Occupational Therapy

The following activities are great ways for your child to manipulate objects in their environment using a more mature neat pincer grasp.

• Peeling tape or stickers
• Pick up coins and insert into piggy bank
• Picking up small food pellets one at a time during snack time
• See additional activities from the The OT Toolbox, Therapy Street for Kids and other websites listed below

Did you know that there are 34 muscles which move our fingers and thumb?! 18 in the forearm and 17 in the palm. Hand strengthening is essential for FUNction!

• Tweezers / Tongs / Clothespins Activities
• Spray Bottles (water plants, clean countertops, etc.)
• PlayDoh and Silly Putty
• Lego Building
• Q-Tip Painting (free printables available online)
• Additional activities are listed on the Therapy Street for Kids and other websites listed below

Stringing Beads

• Get creative and use pony beads, pasta noodles, cereal, etc! If your child is having difficulty, have them use a pipe cleaner instead of a loose string.

Scissor Skills Development

• TIP #1: Children should use scissors appropriate for their age and size of hands (safety scissors if needed) and be closely supervised. If necessary for your child, keep scissors stored in a location they cannot reach.
• TIP #2: Teach children to practice gripping scissors correctly. Provide demonstrations and prompting to hold the scissors in a “thumbs up” approach. You can place a sticker on their thumb to provide that extra support with a visual.
• TIP #3: Using smaller, thicker paper (index cards or cardstock) allows for more control when cutting.
• See the Developmental Progression of Scissor Skills and recommended activities on Mama OT, The OT Toolbox, and other websites listed below.
• Click here for a fun cutting activity!

Crossing Midline

Crossing Midline is an important developmental skill that allows for an individual to spontaneously cross their body’s midline to participate in daily life activities. Delays with crossing midline can impact hand dominance, motor skills, as well as visual skills related to reading and writing.

• Rainbow drawing: Have your child sit on the driveway/sidewalk then use colored chalk to make a rainbow arch, starting on their left side and making a full arch all the way to the other side of their body.
• Figure 8’s on the wall or ceiling using a flashlight
• Many household chores incorporate midline crossing such as: moving laundry from the washer to the dryer, folding towels, hanging clothes in the closet, sweeping with a broom, etc.
• Simon Says with crossing midline poses
• Additional activities are listed on the Therapy Street for Kids and other websites listed below

Use items around the house such as hula hoops, cushions, placemats, masking tape, paper, sports balls, etc. Have your child work with you to create an obstacle course with 4-5 steps. Help them use their imagination for activities requiring jumping, walking, balancing, crawling, log rolling, etc. Line items up so they know the sequence. Have them run through it, helping them when needed for safety. They will probably want to repeat it several times or change it to create a new obstacle course.

• Upright posture (avoid leaning head on hand, or laying head on table)
• Feet should reach the floor (use a stool or thick book, if needed)
• Rule of 90 - your hips and knees should both be at 90 degree angles for ideal positioning; with the desk positioned 1-2 inches above your bent elbows!

• Video Modeling - Pencil Grip Song
• Learning Without Tears - Get a Grip Video
• The most important thing OTs look for in a student’s pencil grasp is FUNCTION! Even if it looks somewhat different, is it functional? If yes, then let it be!

• Encourage “TOP DOWN” formation. Use prompting such as “start at the top” when forming letters.
• Learning Without Tears Uppercase Letters Formation (free printable)
• Learning Without Tears Lowercase Letters Formation (free printable)
• When possible, get creative! Use anything BUT paper and pencil (shaving cream, popsicle sticks, line up snack foods or playground wood chips, Letter School or Writing Wizard apps listed below, etc.)

• Baseline Orientation: Encourage your child to keep their letters on the line, no floaters TIP: Bold the baseline with a vibrant colored marker to help your child see the baseline.
• Spacing between words: Encourage your child to use a finger space or popsicle stick as a spacing aid.
• Letter Sizing: Use verbal and visual prompting to teach your child the varying sizes of letters for appropriate line placement. For instance:
  • Tall Letters: b d f h k l t
  • Small Letters: a c e i m n o r s u v w x z
  • Descending/Tail Letters: g j p q y
  • Encourage your child to learn letter sizing through play! For instance: Color all of the tall letters in a word search PINK; small letters YELLOW; descending letters BLUE. Scatter index cards of letters on the floor, then wheelbarrow walk to gather all of the tall letters, hop like a bunny to gather all of the small letters, then crab walk and gather all of the descending/tail letters.
• Adapted Paper Recommendations:
  • Highlighter Paper is a great visual prompt for keeping small letters in the highlighted space.
  • Your child should be proficient with using tri-lined paper before transitioning to standard wide ruled notebook paper (generally around 3rd grade).
• Creative Ways to Practice Handwriting
  • Make Lists (shopping lists, wish lists, to-do lists, top 10 video games list, top 10 vacation destination lists, etc.)
  • Copy down a recipe, then become chefs together!
  • Journaling
  • Writing should be fun, not forced. If your child is adverse to the activity, find a new way to approach it!

• Tools To Grow link for: Shoe Tying Tools, Tips and Resources (free printable)
• Video Modeling on YouTube
• Adapted Laces: Lace Locks, Spring Coil Laces, HICKIES Ties Free Laces

• Build time into your daily routine to allow your child to try dressing themselves on their own. Practice dressing skills in a playful way when possible.
• Help them practice picking out clothes appropriate for various weather situations. You can create or find games that address this skill.
• If your child has difficulty following directions, try being more specific and reducing the amount of steps you give. For example, If you tell your child to get dressed and brush their teeth, and they have difficulty with completing each of these steps independently, try breaking it down. Instead, give them 1-2 steps at a time. For example, “put on your shirt” or “put on your shirt and pants”. Give them praise for completing the steps, then give them the next steps.
• Resources for games related to dressing skills:
  • Gross Motor Activities to Help with Dressing
  • 1 P K Dress for the Weather

• Make it fun for the entire family! Sing songs and practice.
• Video Modeling CDC Handwashing Videos

Visual Charts Global Handwashing Day

• Cleaning up toys, Dusting, Cleaning Windows, Laundry, Vacuuming, Emptying the Dishwasher, Taking out the Trash, Yard Work
• Appropriate Chores by Age
• Get creative! Make a spinner of chores, pull popsicle sticks from a mason jar. Here are some additional ideas!

• Establishing Morning Routines For Children
• Establishing Bedtime Routines For Children

Pour sand, rice, dry beans, packing popcorn etc. into an empty plastic container or shoebox. Hide various toys or puzzle pieces within the sensory media

Heavy Work such as pushing and pulling helps provide proprioceptive input to our sensory system, which assists in the overall regulation.

• Animal Walks, Wheelbarrow Walks, Push-Ups, Jump Rope, Jumping on a Trampoline, Help Carry in Groceries/Laundry Baskets, Gardening, Pushing a Wagon or Stroller, as well as the “Core and Upper Extremity Strengthening” activities listed above.

Sidewalk chalk, bubble play, take a walk, ride bikes/scooters, gardening (pull weeds, plant flowers)

With all that is going on in the world, we all need a place to go that feels safe - a place to re-center and re-charge. Encourage your child to create a small personal space just for them! Add pillows, blankets, relaxing music, stress balls or fidgets, whatever helps them relax!