, about the narrow focus of children who have been raised in warmer temperatures. My learners did not know anything about ice skating, igloos, eating icicles, maple syrup snow, sledding, or snowshoes. Thanks to the movie Frozen, they knew about snowballs and snowmen!

    You can add this winter crossword to a collection of winter themed therapy tools:

    This Winter Crossword is a great jumping off point, leading to much discussion and learning about winter.  It is also a multidimensional task that can be adapted and modified to meet the needs of each of your learners.

    How can I modify this winter crossword puzzle?

    The possibilities are endless, however, here are a few ideas:

    • Laminate the Winter Themed Crossword Puzzle page to make it reusable.  This is efficient, environmentally friendly, and motivating for learners who love to write with markers. NOTE: Not all learners love reusable pages. Some learners feel it is important to be able to save their work and take it home.
    • Project it onto a smart board to make it a group task or work on large letters and shoulder stability.
    • Enlarge the task for beginning writers who need more writing space.
    • Shrink the task for older learners who need to learn to write smaller.
    • Try different writing utensils. This is not only motivating, but some learners work better with markers as they glide easier on paper. Did you know that golf sized pencils promote more of a tripod grasp than traditional long pencils?
    • Use different colored paper for more or less visual contrast.
    • Have learners write a sentence using each word clue.
    • Draw pictures of these items.
    • Use all or part of this task.  It can be simply a winter crossword, a writing page, a coloring worksheet, or a design copy task.

    Use a Crossword to develop skills

    Check out the skill set developed by implementing this Winter Crossword Free printable:

    • Fine motor skills: manual dexterity to hold and used a writing tool, coloring and drawing, pencil grasp, writing and copying from a model. You’ll find more winter fine motor activities here.
    • Strength: core strength, hand and wrist stability, finger control
    • Bilateral coordination: using one hand for writing and coloring, while the “helper hand” supports the paper. Keep an eye one which hand is primarily used as the dominant side.  The OT Toolbox has a great post highlighting several winter bilateral coordination activities.
    • Visual perception: Scanning to correctly fit all of the letters in their designated boxes. Visual memory is needed to remember what letters need to go in each box. Figure ground is used to determine where the letters belong in the boxes, or how to copy the shapes.
    • Executive function/behavior/social skills: Following directions, attention to detail, turn taking, waiting, social skills, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance
    • Sustained attention: Work on focus for a short period of time by setting a target to find the answer to one crossword question by setting a timer or working until the question is filled in. This is one way to work on mindful thought, or paying attention to what you’re thinking about while working on tasks. More winter mindfulness activities can be found here.
    • Dexterity: Coloring inside the lines within the small shapes
    • Handwriting: letter formation, sizing, spacing, directionality, line placement, and proportion of letters are all important factors. Check out this number tracing worksheet in case you missed it.

    handwriting and crosswords

    Each teacher, therapist, and school system seem to have a different method of teaching and working on handwriting. Some systems focus on getting the words on the paper no matter how the letters are formed. 

    They emphasize free writing to embrace the written expression. Other systems focus on spelling, with little regard to letter formation.  Some teachers do so much copying of words, their learners don’t rely on memory and kinesthetic awareness to write the letters. 

    Each system has its drawbacks and merits.  NOTE: Once a grasping or letter formation pattern has been used for a long time, it is VERY DIFFICULT to get these patterns changed. 

    My theory is to start correct letter formation and good habits while the learners are first learning to write, rather than trying to remediate later.

    Using a crossword activity like this winter crossword worksheet is a great tool for addressing letter formation because the letters can be formed inside a small area.

    If you just need a breather, the OT Toolbox has a great post on Winter Brain Breaks.  

    Free Winter Crossword Puzzle

    Want to add a copy of this winter crossword worksheet to your therapy toolbox? Enter your email address into the form below. Or, if you are a Member’s Club member, you can access this resource in our Winter Therapy Theme (Level 2) or our freebie dashboard under Handwriting Tools (Level 1 & 2).

    Free Winter Crossword Puzzle

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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.

      NOTE*The term, “learner” is used throughout this post for inclusivity. This information is relevant for students, patients, clients, preschoolers, kids/children of all ages and stages or whomever could benefit from these resources. The term “they” is used instead of he/she to be inclusive.

