handwriting Archives

Cookies Activities for Therapy

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Cookies activities for occupational therapy intervention

I am excited to share another free slide deck for virtual occupational therapy! This cookies activities slide deck includes cookie themed activities for building skills in therapy. The virtual slide deck goes nicely with our recent gingerbread man virtual activity slide deck. It’s a free slide deck that is interactive AND addresses areas such as working memory, eye-hand coordination, visual motor skills, visual attention, and other areas.

Cookie activities for occupational therapy with a virtual therapy slide deck.

Cookies Activities

This is the time of year for holiday baking. Because perhaps this year needs a little more of the comfort that holiday cookies bring, I thought that a Christmas cookies theme would be appropriate.

These cookies activities are meant to be motivating and an encouraging way to work on specific therapy skills.

This year, especially, it’s all about getting creative with motivating strategies to work on the skills kids need support with.

These Cookies Activities are therapy activities that work on the following therapy areas:

Working Memory
Visual Attention
Visual Memory
Visual Perception (visual figure ground, visual discrimination, form constancy, visual spatial relations, form constancy, visual closure)
Visual Efficiency (visual scanning)
Visual Motor Skills
Handwriting

use this holiday cookies activities for therapy planning using a cookie theme in teletherapy.

Cookie Theme for Therapy

This therapy slide deck is an outline of therapy activities for this time of year and addresses different areas that can be worked on in occupational therapy sessions, and even speech therapy!

Cookie activities for working on working memory, visual perception, handwriting and more.

Working Memory Activity with a Cookie Theme

The first several slides include “I Spy” cookies activities, with a direction to locate specific cookies in the kitchen. Students can follow that direction and move the interactive cookie pieces to drag that specific cookie onto the baking sheet.

The directions are text boxes, so that therapists using this slide deck can adjust the directions as needed. You can make the directions more complex or easier, depending on the needs of your client, student, or child. Add 2 or multi-step directions or work on positional terms, too.

The cookies are in the same place on each slide so that children can work on working memory as they look for specific details according to each slide’s directions.

TIP: After your child’s therapy session, click on history at the top of Google slides and reset the slide to it’s original state so that all of the cookies are positioned at the original placement.

Visual Perception Cookie Activities

There are many visual perceptual skills that children can work on with this slide deck:

Visual figure ground– Scanning the image and identifying and locating items hidden in a busy background. This is a skill needed for reading, finding items in a drawer, locating a paper in a homework folder, and other similar tasks.

Visual discrimination– Students can visually scan the kitchen slide deck and identify differences and similarities between the cookies to locate the correct item. Visual discrimination is a skill needed for handwriting, reading, math and other skills.

Form constancy– This visual perceptual skill allows us to recognize similarities and differences between forms and images. This skill is needed for reading, writing, math, and functional tasks.

Visual spatial relations– Understanding positional terms is an important skill. This slide deck works on this area by moving the cookies to different places on the slide. Therapists can make this part of the activity more or less difficult to grade the activity to meet the needs of the child by adding additional directions to the slide to work on positional concepts. Try adding directions that ask the child to move a specific cookie to a different place in the kitchen on the slide.

Form constancy– Students that need more work with this visual perception skill can have several of the cookies duplicated and added to the slide. Then, work on size differences and positional concepts by moving the cookies to different places. You can adjust the directions to ask the child to find all of the same cookie.

Visual closure– Students can work on this visual perception skill by moving some of the cookies to partially hide behind other items on the slide.

Cookie activity for handwriting with kids.

Handwriting Cookie Activity

The next part of the slide deck is handwriting prompts in a write the room style of handwriting practice. Students can copy the word in print or cursive, depending on their needs. They can write a sentence using the word, if writing sentences is something they need to work on. Work on letter formation, legibility, and copying skills.

Use this cookie activity for visual motor skills in kids.

Visual Motor Cookie Activity

The last part of the cookie activity slide deck includes figure copying tasks. The slides include basic cookie forms that students can copy while working on visual motor skills. This is a nice activity to help children with the visual motor skills needed for forming letters and numbers.

This cookie slide deck should be a motivating a fun way to work on so many areas!

Free Cookie theme Slide Deck for therapy

Want to add this cookie slide deck to your therapy toolbox? Enter your email address into the form below and a PDF will be sent to your inbox. Save that PDF, because you can use this slide deck each year to work on therapy goals with a holiday cookie theme.

When you click the link in the PDF, you will be prompted to make a copy of the slide deck onto your Google drive. Make a copy for each student on your caseload so they have their own slide deck and you can adjust the slides according to their needs.

Enjoy!

Want more VIRTUAL LEARNING SLIDE DECKS?

Don’t miss this Gingerbread Man Slide Deck.

Here is a Community Helpers Theme Slide Deck.

Here is a Football Theme Slide Deck.

Here is a slide deck for a Social Story for Wearing a Mask.

Here is a Space Theme Therapy Slide Deck.

Here is a Therapy Planning Interactive Slide Deck.

Here is a Back to School Writing Activity Slide Deck.

Here is an Alphabet Exercises Slide Deck.

Here is a Self-Awareness Activities Slide Deck.

Here is a Strait Line Letters Slide Deck.

Here is a “Scribble theme” Handwriting Slide Deck.

Teach Letters with an interactive Letter Formation Slide Deck.

Here is a Community Helpers Theme Slide Deck.

Here is a Football Theme Slide Deck.

Here is a slide deck for a Social Story for Wearing a Mask.

Here is a Space Theme Therapy Slide Deck.

Here is a Therapy Planning Interactive Slide Deck.

Here is a Back to School Writing Activity Slide Deck.

Here is an Alphabet Exercises Slide Deck.

Here is a Self-Awareness Activities Slide Deck.

Here is a Strait Line Letters Slide Deck.

Here is a “Scribble theme” Handwriting Slide Deck.

Teach Letters with an interactive Letter Formation Slide Deck.

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

Turkey Theme Therapy Slide Deck

November 8, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Turkey theme slide deck for occupational therapy

Whether you are looking for turkey activities for teletherapy, or some added ways to make occupational therapy sessions fun this time of year, our latest free therapy slide deck is for you. Below, you can access a free turkey theme therapy slide deck to use as an outline for occupational therapy interventions or to add motor skills to help kids thrive.

Turkey Theme Therapy Slide Deck

Today’s turkey theme slide deck is just one more in the series of free interactive slide decks for occupational therapy. You can access all of the free slides at the bottom of this blog post.

For more occupational therapy teletherapy activities, check out this blog post.

