One Potato, Two Potato, Mini Potatoes....SCORE!

There are some toys that will never get old.  They will get thrown in the back of a closet or put in storage for a while, but you'll never throw it away and when you take it out again, you are reminded just how great said toy is.  One of those toys for me is Mr. Potato Head.  The original one has been in every gym and school I have worked in.  While you can still get the original Mr. Potato Head in almost every toy store you walk into, you will see that there are many newer versions of this toy.  There are the princesses, Star Wars characters and several others.  One of the best parts about Mr. Potato Head is that no matter what set you have, they can be used on any potato and you can mix and match the pieces to be as creative as your child wants it to be.

Recently, one of my co-workers at Heads Up brought in these mini Marvel Mr. Potato Heads and I can't get enough of them.  I mean, the kids can't get enough of them!  First of all, they are tiny and super light-weight and a set of four potatoes with their interchangeable outfits can be thrown in a bag for those of you who do any kind of traveling therapy.  Secondly, it doesn't matter what the kids age or gender is, all of them love playing with them.  After I purchased the mini potatoes, I spent some time on Amazon and discovered that there are a ton of these mini potatoes, including Transformers and a bunch of other super heroes.  It's amazing how motivated the kids are to use these mini Potato

Heads and how many ways they can be used in a therapeutic setting.  They are great for working on problem solving and improving organizational skills.  Each potato comes with three pieces:  a helmet/mask, arms and legs.  It's important that the kids put the pieces on in a certain order or they won't work (the arms are held in place by the legs so it is important that they put the arms on first).  Some of the kids get frustrated when first using them but it's a good chance to work on encouraging kids to learn how to ask for help and work on improving their frustration tolerance.  To work on improving organizational skills, I will dump out all the pieces and have the kids sort them into characters.

It's been really fun to see how all the different therapists in my gym have been using these in their treatment.  Since I work with two physical therapists, I've noticed that they are using them in obstacle courses....walking across balance beams, jumping on a hopscotch board, etc..  In my treatment, I have been using them while having kids on a slowly moving swing (to work on improving trunk control/strength).  I have also put them on a large therapy ball to work on improving trunk strength by making them reach backwards and then pulling themselves back up (with assistance from me) to a sitting position.  I've also put the pieces at the top of a ramp that they have to climb up and then crash into a big pillow before putting the pieces onto the potato.

In addition to what I have already mentioned, the mini Potato Head toys can work on the following occupational therapy goals:

Improve Body Awareness-one of the things I like to use Mr. Potato Head with is to work on improving body awareness.  Parents of typically developing children may not understand just how difficult it might be for children with sensory and body awareness issues to be able to learn body parts.  Use Mr. Potato Head to get kids to begin understanding what body parts look like and where they are on a body.  For kids who are struggling with this, I will have them put the pieces in, point them out on me and then show them in a mirror where they are on their own body.
Increase Grasp Strength/Manipulation Skills-the pieces are tiny enough that a child can work on improving manipulation skills.  And while the pieces aren't hard to put in, they do require that you use some strength to push them in and take them out.  

Improve Bilateral Coordination-it doesn't matter what size or version of Mr. Potato Head you have, it's a great toy to work on improving bilateral coordination skills.  It's nearly impossible to put the pieces in only using one hand.  If you are working on developing a hand preference, encourage the kids to hold the potato with their non-dominant hand and use their dominant hand to pick up the pieces, push them into place and then to remove them.  If you have a child who struggles with crossing midline, be sure to put the pieces in a place where they are forced to cross midline to reach for them.
Improve Social Skills-if you work with small groups of kids, these are a great toy to use with them.  They can build the potatoes and then do some role playing with them.  It's a good opportunity for working on turn taking, compromising and being a flexible friend.  For example, one child might want to put all of the characters back together as they are meant to be and another one might want to mix and match the pieces to make their own superheroes.  

One thing that I have seen but haven't tried (yet) is to use Playdoh to make your own potatoes and then take the pieces and put them onto it.  This is great for working on building up hand strength and bilateral coordination skills as well.  I definitely plan on trying this with some of my kids next week!  One thing I would like to try with some of my older kids who are working on handwriting is have them make their own superhero mixing all the pieces up.  They will have to come up with a name, a super power and then write a short story about them.

Those of you who read my blog know that when I find something great, be it an app, toy, activity book, etc., I must share it.  My favorite thing about these mini Potato Heads are they are not that expensive and can work on a ton of therapeutic goals in a way that the kids don't even know they are working.  They are so motivated by these toys that the work is truly hidden from them.  It's a real bonus for everyone involved.  With summer coming up and lots of people traveling, they are a great, light weight toy that can be thrown into a bag without taking up space.  They can be good for the car or plane or whatever mode of transportation you may be using.

