Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

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.

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Magnets are so fascinating for kids! How do they work? What makes them attract or repel something?

Using the fascination children have with magnets ... I created a fun way to learn pre-writing patterns and learn letters too!

What do you need?
* two-sided plastic frame (I use this frame from IKEA  and took out one of the plastic sheets)
* magnets
* whiteboard markers (and eraser)
* felt/glue (optional)

The felt and glue are optional.  I added a small piece of felt to my magnets to prevent scratching the plastic frame.

What do you need to do?

1. Draw a pattern, shape or a letter on the plastic frame.  You can ask your child to do the drawing or if you are teaching them a specific pattern, shape or letter; you might want to draw this yourself!
2. Attach the magnet to the frame (place a part on each side of the frame).
3. Have your child trace the pattern, shape or letter with the magnet!
4. Rub it out and try a different shape or letter!

I hope you enjoy this video showing you what you need and what you need to do to learn pre-writing patterns and letters with magnets!

Note: The last time I included a video in my blog post, my loyal newsletter subscribers couldn't see it!  Please also find the video available on You Tube at this link !

Why I love this activity!

This activity has so many great benefits!
* Pincer grasp - Encourage your child to hold the magnet between their thumb and index finger.
* Separation of the two sides of the hand - Encourage your child to tuck away their 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers.
* Wrist Extension - As this frame is vertical; your child's hand will naturally be placed in a position of wrist extension.
* Bilateral coordination - Encourage your child to use their dominant hand to hold and move the magnet, whilst using the non-dominant hand to hold the frame.
* Visual Tracking - Your child should naturally watch the magnet as it traces the pattern, shape or letter.  If they can't track visually - check out my variation below!
* Shape and letter formation - Use this activity to teach pattern, shape and letter formation as your child will "feel" their hand moving in space as each letter is formed (spatial awareness).  This learning through movement is called "kinesthetic" learning.  Children can also learn the planning involved with forming patterns, letters and shapes.  You may want to add a verbal element so that your child may repeat this to help with understanding the steps involved.  The verbal prompt may also help them to plan when they form these patterns, shapes and letters on their own.

The development of these skills are so important for handwriting on paper! This activity provides an excellent way to build "handwriting" skills without having your child "just write" for practice.  It provides multi-sensory learning, is "novel" and fun! It is really quick to set up (once you gather your supplies). It is also transportable ... perfect for the mobile therapist! 

Variations

1. You could assist your child by holding a magnet on one side of the frame whilst they hold another magnet on the other side of the frame.  Guide your child along the pattern so that they can watch how the magnets stay together.  This will help them with visual tracking, eye-hand coordination and motor planning.
2. You can have your child use both hands to hold magnets on either side of the frame.  This will work on bilateral coordination skills.

For more activities to promote the development of fine motor skills; see this page with a list of my articles on this subject!

Does your child love magnets? Do you have an IKEA nearby?  I would love to hear if you make any further variations to this activity idea!

Catch up all the latest blog articles at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

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Cutting, laminating, photo copying, lesson planning .... do you do your preparation in the school holidays?

Teachers and OTs (or an other therapists for that matter)... we have a problem!

We never quite "switch off"!

We are always looking or listening out for a great idea that we can implement with the kids we see.  Even on holidays...  I notice ramps and think about access,  I notice toys in shops and think how I could use that or I watch kids play and guess how old they are! Yep, I have a problem!

Last year we were quarantined at home during one school holidays due to illness (gastro from memory).  To make the most of this time, I made these scissor skills busy boxes! I knew that they would come in handy once the illness had passed and I was back at work!  These boxes are perfect for home, preschool or in an OT tool kit!

Yes they take  a little while to set up but they are worth it!

I sourced theseplastic boxes years ago from IKEA Australia and love that they have little compartments which can be adjusted in size.  They also have a lid making them ideal to move around from place to place!

