 Do you have a laundry basket? or a box? Do you have some soft toys around the house? Then you are all set to encourage your children today with some easy to implement, engaging "heavy work" activities! No fancy toys or equipment today! But first... Why should my kids do these activities? What benefit can activities like these have on my child? Proprioception tells us about the movement and position of our bodies. It is sometimes called "position sense" or "muscle sense" as information from receptors in our muscles and skin help to inform us of where are body parts are in space, how they relate to each other, how much and how quickly they are stretching, the speed and timing of movement as well as the amount of force exert. Proprioception helps us to be aware of our bodies and directs our motor control and planning. "Heavy Work activities" are described as any activity that engages the muscles and joints of the proprioceptive system (Miller, L.J. 2006). Heavy work is a vital component of a healthy sensory diet. Activities that engage more or bigger muscles can have the biggest effect on a child's behaviour. They can help with arousal, calming and organising a child's sensory system. We live in a more sedentary society where movement and physical activity needs to be intentional. Lets create more opportunities for movement at home! Back to the laundry basket and soft toys! These activities were collated to incorporate lots of push, pulling, throwing, bending and stretching actions. Work on increasing the weight your child can manage. You could add blankets or cushions to your basket. Whenever you can include weight bearing (getting your child to use their own weight) then do it, as this builds core strength and helps with body awareness. Incorporate pretend play as you use soft toys together with a laundry basket. Watch the video below (or use this link... youtu.be/mcVOIfogD0s) for all the activities! Read more about activities you can incorporate into your child's sensory diet ---> Sensory Diet Blog Article ---> Sensory Diet Activity Guidebook (ebook) Coming Soon! I'm working a sensory diet implementation bundle which will include the Sensory Diet Activity Guidebook and some great new resources to help you plan your child's sensory diet. Make sure you stay in touch via the e-newsletter or social media (IG or FB) so you don't miss the launch. I'll be giving some away too! What is your child's favourite pretend play activity at the moment? Can you incorporate a laundry basket and soft toys?   Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK. The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/yourkidsot YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/ Reference:
Miller, L. J. (2006). Sensational kids: Hope and help for children with sensory processing disorder. London;: Penguin Books Limited.  I was close to losing my marbles last week! So on the big scheme of things, my problem was small. I know it has been a big year for the whole world. It's not every day (or year) that we have a global pandemic! My issue was connectivity ~ something we have all become dependent on even more so this year! My issue was also being unable to reach my internet service provider via their customer service channels and hence do my job! But enough of my problems... here I've put my marbles to good use! Have you see these fabric marble mazes before? They are commercially available but also very easy to make your own. Only basic sewing skills required! How to use a fabric marble maze. "Simply" push the marble the maze using your fingers. A great fine motor work out as you can "pinch" with your thumb and index finger, tuck away the material with the other fingers into the palm of your hand. You could also push it with your index finger. Use one hand to do the "work" and stabilize the maze with your "helper" hand. The activity is suitable for 3-7 year olds and is quite tricky for some fingers to manage. Watch how to use the marble maze in the you-tube video... https://youtu.be/5vKXM9LK_bA Instructions Equipment needed
What to do:
The marble maze is ready for play! Tips:
Are you handy with the sewing machine? Do you like making your own therapy resources? Let me know if you try this fabric maze or if you have a great resource idea!   Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK. The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/yourkidsot YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/ You may also like:
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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