      Winter Color By Letter Worksheet

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      Winter color by letter

      There are many reasons why a color by letter worksheet is a resource to build skills. The winter themed coloring page we made covers even more skills than your typical color by letter worksheets…This Winter color by letter supports skills in handwriting, fine motor skills, visual motor skills, and direction-following with a winter theme. Winter is still in full swing, which is a great opportunity to introduce this Winter Coloring Page, just one of our coloring pages here on the site. It is a color by letter and writing task, with a cute winter bear, since we are “bearly” through winter!

      Also be sure to grab our new winter crossword puzzle and this winter clothes worksheet to target visual discrimination and other visual perceptual skills.

      Winter color by letter sheet

      Winter Color By letter

      This winter color by letter activity is an out-of-box letter formation worksheet that is fun and engaging. It is so cold out there, you might be finding more time inside doing activities rather than outside.

      This color by letter winter scene is a great addition to your winter theme. In addition to this Winter Coloring Page, the OT Toolbox has some great winter themed kits to make your treatment sessions easier. If you do venture outside, be sure to check out these Snow and Ice Activities.

      Color By Letter Worksheets

      A color by letter sheet is a printable tool to work on skills such as visual discrimination, visual figure ground, and the fine motor skills necessary to color in a small space.

      The nice thing about the winter color by letter activity below is that there is a handwriting component as well.

      The printable color by letter page asks children to write the letter that they color in each time they find the letter and finish coloring.

      This task offers several skills for children:

      • In-hand manipulation to pick up the crayon and then place it on the table to then pick up the pencil. There is a lot of manipulation of writing tools to complete these tasks. This supports development of transfer within the hand and using the writing tool to color or write.
      • Copying the letters into the sized boxes for uppercase letter formation and lowercase letter formation. This uppercase/lowercase discrimination supports handwriting and form constancy skill as well as letter sizing.
      • Visual motor skills to visually scan for the correct letter form in the color by letter page and then appropriately match the color to the space on the coloring sheet.

      Luckily for the bear in the winter coloring worksheet, he has his own built in winter coat.  No hoodie necessary!  We also have a great winter activity all about hibernation activities where this would fit in nicely.

      Why should I use this Winter Color by letter?

      To Develop:

      • Fine motor skills: Manipulating and grasping a pencil, crayon, marker, or whatever combination of writing implements you use.  Coordination to fit the letters inside the boxes.  Coloring inside the lines. Remember smaller items such as golf pencils and broken crayons help promote that tripod grasp.
      • Handwriting: Copying and writing letters, letter size, and to target letter formation
      • Strength: core strength, hand and wrist stability. 
      • Bilateral coordination: using one hand for coloring and writing while the “helper hand” supports the paper. Keep an eye on which hand is primarily used as the dominant side to discourage switching
      • Visual perception: figure ground to pick out the letters from the field of many. Scanning to correctly find all of the letters. Visual memory to remember what color each letter section needs to be. Form constancy to recognize the letters in their different forms or sizes
      • Executive function/behavior/social skills: following directions, attention to detail, waiting, social skills, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance
      • Proprioception: how much pressure is used on the crayon/pencil/marker, and how much pressure is put on to the paper

      Use a color by letter Worksheet in therapy

      A color by letter worksheet is a powerhouse of skill building.

      What should I look for when observing or assessing this snow coloring page?

      • How many times do you need to repeat the directions so your learner can follow them?
      • How many reminders does your learner need while doing this color by letter sheet?
      • What is your learner’s frustration tolerance if they make a mistake or have to erase?
      • Is there any cheating or cutting corners going on? There always is.
      • How does your learner motor plan this task?  Do they do all the coloring first, then write all the letters, skip around, haphazardly complete the task, write the letters first, or something else?
      • While your learner switches between tasks such as writing and coloring or using different utensils, how well do they switch focus?
      • Take time to work on executive function if your learner is doing this task the hard way, being inefficient, or missing vital steps.

