Everyone asks me what my go-to recipes are. Over my years of working with children, I have found some recipes that are kid-approved almost every single time! Whether you are having a party or just want to spend time in the kitchen cooking with your kids here are some yummy recipes that will be sure to fill your tummy while making great memories!
Play is one of the most important roles a child has. Play teaches children social skills, coping skills, creativity, cognition, fine and gross motor skills. It is through play that children learn how to interact with their environment. These skills are essential for further growth and development as the child ages. Let’s take a look at some different types of play and their benefits.
July 4th, an amazing holiday for friends and family to gather, eat, celebrate and have fun! However, the same reasons why this holiday is so exciting are the very same reasons why this holiday can be terrifying for children with sensory processing disorders. Parades, heat, crowds, scents from various cooking, and of course the fireworks (loud, unpredictable bursts with a visual overstimulation). For you and your child suffering from Sensory Processing Disorders, it is important to be prepared so everyone is able to enjoy all the fun 4th of July brings. Here are some tips that can help guide you to a successful holiday!
Summertime is here!!!!!! Everyone is SO excited. Getting outside after being couped up in the house for months, secondary to weather, school etc. Summer is the time for rejuvenation. The Vitamin D from the sun helps improve your mood while strengthening your bones. Summertime is full of so many great activities. From parks picnics, beach days, BBQ’s and pool parties, summer gives you a much-needed R & R time. Another reason why summertime is so wonderful is because of the many fruits that are in season. Sugary watermelon, sweet strawberries, and colorful grapes are all readily available.
The weather is getting hot, one of the most popular activities is water play. But what do you do when your child is afraid of the water??
Taking your Sensory Engagements outside is a wonderful idea. First, most Sensory Activities are very messy, so you will have less to clean up! Second, you have the ability to utilize nature as your playground. This helps increase the amount of movement you can introduce to your child in a safe, natural setting. You can also utilize the environment to enhance speech skills, such as having your child talk about what they see, hear and smell. Here are a few fun activities for you to do with your child outside!
Everyone knows how important routine is. Routines help keep you organized, calm, and reduce stress. Routines allow you to engage successfully in activities because you can predict what will happen. Routine is comforting. However, change is inevitable, and it is important to learn how to properly handle change. A lot of children I work with have poor coping skills. This makes change extremely hard as they are unable to properly calm themselves when they become agitated. Life is full of uncertainty and unexpected events. Here are some ways to help your child prepare for change!
The biggest complaint I hear from parents is “How do I get my child to eat healthier?” There are many reasons a child can be a “picky “or “fussy” eater. Sometimes it can be a sensory issue (the texture or temperature causes the child to avoid the food). Sometimes it is a lack of awareness. Many children have not touched fruits or vegetables because it is not in their household. Simply introducing various choices of foods will allow your child to safely experiment with tastes. Children are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Increasing their involvement will help
Children imitate those around them especially their parents. They watch how they cook and bake so naturally, a great toy for them to play with is pots and pans. Whether you have kid-sized pots and pans or you use ones from your cabinet, pots and pans are an amazing tool for your child. Pots and pans help your child’s imagination grow and allows them to entertain themselves. I remember watching my little brother sit on the floor and play with pots and pans for what seemed like forever. Encouraging your child to use their imagination and creativity allows them to
Have your child grocery shop with you! If you are able to, take your child to the grocery store to assist you in shopping. To make this trip easier, don’t take an overwhelming shopping list. Keep it simple with a purpose, so if you would like to have your child try new fruits, just stay in the fruit section. Let them notice how pretty the grocery store designs its vegetable and fruit section! It is designed to be visually pleasing and inviting. The colored peppers are arranged in a beautiful rainbow-like display. It is not surprising to learn that grocery
Introducing your child into the kitchen at an early age is a great way to get them involved in the beginning stages of cooking. As a working mom, I completely understand the time restrictions one might have. Balancing work, household chores, and everything else does not leave you an incredible amount of time to set aside and begin experimenting in the kitchen. I tell the parents of the children I work with to start on a non-crazed weekend. Maybe a Sunday morning tradition you can begin with your family. It does not have to be a huge investment! Here are
One thing I always carry in my therapy bag is Play-Doh. It is so versatile and easy to use. The bright colors help engage children of all ages. There are so many ways you can utilize Play-Doh. You can use it to desensitize a tactile defensive child, or you can use it to strengthen the hands of a child with low muscle tone. Here are 10 simple and fun activities to help you incorporate Play-Doh into your therapy session. Thumb Opposition The ability to turn and rotate your thumb and have it touch the tip of each of your fingers
After working a few weeks with that fussy 2 year old, you start feeling frustrated. What am I missing? Why can’t he sit still so we can work on the skills he needs to improve on??? You researched Pinterest, Instagram and so many other sites, you made your lesson plan, then one minute into the session, your child runs screaming from the room!!! Uggggghhhh!!! Back at Grad School it was so easy to sit in a classroom analyzing case studies. After all, these cases were just “hypotheticals”. You all prepare your carefully researched answers and present them with your peers.
Congratulations, you have started your career as an OT. You have sat through so many courses, cried through exams, learned how to administer standardized tests, memorized pathways in Neurology (that will surely come in handy), presented your thesis, and are now ready to begin your career. That first day on the job, you get dressed in the just-right outfit, not too fancy because you will be on the floor with kids, but not too underdressed because you want to be the professional you are, after all you did not get $100K big ones in debt to look like a shlub