I set up two types of boxes but you could use a combination of craft and cutting strips.  The cutting strips were made from scrapbooking paper.  This is a little thicker than normal writing paper and easier for little hands to hold and to cut (as it doesn't flop around as much and require too much stability with the non-dominant hand).

In the cutting strip box, I wanted to have a range of developmental stages including shorter strips, thicker lines, thinner lines, curves, straight lines, corners and more!  Read more about developmental stages over at MamaOT.   If you are making this box for home, you may want to consider where your child is at developmentally before starting! 

A craft box is a great way to encourage those who are just starting out with scissors! Present a range of things to cut such as straws, crepe paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, wool, ribbon, twine, tinsel, etc! Encourage your child's creativity with some glue to stick down all the things they cut!

These scissor skills busy boxes will appeal to your child if they already interested in cutting or they love experimenting with craft supplies!

However, there are some children who are just...not..interested...in...cutting! These are the kids who are  referred to OTs because of poor fine motor skills, poor hand strength and poor postural control.  Sometimes these children have difficulty with cutting because they have not yet established a hand preference or have poor bilateral coordination (see here for more information).

Here are some tips for using the scissor skills busy boxes!

• Consider your child's stage of development. Provide cutting lines which are age-appropriate or just beyond what they can currently manage.
  
• Choose appropriate scissors for your child.  There are a wide range of scissors available! Consider your child's hand size and ability.  Some scissors provide additional help (such as the spring-loaded preschool scissors below).  There are also specific left-handed scissors available.
• Help your child to NOTICE the cutting line. Use wool, wikki stix, play dough or pipe cleaners to cover the cutting line.  Then take off the material and have your child trace the line with their finger. Help your child to be follow the visual motor cues of the line (even when it turns or curves). I love using glitter to go over the cutting line (and letting the glitter dry).  This provides a "bumpy path" for cutting and further sensory feedback for those who need it. (Read more about using glitter in therapy here).
• Emphasize "turning points".  Use stickers, stamps or even holes to help emphasize when scissors need to turn to stay "on the line".
• Stick it down!  Whether your child is cutting out lines or craft material, turn this into something tangible for your child.  Help them to make a crooked road, cages for zoo animals, design a city or some other fabulous work of art.  Giving your child's scissor skill practice a purpose will be more rewarding for your child than just cutting out various lines for the sake of up-skilling their scissor skills. This will also encourage imagination and play!
• Be on hand to help. You could use these "busy boxes" to keep your child entertain themselves happily snipping and cutting.  If your child is not so keen or is just starting out, be on hand to help.  Your child may need help to open and close the scissors.  They may need help to stabilise the item being cut.  They may need help to use both hand simultaneously. They may need help to turn the page.  They may need help to keep going and persevere with something they find difficult.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has trouble "switching off"! Perhaps this is a subconscious reason I started this blog, so that I could record ideas and observations!

Have you got a "busy box" for scissor skill practice? What have you included in your box?

MESS FREE?  ✔
EASILY TRANSPORTED? ✔
FUN AND ENGAGING? ✔
MORE THAN ONE THERAPY GOAL? ✔

This activity ticks all the right boxes for a mobile occupational therapist!

Have you heard of Q-tip painting? (Q-tips are also called "cotton tips" in Australia and are usually found in the personal care section of a supermarket). Q-tip painting has been quite popular in the last few years with Q-tips used as paint brushes dipping into paint and making "spots" onto various printables available.

Last year, I put together my Q-tips and my ink pads... creating Q-tip stamping! It was a hit with my kids;  providing the same fun engaging activity without the MESS!

This is why I love Q-tip stamping!

