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Occupational Therapy Coloring Pages

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occupational therapy coloring pages

In celebration of Occupational Therapy Month, we’ve got a series of free OT PDFs and these occupational therapy coloring pages will get you started with the OT fun. April is Occupational Therapy Month!  Not only is it a month to celebrate the occupational therapists in your life, but to advocate for our profession.  Raise your hand if you have been asked, “what the heck is occupational therapy?”  This question comes from adults as much as children. This spring, in celebration of OT month, the OT Toolbox will be offering a series of resources to help educate young learners about the role of occupational therapy. These therapy coloring pages will make advocating for the profession fun AND engaging as users build motor skills!

You’ll also love our President’s Day coloring pages that are great for all US holiday themes.

Occupational therapy coloring pages for therapy skills

Today’s resource is occupational therapy coloring pages to start the journey towards advocacy and education. 

Therapy Coloring Pages

We wanted to create a set of therapy coloring pages that are as useful as a therapy coloring tool as they are useful for advocating for the profession of occupational therapy. OT professionals know the value of an engaging activity on developing and refining skills in their clients, and these therapy coloring pages do just that! Each therapy coloring sheet includes images of OT equipment which users can color while also learning about the value of OT in supporting client needs.

A therapeutic coloring page is a tool for therapy providers to use with clients because the OT practitioner can target goal areas such as:

  • Fine Motor Skills
  • Hand Strength
  • Visual Motor Skills
  • Eye-Hand Coordination
  • Force Modulation (color this item light red and this other therapy picture dark red)
  • More!

Then, when the therapy coloring sheet is completed, the pictures are great to hang on a bulletin board, door, or hallway and advocate for the powerful nature of occupational therapy!

It is important for people to know who we are and what we do, so they can ask for help when needed, and see that what we do matters. A persons’ occupation is their job.  Also known as functional skills, occupations are the day to day tasks we do all day long. Occupations go beyond the workplace. 

A child’s occupation is to learn to care for themselves, go to school, play, and develop social skills.  An adult’s occupation entails self care skills, social function, caring for others, instrumental activities of daily living (cooking, cleaning, laundry, fixing the car, etc.) along with any work functions they have.

Occupational therapy (OT) helps bridge the gap between where the learner currently is functioning, and independence. For children we might say we bridge the gap between functional and chronological age. 

OT might be restorative, or teach new skills. OTs can be found in schools, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, daycares, home therapy and many other places.

Add these occupational therapy coloring pages to your OT month awareness packet!

Occupational Therapy Coloring Pages

OTs use some fun toys!

Younger learners, especially in schools, have seen many tools therapists use to help their students. These range from fidgets, swings, trampolines, alternative seating, slant boards, pencil grips, and more.

Some often wonder why our learner gets to play with the OT, and get fidget toys to use in class.

Using these occupational therapy coloring pages will help start the conversation about what these tools are, and how they are used. Share these OT coloring pages both with the learners on your caseload, as well as the other students in the school.

While it is true we use some fun toys in therapy, these are tools for the learners who need them. Occupational Therapy for young learners is play based. 

This is  because the role of the young learner is to play. You will notice that the learner who NEEDS the fidget or other adaptations will use it appropriately as a tool to help them get organized, while the neurotypical student tends to use it as a toy.

Use these occupational therapy coloring pages to talk about what each piece of therapy equipment does for the learner. 

Beyond educating others about our amazing profession, great skills are being addressed with these coloring worksheets:

  • Hand strength and dexterity – coloring inside the lines builds hand muscles and develops muscle control. 
  • Visual motor skills –Combining what is seen visually and what is written motorically.  It takes 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 – Developing figure ground to see where one item starts and finishes, scanning to find all items to color, and recognizing the border lines while coloring. 
  • Proprioception – pressure on paper, grip on pencil
  • Social/Executive Function – Following directions, turn taking, task completion, orienting to details, neatness, multi-tasking, attending to task, and impulse control can be addressed using these occupational therapy coloring pages PDF.
  • Fine motor strengthening, hand development, and grasping pattern
  • Bilateral coordination – remembering to use their “helper hand” to hold the paper while writing.  Using one hand for 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.

April is also Disability Awareness month.  This is a great opportunity to talk about different disabilities, while addressing the tools used to help people. How can you incorporate both of these important awareness months into a teachable moment?

