 Twelve years ago, I published the very first blog post on Your Kids OT. It was about something that therapists, teachers and parents still ask me about every week. Does it really matter how a child holds their pencil? Looking back, I can see how much I've grown as a therapist, educator and writer. I smile at the graphics, the formatting and even some of the wording. If I were writing it today, I'd explain things differently, but... The heart of the message hasn't changed. Pencil grasp has never been about achieving the "perfect" grip. It's about understanding development. Children's grasps evolve through play, experience, opportunity and practice. They experiment. They find functional ways to interact with the world around them. Our role is to understand why a child is holding a pencil the way they are, whether it's helping or hindering them, and what skills might need support. The first article was the beginning of a journey that has led to countless articles, resources and now, a book devoted entirely to understanding pencil grasp and hand development. I am looking forward to sharing it with you very soon. A part of understanding the fundamentals, is to be aware of the developmental progression of pencil grasp and what is expected according to age.  Early Grasps Children with immature grasps use their full arm, hand and fingers as one unit to control the movement of the pencil. These grasps are typically seen in children under three years old. To encourage development of a mature grasp, work on upper extremity weight bearing, pincer activities and fine motor skills.  Transitional Grasps These grasps develop as the child gains stability in their shoulder, elbow and wrist. The forearm may be elevated from the table or the child may be beginning to rest it on the table. The movement of the pencil is controlled by extrinsic hand and arm muscles (Schwellnus, et al 2012). Finger movements are beginning to develop. These grasps are seen as transitional by Schneck & Henderson (1990) as they are continued until six years of age. Children can work on upper extremity weight bearing or vertical surface activities to promote development of a mature grasp.  Mature Grasps A mature pencil grasp involves intrinsic muscle function for efficient distal movements of the pencil, minimizing fatigue from muscle tension (Schwellnus, 2012). Forearm stability also enables the wrist to rest on the table with slight extension. The forearm can comfortably glide across the table as the child writes from left to right. The position of the fingers may be the same as some of the transitional grasps. Mature pencil grasps are categorized with dynamic finger movements and ulnar stabilization. Ulnar stabilization means that the pinky and fourth finger are stabilized or “tucked in” to the palm.  Download your FREE copy of the developmental progression of pencil grasp reference sheet. This is an updated version of the one I shared all those years ago. It now includes separate right hand and a left hand pages. Use it to support observation, education and discussions about pencil grasp. Includes:
I'm grateful I pressed "publish" all those years ago. Have you been following Your Kids OT from the early days? Do you have a copy of the original pencil grasp reference sheet? I'd love to know how long you've been here! But that's not the end of the story. If you are keen to learn the research behind pencil grasp, what to do when your child is not using a typical grasp, how to describe a grasp to others, decision making about when to change (or not change) a grasp pattern and a whole lot more; stay in touch as Gripipidea is coming soon. Until next time,   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 contributing author 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 recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. 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/
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 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. Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter? This was the title of a recent article that I shared on the YKOT Facebook Page. Read the article here. The concern is the downward pressure with preschools and day care centres feeling like they need to do “school readiness” or even “kindergarten type work” which is very academic and developmentally inappropriate. Parents often are led by child care educators and are impressed by the "school readiness" offered. I have seen it many times over in the places where I visit. 3 and 4 years olds become frustrated that they have to form letters. The educators become frustrated that they children aren't doing what they are told. I become frustrated! Before I get myself into hot water; I will say that this not the case for all child care centres and all preschools... But the downward pressure is real. Occupational therapists believe that there are fundamental skills a child needs BEFORE they start writing. These pre-writing skills include the development of the whole child from postural control, gross motor skills, sensory modulation, strength, body awareness, fine motor and cognitive skills. The preschool years are important for learning through play and developing connections. Connections with their parents, siblings, friends and others in their life. The development of these skills will assist a child with their school readiness and yes this includes dynamic control of a pencil and the visual spatial skills needed to form letters and numbers. As an occupational therapist I encourage the development of pre-writing lines and shapes through drawing.  