This turkey theme therapy slide deck covers a variety of areas:

Gross motor warm up
Fine motor skills
Handwriting
Visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills
Self-regulation

Turkey theme gross motor slide deck for occupational therapy interventions

Turkey theme gross motor activity

Use the gross motor warm up to challenge motor planning, core strength, and bilateral coordination. Use this warm up activity for whole-body movement to get ready for working on other areas in therapy.

Turkey theme fine motor slide deck for occupational therapy interventions

Turkey theme Fine Motor Activities

The fine motor portion of this free slide deck uses sign language as a way to get fingers and hands moving. Kids can follow along with the slide deck to spell out “TURKEY” while copying images and practicing the American Sign Language.

These activities help kids with visual motor skills, separation of the sides of the hand, finger isolation, arch development, and more.

Turkey theme handwriting slide deck for occupational therapy interventions

Turkey theme Handwriting Activity

This slide is open-ended and designed to meet the needs of a variety of ages and levels of children. Kids can write a list of the clothing words to dress the turkey. Other kids might write a sentence using certain clothing names as they disguise a turkey. Still other children might write a paragraph.

The slide can also be used as a visual discrimination or visual memory activity. Ask students to look at the slide and then switch it out. Can they remember all of the clothing items on the disguise the turkey activity?

turkey theme visual perception slide deck for occupational therapy interventions

Turkey theme Visual Perception Activity

Next, ask students to move the interactive turkey through the maze as they work on a variety of visual perceptual skills and eye-hand coordination.

turkey theme self regulation slide deck for occupational therapy interventions

Turkey theme Self Regulation Activity

Finally, students can fill in the self-regulation checklist as they take a self assessment of their feelings, emotions, and behaviors. This is a good time to end the therapy session and come up with some strategies or coping tools to address any self-regulation needs.

Want to get your hands on this turkey therapy theme? Enter your email address below and the file will be delivered directly to your email inbox.

Enjoy and have fun!

More interactive therapy slide decks you will enjoy:

Here is a slide deck for a Social Story for Wearing a Mask.

Here is a Space Theme Therapy Slide Deck.

Here is a Therapy Planning Interactive Slide Deck.

Here is a Back to School Writing Activity Slide Deck.

Here is an Alphabet Exercises Slide Deck.

Here is a Self-Awareness Activities Slide Deck.

Here is a Strait Line Letters Slide Deck.

Here is a “Scribble theme” Handwriting Slide Deck.

Teach Letters with an interactive Letter Formation Slide Deck.

Thanksgiving Fine Motor Kit…on sale now!

125 Writing Prompts for Kids

April 11, 2024October 14, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Handwriting prompts, also known as writing prompts, are a great way to inspire kids to write creatively and express themselves through their handwriting. Writing is an essential skill that kids must develop as it helps them to communicate effectively, build their imagination, and develop critical thinking. For kids that struggle with bad handwriting, practicing legibility is often a real challenge. Having a set of writing prompts for kids to use to guide handwriting practice can help, especially if it’s a motivating writing prompt topic that peaks the child’s interest!

Handwriting Prompts

Handwriting prompts, also known as writing prompts, provide kids with ideas and topics to write about, encouraging them to explore their thoughts and emotions. There are various types of writing prompts for kids, including journal prompts, writing picture prompts, and fun writing prompts. In this article, we will explore how to write a prompt and introduce some fun journal prompts for kids and picture prompts for kids to spark their creativity and make writing a fun activity for them.

Then, teachers and therapists can use that writing prompt exercise as a handwriting practice or creative writing activity. Occupational therapists often work on letter formation, line awareness, margin use and other parts of writing that impact legibility and efficiency. A kid-friendly writing prompt offers a natural writing opportunity to impact carryover of handwriting skills.

Writing Prompts for Kids

Using a writing prompt or creative writing idea that is fun can be one way to work on legibility and hand writing tips without feeling like kids are fighting the hand writing process. Writing about fun things or areas of interest is one way to work on legibility without rote copying or simply forming letters over and over again.

Here are lists of writing prompts and writing prompt ideas to help kids work on handwriting using their interests in order to improve carryover. The goal with these writing prompts are to work on handwriting practice without the struggle.

Writing prompt ideas

Before getting started with these writing prompts for kids, be sure to encourage kids to create short lists. Writing short lists rather than typical writing prompts offers a chance for kids to practice the specifics of handwriting:

Line use
Margin use
Letter formation
Size awareness
Spacing between letters

When writing in small spurts, kids get the chance to work on areas like line awareness, spacing, letter size, and letter formation without fatigue.

Many times, writing prompts are opportunities for kids to write complete sentences and to use creative writing, while practicing the parts of a sentence, use of figurative language, complete thoughts, etc. And creative writing journal prompts are great to use for these learning needs!

Today, however, I am going to share writing prompts in list format so that handwriting tasks can be completed in short spurts, while focusing on the mechanics of handwriting.

When working on handwriting, be sure to use a self-check list so that children can look over their work and self-analyze their written work. A writing posture check can be helpful to use as well. These self-assessment checks improve carryover and learning of skills.

Here is a free handwriting self-assessment checklist you can print off and use.
Here is a cursive writing self-assessment checklist.
Create a handwriting posture self-check list that works for your writing space.

How to Write a Prompt

Creating a writing prompt that focuses on a child’s interests can be a great way to engage them in writing and encourage their creativity. Here are some steps you can follow to create such a prompt:

Identify the child’s interests: Start by observing the child and identifying what they enjoy. This could be anything from their favorite TV show to their favorite sport or hobby.
Brainstorm writing topics: Once you know the child’s interests, brainstorm some writing topics that relate to those interests. For example, if the child loves soccer, you could create a prompt about a soccer game they played in or a famous soccer player they admire.
Use descriptive language: When creating the prompt, use descriptive language to make it more engaging and interesting. For example, instead of simply asking the child to write about their favorite animal, you could ask them to describe the animal’s appearance, habitat, and behavior in detail.
Make it open-ended: Avoid creating prompts that are too narrow or prescriptive. Instead, make the prompt open-ended so that the child has the freedom to explore their own ideas and imagination.
Make it age-appropriate: Consider the child’s age and writing level when creating the prompt. Younger children may need simpler prompts that focus on basic writing skills, while older children may be ready for more complex prompts that require critical thinking and analysis.
Make it fun: Finally, make sure the prompt is fun and engaging for the child. You can use humor, fantasy, or adventure to make the prompt more exciting and enjoyable to write about.

Creative Journal Prompts

Use the writing prompts for kids as creative journal prompt ideas to write either lists of words or creative writing in a journal. Some ideas are open-ended questions and others are lists.

Sometimes a fun writing prompt as simple as ice cream writing is all it takes for meaning and motivation to kick in!