While pediatric occupational therapists do have a lot of fun at our jobs, we are also providing an amazing service to the people we work with. Advocacy for our profession is so important.

With the push to integrate young people with special needs into the mainstream classroom, teachers are finding it more difficult to educate everyone at the same time. Our role as an occupational therapist is to help learners become more independent, provide tools and suggestions to classroom teachers to make their job easier, and help them identify which learners might be struggling.

The OT Toolbox is full of amazing resources for therapists, teachers, parents, and learners of all ages. This post shares what occupational therapy is all about and what tools are needed to make life easier.  Stay tuned for more occupational therapy month activities during April.

Free OT Coloring Pages

Want to add these resources to your occupational therapy toolbox? Enter your email address below to grab these printable PDF coloring sheets. These materials are also available in the OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

Level one members will have the opportunity to sign up for and download five different occupational therapy month activities.  Level two members will have access to all of these plus the larger collection of OT themed materials.  

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!

Free Occupational Therapy Coloring Pages

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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 readability and inclusion. 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.

    Occupational therapy materials bundle

    NEW RESOURCE: Occupational Therapy Bundle!

    The Occupational Therapy Materials Bundle includes:

    • I Spy OT Dynamic Duos- School Based OT
    • I Spy OT Dynamic Duos- Outpatient OT
    • OT Coloring Pages
    • OT Writing Prompts
    • OT Copy the Words
    • OT Fine Motor Copy Kit
    • OT Fine Motor Game
    • OT Homework Bingo
    • OT Materials Toothpick Art
    • OT Supplies Match It Game
    • OT Supplies-What’s Missing
    • OT Visual Schedule Cards
    • OT Word Search
    • 8 OT articles on professional development

    • How to make Sensory Bottles for Self Regulation

      This blog post on how to make a sensory bottle is an old one on the website. It was originally written February 21, 2015 and we updated it April 11, 2024. All this time later, the fact is that sensory bottles continue to be a valuable self regulation and calming tool for kids to use…

    Grab The Occupational Therapy Materials Bundle during OT Month to grab this 21 resource bundle for just $8!

    Printable Valentine Cards

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    Printable Valentine cards

    Today we have a download that supports skills in kids (and adults) with these printable Valentine Cards. Use these printable activities along with some treats for a kid-made gift that helps them develop skills while making the cards. What parent or teacher wouldn’t love that type of holiday card! This PDF file is a winner when used to develop handwriting skills, coloring, visual motor skills, direction following, and more! Add this fun idea to your list of Valentine’s Day occupational therapy activities.

    Also be sure to get our Valentines Day I Spy activity for more skill-building. You’ll also love our Conversation Heart Sort. It’s a sorting worksheet for a fine motor activity with conversation hearts.

    Printable Valentines Cards

    Printable Valentines Cards

    Sometimes a fun activity can make skill-building better! That’s where these adorable cards come into play. Grab a copy of the printable valentines and add your own message for working on handwriting skills, empathy, and more. It’s a fun way to develop goal areas using the holiday fun!

    Can you believe how big this holiday is?  Billions of dollars are spent buying Valentine’s gifts for others, millions of cards are sent, and hours of time is spent preparing for the festivities.  However shallow and costly this may seem, we could all use a reason to celebrate.  Some months it seems we slog from one week to the next waiting for the weekends to arrive, only to do it all over again on Monday.  An added day or week of excitement breaks up the monotony and gives us a reason to celebrate.  These free Printable Valentines Cards are perfect for celebrating without breaking the bank!

    Kids of all ages can use these printables in occupational therapy sessions, the classroom or the home.

    FOLDABLE PRINTABLE VALENTINES DAY CARDS TO COLOR

    If you are looking for the perfect classroom valentines, look no further.

    Not everyone has the money or belief to spend lots of money every time a holiday comes around.  Many recipients find a homemade card or gift to be much more meaningful than a store bought one.  

    Let your learners of all ages show their creativity with these free printable Valentine’s cards to color.  Enter your email address below and your printable Valentine’s day cards will shoot directly into your inbox.  

    The free printables are a great tool to work on coloring skills with an end result, while still allowing the kiddo (or user of any age) to show creative expression.