Drawing is a wonderful early childhood experience that is a simple as providing a blank sheet of paper and drawing tool. So many children I see are not provided with the opportunities to experiment and make mistakes. They go from scribbling to writing letters without the important in-between steps of working things out, drawing around shapes (like plates and fingers) and decorating cardboard boxes. Pre-writing generally occurs in a developmental sequence. It begins with scribble and then imitating lines (horizontal, vertical, circle). Further pre-writing lines include diagonal lines, a triangle, a square and cross shapes. Have a look at my fluency patterns for more ideas ---> FLEUNCY PATTERNS. Modelling is a wonderful way to show children how to experiment with lines and shapes. Children learn through participation how lines can be orientated in different ways to achieve different outcomes. They learn that with some control they can depict things from their every day experiences. You don't need to be an artist. Simple lines and shapes is the perfect place to start. Take your child's lead as to their interest. Do they like trains - draw a few rectangles for carriages and circles for wheels; encourage them to draw lines and shapes to decorate them or draw straight lines for train tracks. Do they like rainbows and unicorns - experiment with different colours to fill a page with a large rainbow. Not sure where to start? I have created a printable resource that includes "draw with me" pages of some simple images and 30 pages to "finish the drawing". The full "DRAWING PRE"-WRITING LINES AND SHAPES" printable set encourages your child to experiment with lines and shapes to complete differently themed pages. The themes include drawing snake patterns, a gallery wall, hats, ice cream and more. There are 25 themed pages with an additional 5 seasonal themed pages. You may show your child how to draw certain lines and patterns. Encourage them to experiment with size (draw something wider, draw it longer, draw it smaller), experiment with colour and experiment with different drawing implements. Whilst your child may enjoy colouring these pages, this was not the intention. Colouring encourages pencil control, however drawing lines and shapes will encourage visual spatial awareness which is beneficial for future writing. "Drawing Pre-writing Lines and Shapes" provides opportunities to trace, draw and experiment. Do encourage your child to go beyond tracing and colouring… and to experiment with drawing! It may be purchased from the YKOT shop or via Teachers Pay Teachers.  Do you enjoy drawing with your child? What is your favourite thing to draw together?   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. You may also like:
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.
​Vuly has provided a Lift 2 Large Trampoline for the purposes of this giveaway. Your Kids OT has not received any remuneration for this article or giveaway. Vuly does not have an affiliate program. All opinions expressed in this article are that of Your Kids OT.
Trampolines have become a quintessential part of an Aussie backyard! Do you have one?
There are so many therapeutic benefits to trampolining. 1. Sensory benefits Trampolining provides proprioceptive and vestibular input and can help children to regulate their bodies. Proprioception 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 mount of force exerted. Proprioception helps us to be aware of our bodies and directs our motor control and planning. The brain processes vestibular sensations received through the hair receptors in the inner ear and are stimulated by gravity. Vestibular input can be described as linear (up/down, forward/backward and side to side) as well as rotational (spinning around). These movements can be calming or stimulating. Trampolines are a great way for children to explore movement and their own bodies. A well regulated body means that a child's mind will be ready to learn! 2. Motor benefits A trampoline is a great way to work on balance, coordination, weight bearing, body awareness and bilateral coordination. Trampolining can also provide cardio-vascular and fitness benefits! 3. Social skills A trampoline is fun on your own but even more fun with friends and family. Children can practice turn taking and social skills; working out different ways to use the trampoline and be collaborative in play. 4. A boost of happiness! A child's mental health and happiness is so important and can affect every aspect of their lives. Trampolining enables children to feel weightlessness and bouncing can bring pure joy! 
GIVEAWAY TIME!
I am partnering with Vuly Trampolines to bring an incredible giveaway to an Australian reader. Vuly is an Australian manufacturer and supplier of world-class trampolines and swing sets. Vuly are now a registered NDIS approved supplier of trampolines. GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. WINNER: DANIELA MCCANN
Terms and Conditions
​**1. The prize includes a Vuly Lift 2 Large Trampoline and delivery within Australia. Vuly will provide all costs associated with shipping the product to one address in an Australian territory. 2. Open to Australian residents only. 3. Entries close on October 27th, 2018 at 12am. 4. Winner will be announced at on Your Kids OT Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot/ after October 27th 2018. 5. Winner will be notified via email provided with entry. 6. Prize winner must inform Your Kids OT of their mailing address within 48 hours of being notified as the winning entry. 7. This is a game of skill, not a random draw. Your answer must be original or creative. The winner will be chosen from the original comments. 8. Your Kids OT and Vuly will not be held accountable for any injury sustained as a result of misuse or damage to the product.**
I'm looking forward to reading all your great entries!
​Who wants a trampoline??? (.... perfect for Christmas which is not too far away!) ​Remember to share this giveaway with your friends and family! ​ 
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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
What a treat! It was like Christmas for me!