• Mess-free! I don't have to carry paint, bowls to pour the paint into or things to clean up the paint.  I don't have to  worry about cleaning up tables or be concerned about getting paint on school uniforms. An ink-pad is so much easier to transport - small and compact!  Ink pads usually have a lid which keeps the ink from getting on anything you don't want it to.
• Dynamic tripod grasp! We can work on holding a Q-tip like a pencil using a dynamic tripod grasp with a pinch between the thumb and index finger and open web space of the hand.
• Separation of the two sides of the hand! Whilst the thumb and index finger pinch the Q-tip, the other fingers are tucked away.  I can encourage the movement of the Q-tip with just the thumb and index fingers.  As Q-tips have tips on both ends of the stick which can be used for stamping; try having your child use one end of the stick for one colour and then spin it to dip the other end in a different colour! Read more about the separation of the two sides of the hand HERE.
  
• Pencil pressure! Kids need to apply just enough pressure to the Q-tip to apply the ink and to "stamp" the page.  If too much pressure is applied the Q-tip will bend and break. If too little pressure is applied you can't see the "stamping" on the page.
• Eye-hand coordination! A repetitive activity (most kids won't notice that it is repetitive) where focus is on stamping within the circles provided. Children will try to stay in the circles and control their hand movements.  I have found this is so much more successful for kids than other pencil paper tasks which require eye-hand coordination (perhaps it is more motivating?!).
  
• 1:1 correspondance! As each circle is stamped individually, children can count each circle as they stamp working an important pre-mathematics and pre-reading skill. 
  
• Visual Perceptual and Spatial skills! If you want to make this activity more complicated, you could pre-stamp in the circles of a example page and have your child match your colour patterns. 
  
• Fun and colourful! Kids love this activity and don't realise they are "working" when they are filling in the dots.  With a multi-colour ink pad, it is easy for kids to apply more than one colour on their page.  There are a range of printables available on the internet but I have created these sweet Easter printables for you (actually I created this for me too - I use everything I create so everything is "tried and tested" before I release it). Download yourFREE EASTER Q-TIP PRINTABLE HERE!

This is an activity that would well in a classroom, at home or in an OT session! You could shrink down the pages and turn them into a card or display the finished pictures!

Have you tried Q-tip STAMPING before?

Do you have other mess-free activities that you use in therapy sessions?

If you try this activity for yourself, I would love to see it! Tag #yourkidsot on Instagram or email me at cindy@yourkidsot.com

Don't forget to download  yourFREE EASTER Q-TIP PRINTABLE HERE!

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Do you fidget?

Do you chew your pencil, tap on a table, tap your foot, move in your seat, twirl your hair?

Fidgeting is a movement that you may not even be aware of until someone points it out to you. People (both children and adults) may fidget whilst they are concentrating on a conversation, listening to a teacher or watching TV (just some examples). 

Some children with sensory seeking behavior need ways to intentionally fidget so that they can obtain the proprioceptive input to help their bodies regulate and calm down.

Have you seen balloon fidget toys before?

I have been wanting to make these for a long time and have finally made them! They are so awesome to squish and squeeze! There are lots of recipes on the internet, but I found two really simple (and dare I say fool-proof) ones that I have "tweaked" for you to try!

Water Beads Balloon Fidget

What you will need:
1. Balloon
2. Water beads (fully grown)
3. Funnel

What to do:
1. Give your balloon a stretch and blow into it (just to stretch it).
2. Deflate your balloon and attach to the end of the funnel.
3. Push the water beads into the funnel and into the balloon.  You may need to move them down the neck of the balloon with your fingers.
4. Fill your balloon to the desired size then tie a knot to secure them.
5. Squeeze!

Your kids will love scooping water beads to put into the funnel, then pushing the water beads into the funnel with their fingers.  The perfect finger isolation activity!

Note: Inspiration for these balloon fidgets came from Karina Garcia's You Tube channel.  She uses transparent balloons which are so cool!