    Get out lots of different art supplies to help your learners use their creativity. Pens, markers, glue, glitter, sequins, dot markers, paint, crayons, ribbon, tissue paper, and anything that can be used to decorate the free printable Valentine’s card will be a win with your learners.

    As an added benefit, using the foldable printable Valentines Day cards to color and develop fine motor skills, users can work on eye-hand coordination, pinch and grip strength, visual motor skills, and more.

    As you walk down the hallways of different schools, you might see different types of art projects.  What do you notice?  Many of them are cookie cutter, with all of the pieces exactly where they belong, looking identical to one another.  

    While this is super cute to send home to parents, there are a lot of reasons to stop doing this.  

    • Young learners thrive on experimentation, getting messy, and free expression
    • Parents have a better picture of their child’s abilities if they see what their child makes independently
    • Learners get comfortable making mistakes while noticing their picture looks different than others
    • What better way to learn cause and effect by dumping a bottle of glitter and heaps of glue onto their printable Valentine’s card?
    • Teachers can witness their learner’s ability to independently follow a model without intervention, track their progress, and see their skills without influence.  
    • Caregivers can learn a lot about the sensory system by watching young learners create.  The sensory seeker might put their hands in the paint and spread it up to their elbows.  The avoider might pick crayons instead of messy markers.  A seeker tends to mark heavily on the paper with vigorous strokes, while the avoider draws with lighter strokes.
    • The ABC Learning Center has a great article on what artwork reveals about a person

    An open-ended tool such as these thoughtful valentine’s day gift cards can support skill development while still allowing the user creative expression oppourtunites. 

    Free Printable Valentine Cards to Color

    Start practicing today with the free printable Valentine cards to color.  Make the decision to put out the supplies and let the students create their masterpiece independently.  You can show an example so the students get an idea, however encourage learners not to just copy yours. 

    • Stop prioritizing product over process
    • Sit on your hands if you need to.  Sometimes the urge to “fix” things is overwhelming.  Learners don’t always need reminders that they forgot to draw a nose, or that clouds are not pink.
    • Limit the amount of directions you give
    • Talk about their art.  “I notice your whole picture is blue, what made you decide to choose that color?”  
    • Encourage experimentation.  As ugly as we might think it might be, young learners think mixing all of the paints into the infamous gray blob is exciting
    • Try not to criticize.  Notice the process instead

    There are times when the end product is supposed to look like the model in order to address following directions, however it does not have to look exactly like the model if the learner is unable to do this independently.  You can discuss with the class your objectives for the task such as color inside the lines, cutting on the lines, and having legible handwriting. 

    This is not easy.  There are some educators and therapists cringing as they read this.  One teacher I work with only offers colored pencils because everything else is messy.  Another freaks out if something goes awry.  On the opposite end, I have teachers who embrace me coming in and letting their learners get messy and create how they are able.  This week not one penguin looked like the other in the hallway outside one class!!

    SKILLS LEARNED MAKING FOLDABLE FREE VALENTINE’S CARDS

    As you set out the free printable Valentine’s day cards, get excited about how different each learner’s art will be.  Watch as they make messes and get creative.  

    Younger children can simply decorate the printable cards. Older users, teens, or participants of any age can use the printable cards as last-minute valentine’s day cards that support handwriting and direction-following skills.

    Take time to notice the great skills they are working on as they complete their printable Valentine’s cards:

    • Folding paper
    • Coloring inside the lines
    • Sensory exploration – drippy glue, sequins, glitter, finger paints, paper shreds
    • finger/hand strength
    • Cutting along lines
    • Using glue to paste images onto the cards
    • Writing on differentiated lines
    • Handwriting for writing name, letters, etc.
    • Bilateral coordination
    • Executive function, following directions, attention, attention to detail, focus, sequencing, planning, task completion, neatness, impulse control, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance to name a few
    • Social function – working together in a group, problem solving, sharing materials and space, turn taking, talking about their work, making mistakes

    These printable Valentine Cards would look great on an occupational therapy bulletin board or sent to special teachers or paraprofessional support individuals in the school, too. This is a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift that “gives” in more ways than one!

    A general search on the OT Toolbox brought up dozens of posts and resources for Valentine’s day including hole punch cards, fine motor worksheets, fine motor printables, Valentine’s busy bag, Valentine sensory bottle, Valentines sensory bin, and more.