Animal Writing Prompts for kids

Write about a favorite animal.
Write animals in alphabetical order.
List an animals for each letter of the alphabet.
What animal is most like you? Why?
If you could be any animal, it would be…
Imagine you have a pet tiger. What would your daily routine look like? Describe a day in the life of you and your pet tiger.
Write a story about a group of penguins who discover a new continent.
Pretend you are a squirrel preparing for winter. Describe how you would gather and store food for the cold months ahead.
Write about a day in the life of a dolphin. What do they do all day in the ocean?
Imagine you are a bird flying south for the winter. Describe the journey and the things you see along the way.
Write about a mischievous monkey who escapes from the zoo and causes chaos in the city.
Imagine you are a kangaroo hopping through the Australian outback. What would you see and do?
Write a story about a group of ants working together to gather food for their colony.
Imagine you are a lion living in the savanna. Describe a typical day, from hunting to sleeping.
Write a story about a group of animals who band together to save their habitat from destruction by humans.

Writing Prompts About My Favorite Things

Your favorite way to spend time on the weekends
Favorite snacks
Things that are your favorite color
Favorite foods
Favorite shows and movies
What are your favorite pizza toppings?
Write about your favorite food. What makes it so delicious to you? What are some memories you have associated with it?
Describe your favorite place to go on vacation. Why do you enjoy it there? What do you like to do when you visit?
Write about your favorite hobby. What do you enjoy about it? How did you get started with it?
Describe your favorite book. What do you like about the story and the characters? What did you learn from reading it?
Write about your favorite movie. What do you like about it? Who are your favorite characters and why?
Describe your favorite season. What do you like about it? What activities do you enjoy doing during that season?
Write about your favorite animal. What do you like about it? What makes it special to you?
Describe your favorite game to play. Why do you enjoy playing it? Who do you like to play it with?
Write about your favorite song. What do you like about the lyrics and the melody? What memories do you have associated with it?
Describe your favorite memory. What happened? Why was it special to you? How did it make you feel?

Writing Prompts about the Perfect Things

Describe your perfect day.
Describe your perfect vacation.
Describe the ultimate ice cream sundae toppings.
Describe the all-time best sleepover.
Imagine your perfect day. Write about what you would do, where you would go, and who you would spend time with.
Describe your ideal job. What would you do, and what would your workplace look like? What skills would you need to succeed in your ideal job?
Write about your perfect meal. What would you eat, and who would you share it with? Describe the setting and ambiance of your ideal dining experience.
Imagine your perfect vacation. Write about where you would go, what you would do, and who you would go with. Describe the scenery and the activities you would participate in.
Describe your perfect weekend. What would you do, and who would you spend time with? What would make your ideal weekend special?
Write about your ideal home. What would it look like, and where would it be located? What features and amenities would it have?
Imagine your perfect outfit. Write about what you would wear, and where you would go dressed in your ideal outfit. Describe how you would feel wearing it.
Write about your ideal relationship. What qualities would your partner have, and what would your relationship look like? What would you do together, and how would you support each other?
Describe your perfect day off. What would you do to relax, recharge, and enjoy yourself? Who would you spend time with, and where would you go?
Write about your ideal self. What qualities and traits would you possess, and how would you develop and maintain them? What would your life look like as your ideal self?

“Which is better” writing prompts for kids

Which is better: summer or winter? Why?
Which is better: spring or fall? Why?
Which is better: the mountains or the beach. Why?
Which is better: the city or the country? Why?
Which is better: football or soccer? Why?
Write an argumentative essay on which is better: reading books or watching movies. Support your position with reasons and examples.
Compare and contrast living in a big city versus living in a small town. Which is better, and why?
Write about which is better: eating at home or eating out at restaurants. Consider factors such as cost, convenience, and health benefits.
Compare and contrast online learning versus traditional classroom learning. Which is better, and why?
Write about which is better: having a big family or a small family. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Compare and contrast public transportation versus driving a car. Which is better, and why?
Write about which is better: exercising outdoors or at the gym. Consider factors such as convenience, social interaction, and exposure to nature.
Compare and contrast working for a large corporation versus a small startup. Which is better, and why?
Write about which is better: owning a pet or not owning a pet. Consider the benefits and responsibilities of pet ownership.
Compare and contrast traveling alone versus traveling with a group. Which is better, and why?

List Writing Prompts for kids

Days of the week
Months of the year
Kinds of fruit
Hamburger toppings
Animals at the zoo
Sports played with a ball
Write a list of 10 things you want to accomplish in the next year. Be specific and set measurable goals.
Make a list of your favorite books of all time. Write a brief summary of each book and explain why you love it.
Write a list of your favorite songs for different moods or occasions, such as songs for working out, relaxing, or partying.
Make a list of 10 things that inspire you, whether it’s nature, art, or people you admire.
Write a list of your favorite quotes and explain why they resonate with you.
Make a list of 10 things you’re grateful for, whether it’s people, experiences, or personal qualities.
Write a list of your favorite foods from different cultures. Explain what you love about each dish and how you discovered it.
Make a list of 10 things you do to take care of your mental health, such as meditation, exercise, or talking to a friend.
Write a list of 10 things you would do if you had unlimited time and resources. Dream big and be creative!
Make a list of 10 ways you can make a positive impact on your community, whether it’s through volunteering, activism, or simply spreading kindness.

Sports Writing Prompts for Kids

Write about your favorite sport and why you love it.
Describe the most exciting game you have ever watched or played.
Write about your favorite athlete and why they inspire you.
Describe the equipment and gear you need to play your favorite sport.
Write about the history of your favorite sport, including how it originated and how it has evolved over time.
Describe the rules of your favorite sport and explain how they are enforced.
Write about the benefits of playing sports, including physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
Describe the different positions in your favorite sport and the roles each player has.
Write about your favorite sports moment, either from your own experience or from watching a professional game.
Describe the training and preparation you need to do to play your favorite sport.
Write about the importance of warm-up exercises and stretching before playing sports.
Describe the different types of exercises you can do to improve your athletic performance.
Write about the role of coaches and how they help players improve.
Describe the different types of competitions and tournaments in your favorite sport.
Write about the challenges and obstacles you face when playing sports, and how you overcome them.
Describe the different types of sportsmanship and fair play, and why they are important in sports.

Mermaid writing Prompts

Write a story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human. What challenges do they face in their relationship?
Describe a day in the life of a mermaid, from swimming through the ocean to interacting with other sea creatures.
Write about a mermaid who discovers a lost treasure on the ocean floor. What is the treasure, and why is it important?
Describe a mermaid’s favorite underwater hiding spot. What does she do there, and why does she enjoy it?
Write a story about a mermaid who goes on a quest to find a rare and valuable sea plant. What obstacles does she face, and what does she learn along the way?
Describe a mermaid’s home in detail, including its structure, decor, and furnishings.
Write about a mermaid who becomes friends with a sea turtle. What adventures do they have together?
Imagine a world where mermaids and humans coexist. Write a story about a mermaid who must navigate this new world.
Describe a mermaid’s magical powers, such as the ability to control the ocean’s tides or communicate with sea creatures.
Write about a mermaid who discovers an underwater city. Who lives there, and what secrets does it hold?