I love a good stationery shop! There is something about office supplies and equipment to help keep me organised that is so exciting! OK before you think... what a sad woman... hear me out! Together with my children, I recently attended Officework's Sydney launch of their new "Learn and Grow" range and it is more than you would expect in terms of office supplies and equipment! What an exciting range of products on offer at Officeworks for children to help them to Learn and Grow. There are over 4000 products in the range and include puzzles, games, chore charts, stickers, posters as well as arts and craft supplies. The Learn and Grow range includes trusted brands such as Ravensburger puzzles, Playdoh, Orchard games, Melissa and Doug, Crayola and more! It also includes a range of Officeworks home brand supplies. One of the best things is the affordability of the products. 
We received an awesome "goodie box" from Officeworks to introduce us to the Learn and Grow range. It is wonderful to see children dive straight into their creative ideas when they get their hands on supplies. At the launch Mr 7 made a "bow", lots of "feathered arrows" and a holster to hold those arrows (see the photos above as he began crafting the "bow"). Miss 11 years was keen to get crafting as soon as we got home with our "goodie box". Her choice picks were the large pad of paper, textas fluoro dough and modelling clay.
The only problem with the "goodie box" was keeping some of the supplies for myself and my OT kids! Here is one way that we put some of the Officework's supplies into action. Using spice jars, I added some googly eyes, a foam nose and foam mouth (one is actually the letter "G" on the side). My little OT friend helped to unscrew the lid and add "feathers" as hair by poking them into the holes. Whilst a fun colourful activity, there were lots of therapeutic benefits that we were addressing too! We worked on crossing the midline and bilateral coordination (read more about this here), fine motor skills and a pincer grasp. 
This vibrant number peg puzzle (by Melissa and Doug) was another way we worked on a pincer grasp. Hiding under the numbers were pictures to help with number identification and counting. We used pom poms to continue working on a pincer grasp and crossing the midline too.
Later I added an extra level of difficulty by asking this child to hold onto a pom pom with his third/fourth and fifth fingers whilst using his thumb and index finger to pick up the pom poms. This skill is called the separation (or disassociation) of the two sides of the hand is an important fine motor skill for handwriting, scissors, buttoning and other functional tasks (read more about this here). 
Playdoh and any other "dough" materials are such a wonderful sensory tool for hands on learning. It is so versatile and can be used for forming into shapes, letters and in pretend play. You can use playdough to encourage hand strength, fine motor skill development, sensory exploration, finger isolation, bilateral coordination and more! Find more ways to use "play dough" here.
I was truly impressed with the range of products available in the Officeworks Learn and Grow range. I've been a long time fan of the Officework's "smelly" stickers and my OT kids expect these each time I see them (unfortunately none of these in my goodie box). The scent is really strong and brings back memories of "scratch and sniff" stickers that I remember receiving as a child. Find the "Learn and Grow" range in stores or online atOfficeworks (delivery within Australia only). There are so many opportunities for "hands on learning" waiting for your kids. What is your child's favourite way to learn? Am I the only one who likes browsing an office supply store? 
Disclosure: I was gifted products from the Officeworks Learn and Grow range for the purposes of a review. 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.