    Enjoy the Valentine’s day celebration, however you choose to share it with others.  Make time for creativity, and of course eating chocolate!

    Free Printable Valentine Cards

    Want to add this activity to your printable therapy resources? Enter your email address into the form below to access this therapy tool. This printable PDF is also available inside the Member’s Club. Members can log in and access the printable cards on our Valentine’s Day Therapy Theme (Level 2) or under Fine Motor Activities (Level 1 and 2).

    FREE Printable Valentine Cards

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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.

      Winter Clothes Worksheet for Visual Perception

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      During the cold winter months, bundling up in mittens, scarves and other winter clothing is a must, which makes today’s winter clothes worksheet a fun way to work on various skills with children in the theme of winter! We’ve covered quite a few different winter occupational therapy activities here on the site, and this winter clothes printable supports visual perceptual skill building in fun ways during the cold months of the year.

      Our free color and count worksheet goes really well with this printable so be sure to grab that resource, too.

      And, grab this mitten printable for fine motor and visual motor skill development.

      Wither clothes worksheet for visual perception

      Winter Clothes Worksheet

      Using creative themes and activities in therapy is a fun way to practice meaningful and functional skills in creative ways. That’s where the winter clothes worksheet that you’ll find below comes into play.

      Winter means different things for different people depending on their climate. Winter in the southern United States means adding a sweatshirt, possibly a hat at the bus stop early in the morning.  In the northern states winter is a different story.  Up north, winter starts in mid- September and seems to last until May.  I have northern roots but am a southern girl by heart. 

      Winter months in cold areas of the world mean bundling up and adding clothes.  Mittens, hats, coats, snow pants, boots, gloves, earmuffs, thick socks, long johns, and lots of layers are the customary daily garb. 

      You can add this winter clothing printable to a few others from our Member’s Club, which you’ll find in the Winter Therapy Theme (Level 2 members):

      • Winter Pattern Paper Chain activity
      • Winter Words ABC order
      • Winter Listen and Color
      • Build a Sweater Craft
      • Winter Clothing Checklist
      • Winter Clothes Worksheet: Word Scramble
      • Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Earmuffs
      • Winter hat Hole Punch Cards
      • Match the Mittens
      • Mittens Lacing Cards
      • Winter Clothes I Spy Sheet
      • Winter Clothing Handwriting pages
      • MORE!

      Since bundling up is a daily chore in the frozen north, why not add all it to your treatment plan?

      The Warm Winter Clothes Worksheet is a cute winter printable PDF designed to target the underlying skills of visual discrimination, visual figure ground, and visual attention, making it a great winter clothes worksheet for kindergarten or early primary grades.

      Winter Clothes Worksheet for Therapy

      This winter worksheet prompts users to find the number of articles of winter clothing, but there are coloring and handwriting options as well. It’s a cute winter printable to build essential skills while using meaningful, relevant content.

      What does this winter number tracing worksheet work on besides visual perception?

      1.  Kinesthetic awareness – Kinesthetic learning means learning by doing and this worksheet supports practice skills.
      2.  Hand strength and dexterity – Coloring while staying on the lines builds hand strength in the muscles of the hands and develops muscle control. Check out the In Hand Manipulation Blog which covers what this skill means as well as activities.
      3. Visual motor skills –Combining what is seen visually and what is written motorically.  Visual Motor Skills takes coordination to be able to translate information from visual input to motor output. Coloring, drawing, counting, cutting, and tracing are some visual motor skills.
      4. Visual Perception – Developing visual perceptual skills supports learning, reading, writing, and basically every functional task done throughout the day. One example addressed in this winter clothing worksheet is the figure ground skills to see where one item start and finishes, scanning to find all answers, and visual closure to understand that dotted lines will create something.
      5. Strength – Core strength needed for sitting, shoulder/elbow/wrist stability, finger strength, and head control all play their role in writing.
      6. Bilateral Coordination – Bilateral coordination is needed to use both hands together in a coordinated manner, which is important in handwriting and coloring. Be sure your learner uses their helper hand for stabilizing the paper while using their dominant hand for writing. You can target this skill by taping the worksheet to the wall on the bottom of the page. The user then has to work on the vertical surface and hold the paper up so they can write or color.
      7. Counting/Learning Numbers – Count the items to understand number concepts in addition to tracing them. Work on learning to write numbers by using this worksheet along with others on our site.
      8. Social/Executive Function – Following directions, turn taking, task completion, orienting to details, neatness, multi-tasking, attending to task, and impulse control can be addressed using this Warm Winter Clothing Printable PDF.