Unicorn Writing Prompts

Write a story about a young girl who discovers a unicorn in her backyard. What adventures do they have together?
Describe the appearance and personality of your ideal unicorn. What qualities do you value most in this mythical creature?
Write about a unicorn who goes on a journey to find a lost member of their herd. What obstacles do they face along the way?
Imagine a world where unicorns are real and humans can communicate with them. Write about a human who becomes friends with a unicorn and what they learn from each other.
Write a poem about a unicorn’s magical powers, such as the ability to heal, fly, or create rainbows.
Describe the landscape of a magical unicorn kingdom, including its forests, rivers, and mountains.
Write about a unicorn who befriends a group of woodland animals. What adventures do they have together?
Imagine a world where unicorns are hunted for their magical horns. Write a story about a group of humans and unicorns who work together to stop the hunters.
Write about a unicorn who discovers a hidden underground cave. What secrets does the cave hold, and what adventures does the unicorn have inside?
Describe a day in the life of a unicorn, from grazing on grassy fields to exploring enchanted forests. What do unicorns do all day?

Space Writing Prompts

Write about what it would be like to live on a planet other than Earth. What kind of environment would it have, and how would people adapt to living there?
Imagine that you are an astronaut on a mission to explore a distant planet. Write about what you see and discover on your journey.
Write about the history of space exploration, including famous missions and the people who made them happen.
Describe the different planets in our solar system and their unique features. Which planet would you most like to visit, and why?
Write about the challenges of living and working in space, such as zero gravity, radiation, and isolation.
Imagine that you are traveling through a black hole. What do you experience, and what do you discover on the other side?
Write about the possibility of life on other planets. What kind of life forms could exist, and how might they be different from those on Earth?
Describe the different types of stars and galaxies in the universe. What makes each one unique?
Write about the different ways that humans have used space technology, such as communication satellites, weather monitoring, and GPS.
Imagine that you are a space tourist, traveling to different planets and galaxies for fun. What sights do you see, and what adventures do you have?
Write about the future of space exploration. What kind of missions might be possible in the coming years, and how might they benefit humanity?
Describe the role of space agencies such as NASA and ESA in exploring space. What challenges do they face, and how do they work to overcome them?
Write about the mysteries of space, such as dark matter, black holes, and the origins of the universe. What do scientists know about these phenomena, and what questions still need to be answered?

Hopefully, these writing prompt ideas give you some ideas to get started on working on handwriting skills!

Want more motivating writing prompts to work on handwriting practice, and get that pencil to paper? Grab your copy of the Interest Lists Writing Prompts. You’ll get 150 interest-based lists that can be printed off and used to work on handwriting skills.

Each writing list is provided on bold lined paper. Use these lists as a data collection tool, a morning work activity, or for early finishers. Great for virtual therapy or home programs, too.

Print off these writing lists and use them over and over again.

Meaningful HandWriting Prompts

Handwriting is a fundamental skill that children need to develop for academic success and lifelong communication. However, as occupational therapy practitioners who many times focus mainly on handwriting, especially in the school-based OT setting, we know that many children who struggle with handwriting and may find it frustrating or boring. This is where meaningful handwriting prompts can be a powerful tool to motivate and engage children in handwriting practice. Here are some reasons why:

Relevance: Meaningful handwriting prompts are related to the child’s interests and experiences, making the practice more relevant and engaging. When children write about topics they care about, they are more likely to put in the effort to improve their handwriting.
Creativity: Handwriting prompts that encourage creativity and imagination can be a fun and exciting way to practice writing. Children can use their creativity to come up with interesting ideas and stories, and then use their handwriting skills to bring them to life on the page.
Motivation: Handwriting prompts that are challenging but achievable can boost children’s motivation and self-esteem. When children see that they are making progress and achieving their goals, they are more likely to continue practicing and improving their handwriting.
Practice: Handwriting prompts provide a structured way for children to practice their handwriting skills. By providing a specific topic or task to write about, children can focus on the mechanics of writing without getting distracted or bored.
Confidence: Meaningful handwriting prompts can also build children’s confidence in their writing abilities. By providing positive feedback and encouragement, parents and teachers can help children feel proud of their progress and motivated to continue practicing.

Overall, meaningful handwriting prompts can be a valuable tool for improving children’s handwriting skills. By making the practice more engaging, creative, and relevant, children are more likely to enjoy writing and develop the skills they need for academic and personal success.

Back to School Activity-Writing Slide Deck

October 13, 2020August 28, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Heading back to school? The return of school looks a lot different this year than any other. That’s why I wanted to create this Back to School activity to use in virtual therapy or teletherapy services, or distance learning. In most cases, kids haven’t been writing with a paper and pencil since around March. This back-to-school activity provides a means to get those pencils moving and little hands writing again! Use this free therapy slide deck to get a baseline of where kids are in regards to writing a short list of words, and sentences. The bonus is that this back to school idea has a school I Spy activity, too that boosts visual perceptual skills. Read on to grab this freebie! And, don’t forget to grab this other back to school slide deck to work on more visual perceptual skills.

Back to School Activity

This interactive activity is great for getting to know students during the firsts week of school. It’s a fun icebreaker activity for students to do with teachers or therapists.

Students can complete these slide deck activities as part of distance learning, virtual days on hybrid learning options, and in teletherapy sessions.

When heading back into the school year, it’s a great idea to get a baseline snapshot of where a child is at with handwriting, especially after such a long break from school. In many cases, students have not been writing or putting pencil to paper during the last months.

With this back to school activity, kids can write a short list of words on paper, as well as use the interactive technology portion of the slides.

Back to school activity that is a great icebreaker for students returning to the classroom or online learning.

Here are some of the slides you will find in this icebreaker activity for returning to school:

Start with an interactive slide deck I Spy game. Kids can search for school items and then type the number of items that they found into the boxes right on the slide.

Back to school I Spy game to use in an icebreaker activity for students.

Back to school handwriting baseline

Use the handwriting slides to get a baseline snapshot of handwriting. Kids can type the words into the spaces on the slides. Then in the next slide, they can check their answers and use the written words to copy a short list of school related terms.

Use this list writing activity to check skills such as letter formation, letter size, line use, margins, accuracy, efficiency, and functional writing levels.

