outdoor play

January Calendar: Sensory Integration Activities Turning Therapy into Play

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Last month, we created a calendar of Occupational Therapy ideas using a Christmas theme.  It was such a hit among our readers (that’s you!), that I decided to create a monthly version of sensory integration activities.  Be sure to read our blog post on Ayres Sensory Integration for more information on this theory.

What’s better is that these SI activities are geared to turn therapy into play.  Children of all ages can participate in their Occupational Therapy goal areas with themed activities while working on proprioceptive and vestibular input. These activities are designed to address gross motor, fine motor, and visual perceptual skills through January’s winter theme of snow, snowballs, snowflakes, and ice.  


Occupational Therapists are skilled at turning therapy into play in order to make goals of therapy fun.  Kids can work on areas they need to develop with fun and playful winter activities.  You’ll find many recommendations for winter play with a focus on sensory integration.  


Be sure to stop back each month for a calendar of Occupational Therapy and playful activities!


NOTE: These activities are meant to be a resource.  No child is alike and so no therapy regime is alike.  Please contact you physician and Occupational Therapist for individualized evaluation and treatment. These activities are designed to provide creative treatment ideas only.

 
Sensory Integration with Proprioception and Vestibular activities for turning therapy into play while working on Occupational Therapy goals. These January calendars have a sensory activity for each day.

I’ve tried to keep many of the vestibular and proprioceptive activities the same or similarly themed for each day.  

The links below will show ways to work on vestibular and proprioceptive activities and has descriptions on how to work on each area with the day’s theme.  Many children have specific proprioception or vestibular needs.  Other children benefit from a combination of these treatment areas.  The activities linked below show ways to hit these areas in a combination or separately.  


I’ve included other resources with each linked activity as well, so be sure to check out each activity for proprioception and vestibular therapy ideas.  Make sensory integration fun by turning therapy into play!


These calendars are meant to provide a general plan for daily vestibular and proprioceptive input.  We all have best intentions when it comes to our day’s schedule and sometimes life challenges our plan for the day.  No problem! You can easily switch activities with another day’s activity and adjust activities according to your family’s needs.


Just a small amount of proprioception and vestibular activity are enough to help with regulating a child’s sensory needs.  

One activity each day should be effective for most children, so add these themed activities to the sensory diets you’ve got in place to turn therapy into play this winter. HOWEVER, all children should be assessed by an Occupational Therapist to assess individual needs and abilities.

January Winter Calendar: Proprioception Activities turning therapy into play

Sensory Integration with Proprioception and Vestibular activities for turning therapy into play while working on Occupational Therapy goals. These January calendars have a sensory activity for each day.

Proprioception Activities with a Winter Theme:

The proprioceptive system involves receptors in joints and muscles that tell our body how much effort to put into a task. The system allows us to know how to move and use our bodies in response to stimulation from the environment. Children with proprioceptive difficulties may bump into other children, break pencils when writing because they press too hard, show “no fear”, crash into objects, appear uncoordinated, appear lazy, chew clothing/pencils/anything, among other signs.
 
Proprioceptive input can be achieved through heavy work activities that adjust the child’s level of arousal and “wake up” or calm the body’s system.  Activities that involve pushing, pulling, jumping, blowing, squeezing, pinching, throwing, skipping, crawling, and lifting can be achieved through play.
 
1. Heavy Work Sled Pull- For a proprioceptive work activity, load a sled up with books (or another child!)  Pulling a loaded sled is a heavy work activity that is calming to the sensory system.  Try pushing the sled with arms or legs, too.  Take the sled outside and pull it on snowy slopes for added resistive work.

 

 

 
4. Snowball Stomp- Stomping with the legs is a great way to incorporate proprioception into the lower extremities.  Make snowballs and STOMP on them for a fun and playful heavy work activity.  Don’t have snow?  Try making baked cotton balls and stomp on them.  Have you ever made baked cotton balls?  It is a super sensory and creative way to work on so many fine motor skills.  Simply coat cotton balls in a flour/water mixture and bake them until hared.  They will have a hard shell that is perfect for pulling, tearing, and stomping on. Read more about making baked cotton balls here. 
 
5. Polar Bear Igloo- Get into the polar bear theme and build a polar bear igloo using couch cushions.  Cover your cushion igloo fort with a white blanket to make an igloo.  Pulling heavy couch cushions to build a fort is a great whole body proprioceptive workout.  This heavy work activity is calming, but the warm igloo will be an even more calming area to relax and organize a child’s body.
 
6. Paint Snowflakes- Create masking tape resist snowflakes with tape and blue paint.  Pinch and peel the tape from the roll and stick it into a snowflake shape on white paper.  Now add a dab of blue paint onto the paper.  Use a heavy cardboard box to smash the paint on the snowflake.  Moving a box full of books is a proprioceptive activity that provides heavy work to the whole body.
 
7. Build a snowman- Rolling snow into a snowman is a great proprioception activity.  If you don’t have snow, use several blankets to fold and roll into snowman-ish balls.  Lift those blanket balls to build a snowman indoors.  You’ll probably need to prop your blanket snowman against a wall to keep him standing.
 
8. Blanket Bundle- Lay a blanket out on the floor.  Roll the child up in a blanket, burrito style.  Now roll them back and forth on the floor. This works best on a carpeted floor.  Add extra blanket layers and pillows for more proprioceptive input.
 
9. Indoor Skiing- Coming soon! (I promise!)
 
10. Snow Angels- Snow angels are an excellent way to provide proprioceptive input!  Pushing snow or heavy blankets with the arms and legs is a powerful proprioception activity for kids.  You’re providing heavy work input to the legs and arms as they abduct and adduct. Don’t have snow to make snow angels outside? No problem! Incorporate proprioceptive work into this activity by using heavy blankets on a carpeted floor.
 