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 I love puppets! Kids love puppets! They provide such a great way to engage kids; capturing both their attention and their imagination. Even when kids eventually realize there is a person behind (or under or holding) a puppet, the intrigue and affection is still there. Today I'm introducing guest blogger Abby Glassenberg, puppet designer extraordinaire, and blogger from While She Naps! Can you see from the title how awesome her puppets are?! Abby has some great ideas (and therapeutic reasons) for using puppets in play and for therapy sessions. She also has some awesome ideas for making your own puppets! I'm looking forward to trying out her pattern to make my own. I would love to see your puppet if you make one! Thank you Abby for contributing today! Puppets can play a special role in a therapy session, a classroom, or at home with your family. When we slide our hand inside a puppet and begin to make it talk we can suddenly be anyone we want. Through a puppet we can express thoughts that would be too difficult to say out loud otherwise. A puppet can be angry, or sad, or frustrated about a situation and express those emotions fully without worrying about the consequences. When we play with puppets we give ourselves permission to talk about complicated situations and to be silly too. If you don't already have puppets in your toy box of toolbox it's worth buying a few at a toy store or making your own. As a teacher and mother of three girls, one of whom has special needs, I love having puppets available in my arsenal. I also like to make toys for my children to use. As a sewing designer, I realized that there was a need for an open-mouthed, expressive puppet that was easy for moms and therapists to sew themselves. This realization led me to create the Chit Chat Puppet Pattern for people just like me who want to create a special puppet to use with the children in their lives. It's a simple-to-sew pattern that allows you to easily make custom puppets that fit your particular needs. The wonderful thing about puppets is that they are a representation of a living being so puppets can get away with things that people can't. Puppets allow us to experience a fantasy and that's such a valuable thing for a child.  One approach to playing with puppets is to use a visually neutral puppet that's neither a boy nor a girl and doesn't have many identifying characteristics. This means that the puppet doesn't resemble anyone and can be anyone. A child can project whatever they want onto the puppet, rather than feeling constrained by the puppet's features. Another approach is to buy or create a variety of puppet characters, including a predator puppet and a friendly puppet. Distinct characters allow you and the child to act out scenarios together, and you can even switch roles to try out different resolutions to the stories you're acting out together. One way to begin puppet play is to by presenting a puppet that has a problem that's an exaggerated version of one the child is actually facing. For example, of the child is struggling with accepting a new baby into the family, the puppet can wish that the new baby would disappear and it could be the only child once again. In this scenario the puppet is just like the child, only more so. This experience give the child an opportunity to unburden themselves of thoughts they were previously afraid to openly express such as wishing a baby would disappear.  You can also present a situation similar to the one that the child needs help resolving and use the puppet to model new behavior patterns and rehears coping strategies. Possible situations that are suited for this kind of play would be winning and losing at games, turn taking, greeting people and active listening. To encourage the child to problem solve and to create a bond with the puppet, suggest that they be the puppet's helper. Can the child help the puppet accept that it's lost at a board game? or teach the puppet to greet a friend appropriately? Of course playing with puppets doesn't always have to have a serious aim. Putting on a silly show with a puppet is a fun way to spend time together enjoying an open ended, creative activity. It's definitely okay to just have fun with your puppet! There are lots of puppets that are simple to make together with children. Try a paper bag puppet, a clothespin puppet or a sock puppet to get started. And of course, there are many commercially available puppets you can buy at the store. if you'd like to create a unique puppet to use with your child or with your students. however. I encourage you to try my Chit Chat Puppet pattern. It's intended for people with all levels of sewing experience and will allow you to create an array of unique, high quality puppets you can use for years to come.
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. You may also like:
 Today on the blog, I would like to introduce Laurie Gombash! Laurie is a physical therapist who loves to teach the alphabet through movement and a range of multi-sensory activities. To capture an array of learning variability gives children an opportunity to learn in ways they understand through their senses. Laurie is sharing her latest book, ABC's of Active Learning© with us today! What an exciting resource that would be valuable for anyone working with young children! Thanks for this opportunity to guest blog and tell everyone about my new book, ABC’s of Active Learning©. It's the same 26 letters with a multi-sensory twist that provides a lively and engaging teaching and learning experience! As parents, caregivers, practitioners, or teachers, we realize the importance of early literacy development, but how do we continue to find creative ways to present critical learning skills? More importantly, how do we capture the motivation of our learners who come to us with different strengths and areas in need of continued development? The ABC’s of Active Learning© targets the whole brain through movement activities, organized games, multi-step crafts, as well as multi-sensory pre-writing activities that can be used and graded for learners of all abilities. With the rise of technology dominating so much of the young child's time, this tool takes learning back to the basics, providing organizing movement activities that help to establish a child who is ready to be an active participant in his or her learning!  For example, for the letter M, Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss is the suggested read.
To challenge children’s phonological awareness, encourage them to say the words that start with the “M” sound. Learning outcomes from Marshmallow lob include eye-hand coordination, phonological awareness, and gross motor skill enhancement. All activities are designed to be fun and motivating, while simultaneously providing rich multi-sensory input, improving motor development and learning. This book can stand alone or be a supplement to The ABC’s of Movement® activity cards. To purchase these products or to find out further information refer to www.ABCsofMovement.com.
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?
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
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!