      Modify a Color by Letter worksheet:

      You can adapt or modify a color by letter worksheet to support different skill development:

      • There are endless utensils to use for coloring.  Markers, 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
      • Change writing utensils to appeal to different students and improve their level of motivation. 
      • Some learners do not seem to notice the black borders around coloring sections.  Highlight these with different colors, or trace around each section to demonstrate what “inside the lines” means.
      • Coloring can be assessed by noting the percentage of the item that is filled in, and the number of errors outside of the lines.  This can be tricky sometimes as there are often dozens of stray marks outside of the lines.  Try this: the learner was able to color a two inch shape with 75% coverage and greater than 5 errors out of the lines.
      • Use multiple types of work pages or activities to address each skill. An easy way to work on these skills this winter is this Snowman Activity Kit

      In addition to using this Winter Coloring by Letter Page in your treatment plan, check out the Winter Fine Motor Activities with links to activities, resources, and valuable products.

      Because many learners are resistant to doing writing tasks, try and make this color by letter winter scene multidimensional. Add a sensory component, a gross motor task, glitter, fun pencils, or a book to motivate your learners. Need to work on self regulation?

      How about a Winter Mindfulness Exercise? As you can see, there are tons of resources out there to spice up your winter themed lesson plan, without ever having to venture out into the frozen tundra.

      Stay warm and bundle up!

      Free Winter Color by letter worksheet

      Want a copy of this color-by letter worksheet? Enter your email address into the form below.

      This resource is also inside our Member’s Club. Level 1 members can find this on the Handwriting toolbox. Level 2 members can find it on the Handwriting toolbox and in the Winter Therapy Theme.

      Free Winter Color-By-Letter Sheet

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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.

        *The term, “learner” is used throughout this post for inclusivity. This information is relevant for students, patients, clients, preschoolers, kids/children of all ages and stages, or whomever could benefit from these resources. The term “they” is used instead of he/she to be inclusive.

        Name Practice for Kindergarten

        by
        name writing activities for kindergarten

        This blog discusses the developmental criteria needed prior to introducing name writing to kindergarteners, specifically name practice for kindergarten. We’re covering the related fine motor strengthening activities, and ten fun ways to work on name writing practice for kindergarten students. Be sure to check out our resource on name writing activities for more tips at different ages and abilities.

        At this age it’s important to understand the reasoning behind tracing sheets.

        name writing activities for kindergarten

        name practice for kindergarten

        Today’s Kindergarten curriculum includes increased developmental requirements than in previous years, but the opportunities to practice writing can be a “just right” level for many children at this age.

        An important thing to cover when it comes to name writing practice: name writing in kindergarten is when handwriting begins to be developmentally appropriate. In preschool, writing AND pre-writing with a pencil or writing utensil is NOT developmentally appropriate. Preschool curriculum that tell you otherwise are simply inaccurate.

        Being that this article is about kindergarten name writing, know that handwriting in kindergarten requires the establishment of pre-writing skills (which occur through play).

        Once children have developed visual/spatial awareness, pre-writing strokes, and fine motor strength, they are ready to practice writing their name. Also a common consideration in kindergarten name writing is that sometimes children may be developmentally ready, but they don’t show an interest in writing their own names.

        You can practice name writing in lots of different ways that include multisensory name creation and letter recognition games to entice even the most reluctant student.

        Let’s take a deeper look at kindergarten name practice.

        Developmental prerequisites needed for name writing

        There are many skills children need to develop before they are able to write their names. In order for greater success, they need to know the sounds and names of letters, be able to use their body correctly, know how to copy written lines, and so much more.

        For better success rates, many developmental skills are needed for handwriting to be developed before a child is able to write their name:

        • Pre-writing line formation (straight lines, circles, cross, diagonal lines, triangles, squares) 
        • Identifying letters of the alphabet
        • Visual perceptual skills
        • Visual motor skills
        • Fine motor skills to hold and manipulate a writing utensil
        • Spatial relations (positioning, placement, left to right progression)
        • Direction following
        • Eye-hand coordination to place letters on a paper
        • Visual Tracking skills 
        • Crossing midline skills
        • Bilateral coordination skills

        One of the the best ways to learn new skills is through a multi-sensorial approach.

        Letter identification and sounds can be taught through worksheets and flashcards, but kindergartners love to learn through play. 

        How do I know they are ready for name writing practice?