11. Snowman Soda Dough- Soda Dough is a fun activity that provides proprioception to the small muscles of the hands as the child rolls small snowmen. You can find the recipe here.
 
12. Cut Icicles–  Cut multiple layers of paper to create indoor icicles while providing proprioception to the hands.
 
13. Boot Dash {link coming soon!}
 
14. Snowshoe Walk {link coming soon!}
 
15. Polar Bear Crawl- Animal walks are a great way to incorporate proprioception into play.  Show your child how to crawl like a polar bear on hands and knees.  This position is a great way to provide proprioceptive input to the shoulder girdle and hips.  Add a heavy blanket or towel over your child’s back for additional deep pressure.
 
16. Build a Snow Maze- If you’ve got snow in your area, this snow maze activity is a fun way to add heavy work to play.  (My kids are still talking about our snow maze!) If you haven’t had snow in your area, build a maze using rolled an piled blankets, pillows, and couch cushions.  Move the items around to construct a maze right in your living room.
 
17. Skate on Thin Ice {link coming soon!}
 
18. Snowy Walk- Just walking around in snow is a proprioception activity in itself!  Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of a snowy day during an outdoor winter nature walk.
 
19. Snow Bin- Create a proprioception sensory snow bin with resistive materials like rice or homemade proprioception dough.  Add scoops, cookie cutters, and plastic utensils to work on proprioception to the hands and arms.  Push glass gems, beads, or other small items into the dough for more play.
 
20. Dance Party- Get the kids moving with a winter dance party! Add a proprioception component to your snowy winter dance party by adding wall push ups, floor push ups, and push-pull movements.
 
21. Hole Punch Ice Drops- Punching holes with a paper hole punch is an excellent way to provide proprioceptive input to the hands.  Use this activity as a fine motor or handwriting warm up activity to wake up the muscles of the hands. use white paper to punch mini snowflakes and ice droplets.  You can scatter these on blue paper covered in glue to create a snowy scene.
 
22. Snowman Squash- {link coming soon!}
 
23. Snowball Roll- For this activity, you’ll need masking tape, cotton balls, and a straw.  Tape out a line across the floor.  Use the straw to blow the snowman snowballs (the cotton balls) along the line while crawling.  Adding the straw provides proprioceptive and oral motor input, too.  Consider more ways to add proprioception to this activity:  Have your child sit on a scooter as the adult pulls the child along with a towel.  Another child can push a child’s back as they scoot along the line.  Have the child sit on a square of cardboard and move their way along the line using their feet.  Roll a weighted ball along the line.  
 
24. Snowman Says- Play “Simon Says” with a winter theme by calling it “Snowman Says”! Add proprioception directions to the game like calling out: 

  • Animal Walks
  • Wall Push Ups
  • Tug of War with a blanket
  • Jumping
  • Hugs
  • Stomping
25. Shovel Snow- Shoveling snow is a great way to provide proprioception to the whole body.  If you’ve ever shoveled snow, then you know it gets all of the muscles moving…even muscles you didn’t know you had.  And the sore body for the next two days keep reminding you!  Have your child shovel small scoops of snow to clear a sidewalk.  They can help out in the neighborhood by shoveling neighbor’s walks, too.  If you are lacking in the real snow department in your area, take the shovel indoors.  Use a clean shovel to scoop and move piles of towels, small toys, or even shredded paper. 
 
26. Snow Bucket Brigade-  Fill buckets with snow and create a bucket brigade with neighbor hood kids.  Use all of that snow to build a snow fort.  If you don’t have snow in your area, make an indoor bucket brigade using bean bags, toys, balls, or other small items.  Children can dump the buckets’  contents into an empty laundry basket. Pouring the weighted buckets is a great rhythmic and calming activity.
 
27. Frozen Writing- You can incorporate proprioception to the hands by writing on Styrofoam sheets like we did here for proprioceptive input or write in frozen snow dough for tactile input.
 
28. Snow Pile Jump- Use outdoor snow to create a pile of snow.  Jump into the snow with both feet.  Show the child how to try to land on their back or on their side. They can also jump into the snow with one foot or two, or on their knees.  No snow in your area? No problem!  Create a snowy pile using bed pillows, couch pillows, or foam and cover it with a thing blanket or bed sheet.  Jump into the “snow pile” from a trampoline.  Use both feet, one feet, and knees to jump.  
 
29. Snow Plow Push- For this activity, use a large cardboard box. Play snow plow by turning the box or laundry basket on it’s side and have the child push the basket around the room, pushing on all fours. They can scoop up balls or other items, including heavier items like pillows for heavy proprioceptive work.

 

 

31. Snowboard Balance- Create a homemade balance board like this one for proprioceptive and gross motor input. OR, make an ice wobble disc!


January Winter Calendar: Vestibular Activities turning therapy into play

Sensory Integration with Proprioception and Vestibular activities for turning therapy into play while working on Occupational Therapy goals. These January calendars have a sensory activity for each day.

 

Vestibular Activities with a Winter Theme:

The vestibular system involves the body’s ability to adjust and move in space based on organs within our inner ears.  Problems with vestibular integration may exhibit by difficulty with balance, or a gravitationally insecure child.  
You may see a child who craves movement, can’t sit still, seeks excessive movements, or is hyperactive. They might have trouble planning movements, crossing midline, or difficulties with reading and writing. Vestibular activities can be completed in therapy goals through play:
 

1. Sled Rides- Have your child ride a sled while sitting up, laying flat on their belly, an laying on their back.  Pull your child around a yard covered in snow, down gentle slopes, and up small hills.  The changes in grade challenges the vestibular system.  Don’t have snow?  Bring this activity indoors!  A plastic sled works great on carpeted floors.  Pull your child as they sit/lay in all positions.  Add a bit of bumpy terrain by building a “ramp” with couch cushions and a blanket.  Don’t forget to spin the sled for circular spinning motions.