      When using a task such as this number tracing worksheet, therapists can utilize and focus on all the above skills or just one or two. 

      There are times when I am working more on executive function than fine motor skills but will use this task with more of my focus on these executive function skills. 

      When using this worksheet in therapy, my documentation note might not say much about their number formation, counting skills, or neatness, but how well they were able to attend to the task, complete the task, follow directions, and control their impulses.

      How to Modify a Winter Clothing Worksheet

      The nice thing about using a worksheet in therapy sessions, is that you can print off the page as many times as you need to and use it with your whole caseload. OR, print it off once and slide it into a page protector sleeve. Then, use the winter clothing printable with the whole caseload. Just wipe off the page protector sleeve in between uses.

      How do I incorporate or modify this task for the needs of all my learners?

      There are lots of ways to modify this activity to meet various needs! 

      • This sheet can be laminated for reusability or marker use
      • Print off the number tracing worksheet on different colored paper for readability,
      • Print the number tracing worksheet in an enlarged or smaller size
      • Add more details to make the activity more complex
      • Use a cardboard window to show only portions of the sheet to make the activity simpler

      Try having learners color the shapes and write the numbers independently on the back to add more visual motor tasks to this winter clothes worksheet.

      This covers one day of winter, what about the other 240?

      Glad you asked!  The OT Toolbox is stuffed with activities, blog posts and work pages to fill those winter days. The Winter Fine Motor Kit full of handouts and PDF files provides several visual motor tasks to be used throughout the winter season.

      You can grab the Winter Fine Motor Kit inside our shop OR, OT Toolbox Member’s Club members can log into your account and grab the whole Winter Fine Motor Kit, along with hundreds of other printable resources.

      Winter Fine Motor Kit Deal

      Winter is a very long season. Especially if you are not a fan of the cold weather (author raises hand).  Adding fun activities and games can take some of the monotony and sting out of the long cold days.  Moving south can also take the bitterness out of winter, but we are full.

      Brrrrrr, bundle up!

      Free Winter Clothes Worksheet

      This printable is located inside the Member’s Club in our Winter Therapy Theme. Or, if you’re not yet a member, enter your email address into the form below.

      Free Winter Clothes Worksheet for Visual Perception

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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.

        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

          We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.
          Built with ConvertKit

          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.

            Crayons for Toddlers

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            crayons for toddlers

            One question therapists get all the time is about the best crayons for toddlers and specifically which crayons are best to support development. During the toddler years (preschool stage as well), there is a lot of motor and cognitive development happening, making it a great stage to introduce crayons. Let’s talk about the best types of crayons for the toddler years and beyond!

            A lot of the recommendations below are based on the development happening during the toddler years, and the crayon recommendations take hand eye coordination of toddlers into consideration.

            crayons for toddlers
            Crayons for toddlers

            Crayons for Toddlers

            There are many benefits to coloring with crayons and for many toddlers, it is natural to want to color, making it a win-win in building sensory motor skills.

            There is a plethora of  information floating around the web about correct crayons and writing utensils for young people. There are a lot of choices, some great, others not so good.

            When thinking about crayons for toddlers, there is more to it than simply placing a crayon in the palm! Some things to consider include:

            • Coloring with a crayon both develops and requires a grip on the crayon. Forcing coloring too early can promote an immature grasp on the crayon when used in small hands.
            • Coloring offers resistive feedback through the hands by marking the paper. This is a great strengthening activity, but for babies and young toddlers, this can strengthen and add feedback to immature grasps.
            • Likewise, coloring at the toddler stage can be developmentally great when offering the “just right” strengthening and sensory motor feedback needed to move through grasp patterns.

            If you’re thinking about shopping around for the best crayons for toddlers, you’re already in the right frame of mind, because coloring is a tool for creativity that kids need at such a young age.

            Coloring with toddlers is all about the unique shape of the crayons out there on the market that are designed to fit small hands: Think rock crayons, egg crayons, and even something called honeysticks.  

            Do these options surprise you? 