Baking Soda and Conditioner Balloon Fidget

What you will need:
1. Baking Soda (aka. bicarbonate soda)
2. Hair conditioner
3. Balloon
4. Plastic fork or spoon
5. Funnel
6. Bowl
7. Elastic Band
8. Netting from fruit or vegetables
9. Matches or lighter

What to do:
1. Pour your baking soda (I used 300 g to make 2) into a bowl.
2. Slowly add a little hair conditioner to the baking soda and mix together with the spoon. Continue to add the hair conditioner and mix until you get a sloppy thick icing consistency (see video for consistency). 
3. Give your balloon a stretch and blow into it (just to stretch it).
4. Deflate your balloon and attach to the end of the funnel.
5. Push the baking soda mixture into the funnel and down into the balloon.  You may need a plastic fork or spoon to help push it down.
6. Fill your balloon to the desired size then tie a knot to secure them.
7. Cut some fruit/vegetable netting to the desired size.  Singe the ends of the net with a lighted match just to stop any fraying.
8.  Secure the netting over the balloon with a rubber band.
9. Squeeze and play!

Your kids will love helping you mix the baking soda and hair conditioner together.  You could play with this as "cloud dough" until you are ready to fill the balloons.  Make sure you get a reasonably wet consistency for to put into the balloons (it will still work if you don't but you might not get the bubbles popping out of the net).    Once ready to play, your kids (and any adults around) will love squeezing these over and over again!

Note: Inspiration for these balloon fidgets came fromAira Tan's You Tube Video. 

Have a look at my video to retrace the steps and see how squishy they are!

Use of these balloon fidget toys should always be supervised especially over time with the wear and tear of the balloon.  The length of time each balloon will last, will depend on the quality of the balloon and how often it is played with.  You could try adding a second balloon over the first to provide some longevity. These balloon fidgets are not suitable for children who are mouthing toys and objects.  They are also not suitable for children under 12 months of age.

These balloon fidgets provide sensory input for a child who needs to fidget.  They also make great ways to warm up your child's hands ready for writing or cutting.  They are perfect little stress balls and they are also heaps of FUN!

I love these balloon fidgets! I hope you do too!

Have you made a balloon fidget yet? Let me know if you try one of these!

Don't forget to share this article with your friends and family  if you think they will like these balloon fidgets too!

Thanks,

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Wow, what a lovely craft!

The craft had a photo of Miss 4 years on an elf body, with paper concertina arms and legs.

Did you make that (Miss 4 years)?  

Um no, I did the folding! The sheepish teacher admits to me. 

This situation greets me more often than not and it prompted me to write this post.  With school resuming in Australia very soon, this article is for teachers!  If you see your teacher "guilty" of these things maybe you can prompt them with "why"?

Also note, when I say "teachers", I'm also talking to OTs and parents who may also be "guilty" of these things!

1. Teachers PLEASE don't do the craft FOR your kids!
This is my top gripe with preschool and school teachers.  Kids do not need or want insta-worthy craft! Parent's don't want to see YOUR crafting skills (even if does make the classroom look beautiful).  

Kids need opportunities to snip, cut, rip, glue,  fold and to make mistakes!  They need to have craft opportunities where they can learn about spatial relationships (even it means legs are coming out of heads, arms are different lengths and tongues don't curl properly).  Painting outside the lines means they can work out where things are in relationship with themselves.  Manipulating glue stick lids or squeezing the PVA glue are opportunities for fine motor and hand strength development.  Early opportunities for snipping and cutting will lead to smoother cutting and better manipulation of the paper with practise.  Folding those paper planes and flying them, kids will learn that more accurate folds make better planes and should practise these fine motor skills.  Rolling, tearing and scrunching paper are so important for bilateral coordination and fine motor development. 

At home, provide lots of craft materials for your kids to create, experiment and learn! You may not be "crafty" yourself or even like the finished product that your child produces (lets be honest here)... but it is not actually always about the finished product.  Allow your child to work through the process.  Need some ideas? Check out my "homemade arts of craft section".  Each craft here is designed to be done by kids (with minimal help from adults).
 