2. Snowflake Toss- Use an inflated balloon to toss and hit from above and the sides. Encourage your child to extend their head and neck back to see a high “snowflake” and down low as they hit the low tosses.  Bending, reaching overhead, and swooping side to side allow vestibular motions with a playful function.



3. Snowball Shot Put


4. Snowball Spin- Curl up like a snowball and get ready to spin! Use a large piece of cardboard for fun break-dancing, snowman-style!  Show your child how to turn and move on the cardboard and slide in all directions and planes.  For a challenge, draw or paint snowflakes on the cardboard.  These are targets for hands and feet and provide a visual motor planning, visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and crossing midline components!  You can number the snowflakes to incorporate more skills. This is an activity that is sure to inspire smiles!   


5. Polar Bear Roll- Lay on the floor and roll like a polar bear (log roll style).  Use pillows to create obstacles and bumpy targets.  Put items on both sides of the room and transfer the objects by only rolling.  Rolling is an organizing activity for children.


6. Upside Down Snowflake Paint- Place a large sheet of butcher paper or newspaper on the floor.  Have your child hang over a large therapy ball or ottoman to paint on the paper.  You can also push dining room chairs together to create a place to hang.  Try turning the child over so they are laying on their back and painting overhead with an extended head and neck. When your snowflake paintings have dried, hang them on the ceiling to encourage more neck and head extension as you gaze up at your snowy work of art! TIP: Try this snowflake stamping art activity to incorporate fine motor skills.


7. Bounce a Snowman- Bouncing a ball is rhythmic and calming.  Bounce three different sized balls (the snowman’s bottom, middle, and head).  Bounce the balls one at a time, then try to bounce two balls at once to encourage bilateral hand coordination.  Add ping pong balls (the snowman’s eyes and buttons!) for a challenge.  THEN, change the vestibular input by sitting on the balls and bouncing the child or showing them how to bounce up and down.  A large therapy ball works well for this activity but other options include blow up beach balls, rubber balls, and kick balls.


8. Blanket Roll-Roll the child up in a blanket on the floor.  Roll the child back and forth the whole way across the floor.  Be aware of overstimulation and be sure to only do this activity for 10 rolls before taking a break.  Now pull the blanket’s end so that the child is moving in the direction of their feet or head.  Try pulling the child as they lay on their belly and then on their back.


9. Indoor Skiing-Coming Soon (I promise!)


10. Snow Angels– Cover a hard floor with a bed sheet.  Ask the child to lay on the blanket and do snow angels.  The thin sheet on a hard floor will provide little resistive feedback (which is what you want if you are working on proprioception activities!) Do angels while standing and while laying on a large therapy ball or over an ottoman, too.  

11. Snowman Hop Scotch- Draw a snowman on a sidewalk or driveway.  If it has recently snowed, draw a snowman in the snow with a stick.  If the temperatures are too cold to play outdoors, draw a snowman on a large sheet of cardboard or create a snowman on the floor using masking tape.  No matter where you make your snowman hop scotch board, don’t stop at just three circles!  Make your snowman as high as you like!  Play hop scotch with the snowman shape for jumping and hopping vestibular input.  For a challenge, draw buttons on each circle.  Children can count the number of buttons as they play hopscotch.



12. Snowflake Frisbee

13. Boot Spin {link coming soon!}


14. Snowshoe Walk {link coming soon!}


15. Polar Bear Crawl- Crawl on all fours like a polar bear.  Add throw pillows and a body pillow, as well as rolled blankets to add a balance course.  Ask them to hang their head down low as they crawl, then stand up on their knees like a polar bear.  Changes in head position is calming and organizing for the vestibular systems integration of sensory input.

16. Snow Maze Obstacle Course- If you’ve got snow outside, build logs of snow for climbing over, walking along, and rolling over.  Pile up a lump of snow for climbing on and sliding down.  Get creative with building piles of snow and showing your child how to slide, drop, swoop, jump, roll, and crawl around, over, and through.  Kids can position themselves in all planes for a variety of vestibular input. If you haven’t got snow in your area, create an indoor snow maze.  use pillows and blankets to make “snow piles”.


17. Skate on Thin Ice-  {link coming soon!}



18. Snowy Spin


19. Snow Slide- Use a large sheet of cardboard to create a snowy slide on the steps.  You can also pile up a few couch cushions and pillows to create a ramp for sliding.  If you’ve got snow outdoors, cardboard makes a great sled!  Try sliding while sitting, laying, and spinning for more vestibular play.


20. Snow Dance Party- Turn up the music and spin, twirl, shake, stretch, jump, and sway to the music.  Play music listening games like Freeze Dance.  Turn the music off and everyone needs to freeze in the position that they are in.  Try dancing with scarves and hoola hoops for more movements.  

Other Winter Dance ideas: 

  • Spin and twirl around a frozen lake
  • Pick up “ice cube” cotton balls and leap across the room to another “ice cube” as kids collect the ice cubes.
  • Frozen Bottom: dance to music and someone stops the music.  When the music stops, everyone drops to the floor and sits on their bottom.
  • Winter Clothes Dance- Everyone dances until someone stops the music. When the music stops, everyone grabs an article of winter clothing and puts it on.  You can have available a sweater, scarf, mittens, hat, earmuffs, coats, etc.  