            Then consider the other options out there to worry about:

            • Jumbo crayons vs. Triangular crayons
            • Thick crayons vs. regular sized crayons
            • 96 pack of crayons vs. 8 crayon pack
            • Brands like Crayola crayons vs. Melissa & Doug crayons
            • Washable crayons vs. paraffin wax crayons
            • Pure beeswax crayons vs. crayons with vibrant colors 
            • Non-toxic crayons vs. natural ingredients crayons
            • Large crayons vs. choking hazard sixed crayons
            • Food-grade pigments vs. non-toxic natural wax

            With all of these considerations, how do you choose crayons that make THE very best crayons for toddlers??

            crayons for kids
            Crayons for kids based on development

            Best Crayons for Toddlers

            Before deciding which crayons are best for toddlers, understanding the “why and when” is most important. To do so, we need to run through the developmental stages leading up to toddlers coloring with crayons. This is important because you may see some of the earlier considerations in place when a child is not developmentally ready to color. In those situations, is a good idea to back up and build on skills from a developmental standpoint.

            Birth to one year: This article from Parents magazine highlights the hand development of babies from birth to one year.  In the article it does not mention crayons at all.  

            Why? Because babies’ hands are not ready for crayons of any kind. Crayons for babies exist out there on the market…but it’s just not developmentally appropriate. The hands of babies do not have the muscle control for handling objects like crayons until about 11 months. 

            To prepare toddlers to use crayons to support development, the preparation is a must. Spend the time before the toddler years working on overall fine motor development through picking up objects, self feeding, exploring the environment, cause and effect toys, and dumping objects out of containers. This resource on baby play has a lot of great ideas.

            If crayons are introduced too early, maladaptive grasping patterns will develop.  

            From 12-18 months, the toddler stage, little ones begin to refine their hand development. You’ll see in our resource on fine motor milestones, that there is a lot happening during the toddler years. 

            Around 12 months, children may find it challenging to manipulate small objects with dexterity. At this stage, they are picking up small objects like food pieces with their thumb and pointer finger in a pincer grasp. However, it is difficult for children this age to use dexterity in the fingers of the hand or by isolating fingers or hand separation.

            In six months time, by around 18 months of age, manipulating objects such as toys, utensils, and household objects becomes more coordinated.

            Is it time for crayons yet?  Yes and no. 

            Making marks on paper, and starting to make strokes, but not with pencils or traditional crayons quite yet. 

            Remember, those hand muscles are still very primitive at this point, thus the tools need to be also. Think about how large the knobs on toddler puzzles are, or how chunky beginner spoons are. Writing tools need to be designed the same for little hands.  

            Here are some fine motor and coordination activities to support use of crayons for toddlers:

            Amazon affiliate links are included below.

            • Writing and creating lines with fingers in shaving cream or pudding
            • Finger painting
            • Egg shaped chalk (Amazon affiliate link) like these Egg shaped pieces of chalk fit the whole hand without forcing the fingers to grasp the writing tool
            • Egg shaped crayons like these (affiliate link) also offer resistance when coloring or marking using the whole hand to grasp rather than force a grasp using the fingers which are not ready for that stage yet.
            • Make your own crayons by melting crayons into muffin trays.
            • While there are several iPad apps for writing using finger pointing, research shows children under age 2 should have no exposure to electronics.  Stick with the basics.

            Some coordination activities for 12-18 months can be used to promote eye-hand coordination, proprioceptive input, shoulder stability, and motor coordination. These activities include:

            Children ages 2-3: At this stage of toddlerhood, hand development is starting to become more defined. 

            This is the stage when the young child begins to develop more muscle control needed for precision and dexterity of motor skills in the hand.

            You’ll begin to notice finger isolation, hand separation, and arch development. You’ll also see more refined movements with the thumb in finger opposition. This is where precision in fine motor skills is seen.

            This is also a stage of visual motor growth. Children will begin to integrate the visual input with motor output needed to copy a straight line. A word of caution: at this stage, don’t be concerned with tracing letters or shapes, or copying shapes. Focus is on the simplest of lines: horizontal, vertical lines, circles, and a cross. Read here about pre-writing lines development.

            Is it time for regular crayons yet? 

            Again, yes and no.

            Those tiny hands, while that can certainly hold a regular or chunky crayon, are not ready to do so correctly. The grasp starts out as a gross grasp, then to a pronated grasp, finally ending with a tripod grasp around age 4.