Back to school writing activity for students

The same words can be used for sentence writing. Fill in the space showing the number of sentences the student should write. Using this writing task, check the handwriting baseline for word and letter spacing, margin use, and legibility.

Use this back to school activity to get a baseline snaphot of handwriting skills level in students returning to the classroom.

All about Me Activity

Use the next slide as an icebreaker activity. Students can fill in the spaces on the slide and type in their responses.

Continue on with the all about me activity and ask students to write on paper, more about themselves. Use these responses as a quick screening for handwriting and writing abilities.

Handwriting baseline screening for students returning to the classroom

There you have it! Want to grab this free slide deck?

Pencil Grasp Development

August 2, 2023July 31, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Pencil grasp development is a common concern for many parents, teachers, and therapists. So often, we see children holding a pencil with all of their fingers wrapped around the pencil, or very awkward pencil grips and wonder what is a typical pencil grasp. But, did you know that children typically progress through pencil grasp development in a predictable pattern? It’s true! Let’s talk pencil grasp.

First, when it comes to writing with a pencil, there are a few things that therapists want parents to know about pencil grasp.

Secondly, it’s important to note that grasp development, while it can be predictable, can also vary in timing. And when grasp doesn’t follow the progression listed below…it can be ok! In fact, a functional pencil grasp is perfectly fine for children.

Pencil Grasp Development

Grasp development follows three main categories: primitive grasps, transitional grasps, and mature grasps.

Primitive Pencil Grasps

In this beginning pencil grasp, the whole arm moves the pencil. These grasps include two specific grips which are described below:

Palmer Supinate Grasp (a whole hand grasp)
Digital Pronate Grasp

1. Whole Hand Grasp/Palmer Supinate Grasp- (Typically seen between 12 months-1.5 years) Child holds the crayon with their whole hand, with the writing end of the crayon sticking out near their pinkie side of the hand. It looks like they are holding a paint stirrer or potato masher.

2. Digital Pronate Grasp/ Pronated Wrist Grasp- (2-3 years) Crayon is held in the hand so the tip of the crayon (or the drawing end) is held on the thumb side of the hand.

Transitional Pencil Grasps

In the transitional pencil grasp stage, the child’s forearm and/or wrist moves the pencil.

Transitional Pencil Grasps include:

Quadrupod grasp
Static Tripod grasp
Other grasp patterns

1. Quadrupod Grasp, or Four Fingered Grasp- (3-4 years)- Crayon is held between their thumb, and tips of the pointer finger, middle finger, and ring finger. As the child progresses, these four fingers may pull down to the tip of the finger into a quadrupod grasp.

Static tripod pencil grasp is a mature pencil grasp pattern

2. Static Tripod Grasp- (3.5-4 years)- Child holds the writing utensil with the thumb, pointer finger, and rests the utensil on the last joint of the middle finger. The ring finger and pinkie fingers are tucked into the palm of the hand.

3. Other grasp patterns- There can be many variations of grasp patterns that occur in the transitional stage, marked by the use of the wrist or forearm to move the pencil.

Mature Pencil Grasps

In the mature pencil grasp stage, the child holds and maneuvers the pencil using mobility in the fingers or the hand.

Mature grasp patterns include:

Dynamic Tripod Grasp
Lateral Tripod Grasp
Dynamic Quadrupod Grasp
Lateral Quadrupod Grasp

Dynamic tripod pencil grasp is a mature pencil grasp

1. Dynamic Tripod Grasp- (4-6/7 years) Thumb and pointer finger hold the pencil as it rests on the last joint of the middle finger. Pencil movements occur via manipulation of the fingers and hand. Note that a true dynamic tripod grasp may not be established up until around 14 years of age.

2. Lateral Tripod Grasp- Thumb is pressed in against the pencil (or adducted) to hold the pencil against the side of the pointer finger. The tip of the thumb may bend over (or flex) over the pencil in a “wrapped” position. This grasp is sometimes called a thumb wrap grasp because the thumb is not involved with the distal movement of the pencil. Distal mobility occurs, but it is the index and middle fingers manipulating the pencil.

3. Dynamic Quadrupod Grasp- Grasp is similar to the dynamic tripod grasp, but opposition includes the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger on the pencil shaft.

4. Lateral Quadrupod Grasp- Grasp is similar to the lateral tripod grasp, with its thumb wrapped positioning of the thumb, but uses the pointer, middle, and ring fingers are on the pencil shaft and manipulate the pencil.

Quadrupod Grasp

One thing that is important to mention is the quadrupod grasp. You might have noticed this term was mentioned a few times above, and in difference areas of development through the progression of pencil grasp development.

The quadrupod grasp is considered a four finger grasp, in which four fingers (thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, ring finger) are used to hold the pencil. Quadrupod grasp progresses from a static form to a dynamic form where there is fluid motion and repositioning in the joints of the hands.

Quadrupod Grasp- If the thumb opposes the pointer finger, middle finger, and ring finger this may be called a quadrupod grasp. A quadrupod grasp can also occur with the pencil resting on the side of the ring finger.

The quadrupod stage is an important part of grasp development as the fingers move into a dynamic position with pronation and extension of the wrist. However, don’t get stuck on a quadropod grasp if this type of grip is used with older children or if students are established with their quadrupod grasp!

Quadrupod grasp or Tripod Grasp?

Research tells us that the quadrupod grasp is a very functional grip and the use of one extra finger (as opposed to the traditional sense of a tripod grasp) is actually very functional in written work.

Some may say that the quadrupod grasp is more restrictive than the tripod grasp, however that extra stability can actually promote more mobility in the pencil and be used in very efficient and effective handwriting.

When the child that the uses a quadrupod grp on the pencil is forced to use a tripod grasp, you may see a decrease in written work legibility due to decreased stability. The arches of the hands may need to compensate for strength and dexterity in the fingers and that precise placement that the ring finger adds to the shaft of the pencil just isn’t as targeted with the arches of the hand and the stability offered through the ulnar side of the hand. For those who have the stability in the ulnar side and within the arches or intrinsic muscles, a tripod grasp can be more precise and lead to more refined pencil motions.

So you can see that it all is up to each individual when it comes to forcing a student to move from quadrupod to tripod. It just may not make sense to do so for some…and that’s ok and very functional!

Other Functional Pencil Grasps

There are other grasps that can be considered “functional” in which the child holds the pencil differently than described here, but can also write in an efficient manner.

These can include (but not be limited to) a thumb wrap grasp, thumb tuck grasp, inter-digital brace grasp, or a finger-wrap grasp.

How to help with pencil Grasp

Want to know more about pencil grasp progression, development, and strategies to use to help children build a strong, efficient, and functional pencil grasp? It’s all in the Pencil Grasp Bundle!