21. Snowflake Pillow Pull- Cut snowflakes from a small square of felt.  Pin these to a body pillow.  Children must lay on the body pillow, holding onto the snowflakes.  An adult can pull the body pillow around the room as the child hugs the pillow.  An alternate activity is to have the child sit on a a snowflake on the pillow as they hold on to the sides. Being pulled around on a moving seat is a calming vestibular activity for kids.


22. Snowman Squash- {link coming soon!}


23. Snowman Roll- Do somersaults along the floor. Tape a line of masking tape on the floor and have your child somersault along the line.  Use the line to roll balls across the room, using ping pong balls and larger balls.  Use a wheeled scooter to roll along the line.  Scoot along the tape with the scooter while blowing a cotton ball “snowman” with a straw.  

24. “Snowman Says”- Simon says with a snowman theme is a fun way to incorporate vestibular and proprioceptive input and adding the components of your child’s needs into a playful game.  

Try some of these Snowman Says movements:
Vestibular: Twirl your arms.
Bend at the waist and reach between your legs.
Jump
Hop
Skip
Roll
Dance
Spin
Somersault

25. Shovel Tumbles- Use a sandbox shovel to toss a ping pong ball “snowball” into a target such as a bucket or an empty laundry basket.  For added vestibular input, add a tumbling movement to the activity as the child tries to keep the ball in the shovel while they tumble.


26. Snowy Wobble Jump- You can up the vestibular input by placing a mini trampoline on the wobbly cushion base.  Jump on the trampoline or jump off of the trampoline.  Put a cushion or pillow on the trampoline and jump on that.  


27. Upside Down Frozen Writing- Encourage head tilt and alternate planes by writing while hanging over a chair or stack of couch cushions.  Writing in the prone position puts the hands at a more optimal writing position than hanging from supine.  

28. Snow Pile Jump- Use outdoor snow to create a pile of snow.  Jump into the snow with both feet.  Show the child how to try to land on their back or on their side. They can also jump into the snow with one foot or two, or on their knees.  No snow in your area? No problem!  Create a snowy pile using bed pillows, couch pillows, or foam and cover it with a thing blanket or bed sheet.  Jump into the “snow pile” from a trampoline.  Use both feet, one feet, and knees to jump.  


29. Snow Plow Push- For this vestibular activity, use a large cardboard box.  The child can climb into the box and an adult can pull them around.  Take the cardboard outside on a snowy hill.  If you don’t have a cardboard box large enough to hold your child, use a laundry basket.  Play snow plow by turning the box or laundry basket on it’s side and have the child push the basket around the room, pushing on all fours. 



30. Ice Cube Jump

31. Snowflake Balance 

Hopefully these activities will help with Vestibular activities.  Be sure to visit each activity for more vestibular ideas.

Sensory Integration with Proprioception and Vestibular activities for turning therapy into play while working on Occupational Therapy goals. These January calendars have a sensory activity for each day.
 

5 Minute Ideas for Kids Who Don’t Do Quiet Time

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I am an early bird (make that a caffeinated early bird).  I wake up early and get things done.  Before kids, it was household things, an early morning run before work, or just reading.  After four kids, I am still waking up early, but productive tasks are not being checked from my to-do list.  Now, those early mornings are spent changing diapers, fixing breakfast, wiping spills, getting kids dressed, wiping more spills, snuggling sleepy babies, wiping spills… The tasks may have changed from a few years ago, but the morning is still a time of productive (and some days, not-so-productive) work.  This job called Motherhood is a tough one that is repetitive, thankless, but oh so important.  Through it all those early mornings were and now REALLY are fueled by coffee.  


five minute activities and ideas for moms. keep the kids busy so mom can take a time out and stay sane!






Motherhood is messy quotes. Spilled milk happens


So, when this mama is running all day long chasing kids, breaking up arguments, and wiping up all of those spills (WHY do kids spill so many things??!!) and the early mornings lead into sleepy afternoons, I need a mini-break.  It is so exhausting when the kids are in that tired/hungry/bored time around 4:00 pm.  It can be easy to let the exhaustion get to you.  Sure, you can throw on a movie or encourage a little rest time, but with four kids, someone always needs something.  I can’t recall a moment when all four kids napped at the same time.  I’m not one of the lucky moms whose three year old and four year old still nap.  They just. keep. going.  Quiet time in their rooms turn into a little someone yelling or pounding on the door about a dire emergency.  Or a spill.  

 Motherhood is messy quote

 I can’t keep going full steam without a mini-rest.  Some days are HARD to pull it together and be the patient, kind, loving, peaceful, joyful mom that the kids need.  Moms need time-outs too!  We’ve got some ideas to keep the kids busy for five minutes while mom gets a break (and a little caffeinated pep to keep you going through dinner).  Grab a cup of iced coffee, give the kids a quick activity in their rooms, and re-fresh yourselves.  Ignore the spills for a minute and take a deep breath.  You’ve got this!


I am SO excited to share my love of afternoon mini-break time and iced coffee with you.  I was able to try Folgers® Iced CaféTM Coffee Drink Concentrates.  They are a new line of concentrated coffee, sweetener, and flavor that are all conveniently combined in a portable package.  Moms need convenience when it comes to getting a few moments to herself so the quick prep makes it a winner for me!  I loved that I can add the concentrates quickly into an ice cold glass of milk and enjoy a little pick-me-up to beat the afternoon fatigue.  What makes them even better is that no sugar or preservatives are added to the portable squeeze bottles.  I have been loving all of the available flavors (Original Latte, Vanilla Latte, Caramel Macchiato and Hazelnut Latte) but the Caramel Macchiato iced coffee in a cute glass mug and a straw makes my min-break seem even more luxurious.  The kids know that the sight of coffee in the afternoon is a mom-only drink by now so for at least 5 minutes, the spills should be at a minimum.  “Should” being the key word. 