2. Teachers PLEASE don't sharpen pencils for your kids! 
I'm sure this is a time saving thing, but teachers why not provide ordinary pencil sharpeners in the classroom?!  They don't even make a mess as they have little containers to catch the shavings.  I don't mean to be patronizing but I would love to see more pencil sharpeners in preschool classrooms especially.  What an easy natural way to work on bilateral coordination and fine motor manipulation.  So much of the "turning" action when sharpening a pencil is made by the thumb and index working together.  What a perfect "pre-writing" activity! If your child is using their whole hand to turn the pencil, encourage them to do this with the thumb and index finger - it may take practise!

As OTs we come up with exciting and creative ways to work on these skills, however such a simple thing as sharpening pencils regularly will help your kids to develop these skills!  I may be including "pencil sharpening" as homework this year for my OT kids!

Make sure you encourage your child to do this at home too! You will be surprised with how quickly your child might say "my hand is tired" as they are not used to using these muscles.
​

3. Teachers please don't expect good handwriting if your child is sitting in a plastic garden chair!
It has been a few years now since I worked in a school where the standard chair for students was a cheap plastic garden chair with arms rests.  These chairs were horrible for posture at a desk.  The arm rests did not allow the chair to go under the tables, the child was either sitting back in a slouched position or sitting right on the edge at the front of the chair so they could rest their arms on the table.   The chairs easily tipped and were difficult to move in and out of the table.

Other schools may not be as bad with the chairs provided, however I do want to remind you that posture is important. Children should be able to comfortably place both feet on the ground and the table should be slightly higher than their bent elbows without elevating their shoulders.  Children should also have enough space so they are not "on top of" the child sitting next to them.

Check your tables and chairs at home too! Check where your child may be doing any "table top" work.  The dining table may be a great option but often kids have their legs dangling and their arms are uncomfortable as shoulders are elevated so that they can reach.  Small children may work better at a coffee table whilst sitting on an ottoman or cushion.  You may want to invest in an adjustable table and chair that grow with your child.

You will find out the importance of posture and gross motor skills in "THE HANDWRITING BOOK" which is currently being launched!   Apply the launch week discount code: HANDWRITINGHELP1

 4. Teachers please don't take away writing lines too early!
Removing writing lines too early is like removing the lane marks on a road and expecting people to drive within the imagined lanes accurately.  Some people can do it, but many can't! (OK - A slight exaggeration but you get the picture!)

Writing on lines provides children with a visual guide as to how to position letters.  They can work out the size of letters and how they are positioned in relation to each other within a word and a sentence.  When you remove the lines, kids need to be able to visualize how tall letters need to be and even how to write in a straight "line".  Yes they need to know how to visualize this themselves - but at what age?

Often when I see children in year 1 or 2 or even older who have handwriting legibility difficulties, I need to give them the "lines" back to help with the visual spatial and organisational skills.   I use my "earth paper" to provide a strong visual guide and then we work back to needing less lines.   You could also use grid paper to help with organisation and spacing.

5. Teachers please don't punish kids by making them sit still or keeping by them in from recess or lunch. 
Research shows that kids need opportunities for movement, exercise and fresh air.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (2012) make the following recommendations about the need for recess.

1. Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
2. Cognitive processing and academic performance depend on regular breaks from concentrated classroom work.
3. Recess is a complement to, but not a replacement for, physical education.
4. Recess can serve as a counterbalance to sedentary time and contribute to the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day, a standard strongly supported by AAP policy as a means to lessen risk of overweight.
5. Whether structured or unstructured, recess should be safe and well supervised.
6. Peer interactions during recess are a unique complement to the classroom. The lifelong skills acquired for communication, negotiation, cooperation, sharing, problem solving, and coping are not only foundations for healthy development but also fundamental measures of the school experience.

In conclusion the AAP state "recess should be considered a child’s personal time, and it should not be withheld for academic or punitive reasons".

Any teachers, OTs or parents guilty of some of these things? 