        One of the best ways to know when your child is ready to start writing their name, is by using an assessment tool formulated for kindergarteners.

        This handwriting observations and data collection kit has everything you need to get started. This shape formation and pre-writing screening tool can be used along with observations and data collection to assess and analyze a child’s progression in pre-writing skills.

        Remember that for some kids, in the kindergarten classroom is the first time they are picking up a pencil or any coloring tool. Others may have been “instructed” to write their name before they were developmentally ready. They might have formed inaccurate motor plans for letters. They might have a pencil grasp that is founded in an inefficient grasp due to using a pencil as a writing tool before they were ready. Kindergarten name writing can look like many different things based on these differences.

        Name practice for kindergarten can look like many different things for each kindergartener.

        Now that you have determined that your child is developmentally ready to write their name, let’s take a peek at the most enjoyable name writing practice activities available. 

        Multisensory activities for name writing practice for Kindergarten

        These 10 name writing activities are perfect for kindergarteners ready to take the next step in forming words. Kindergarten name practice can occur through play based activities that support development of underlying skills through play.

        Try some of these name practice for kindergarten.

        • Sensory bin handwriting activity: Fill up a tray with sand, shaving cream or other fine sensory material. Laminate the child’s name on a card and place it next to the tray. Using a stick or capped pen, the child can write their name in the tray material. If the material is thin enough, try putting the name card in the tray for students to uncover
        • Letter b and d reversal activities: Do you have a child that has a lowercase b or d in their name? It is common for kids to interchange these letters when learning how to write. These letter reversal activities will help them learn which letter is which
        • Waiting list: When children are waiting for a turn with a toy, or to complete a task, start a “waiting” list on a white board. When one child would like to use a toy another child is using, they can write their name on the board. When it’s their turn, they erase their name, and another child can write their name.
        • Sensory tracing bag: Place some shaving cream and food coloring in a plastic ziplock bag. Smear the shaving cream around so it takes up the entire bag. Some children love to add glitter to their bag to make them sparkle. Once, the bag is flat, have the child use their pointer finger to write their name on the bag, creating a colorful name. These bags can be made with hair gel and glitter, birdseed, dry rice, or sand.
        • Labeling artwork: Once a child is done drawing, write their name using a yellow highlighter. Have the child trace their name using a pen or marker. 
        • Sidewalk Chalk Painting: Write a child’s name in sidewalk chalk outdoors. Give them a paintbrush and water, and have them “erase” their name by tracing the letters with the wet paintbrush. When they are ready, they can write their own name with sidewalk chalk.
        • Name Kits: A name kit is a great way to organize name practice in a folder for each child in your class. To make a name kit, you’ll need letters of the name in different fonts, letter magnets, and writing strips. By adding a laminated name card, the plastic letters in their name, letter cut outs, and a few other name products, kids can grab their name kit at any time to practice the letter order and spelling of their name. We have many different letter activities available that can be used with many different students in our Letter Fine Motor Kit. The kit can be printed off and used with an entire therapy caseload, printing off the letters needed for each student. You’ll find many letter manipulatives in the kit.
        • Name Tracing Folders: Isolating the index finger to trace letters in our name, or using a writing utensil to trace letters, can help children learn the order in which the letters in their name go. 
        • Magnetic Letter Names: Use magnetic letters along with a magnetic surface such as a cookie sheet, refrigerator, or even building names on the garage door to build names using a name cards, to allow children to practice spelling their names anytime. This spoons and magnetic letters activity is another fun idea.
        • Play dough Names: Use colored play dough to roll, stretch and cut the dough. Children can spell their names with the play dough both indoors and outdoors.
        • Graph Paper Letter Boxes: Use large graph paper or letter boxes for students to write one letter of their name in each box. This helps with sizing and spacing, and is often less frustrating to the new learner.
        • Velcro letters: Add velcro to several letters. Have students find the matching letters to their name and stick them onto a board. Pulling velcro is a great finger strengthening activity

        A final note about name writing

        Name writing practice for kindergarten students is an essential part of their curriculum. Name writing is an essential skill students will need for life, but it is important to remember all of the developmental skills needed in order to write a name.

        Allowing children plenty of time to practice, and a variety of multi sensory activities, will make name writing fun. It may take a few months before children are able to write their names legibly, without tracing, because everyone develops at a different pace.