Grab Make Summer Fridays even cooler with new Folgers® Iced CaféTM Coffee Drink Concentrates and a little me time (even if it is only for five minutes!) while the kids are busy:


five minute activities and ideas for kids who don't do nap time or quiet time.



5 minute activities for kids who don’t do quiet time:

Grab a stack of books and a timer.  Have your child read or look at pictures for five minutes.  When the timer goes off, join your child and read together.


Hand your child a box of sidewalk chalk and a baby doll or pretend figure.  Encourage your child to draw a picture with the chalk and place the baby doll or figure into the sidewalk art.  Watch from the side for 5 minutes as you sip your iced coffee.


Set up a healthy snack.  


Pull out a piece of paper and a fun pen.  Ask your child to draw a picture or write a letter to someone special.  A grandparent, neighbor, cousin, or friend would love to receive mail!  After five minutes, join your child and help them address their mail.


Spread out a stack of easy puzzles.  Kids need to do all of the puzzles in the stack before they are done with their mini-quiet time.  When they are done, join them and do the puzzles in reverse by taking the pieces out and building them on the table.  For silly giggles, do the puzzles in slow motion and at super speed together!


Pull out bubbles and head outside.  Grab your iced coffee and just watch the excitement.  Let the bubble spills happen.  And they will. Just watch the giggles and the fun.  Then grab a bubble wand and join in on the fun!

time out for mom with iced coffee

Motherhood is messy. Moms need a little time out when they can enjoy the little things.

Easy No Prep Free Summer Activities

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Summer is upon us.  For me, I am at home with my four kids and playing, (trying) to stay on top of the laundry, feeding constantly hungry mouths, planning hikes and park visits, scheduling play dates, visiting the library, and trying to keep this little blog business afloat.  The kids do a great job of unstructured free play and come up with some pretty wild imaginative ideas.  They are playing school, cops, library, and pirates on almost a daily basis.  Then there is the daily coloring and TV tag in the yard that keeps the kids creating and moving.  We also find ourselves pulling our hair out with bickering kids, whining, and boredom.  A little inspiration in EASY and basically free activities for the kids is needed sometimes.  Use this list of essentially Free Summer Fun Activities for those times when the kids need a little encouragement to create, play, and get along.  Because we all know that sometimes distraction can change a sour attitude into smiling happy kids!

You’ll also be interested in our new Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet. It’s a collection of 14 items that guide summer programming at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. The summer activities bundle covers handwriting, visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, regulation, and more.

You’ll find ideas to use in virtual therapy sessions and to send home as home activities that build skills and power development with a fun, summer theme. Kids will love the Summer Spot It! game, the puzzles, handouts, and movement activities. Therapists will love the teletherapy slide deck and the easy, ready-to-go activities to slot into OT sessions. The packet is only $10.00 and can be used over and over again for every student/client!

Grab the Spring Occupational Therapy Activities Packet HERE.

summer occupational therapy activities for kids

 

Basically free summer activities for kids and families this summer. Creative play is inspired play!
 
 
 
 
 

Free Summer Activities for Kids

 
Use what you’ve got in the house with these activities:
Create with recycled materials and make arts, crafts, and activities.
Pull plastic ware out of the cupboards and sort the lids onto the containers.
Mix colors with food coloring in water.
Blow bubbles
Jump rope
Play Kickball
Throw a book picnic: grab snacks, a blanket, and a pile of books and head outside.
Dress up with old fancy dresses and clothes from mom’s closet (then throw them in a bag and donate!)
Bake
Poke holes in a cardboard box and push pipe cleaners through the holes
Bowl with recycled plastic water bottles
Act out a favorite nursery rhyme
Play Pizza Tag: one person is “it” and chases the others.  Players run from “it” and can stay safe from being tagged by naming pizza toppings and touching the ground.
Put dollhouses or play sets into a bin of shredded paper.
Play hide and seek
Climb trees
Watch and draw clouds
Tell stories where one person starts a story and each person adds a sentence to continue the story.  Write it down and illustrate your story!
Make and deliver lemonade to neighbors
Go birdwatching
Make creative firefly catchers and then catch the fireflies that night.
Play charades
Act out a favorite book
Create with finger paints (make your own with flour, water, and food coloring or washable paint!)
Sing songs
Turn on music and dance
Pick flowers and give them to neighbors
Make crafts. Have an art show and invite friends.
 
Creative play
 
Whatever you do this summer, enjoy every minute and have fun!
 
More creative fun you may enjoy this summer:
 

Want to take summer play to the next level? Be sure to grab your copy of the Summer OT Activities Bundle!

Summer activities for kids

Firefly Catcher Kit Creation Station

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“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Glad, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #pressnsealhacks
Summer means fireflies (do you call them lightning bugs in your house?) on warm nights with the kids running around the yard.  We are such huge fans of lightning bugs, and really all types of bugs–that we decided to create a firefly catcher…or 8!  This firefly catcher creation station was a HUGE hit in our house and would be the perfect craft for a summer play date or bug-themed party.  


Firefly bug catcher creation station kit for kids

Host a firefly bug catcher creation station:

Supplies for a lightning bug firefly bug catcher kit.

You’ll need just a few materials to get the kids creating and excited to make their firefly catchers.  We stopped at Walmart and picked up:

Ribbons
Glad Press’n Seal
tape (clear tape and/or colored or washi tape)
scissors
Added extras like sticks, leaves, and stones for the fireflies
You’ll need recycled jars and containers for the firefly homes.

Set up a table with all the firefly catcher items.  Be sure to cut the Glad Press’n Seal into small square shaped pieces to fit the tops of your containers.