I love working with my "teacher" friends and colleagues! I count many teachers as very good personal friends! Please don't take this article personally. 

I did have a good chuckle with the teacher I mentioned in my introductory story! She "knows" where I stand with letting kids do the "craft"!

Let's go "BACK TO SCHOOL"  in 2017 with a fresh look at how we "help" our children with their development and learning! 

This article is part of the 2017 Aussie Back to School Blog Hop!
Read the "back to school" articles here by some wonderful Australian Bloggers! You will find out how the first time school mums are feeling, tips for special needs parents, great lunch box ideas as well as suggestions for those who don't like crunch and sip!

Teachers Please Don’t! | Your Kids OT
Advice For First Time School Mums From Seasoned Mums and Teachers | The Multitasking Woman
10 simple ways to make school lunches more fun  | Kidgredients
Teacher Types Top Tips for Going Back to School | Teacher Types
Maintaining a Play Filled Routine throughout the School Term  | Kids Play Space
5 Must Have Items for Starting Day Care | My Bored Toddler
Handling Crunch and Sip with Fussy Kids  | Play With Food
How to share your child’s special needs with their new teacher  | My Home Truths
16 things the school holidays have taught me  | Eenie Meenie Miney Mum
The Most Important Skills Your Child Needs for School  | The Happy Me Shop
101 Sandwich Filling Ideas for Kids  | Create Bake Make

Reference:
The Crucial Role of Recess in School. (2012). Pediatrics, 131(1), 183-188. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-2993

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:

1. Christmas Tree Cutting Template - Download your FREE printable HERE! Print page 1 on white A4 paper and page 2 on green A4 paper. 
2. Scissors
3. Glue Stick
4. Embellishments - I used tiny circle stickers for baubles and thin wire tinsel.

Instructions:

1. Cut out the "tree" square and fold along the dotted centre line.
2. Open out the square and cut along all the solid black lines. 
3. Place glue on the dotted centre line and over the trunk of the tree. 
4. Fold up the trunk along the dotted lines.
5. Fold over each of the green tree strips on the left side and stick down the tips in the centre.
6. Place more glue on the dotted centre line.
7. Fold over each of the green tree strips on the right side and stick down the tips in the centre.
8. Cut out the star and brown trunk. Stick these to the tree.
9. Add embellishments to the Christmas tree. I added circle stickers as baubles and threaded the tinsel through the tree. 

​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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It is almost Father's Day here in Australia! We have been making origami ties and combining it with sentence writing in OT this week!

I love using origami in OT sessions as we can work on a range of skills including fine motor manipulation, bilateral coordination, sequencing steps, organisation and planning.  It can be really difficult for those who have never done paper folding and do not understand how to get the edge to meet with another edge.  I always suggest to parents to make paper planes at home! This is the easiest and fun way to practise paper folding skills!  You can find some step-by-step paper plane instructions HERE. 

With something a little more complicated like this tie, I model each step for the kids to do and help them to line up the paper.  

I found this writing prompt "I love my dad because" from Beauty and Bedlam.  I resized the original printable so that I could place it on one A4 page and have large lines for writing.  You could also make it smaller and turn it into a card for Father's day. 

WHAT KIDS SAY!

It is always amusing to read what kids write about their family!  Here are some of the responses that the kids have written this week...
​
I love my dad because he cuddles me. (Andrew,  6 yrs) 
I love my dad because he is my dad and we play together. (Michael, 7 yrs)
I love my dad because I sleep in his bed. (James, 5 yrs)
I love my dad because we play basketball together. (Will, 6 yrs)
I love my dad because we build things together. (Will, 10 yrs)
I love my dad because he is a little bit nice. (Benjamin, 5 yrs)
I love my dad because he helps me not to get in trouble with mum. (Finn, 6 yrs)
I love my dad because he looks after me. (Oliver, 5 yrs).
​

Wishing any fathers reading this a very Happy Father's Day!
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