The Pencil Grasp Bundle is for those struggling to help students with carryover of skills. It’s designed to make pencil grasp practice meaningful and motivating. The Pencil Grasp Bundle is 16 pencil grasp resources, guides, worksheet sets, and tools.

Pencil Grasp Success Was Never Easier.

It can be a real struggle to help kids address tricky pencil grasps.
It is frustrating and difficult to weed through all of the information and pull out what will work for a child.
You struggle with kids who work on skills but can’t carryover handwriting and pencil grasp into the classroom.
Therapists may search for fresh ideas to address pencil grasp needs and wonder whether a grasp is considered functional or needs changing.
Therapists need pencil grasp screening and educational materials to address a huge influx of therapy referrals.
Parents wonder about development and skills.
Teachers will love the Centers activities to incorporate into learning to impact carryover of handwriting skills.

The Pencil Grasp Bundle includes 16 products and is valued at over $73. It’s bundled together and offered at just $24.

More pencil grasp help

Want to know how to fix a problem with pencil grasps? Need help knowing where to start when it comes to immature pencil grasps or a child hating to write because their hand hurts? The Pencil Grasp Challenge in open for you! In this free, 5 day email series, you’ll gain information, resources, specific activities designed to promote a functional, efficient pencil grasp.

The pencil grasp challenge is a free, 5 day mini course and challenge. During the course of five days, I’ll be teaching everything you need to know about the skills that make up a functional pencil grasp. You’ll learn what’s going on behind the inefficient and just plain terrible pencil grasps you see everyday in the classroom, clinic, or home. Along with loads of information, you’ll gain quick, daily activities that you can do today with a kiddo you know and love. These are easy activities that use items you probably already have in your home right now.

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

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

Click here to join the Pencil Grasp Challenge .

Pen Grip for Handwriting Pressure

June 2, 2023July 29, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Today, I wanted to share a tip for addressing handwriting pressure…using a pen grip! Pencil pressure when writing is something that comes up a lot. You may have seen children who press so hard on the paper that the pencil tip breaks or smudges and mistakes don’t fully erase. You might have a child that writes so lightly that it is hard to read their writing or their written work is brushed away by their sleeve. Writing pressure is a hot topic in handwriting legibility. We have a previous resource on pencil pressure when writing. There are many tips and tricks for addressing handwriting and writing pressure there.

For example, things like hand gripper exercises can show kids how much pressure is used to move a gripper to the full range of motion. Using that force to move the gripper helps them to visibly see the pressure and supports integration of force modulation during functional tasks.

Today’s tip has more to do with the sensory benefits of writing with a pen to address heavy or light writing pressure.

Related read- Here are 5 things therapists want parents to know about pencil grasp.

Pen Grip

Did you know that sometimes using a pen can help with handwriting? When a child presses so hard with their pencil, or writes so lightly that it’s hard to read their writing, there could be a sensory component. The child typically can’t regulate the amount of pressure that they need to use to press and hold the writing utensil.

Pen trick for handwriting

One strategy to help with writing pressure that is too dark or too light is to use a pen.

The sensory concerns might be that the child can’t tell how hard they are pressing on the utensil and so press very hard. Their ability to register proprioceptive input may be off. Check out these proprioception sensory activities to help with this sensory input.

Or, they might not notice that they care holding the writing utensil with a very loose grasp.

Using a pen to write is one way to help the child get around these sensory issues. Using a pen that writes smoothly across the page can help with kids that write too lightly.

When writing with the pen, they can use their normal grasp and clearly see the written work because the pen slides more smoothly across the writing surface and they don’t need to accommodate for the resistance of the paper.

Other kids who write very dark can benefit from using a pen to practice ghost writing. The child can use the pen to write on a notebook with paper underneath. When they turn the page, if they can read their writing on the next paper, you can teach the child that they are pressing too hard. Keep trying to write without “ghost letters” left behind.

The issue with using a pen to write is many times, the shaft of the pen is thinner, requiring more precision of grasp and more developed arches in the hand. The intrinsic hand strength that allows for developed arches is required so the child can write for an extended amount of time without hand fatigue.

Having a pen grip is ideal to help in these situations.

Triangle pencil grip

One way to address the smaller shaft on a pen and the need for hand strength (which many of our kids lack), is using a triangle pencil grip on the pen, so that the child has placement for their fingers and a built up shaft for their fingers to grip.

Benefit of a triangle pencil grip with the block portion that prevents the fingertips from moving too far up or down the writing utensil. Also, the triangle pencil grip is commonly known, so kids are familiar with this pencil gripper.

Left handed writers and right handed writers both can use the triangle grip, making it easy to use for either writer.

The triangle pencil grip promotes a tripod or modified tripod grasp. For more help on building a stronger grasp and a functional pencil grasp, try using these activities to develop pencil grasp through play.

Pen Grip

What if you had the chance to try a pen grip to work on handwriting, writing pressure, and grasp? Now you do! I’m so excited to partner with Two Sparrows Learning Systems to offer this Dex Pen Grip!

Dex comes complete with our patent pending stopper to support your grip for all your writing and drawing needs.

The pen grip’s triangular shape provides comfort and ease for a functional grasp. The pen comes already installed on a beautiful designer pen and comes with textured or soft grip options.

Dex grip comes pre-installed on a beautiful pen which can be refilled with ink cartridges.
Dex pen grip is ergonomically designed for comfort. The grip tapers at the end and the stopper is tapered in so that you can easily see over top of it and it sits comfortably in your hand.
Using the Dex grip you do not have to press or grip as hard when writing, so your hand does not tire as easily.
This is the perfect grip for teens to adults.
The pen is sleek and stylish and when paired with the grip, this will quickly become your favorite, go-to pen.
Dex comes complete with our patent pending stopper to support your grip for all your writing and drawing needs.

Letter Sizing Activity

September 24, 2020July 27, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Working to help a child write with correct letter sizing and placement on the lines? Are you trying to come up with letter sizing activities to help kids write smaller letters that fit between the lines on the paper? Are you struggling with a child that forms letters without regard to size or line awareness? Letter size awareness is a real struggle for some kids!

This post is part of our Christmas in July giveaway series.

Letter sizing activities to teach kids to write the correct size.

Here, you will find suggestions to work on letter size awareness, along with a letter sizing activity that can be including into any handwriting curriculum. It’s one that focuses on how to form smaller letters, numbers so kids use a more precise pencil control that they can use when writing on any paper.

Letter Sizing Strategies

Do your students have trouble making their letters or numbers the right size? You might have seen kids that write without regard to the lines. Or, they may copy or independently write letters that take up the whole space, no matter what lined paper is used.