Firefly catcher creation station. This is a great idea for a play date or a bug themed party craft.
These kids were excited to get started.  They decorated the containers with tape, ribbon, and string.

lightning bug catcher
Once you’ve got the jars decorated as you like, place a piece of Glad Press’n Seal over the top.  It’s resealable and will make a great lid for the bug catchers.  Use a fork to poke holes in the Glad Press’n Seal for breathing holes.  You can remove the covering during the bug catching and simply pull it back into place to keep the lightning bugs happy in their new temporary home!
Make a firefly bug catcher this summer with the kids.
Lightning bug catcher creation station
My son decided to add star decorations using a star-shaped hole puncher and printer paper.  The paper stars stuck right to the Glad Press’n Seal and reminded us of a stary night.  Hopefully the lightning bugs thought the same!

Make lightning bug catchers with the kids this summer. Add this to the summer bucket list!
These firefly catchers are gorgeously decorated in ribbons, bows, tape (even electrical tape!)

Firefly bug catchers

These lightning bug catchers are (almost) too pretty to catch bugs!  We had a lot of fun running around the yard catching fireflies and capturing memories together.  These bug catchers will be used a lot this summer!
Create pretty and fun bug catchers, lightning bug houses, and firefly catchers for summer nights with family and friends.
Love this? Pin it! 
Host a firefly catcher creation station play date or craft area at a bug-themed party.
Be sure to stop by and follow our Facebook page where you can see tons of crafts and activities for kids from all over the internet.  Feel free to share pictures of your firefly catchers with us there!

Use a Marble Run on the Water Table Sensory Play

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Recently, we posted an image on our instagram page of an outdoor sensory play activity.  We pulled out our marble run toy and the water table for sensory and fine motor fun.  This was such a hit on a hot day that we have played with the marble run and the water table many more times since.  We wanted to share the fun with you!


Water table activity for kids: use a marble run and water beads for scooping and pouring fine motor and sensory fun this summer!


Use the marble run toy on the water table with waterbeads!

 We’re including affiliate links for our convenience.  We love our marble run (this is the one we have and I love it because it’s not too difficult that my kids can’t build runs themselves, but it does include a lot of different pieces.)  We pulled it out one hot day and placed it in our
water table
with water and some expanded water beads.  If you’ve never played with water beads before, these are a sensory must!  The small beads are perfect for sensory play and go right down the shoots of the water table.  We poured, scooped, and dumped water and water beads down the shoots and ramps and watched the beads pile up at the bottom of the marble run.


This sensory play activity was not only perfect summer fun on a hot day, it was a great fine motor and eye-hand coordination activity for preschoolers.  

Water table activity for kids: use a marble run and water beads for scooping and pouring fine motor and sensory fun this summer!

Looking for more water table activities?  Try these: 

Painting toys

Sensory Gardening with Kids

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It is that time of year when we start to dig up the dirt and grow our garden…all with the kids!  Digging in dirt and kids go hand in hand so when we started our garden for the first time last year, the kids were all over it.  They were my biggest helpers when it came to planting, weeding, and of course, taste-testing!  This post includes pictures from last year’s garden, and we can’t wait to get started on our garden again this year!


Gardening with kids. Make these small adjustments to your garden to make it a sensory sanctuary in your own backyard!



This post contains affiliate links.

Sensory Fun Gardening with Kids


You know we LOVE sensory play, right?  Gardening is the ultimate sensory activity when it comes to kids.  There are so many of the senses addressed when a child is outside in the dirt.  There is the calming and relaxing environment of quiet outdoors, soft dirt, cool colors, and the warm sun.  Digging and turning dirt is a wonderful proprioception activity for kids (and adults) who need to address movement and grading of muscle use in activities throughout their day.  The resistance of weeks that need pulling will provide feedback to muscles and joints.  Kids can taste, see, feel, and smell so many textures, tastes, colors, patterns, and olfactory experiences depending on the fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs that are planted.

Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!

Make a Sensory Garden for Kids


Gardening is already such an amazing wealth of input to the senses.  How can you make it even more of a sensory haven for kids to calm, relax, or provide stimulation?
Sight:  Plant brightly colored flowers.
Plant flowers in a pattern order.
Use brightly colored garden markers.
Add flowers or bushes that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Garden Hanging Butterfly Feeder
or hummingbird feeders can easlily be added to gardens by hanging to branches or walls.
Add textures to borders.
Add height and depth to gardening surfaces by using wall hangers, raised potted plants, or tables. A Vertical wall planter
encouraged overhead reach and visual attraction to different planes.

Sound:  Add bird feeders or wind chimes
to the garden.
Add water features to the garden. A solar powered water feature
can be easily added to a garden space.
Plant ornamental grasses or taller plants that will add a soft sound in the breeze.

Taste: Plant a variety of sweet, bitter, tart vegetables and fruits.  
Add edible flowers to borders.
Encourage cooking with kids using the produce from the garden.

Touch:  Plants can provide a variety of textures.  Some leaves are soft and fuzzy, and others are sharp and prickly.  
Pulling weeds in different soil experiences is a great sensory activity.  Pull weeds from dry soil and wet soil.
Add rocks, pebbles, bricks, and gravel for texture.
Play in mud puddles.
Walk barefoot in the grass and dirt.

Scent:  Dirt is such great scent!  Add novel scents like mint, lavender, tomato plants, basil.

Proprioception:  Add plants that require a bit of “oomp” to pick or harvest, like radishes, potatoes, carrots.  
Have children dig!  Moving soil provides heavy input to upper and lower extremities.  
Push wheelbarrows with varrying weights of dirt. (I love the sze of this Kids’ Wheelbarrow!)
Lift and carry buckets of water.
Pull the hose from the hose hook-up.
And wind it back up when done!
Use gardening tools like a hoe, garden rake, scoops, shovels. Kids can use adult sized tools but a child sized rake, spade, hoe, shovel set. would be great too.