        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.

        Letters Fine Motor Kit
        Letter Fine Motor Kit

        The Letter Fine Motor Kit has many letter manipulatives to allow kindergarten students to practice name writing with different letter activities and letter cards to support name writing practice through fine motor play.

        Parallel Play: Definition, Benefits & Activities

        by
        parallel play

        In this blog we will discuss the importance of parallel play in young children, its benefits, and ways adults can support social skill development with young toddlers through this type of play. One aspect of occupational therapy play, parallel play is both a tool and a main job of kids!

        parallel play

        What is parallel play?

        Parallel Play refers to, playing near or alongside another person. It is a developmental phase of childhood development. The act of participating in building social boundaries by playing along side a peer offers a variety of learning opportunities, especially when adults facilitate interactions through creating an engaging environment. 

        This stage of play is a crucial stepping stone in navigating friendships. It’s an opportunity to practice social interactions in a “safe” manner as young children play side-by-side. 

        parallel play age

        Parallel play occurs between the ages of 18 months to 2 years of age. Although this age range is a common stage for many children, parallel play can exist beyond the age of two years. This play age is when we see a lot of growth.

        Children of all ages can play near or alongside a peer.

        Even adults can participate in leisure activities using parallel play!

        parallel play development

        Development of parallel play

        Parallel play occurs when children play in groups, in preschool classrooms, day care centers, playdates, or in small groups, including alongside siblings. Playmates that play beside one another may be using the same toys or playthings or they may be using different toys.

        It’s an opportunity to build social skills by observing a peer, using new words and building on language development, seeing new vocabulary in action, exploring different scenarios, exploring social behavior, even at a young age.

        Parallel play is a process in social emotional learning and social emotional development, and includes practice in the social development that might not happen in stages of play prior to parallel play (unoccupied play, solitary play, and onlooker play).

        Because parallel play requires proximity to other children, it’s a great way to practice the skills needed for play stages after parallel play as well, leading to a healthy development of social awareness.

        There are six stages of play in early childhood including:

        1. Unoccupied play
        2. Solitary play
        3. Onlooker play
        4. Parallel play 
        5. Associative play 
        6. Cooperative play 

        Parallel play is the fourth stage of play development, and the beginning of children exploring relationships with those around them. Child development is centered on play and parallel play is just one of those stages

        Parallel Play is one of six stages of development!

        Parallel play is just one of the six stages of play. As children navigate sharing space and toys with peers, they are learning communication, sensory, spatial awareness and other developmental milestones in a group setting.

        History of Play development

        The history of parallel play is discussed in this blog stating that, “Parallel play (or parallel activity) is a term that was introduced by Mildred Parten in 1932 to refer to a developmental stage of social activity in which children play with toys like those the children around them are using, but are absorbed in their own activity, and usually play beside rather than with one another.” 

        There have been many different studies done on play. One of the most well-known educational philosopher, Maria Montessori, highlights the importance of all stages of play within her research.

        Benefits of parallel play

        During this parallel play stage, children in this age range learn:

        • Language and communication skills   
        • Sharing/taking turns 
        • Motor planning skills
        • Self regulation
        • Creativity
        • Fine motor skills and gross motor skills 
        • Emotions/expression 
        • Independence and confidence
        • Social cues from peers
        • Social and personal boundaries
        • Body awareness
        • Awareness of surroundings
        • Fine motor skills

        You can see how parallel play is a powerful tool for learning during the preschool years!

        Examples of Parallel Play

        You have probably seen parallel play in action in the classroom, home, or anywhere more than one child are interacting together in play experiences. 

        When observing play at a park, children between the ages of 2 and 3 engage in parallel play as they interact with toys in the same area, such as the sandbox.

        As they dig and pour the sand, children may allow others into their space, but don’t acknowledge what they are doing, or try to join their play.