Other kids form letters that are correctly sized on the lines…but only when they have boxes drawn for each individual letter. But, that accommodation simply isn’t a possible option all of the time, for consistency and carryover.

During their earliest exposure to handwriting activities, young children at the preschooler and kindergarten ages may form large letters. Letters might fill the whole page or the whole available space. These forms are not always completed with a motor plan in place. the lines of the letters might be more of strait lines that intersect.

As kids gain more experience with writing with a pencil and with writing letters, they gain a motor plan that they can use on any surface and without a visual model for the letter.

Students then start to notice and use a letter size differentiation, or letters that are tall letters and reach the top line (e.g. b, d, f, h, k, l, t), letters that have tails that hang below the bottom line (g, j, p, q, y), and letters that rest in the bottom half of the writing space (a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, y, z).

Kids will notice the differences between these differently sized letters and the upper case letters which are all the same size.

All of this letter size awareness occurs through experience and practice.

However, when there isn’t experience or practice time…or there is a visual perceptual concern, or a visual motor issue, there may be trouble or inconsistencies with letter placement.

That’s when interventions may be needed to help work on letter sizing.

Try some of these letter sizing activities

>> Using regular notebook paper, or bold lined, baseline paper, highlight the bottom half of the writing space. This is where the small letters are placed. Explain to the child that the tall/Capital letters start in the white, and the little letters start the grey(photocopied paper or yellow highlighted area). This writing paper is an easy fix for many writing situations.

>> Use modified paper. Here are free adapted paper types for all handwriting ages.

>> Try the box and dot strategy. This is a nice way to teach size awareness for kids who are just beginning to notice letter size.

>> Re-teach letter size of the upper case letters. Allow the child to notice where each letter starts. Then work on tall letters which start at the same point on the writing area. Next, teach the letters that are located in the bottom half of the writing space (the small letters). Finally, re-teach the tail letters which hang below the baseline. In each set of letters, allow students to notice where each letter rests.

>> Try any of these letter size activities.

>>Reduce distractions on the page by using black paper with white forms in increasingly smaller form size, like in the BlackBack writing program. This writing program allows students to form the motor plan for upper case letters and lower case letters, as well as numbers.

The BlackBack Writing Program depicts strokes, upper and lower case letters and numbers in white on a black background which helps the child see their strokes as they use the white space. Additionally, there is only one image on the page eliminating distraction from competing images and increasing attention to the single task on the page. Each letter, number and stroke has 6 sizes. The first size is very large and the last is the height of a wide-ruled notebook paper.

The BlackBack Writing Program can be customized to begin where the child is in his/her writing journey. The letters, numbers, and strokes can be used on its own or as a supplement to any writing program. The BlackBack Strokes, Letters and Numbers programs can be combined or used separately.

Black Back Writing Program

I’m so excited to partner with Two Sparrows Learning Systems to offer this Black Back Writing Program.

It’s an awesome handwriting tool that addresses pencil control, motor planning, size awareness, visual motor skills, visual distraction, and more.

Slide Deck to Teach Letters

January 23, 2024July 15, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

If you’ve been following along with the site over the past few months, you may have seen some of my free interactive slide decks and teletherapy resources. Today, I’m adding to those virtual therapy activities with this alphabet move and write slide deck that makes a nice addition to occupational therapy teletherapy activities. The letter slide deck is great for using in either virtual occupational therapy sessions or as a part of distance learning. With the uncertainty of the upcoming school year, I wanted to fill your therapy toolbox with digital resources like this one. Therapists can use the slide deck for teaching letter formation and handwriting with a fine and gross movement component.

Slide Deck for Teaching Letters

Therapists know the power of combining fine motor work, gross motor work…any movement…with learning. When teaching letters, that is no different!

Recently, I created this alphabet exercise printable that went pretty wild among The OT Toolbox readers. There’s a reason why…kids need movement! And, combining activity with learning letters makes it a win-win for therapy, the classroom, or the home.

That’s why I wanted to turn the worksheet into a letter-themed slide deck that can be used to teach kids letter formation, combining motor planning with gross motor activities, AND handwriting.

Alphabet interactive slide deck to use in occupational therapy teletherapy sessions or to teach letters.

Below, you’ll find a form to enter your email to grab this free interactive slide. But first, I wanted to explain how this slide deck works.

Kids can work through the interactive slides and move the circle to form letters. I paired the letters with the exact same ones found on our alphabet exercise activity for consistency. (Upper case letters in this slide deck).

Teach letters with an interactive slide deck.

They can click on the yellow dot and move their mouse or finger to form the letter. They will trace along the lines of the letter on the slide, so they are gaining fine motor work, including finger isolation, separation of the sides of the hand, eye-hand coordination, and motor planning.

Next, students (and a teacher if used in a live class) can complete the gross motor exercise that pairs with the letter. The exercises match the same ones on our letter exercise program. You can read more about each exercises on the Alphabet Exercise Activity page.

The gross motor activity offers a brain break opportunity, while building strength, core stability, motor planning, and whole body motions like crossing midline, inversion, and a sensory break with proprioceptive and vestibular input.

Finally, children can work on handwriting. I left this portion of the slide activity open-ended so that younger children can work only on writing the upper case letter. Older students can write a word or a sentence that contains a word starting with that letter.

Free interactive slide deck

Here’s how you can get the interactive slide deck to work on letters:

Enter your email address in the form below. Check your email and click on the button to grab your resource. Save that worksheet so you can access these slide decks again.

Sign into your Google account. Click on the big button in that PDF that you just accessed. It will prompt you to make a copy of the slide deck. That will be your master copy of this slide deck.

Now the slide deck is on your Google account.

Share the slide deck with students. You can make a copy for each student and upload it to their Google classroom or use it in Zoom. Here is a post on FAQ for troubleshooting any issues you might run across with using or accessing the slide deck.

Be sure to sign up for other slide decks that we have to offer. You will have to enter your email address for each one so you can get the resource and make a copy of each slide deck.

Be sure to check out these other slide decks to use in OT teletherapy sessions, distance learning, or homeschooling:

Here is a Space Theme Therapy Slide Deck.

Here is a Strait Line Letters Slide Deck.

Here is a “Scribble theme” Handwriting Slide Deck.

Teach Letters with an interactive Letter Formation Slide Deck.

You will also want to see all of our teletherapy activities here.

Kindergarten Readiness and Executive Functioning Skills

December 20, 2022June 3, 2020 by Colleen Beck OTR/L

Kindergarten readiness and developing executive functioning skills in kindergarten

Many parents of preschoolers have questions about preparing for kindergarten. There are kindergarten checklists and loads of resources online designed to address kindergarten readiness. One area that parents might miss when getting ready for kindergarten is the concept of executive functioning skills.