If you are looking for your own mini Potato Heads, you can find them on Amazon.com.  I have also found a few of the Transformer ones in CVS.  I know that you can find them in many of the big box stores like Walmart and Target.

If you have any questions or comments, I'm always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Spring Has Sprung!

After what seems like the longest winter ever, spring has finally arrived in my corner of the world (Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York).  Flowers are blooming, windows are open more than closed and there is no sign of snow or winter anywhere.  Don't get me wrong...I love winter and all that comes with it.  But when March and April roll around, winter gets gross in New York City.  The snow is dirty and when it finally melts, there is so much gross stuff on the sidewalks that you want to walk around with your eyes closed.  So the fact there are flowers growing and birds chirping is totally welcome and exciting for me.

As an occupational therapist, there are a lot of exciting things that can happen therapeutically once the warmer weather arrives.  Parents are always asking me for things that they can do with their children to get them outside, get them moving and get them away from the television and other electronics that tend to be used to entertain our kids during the colder months.  I typically see a huge jump in skills with the kids I work with this time of the year because they are spending more time outdoors in the park or at the playground.  They are watching the big kids do things and they want to try and be just like them.  After months of therapy and boosting their confidence in their skills, kids who were once timid about taking risks at the playground are trying things they couldn't do before.  They are spending more time socializing with other kids and less time indoors so you tend to see a huge boost in their language skills as well.

Below, you will find a handful of activities that I suggest to parents to try with their kids in order for them to carryover some of the things we are working on in our sessions.  In order for kids to really learn skills, they need to be able to generalize them in different environments.  All of the activities will work on improving fine motor, gross motor and sensory processing skills.  They also can help in developing improved language and social skills.  Most importantly, they are guaranteed to be lots of fun!

Grow a Garden-in NYC, we don't always have the luxury of having a lot of space for such things.  With that said, my husband and I have found a way to get our 5 year old daughter into gardening in the last couple of years.  We are fortunate to have a garden in front of our brownstone and can really garden with her and it has been such a great experience for her.  If you don't have the outdoor space, you can get a couple of clay pots and have your kids grow herbs or flowers that don't require a lot of sunshine to grow.  Gardening is good for so many occupational therapy related goals from the moment you pick out the seeds to that magical moment when the flowers actually bloom.  Have kids fill up pots with soil using kid sized gardening tools.  This is great for working on building upper body strength, bilateral coordination and improving eye-hand coordination.  If you have a child who presents with tactile defensive behaviors, encourage them to use their hands to put the soil into the pot to work on that.  Gardening also teaches kids responsibility and gives them an opportunity to have a "job" every day.  Use a spray bottle to water your plants every day; this will work on increasing grasp strength and bilateral coordination skills.  Check out this adorable Garden Tote with tools perfectly sized for your little ones.

Ride a Scooter-in the winter, it's easier to get from place to place by throwing your kid in the stroller and not having to worry about them getting cold or slipping on the ice.  Now that it is nicer out, make sure you leave enough time in your day to allow your kids to get themselves to places on their own two feet.  Whether it be walking or scooting, getting your kids moving is key.  My favorite is the Mini Micro Kick scooter as I have found that it is light weight and easy for the kids I work with to use.  Even the kids on my caseload who have difficulties with balance, coordination and motor planning have success with this scooter.  So many parents come to me and tell me that the hardest time of their child's day is starting the school day.  Oftentimes, I find that kids are rushed through their morning routines, thrown into their strollers so they can be brought to school on time and then are thrown into the morning craziness and get overwhelmed and have difficulty.  When possible, I suggest to parents that they let their kids walk part of the way.  Even better, let them scoot the whole way.  It provides them with an incredible amount of organizing input to their sensory system.  The foot to pavement action gives them a ton of deep proprioceptive input that helps kids to be more organized and ready for a great day at school.
**one of the biggest complaints I get from parents about getting their kids to use a scooter is that they don't like the helmets and how they feel.  Take your kid to the store with you and have them try on helmets and let them pick which one they want.  Kids are way more likely to wear a helmet if they feel like it's one that they really like!