        • Playing alongside one another using similar toys in a pretend play area in a preschool classroom
        • Playing in a shared space with different toys such as blocks and dolls
        • Engaging in DIR Floor Play alongside an adult
        • Playing in a shared environment with similar toys or experiences, but with individual play experiences (in a block center where each child builds their own blocks, in a play dough center where each child plays with their own play dough, etc.)
        • Playing on playground equipment at a school playground where each child uses similar or different equipment and participates in their own pretend scenarios

        While children are in the imitation stage, adults can support their development by providing large areas where many children can play near each other with similar toys. This includes investigative art opportunities, large motor play, block areas, book areas and open ended spaces.  

        Parallel Play Activities

        Here are five fun parallel play games for you to try. 

        • Investigating art – In the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education, the atelier (art studio) is a focal point of the classroom. Children of any age, and in any play stage, benefit from exploring different types of art materials. For the child engaging in parallel play, observations of other individuals are often made. Whether indoors or out, providing children with different art supplies, will draw interest in the shared space. Set up this space by providing seating areas that are safe to explore paints, clay, recycled materials and more.
        • Sensory exploration – Parallel play development can be developed in sensory play. Sensory bins, tubs, and activities provide the opportunity for multiple children to engage in tactile exploration at the same time. Although they may not be engaging directly with the children in their group, they will be enthusiastic about standing/sitting near others. Sensory bins can be filled with a variety of items that are readily available, such as sand, rice, rocks, grass, birdseed, or water. They can also be seasonally themed, like these fall sensory ideas. Messy sensory play with shaving cream is a great tactile activity.
        • Building  areas – blocks, Legos, Lincoln logs, tinker toys, train tracks, and other building materials are fun for children of any age to promote parallel play. A block area creates a smaller space with a variety of opportunities children enjoy. A building area can be set up in the classroom or a home. Scaffolding the learning environment, where adults lay out items that encourage children to explore topics and practice new skills, is a wonderful way to support parallel play.  A block area can includes hard hats, road signs, books about building, plastic animals, and more!
        • Storybook access – A library filled with different types of books interesting to young children is a perfect parallel play environment. As children pick out the book they like, sit on a bean bag or carpet square to read, they are actively being part of a small reading group. Adding some baby dolls, stuffed animals, blankets and pillows entices young children to stay in the reading nook longer. Some classrooms put up a small tent for reading time, or build a treehouse loft in the class. 
        • Small group fine motor play- A small table with four or five chairs is the perfect spot to set up a fine motor activity for the age level you are teaching. This parallel play set up is ideal, allowing young children to have their own space, while still playing near familiar children. Examples of activities to include in this area are stacking cups, building block towers, muffin tin sorting, scissor skill activities, rainbow chain links and play dough. You can find more ideas perfect for toddlers here on the OT Toolbox.

        supporting children through conflict

        When children are playing near each other, problems don’t often occur, but what happens when one child gets too close to another, or they take a toy that another child is playing with?

        Sometimes children become frustrated with the actions of their peers, and need extra visual and tactile support to navigate calming down and problem solving. As children become more comfortable with parallel play through fun and engaging activities, they are able to develop foundational skills necessary for social and emotional development.

        As children are developing their play skills, they often need support from adults on how to communicate appropriately. Using visual and tactile tools to support calm down and problem solving skills are necessary when engaging with toddlers who are having big emotions.

        Once a child is calm, supporting their conflict negotiation skills through simple questions and narrating the situation, will help toddlers find a solution and also learn skills needed to communicate with peers in the future.

        Some short phrases to use with toddlers when helping them identify the cause of their frustration and problem solving are:

        • I see that _________ took/grabbed/kicked/etc_____________. 
        • You seem mad. What happened?
        • ___________wanted to be closer to you, but you didn’t want that. 
        • How can I help you ______________?
        • What would you like to do instead?
        • Do you need a break?
        • Would you like to try _______ instead?

        One program that includes easy-to-understand calming activities for two years olds is the (Amazon affiliate link) Soothing Sammy program I developed. 

        It includes a story about Sammy, a golden retriever, who lives in a house that children visit when they are sad or upset. Sammy supports children through processing their feelings by sharing with them a variety of sensory objects (water, cold washcloth, crunchy snack, a spot to jump, and more!)

        Although parallel play is a short term developmental stage, it is an important step that bridges the gap from independent exploration to building collaborative friendships. Teachers, caregivers, and parents play a critical role in providing safe and interesting opportunities for children to play and socialize with others. 

        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.

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