Vestibular:  Encourage children to get down on the ground to garden.  
Jump in mud puddles.

How to incorporate sensory play into playing gardening with kids

Sensory diet activities can be specific to sensory system like these vestibular sensory diet activities. Sensory activities can be prescribed according to need along with environment in order to maximize sensory input within a child’s day such as within the school day. Using authentic sensory input within the child’s environment plays into the whole child that we must understand when focusing on any goal toward improved functional independence. 

Many sensory diet activities can naturally be found outdoors. In fact, outdoor sensory diet activities are a fun way to encourage sensory input in a child’s environment and without fancy therapy equipment or tools. 

It’s a fact that kids are spending less time playing outdoors. From after-school schedules to two working parents, to unsafe conditions, to increased digital screen time, to less outdoor recess time…kids just get less natural play in the outdoors. 

Knowing this, it can be powerful to have a list of outdoor sensory diet activities that can be recommended as therapy home programing and family activities that meet underlying needs.

That’s where the Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and Sensory Challenge Cards come into play.

They are a FREE printable resource that encourages sensory diet strategies in the outdoors. In the printable packet, there are 90 outdoor sensory diet activities, 60 outdoor recess sensory diet activities, 30 blank sensory diet cards, and 6 sensory challenge cards. They can be used based on preference and interest of the child, encouraging motivation and carryover, all while providing much-needed sensory input.

Here’s a little more information about the Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards
  • 90 outdoor sensory diet activities
  • 60 outdoor recess sensory diet activities
  • 30 blank sensory diet cards, and 6 sensory challenge cards
  • They can be used based on preference and interest of the child, encouraging motivation and carryover, all while providing much-needed sensory input. 
  • Research tells us that outdoor play improves attention and provides an ideal environment for a calm and alert state, perfect for integration of sensory input.
  • Outdoor play provides input from all the senses, allows for movement in all planes, and provides a variety of strengthening components including eccentric, concentric, and isometric muscle contractions. 
  • Great tool for parents, teachers, AND therapists!


Be sure to grab the Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and use them with a child (or adult) with sensory processing needs!

Outdoor sensory diet activity cards for parents, teachers, and therapists of children with sensory processing needs.

Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!

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Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!

Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!

Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!

Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!
Kids can explore all of the senses in a relaxing and calming sensory garden! Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste, proprioception, and vestibular senses are addressed with gardening!
How to grow a sensory garden

Get the things you’ll need: 

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Snowball Activities

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snowball activities

There is just something about fun snowball activities that make learning fun! These snowball games and snowball ideas can be used in winter occupational therapy activities or in hands-on learning with a snowball theme. Winter fun and play is here, so snowball games are the way to go for learning activities with movement. With winter in full swing, we’ve got snowball themed math, science, art, sight words, and more!



snowball activities

Snowball Activities for learning

Winter learning activities can incorporate snowballs for themed, hands-on play. Whether you use paper crumbled into paper snowballs or printable snowball activities, there are so many ways to work on letter formation, handwriting, sight words, math facts, vocabulary, and much more.

Then, with snowball themed activities, there is the opportunity to add in gross motor skills, core strength, balance, coordination, motor planning, and movement.

Snowball learning activities for kids this winter. Snowball math, snowball science. snowball art, snowball sight words

Gross Motor Snowball Activities

Snowball Throwing Games– Incorporate learning with snowball throwing activities. If you have actual snow in your area, use that snow to scoop and make real snowballs. It’s a great way to strengthen the arms, work on bilateral coordination, and gain proprioceptive input.

Crumble Paper Snowballs- In this Snowball Fight Math, we wrote numbers on the outside of the crumbled snowball, then threw them at targets and into bins or buckets to incorporate coordination and motor planning.

Snowball Shotput Game– Kids can work on coordination, balance, AND add in movement-based sensory input in the form of vestibular sensory experiences with this snowball shotput activity. Work on visual processing skills such as tracking and convergence, too.

Adding an obstacle course is another gross motor idea for indoor winter learning or play. This idea from Toddler Approved is fun.

Snowball Fine Motor Activities

Crumble snowballs– Try crumbling paper or foam sheets to create snowballs. Inside, students can write math facts or sight words.

Scoop snowballs- Cotton balls make a nice miniature snowball. Use tongs, tweezers, or scoops to work on fine motor skills. This idea from Still Playing School can get you started.

Paint snowballs- Use colored water and some spray bottles to paint snow and improve hand strength in this painted snow activity.

Snowball target practice– Snowball Alphabet Throw is another idea.

Snowball Math Activities– Try this Comparing shapes with snowballs activity from Hands On As We Grow.

Snowball Sensory Play

For children that need to work up to tactile tolerance, this mess-free sensory play encourages kids to touch messy materials and build up their tolerance. It’s got a snow and snowball theme, so this sensory activity would work well with this theme.

Sensory Dough– Explore sensory tolerance and tactile experiences with this frozen snow dough recipe. It’s a fun one for messy sensory play. Just add sight words, math facts, or winter cards from the Winter Fine Motor Kit…or make it all about pretend play with some arctic animal figures or Frozen characters.

Snowball Art Activities- Making crafts and art is an easy way to help children develop fine motor skills and incorporate tactile sensory experiences. This Indoor snowball painting from Fantastic Fun and Learning is a fun idea.

Shaving Cream Snow- Tactile experiences can involve more than just snow! Try this Shaving Cream Snowball Big Art from Coffee Cups and Crayons.