Executive functioning skills develop from very early in childhood! These skills can easily be developed through fun, age-appropriate play. Sound familiar? Combining learning and play in kindergarten is essential to build skills with an age appropriate awareness and at developmental levels. This is the exact way that children should be preparing for kindergarten!

Kindergarten Readiness

There is immense amount of pressure for children to be ready for the academic demands of
school, even from kindergarten. From the moment they walk in the door, most kindergartners
are pushed to be “little sponges” of the academic content to meet standards. However, most of us
recognize that this may not be the most appropriate approach to take. Finding engaging executive functioning activities can be tricky. The ideas here should be a great start to add to your kindergarten lesson plans or use in kindergarten preparations.

However, there are more child-friendly things that parents can do to help their children get ready
for kindergarten. Provide children with opportunities to be independent! Teach them the steps to
wash their hands (initiation, working memory, shifting, monitoring), how to blow their nose
(initiation, working memory, and monitoring), and letter recognition (working memory). Teach
them how to follow directions (impulse control, working memory, and shifting).

PREPARING FOR KINDERGARTEN WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

Working on some kindergarten prep through play can involved executive functioning skills at the same time. Start here to understand exactly what executive functioning skills entail, but when it comes to kindergarten aged children, here are some of the executive functioning skills that can be addressed through play as well as tasks that will help them prepare for kindergarten:

Kindergarten lesson plans can include these reading and writing activities that build executive functioning skills

HandWriting in Kindergarten

Amazon affiliate links are included below.

Be sure to start by reading our resource on name writing for kindergarten to support the handwriting and fine motor skills needed in kindergarten, as this is a new skill for many 5 year-olds that are picking up a pencil for the first time. (Or preschool students that were rushed into pre-writing tasks.

There are many ways to integrate reading and writing preparation into play. Have your child match uppercase and lowercase letters in games or at the store. This encourages working memory (what letter they need to look for). Games like Zingo are great for teaching sight words in a fun way while also requiring a child to use their impulse control, shifting, and working memory.

More reading and writing for kindergarten:

Alphabet Discovery Bottle

Magnetic Letter Handwriting Game

Name Soup Writing Your Name

Fizzy Dough Letters

Handwriting Cookie Cutters

Kindergarten lesson plans can include these math activities to develop executive functioning skills to prepare for kindergarten

Math, Science, and Executive Functioning

Early math and science skills can be fun and easy to integrate into play! If the weather is
conducive, try hopscotch, saying the numbers out loud as you jump! For mental flexibility,
change the rules of how they go through the series: hop on one foot, jump on two feet, switch
feet, and so on. For older children or those who know their evens and odds, have them only jump
on the odds or only on evens.

For science, create simple science experiments, like vinegar and baking soda volcanos! This
requires initiation, monitoring, impulse control, shifting, and planning/organizing.

More kindergarten math activities to build executive function:

Caterpillar Math Craft

Play and Executive Functioning

Play is critical, but with the push to be ready for academics, play is getting pushed to the side
However, without play, children suffer. They lack the ability to find joy in learning.

Outdoor play provides the opportunity for children to develop their executive functioning while
participating in child-led adventures! Taking a bike ride or a walk around the community, or
even playing basketball in a driveway, requires a child to demonstrate strong impulse control and
monitoring skills for safety. Red light, green light is also a great opportunity to work on impulse
control.

Outdoor play also encourages children to take risks while being aware of their surroundings.
Whether determining if cars are coming, stranger danger, or appropriate clothing to wear outside,
this is an incredible opportunity to encourage executive functioning development!

Can’t play outside? Build a fort! Planning/organizing, initiation, shifting, time management, and
working memory are critical for this.

Kindergarten play ideas to build executive function

Teaching Spatial Concepts

Bugs and Beans Sensory Play

Outdoor Small World Play

Painting Toys in the Water Table

Sticks and Stones Simple Sensory Play

Use these executive functioning games in kindergarten lesson plans and to prepare for kindergarten

Games and Activities to build executive functioning skills in kindergarten

Some family-friendly games include Outfoxed (initiation, working memory, monitoring,
planning/organizing, and impulse control) and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game.

For less structured activities, think about making something in the kitchen, like baked goods. Making slime with a slime kit is another engaging way to build executive functioning skills.

For a less structured executive functioning activity, try making a bracelet from a bracelet kit that involves patterns or low-level direction-following.

For kindergarten readiness, focus on fun! This is a time of extensive growth, including in the
area of executive functioning.

For more executive functioning activities, grab this Executive Functioning Activity Guide. It’s full of strategies to address common executive functioning areas that impact working memory, attention, impulse control, organization, and more.

By Audience

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Cookies Activities

Cookie Theme for Therapy

Working Memory Activity with a Cookie Theme

Visual Perception Cookie Activities

Handwriting Cookie Activity

Visual Motor Cookie Activity

Free Cookie theme Slide Deck for therapy

Get this Holiday Cookie Theme Therapy Activities Slide Deck

Want more VIRTUAL LEARNING SLIDE DECKS?

Turkey Theme Therapy Slide Deck

Turkey theme gross motor activity

Turkey theme Fine Motor Activities

Turkey theme Handwriting Activity

Turkey theme Visual Perception Activity

Turkey theme Self Regulation Activity

Get this Turkey Theme OT Slide Deck

Handwriting Prompts

Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing prompt ideas

How to Write a Prompt

Creative Journal Prompts

Animal Writing Prompts for kids

Writing Prompts About My Favorite Things

Writing Prompts about the Perfect Things

“Which is better” writing prompts for kids

List Writing Prompts for kids

Sports Writing Prompts for Kids

Mermaid writing Prompts

Unicorn Writing Prompts

Space Writing Prompts

Meaningful HandWriting Prompts

Back to School Activity

Back to school handwriting baseline

All about Me Activity

Get this Back-to-School Writing and I Spy slide deck

Pencil Grasp Development

Primitive Pencil Grasps

Transitional Pencil Grasps

Mature Pencil Grasps

Quadrupod Grasp

Quadrupod grasp or Tripod Grasp?

Other Functional Pencil Grasps

How to help with pencil Grasp

More pencil grasp help

Pen Grip

Pen trick for handwriting

Triangle pencil grip

Pen Grip

Letter Sizing Strategies

Try some of these letter sizing activities

Black Back Writing Program

Slide Deck for Teaching Letters

Free interactive slide deck

Get a free interactive slide deck: Alphabet Move & Write Cards

Kindergarten Readiness

PREPARING FOR KINDERGARTEN WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

HandWriting in Kindergarten

Math, Science, and Executive Functioning

Play and Executive Functioning

Games and Activities to build executive functioning skills in kindergarten

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