            Children often get stuck in one of these primitive grasping patterns when given crayons too early. A gross grasp is an appropriate stage of hand development, as is a pronated grasp, however the grasping pattern is supposed to continue to develop to a mature tripod grasp over time.

            It often fails when tiny weak hands are holding onto small pencils, crayons, or pens. 

            Coloring can happen, but it’s at the child’s interest, and shouldn’t be forced.

             Here are some crayons for toddlers and preschoolers using this information:

            (Amazon affiliate links included below.)

            • Continue to use the large egg shaped crayons and chalk, as well as finger paints
            • These unusual looking rocket type crayons have a large bulb for palmer grasping that support development but also don’t force young children into holding utensils with an underdeveloped grasp.
            • I also love these crayon rocks for toddlers and preschoolers:
            • Dot markers, while fun and entertaining, also promote the gross and pronated grasps appropriate for this age.
            • Bath finger paints are a great alternative to using crayons.

            Ages 4-5 the preschool age.  Is it time for crayons yet?  Yes!  However, not all children are ready for traditional crayons. 

            One-two inch crayons are the best for children through elementary school.  It is almost physically impossible to get a fist around a one inch crayon. This promotes a tripod grasping pattern.

            During each stage described in this blog post, but especially during the 4-5 age range, don’t feel rushed to put a pencil in the hands of a preschooler. It is common for preschool teachers to think tracing lines, doing simple “prewriting” mazes, tracing their name, and even letter writing activities (including sensory writing trays) is appropriate. Developmentally, it is not. More important at this stage and each stage before, is the PLAY. Play builds the motor, cognitive, sensory, and emotional skills needed for pre-writing. Also read our resource on tracing sheets which needs to be considered for young learners.

            If you have children do not like the idea of broken crayons, there are ready-made flip crayons. (affiliate link)

            What about the chunky crayons? 

            You have probably seen the jumbo sized crayons out there. They are commonly offered to the kindergarten age range. You may have even seen these large, chunky sized option in a triangular shape. 

            However, when it comes to oversized crayons, one size does not fit all. This goes for crayons too. The problem with handing out boxes of large, over-sized crayons to the entire kindergarten class is that, the children that are receiving these boxes of crayons have small fingers, hands, and wrists. 

            In fact, some hands are much too small for chunky crayons, thus leading to more of a gross grasping pattern, or all fingers around the crayon. 

            Other children are able to use a tripod grasp but need a larger size to form this grasp properly. 

            The one benefit to using triangular crayons is that in the classroom setting, they don’t roll across the desk or table and fall on the floor. This is a huge benefit to using the triangular shape because at the kindergarten and first grade age, managing materials as well as body awareness can be a challenge for some kids.

            What about traditional crayons? 

            These can be used if your child has an appropriate grasping pattern such as a tripod, or alternate tripod with two fingers on top.

            The thumb wrap grasp, underwrap, and too many fingers on the writing tool are signs your child is not ready for traditional crayons yet.

            Understanding the why and when behind hand development and tool use, is critical to selecting the correct tools for each stage of development.

            Important note about the ages and stages listed above: Do not rely strictly on the ages above, as children will develop at different ages. These are ballpark ranges for hand development. 

            While it is going to be impossible to convince “the powers that be” to slow down preschool and kindergarten curriculum, being armed with tools and resources will help children be ready to face this onslaught of demands. 

            The OT Toolbox is a great resource for articles, worksheets, printables, crafts, and thousands of ideas and products to work on development.

            *The term, “child” is used throughout this post for readability, however this information is relevant for students, patients, clients, children of all ages, etc. The term “they” is used instead of he/she to be inclusive.

            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.

            RAINBOW TEMPLATE PRINTABLE

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            Rainbow template printable

            Coming up is the Rainbow Template Printable! This March activity is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day theme or a rainbow theme in occupational therapy sessions. Whether you are working on pencil control, scissor skills, eye-hand coordination, or direction-following, this rainbow template can be used to address any skill area.

            You can even use this printable to make a fruit loop rainbow craft.