 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. "Are they made from EAR WAX?" No they are not! Wikki Stix are made of hand-knitting yarn enhanced with a microcrystalline, food-grade non-toxic wax (and not ear wax like one of my little friend thought)! These soft little colourful sticks are pliable and stick on just about any surface, can be lifted and re-stuck again. Bend the wikki stix in any shape. Make 2D or 3D shapes. Join several together. Wikki stix make the perfect tool to use for learning and developing fine motor skills. They can be used in a variety of ways! We love to make "finger obstacle courses"! Watch the video to see a finger obstacle course in action! You tube link - https://youtu.be/6k-Md6XgH54 We love making finger obstacle courses (remember this one made with a shoebox lid?)! Little hands can work on the manipulation and planning involved to set up the obstacle course. Fingers then push and press into the table, leap and perform to complete all sorts of obstacles. You could target finger isolation, thumb opposition, manual dexterity, motor planning, eye-hand coordination, crossing the midline, bilateral coordination and more! Stay connected with more great tips and ideas for working on fine motor skills coming soon! Have you made a Wikki Stix Finger Obstacle Course? Try it!   OFFER ENDS JANUARY 26TH 2018 You may also like:
 Ever struggled to entertain your kids on a long haul flight or doctor's waiting room? or maybe you are a mobile therapist looking for new ideas that are light and easy to carry?! Here are some quick easy DIY travel games that you can make with your favourite washi tape and some zip lock bags to keep your kids entertained and learning at the same time! The surface of the zip lock bag is the playing surface and all the small parts can be stored in the bag after playing! So neat and convenient, ready for travel!  1. Tic Tac Toe (or noughts and crosses). You will need a zip lock bag, 4 strips of washi tape and 8 small counters (four of each type). Simply lay your washi tape strips to form the tic tac toe board and you are ready to play! Can't get any easier than that! My cute counters came from an old game we weren't using anymore, however you could use small pebbles, buttons, pom poms or any other "loose parts". Tic tac toe is such a great game for kids to work on motor planning and turn taking. You can encourage a pincer grip with the counters too!  2. Maze Fun You will need a zip lock bag, washi tape cut into strips and some counters. Design a maze on your zip lock bag using washi tape. You could make one like the one I have made or you could make a shape or a road too. The best thing about washi tape is that is repositional. Change the maze after you play! If you have an older child, they may be able to come up with their own design. You could use counters to go through the maze or you could make the washi tape the path to follow. Draw some black lines down the middle of your tape and you have a road for a little car to drive down. Draw some line across the washi tape and you can easily create train tracks! Mazes are such a great way for kids to work on visual motor planning and tracking. They can work on problem solving too if the maze is too hard for them. And you guessed it, encourage a pincer grasp with the counters or loose parts that you use!  3. Triangle Peg Solitaire You will need a zip lock bag, 15 small squares of washi tape and 14 counters. Start this game by assembling the counters like the photo above with the bottom right hand square empty. To play the game, you may move a counter to "jump over" one other counter onto an empty square. Pick any counter next to continuing "jumping over". Play ends when you can't move (ie. you don't have a counter to jump over). The aim of the game is to have the least counters left over. This game is perfect for older kids who may be challenged to one counter left after making all moves. This game will be addictive, as your child will want to try again to beat the number of counters they have remaining. It is a good problem solving and visual planning game (whilst working on that pincer grasp).  4. Alphabet Learning. You will need a zip lock bag, alphabet washi tape (or write on plain washi tape with permanent marker), alphabet beads, whiteboard marker and eraser. Alphabet beads are easy to find in hobby or craft stores or you may even find them in your local discount (dollar) store. Have your child match the beads to the washi tape for alphabet recognition and learning alphabetical order. You could also put in a small tub of playdough so that the beads could be pushed into the playdough. Use a whiteboard marker to write the letters on the zip lock bag and have an eraser (or a tissue will work) to rub out the letter. Change it up and use lower case letters, numbers or spell out sight words or spelling words! The benefits of this activity are self explanatory! Educational with a touch of fine motor manipulation! Yes you guessed it, this also works on pincer grasp but you can also work on pencil grasp and letter formation too! Do you want to see these games in action? Watch this video I put together (be kind as I'm still learning about video editing!). If you are reading this in your email, please click on the title of this blog so that you watch this video via your internet browser! Looking for more amazing travel games? Today. I'm linking up with some of OT blogging friends to bring you more! Make sure you check out their ideas and follow them too!
Let me know if you try out my DIY travel games made with washi tape and zip lock bags! No crafting experience required! Happy playing! 
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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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About me...Hi, I'm Cindy ... an Occupational Therapist who enjoys working creatively with children. We work on client-centred principles of respect, connection, regulation before expectation, meeting sensory needs, active engagement and participation, 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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About me
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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