Snowball Science

If taking the learning to multi-sensory experiences is interesting, try this snowball Science Experiments where we experimented with actual snow.

More Winter Learning Ideas

To take learning and motor skills further, add the Winter Fine Motor Kit to your toolbox.

Use the cards and sight words in the Winter Fine Motor Kit, to challenge kids in scissor skills, reading, sight words, sequencing, storytelling, and visual perceptual skills. The Winter Fine Motor Kit has simple and complex shapes with all kinds of Winter themed images including mittens, arctic animals, penguins, snowflakes, and more. These shapes and words can be hidden in the fake snow sensory bin for kids to hide, find, and hide again.

To up the fine motor work further, add tongs, scoops, small bowls and bins, and more.

For more ways to work on scissor skills, along with all of the fine motor skills needed for scissor use and handwriting, try the Winter Fine Motor Kit. It’s loaded with cutting activities, lacing cards, coloring, clip activities, fine motor art, and fun ways to help children develop pre-writing hand strength, dexterity, and motor skills.

Use the fine motor activities, lacing cards, toothpick art, and crafts in the Winter Fine Motor Kit. It’s a 100 page packet with all winter themes, and you’ll find winter fun there!

winter fine motor kit

 

 

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

What to Do With the Kids in Winter

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The cold weather is upon us!  If you’re in the freezing temps with scarves and gloves or in warmer environments, winter play and learning is fun for the kids!  We love the ideas shared in Share It Saturday this week, from snowman books to crafts, to science and art. This round up of ideas will keep you occupied all winter long!


winter learning and play activites for kids.

Winter Activities for Kids

Snowman Picnic from Growing Book by Book

Snowman Books from Planet Smarty Pants
Snowman Listening Game from Pre-K Pages
Non-Fiction Snowflake Books from Brain Power Boy
Marshmallow Snowman Craft from Krafts and Kiddos
Winter Craft ideas for Middle Schoolers from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

 

Boy Scouts Outdoor Play and Activities

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Disclosure:  This post was sponsored by The Boy Scouts of America and The Motherhood.  Read our full disclosure here. 


Kids get a TON of screen time these days.  There’s television shows, bright and crisp movies on the big screen, educational apps at home and at school, music, phone calls with screen images, and toys with screens.  Getting outside to play is SO important with all of the down time that screens allow. Getting moving, getting involved, and getting active are not that easy to do for busy families with hectic schedules.  Families are very busy with work and home schedules. After a full day of school, work, and commute comes homework, dinner (and all that involves), and bedtime routines.  A few hours pass and it’s time for the kids to be tucked into bed for the night.   This daily grind can get tiring and repetitive, especially when indoors and screen time are added into those precious home hours of the day.  


What are busy families to do when all parents are stressed to balance the juggling show of home and work/school responsibilities?


We’re excited to share ideas to make a positive impact on parenting and explore all that the Boy Scouts have to offer in active, adventurous, and life-changing experiences for families.

Getting kids outside with adventures. Ideas for making time to get outside with the family. Who needs screen time??

Making Time to Get Outdoors

How do busy families go against the grind of routines, comfort, and schedules and get outside? Try a few of these tips:

  • Plan adventures.  
  • Put it on the schedule.  If the calendar says outdoor time, you’re more likely to do it!
  • Get the kids involved in plan making.  They will be excited for family time and family adventures.
  • Grab the camera!  Go outside, take silly pictures of the family, and the fun starts.
  • Visit new places.  Check out local areas for new-to-you hiking trails, parks, ponds…
  • Join the Scouts for outdoor activities of all kinds of adventures!

Why join the Boy Scouts?

My daughter is part of the Girl Scouts and loves the various activities she’s been able to participate in, so my son knew he wanted to join the Boy Scouts from a very young age.   He’s not quite at the required age yet, but we’ve been looking into the Scouts already.


Parents today are challenged to find the balance of home and work responsibilities.  We are in that boat!  It is stressful to meet the needs of daily schedules while spending quality time with the ones that matter most…family! We feel so rushed every day from the 6 am wake up to breakfast, mess, preparing for the day, meeting the bus, to all of the in-between, the after-school craziness, dinner prep, homework, cleaning up dinner, playing with kids, clean up, baths, bedtime, books, and starting all over again the next day.  I’m tired just thinking about it!  It’s hard to get in the adventures, the memory makers, the life-changing experiences.


With all of the rushing, kids are spending less time outdoors than ever. Studies show that American kids are spending as little as 30 minutes outside each day.  Screens seem to be robbing kids of real-world experiences!


Build An Adventure with the Boy Scouts

Oh boy, we can. not. wait. until Little Guy is old enough to join in on the Boy Scout experiences.  And by we, I mean mostly Little Guy and his dad 😉  They’ve seen and heard about the adventures friends have done…and are more than little excited! Race cars, fishing, camping, rock climbing, bonfires, staying over night in science centers, building box cars…to say the least, my two guys are anxiously awaiting Boy Scouts.

This mama loves the character building, friendships, service projects, and self-confidence building experiences.  I love that these character building activities can be offered to a young age, and encourage kids to get out there and make adventures.
Kids are only little for a short time, but this time is so precious in building values and reinforcing important standards.  Experiences are a great way to build these characteristics in kids.  The Boy Scouts’ “Build An Adventure”  provides innovative activities with a fresh look at Scouting.  Making a positive impact starts young!  Learn more about the inspiring impact the Boy Scouts have with Build An Adventure. 



Boy Scout adventures can be seen at the Scouting Newsroom.  Little Guy loved watching these videos.  Join in on the Boy Scout fun at www.beascout.org. 


What kind of adventures does your family get involved in?  We’d love to chat on our Facebook page!