            This free rainbow template printable is a resource that can be used to work on pencil control, eye-hand coordination, letter formation, scissor skills, and more.

            free rainbow template printable

            What is so enticing about rainbows?  Could it be the pot of gold at the end?  Or the promise of sunshine? I think rainbows don’t make you choose.  You can have all of the colors at once.  For a lot of people, especially those with anxiety, choosing one or two of anything is difficult.  It seems so final and limiting.  Not so with rainbows, you can have it all!

            When I was a child we sang The Rainbow Song, “red and yellow and pink and green, orange and purple and blue. I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow too.”  Is indigo the new pink?  Maybe it is because we learned this in Australia.  Do rainbows look different there?

            Do you remember the mnemonic for the colors of the rainbow? ROY.G.BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). 

            However your learner decides to design their rainbow in this Rainbow Template Printable activity, there are a dozen ways to make this activity fun and functional. 

            Add the printable rainbow activity to our rainbow breathing exercise for more rainbow fun in therapy sessions (or the classroom or home!)

            What ways can you think of to design this rainbow  printable? 

            • Draw vertical lines in each section with the desired color, making sure the lines stay between the top and bottom borders
            • Make small circles in each section, controlling the pencil to stay between the lines
            • Write the first letter of the color,like RRRRRR, across each section
            • If your learner is more of a beginner, simply coloring each section will help develop fine motor skills in this pencil control activity
            • Copy a pattern like wavy, zigzag, or swirl lines in each section
            • Add glitter!  There is never a wrong time to add glitter

            All of the OT Toolbox resources, including this rainbow printable template, can be modified to meet the needs of all of your learners.  There are several posts related to Pencil Control and Rainbows on the OT Toolbox. Here is a post on Rainbow Activities to make lesson planning easier.

            Ways to adapt and modify this rainbow template printable task:

            • Laminate the page for using markers and wipes. This can be useful for reusability, as well as the enjoyment learners have using dry erase markers. Note: not all learners like reusable items, some prefer to take their work home.
            • Printing this rainbow template or some of our other great pencil control worksheets on different colored paper may make it more or less challenging for your learner
            • Enlarging the font may be necessary for beginning learners who need bigger space to write.
            • Have students cut out each section of the rainbow and paste in order on another page – this adds a cutting and gluing element
            • Make changes to the type of writing utensil, paper used, or level of difficulty
            • 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
            • Project this page onto a smart board for students to come to the board and write in larger form.
            • Grade the level of prompting depending on the level of the task and that of your learners
            • Make this part of a larger lesson plan including gross motor, sensory, social, executive function, or other fine motor skills
            • The OT Toolbox has a great Color Handwriting Kit incorporating fine motor skills, colors, and handwriting
            • A classic book, (Amazon affiliate link) the Rainbow Fish, would be a great addition to this rainbow fine motor worksheet, or lesson plan.  Plus it has GLITTER!  

            What skills are you addressing when using this rainbow template printable? 

            There are no wrong or right answers to this question.  Your focus can vary from learner to learner, or follow a common theme. 

            • Pencil control
            • Fine motor skills
            • Pre-writing skills

            The three above are the obvious, and more common skills to be measured during this task.  In addition, it is possible to shift the focus and attend to different aspects of the task:

            • Following directions
            • Task avoidance/compliance
            • Frustration tolerance
            • Behavioral reactions
            • Attention, focus, impulse control
            • Ability to complete a task
            • Level of independence
            • Social skills – sharing, turn taking, waiting

            there are no right or wrong answers

            Again there are no right or wrong answers.  The focus might be entirely on developing fine motor pencil control without regard to behaviors, social function, or executive function. 

            Conversely, the data you gather might not include how their fine motor skills look at all.  Of course you can combine all of the above.

            document, document, document

            Be sure to clearly document what you are observing and measuring.  Data collection is what’s required now.  Use percentages, number of trials, number of verbal or physical prompts, or minutes of focus.

            Gone are the days of writing, “learner completed task with min assist.” Min assist can look different to five different observers.  The only clinical phrases that are somewhat accurate are “independent” and “dependent”, meaning 100% or 0%.

            After all of this activity, maybe your learners need to slow down and take a breather with Rainbow Breathing Exercises. However you choose to create your treatment plan, find ways for it to be motivating and meaningful.

            Free Rainbow Template

            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!

            Free Rainbow Template Printable

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              • Note: the term, “learner” is used throughout this post for consistency, however this information is relevant for students, patients, clients, school aged 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.

              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.

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