The end of the school year is fast approaching here in Australia!
I'm winding up my OT practice next week but still want to make my OT sessions goal directed! I gave my followers on Instagram and FB a sneak peek at my "box writing" Christmas printable and have now made this printable available! BUT that's not all, I have bundled this into a pack of 5 to suit a range or ages and goals! In this pack you will get:
These printables would also be great for classrooms as well!
Download your copytoday! I always love to hear from you if you do use my printables so don't forget to tag @yourkidsot or #yourkidsot! Are you finishing up for the year? What are your favourite Christmas printables? Merry Christmas! 
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Activity books are not boring!
If your only experience of activity books are the sticker books or maze books that you find in supermarkets then these books will really wow you! Now there is nothing wrong with a cheap sticker book filled with super heroes or fairies (in fact my kids have loved these books), however the books I am recommending today do even MORE than keep the kids busy for a little while. These books will inspire your kids to draw, write and to to create, use their imaginations and learn (in a fun way)! These books do come with a warning label (ok just a precaution from me) that some parent involvement may be required for younger kids. This is actually a huge bonus with side-by-side drawing such a great opportunity for learning, bonding and nurturing. I don't see this as a negative! OK, so what makes these books so good?!
For younger kids:
Journals and Mindfulness
For Older kids:
Would you like to take a quick look inside some of these books? Here is a short video to show you three of the books we are working through!
Don't expect your kids will work through these books cover to cover in one sitting.
I have encouraged my kids to date their entries into these books so that they can pick them up and put them down again. My DD has been working on "712 Things to Draw" with Mr YKOT for several years and that's ok! It is a great way to reflect on how their drawing changes as they grow older and mature. My DS has just started "Make Buildings" with Mr YKOT. Shh don't tell anyone, but my nieces and nephews will be receiving some of these books for Christmas this year! This article contains affiliate links, however I really love these books! Many of the Amazon links will also give you an inside look of the books as well.. Have you seen any of these activity books? What do your kids think? 
Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this article to promote products that I recommend. Your Kids OT is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Your Kids OT. 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.
One month until Christmas and it is time to put up the decorations!
Only a few more OT sessions before we stop for the year! Are you in Christmas-mode yet? My facebook news feed has started to have more and more options to celebrate this festive season! Recently, I came across this "DIY PAPER CHRISTMAS TREE" idea by Krokotak! I thought it was wonderful but wanted to make it a little more structured for my kids who find it difficult to cut without a line to follow. This little craft will work on a number of skills whilst having fun! There will be scissor skills, fine motor manipulation, left and right bilateral coordination skills as well as planning and sequencing skills! 
What you will need:
Instructions:
This is an adorable tree that you could hang up in the classroom. You could also add a string to hang it is an ornament on your real Christmas tree! Don't forget to print out theFREE template so you can start creating this tree with your kids! I would love to see your creations if you try this at home. Tag @yourkidsot on Instagram or Facebook! I can't wait to see your trees! 
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We are going to be late! Hurry up! I can't do this button up! I can't! Put on your jacket, it's cold out! I can't do the zip! I can't! The morning rush out the door to get to school can often be a struggle. Getting dressed can be a chore and then there are fastenings on school bags to manage too! This month in the "Functional Skills for Kids" Series, we look at helping kids with fasteners such as buttons, zippers, snaps (press studs) and more! My blogging colleagues will look at fine motor, gross motor, visual perceptual and sensory motor considerations. We will also cover when we should expect our kids to manage these tasks and how to incorporate this learning in play. Find the links for these articles below! 
So it is time for your child to learn how to manage fastenings on their own but where do you begin? It helps to have an understanding of the steps involved with each of these tasks. I have outlined the steps involved in managing common fastenings here through visual photo sequences. For your printable copy of these sequences, download them HERE!
Once you know the steps involve there are a few tips in teaching your child how to manage these fastenings. (Actually these tips apply to teaching your child most new tasks!)
These are tips occupational therapists use all the time!
generalization of the skill (eg. zipper on dress, zipper on bag, zipper on pencil case, zipper on doll's skirt). 9. Reinforce and reward - We would like our kids to have intrinsic motivation to manage fasteners independently! Many children do desire this independence and often "force" it upon their parents too early with "I can do it myself!" Some children, however are not so intrinsically motivated. They stubbornly refuse to get dressed or insist on a parent helping them. For these children praise and reward are important to encourage desirable behavior. Often these kids benefit from a "backward chaining" approach discussed earlier. Rewards may include verbal praise "Great job!" or "You did it!". The reward may include letting your child choose their preferred outfit to wear or a sticker. A side note about rewards:
Is your child struggling with fasteners? Have you tried these tips?
This post is part of “Functional Skills for Kids: 12 month series by Paediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists”. You can read all of the childhood functions HERE. Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE.
Find more information about “helping kids with fasteners” from other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series”:
When Can Kids Learn to Button and Zip? | Mama OT
Clothing Fasteners and Fine Motor Skill Development | Kids Play Space Clothing Fasteners and Gross Motor Skill Development | Your Therapy Source Inc How to Adapt Buttoning and Zipping for Your Child | Miss Jaime OT Learning How To Use Buttons, Snaps, Zippers, and Buckles Through Play | Growing Hands-On Kids Tips to Teach Kids to Zip and Button | The Inspired Treehouse Pinch. Poke. Snap... Helping Kids to Manage Buttons, Zips and More! | Your Kids OT Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Processing | Sugar Aunts The Visual Motor Aspect of Buttons and Zippers | Therapy Fun Zone 
It is all about you!
The biggest compliment for me is when one of my readers (that's right, you) send me a message to say that you have read one of my articles and are putting my ideas into practice! Recently, Phillippa Morassi Registered Counsellor contacted me to tell me that she had created a little activity from my "Sea Life Sensory Solutions" Printable". (If you don't know what this is, please read the full article here! It has been the most popular FREE printable from my site in 2016!). Phillipa made the printable into a colouring activity for a 4 year old whom she was seeing for play therapy. The idea was to colour it in, cut it out and write instructions on the back as a "prompt" for remembering what to do to help her calm down! What a brilliant idea! Here is a photo of what Phillippa did. A big thank you to Phillipa for contacting me! 
I loved this idea so much and I thought you might like it too! I have created some simple colouring pages for you to use along side the original "Sea Life Sensory Solutions". Download the free colouring pagesHERE! Have you put any of my blog ideas into practice? I would love to hear from you! 
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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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