Chalk It Up!-one of my favorite things about the warmer weather is coming home at the end of the work day and seeing my own daughter outside drawing with chalk in front of our apartment.  She has learned how to write her name, draw pictures of people and so many other great things.  Writing with chalk is a great activity and can really be most enjoyed during this beautiful spring weather.  There are so many chalk choices these days:  think, thick, one colored or rainbow, egg or square shaped.  Keep in mind that using thinner chalk will most resemble a writing instrument in turn encouraging a proper grasp when using writing instruments.  If you can, have your kids draw on an elevated surface to work on increasing upper extremity strength.  If you don't have a driveway or a place in front of your apartment, grab the chalk and go to the playground.
You can make this a social experience by gathering a few kids together and having them make pictures together.  For example, draw a picture of a person and have each kid add their how part to complete the person. Or play a game of tic-tac-toe or hangman.  You can work on letter recognition, executive functioning and social skills at the same time!  If you have the space, you can have your kids draw a hopscotch board so they can work on improving gross motor skills too!

Bubblerama!-I don't know what it is, but kids and bubbles go together like bread and butter.  They just love blowing them, chasing them, catching and popping them!  A fun thing you can do with your kids is make your own bubbles.  Sure, you can go out and buy bubbles anywhere, but making them can be really fun and is really easy.  It is also great for working on a lot of occupational therapy goals in such a fun way that your kids don't even realize that they are working.  For example, you can work on improving bilateral coordination (holding bowl while pouring ingredients in and stirring all the ingredients together), increasing upper body strength (stirring the ingredients) and working on improving executive functioning skills like focus, attention and organizational skills.  For older kids, you can give them a list of all the supplies needed for the activity and have them gather them before beginning.  You can also write out the steps on a piece of paper, cut them into strips and have the kids put the directions in the proper order before beginning the activity.

To make your own bubbles, check out this recipe:
6 cups water (you can use tap but distilled is better)
1/2 cup blue Dawn dish detergent
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tablespoon baking POWDER
1 tablespoon glycerine

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, stirring really well.  Once the cornstarch is completely dissolved, gently stir in the remaining ingredients (in no particular order) trying to not make too much froth.  Let the mixture sit for at least an hour, stirring occasionally if you see that the cornstarch is settling to the bottom.   Don't get discouraged if your first few bubbles don't come out too great...the mixture gets better after a few uses.

You can use bubble wands and blow bubbles (great for improving oral motor strength) or you can make your own super big bubble wand using straws and yarn (you need your yarn to measure about 6 to 8 times the length of a straw).  Take the yarn and string it through the straws, tie a knot and you have your bubble wand.  You can take your bubble solution and put it in a big bucket and start making giant bubbles!  Guaranteed fun for kids of all ages!


These are just a handful of fun and simple activities that you can do with your kids now that the weather is nicer.  I have chosen activities that can be done whether you live in the city or in the country...they just may need to be adapted based on what kind of space you have.  What are you most excited about doing with your kids now that spring is actually here?  Please feel free to share your fun outdoor activities with me and my readers.  I'm just a click away and love hearing from each and ever one of you!   I am looking forward to a fun-filled outdoor weekend with my own family and wish you all a very happy and warm weekend!

The Big Stuff!

Here's another sneak peak to this year's holiday gift guide.  Yesterday, I focused on the small toys that you could get for kids.  Today, I am sharing some of the kid tested and occupational and physical therapy toys that I've put on this years list.  

Gross motor toys are ones that make children use the bigger muscles in their body and encourage them to walk, run or jump around their environment. I've chosen a handful of toys that will work on building trunk control/strength, upper body strength, motor coordination and endurance.  Trunk control and strength are important for developing good gross motor skills which lead to the development of good fine motor skills.   Take a look at some of my favorite big body toys.  More importantly, these are loved by the kids who play with them so they don't realize that they are actually working and exercising!  

Balance Board-there are a lot of different balance boards out there but I find that many of them are too challenging for my younger kids.  This one is great because it can be flipped over and can be made more or less challenging for children.  I find this is a great therapy tool that parents can use at home to carry over some of the things I work on at the gym such as balance, coordination and focus/attention.  I love to pair it with a fine motor activity such as a puzzle or a gross motor activity such as playing catch or something.  Kids love it and it is small enough to slip under a bed and not take up a lot of space.
OgoSport Super Sports Disk-there are several different sized disks to choose from so they can be used with children (and grownups too) of all ages.  Each set comes with two hand-trampoline disks and a koosh-like ball to bounce back and forth to your partner.  If you have more than one set, you can add more people!  The disks are super light weight because they are made of foam which makes it easy for kids to hold onto.  Can be played with indoors and outdoors.  Great for working on eye-hand coordination, social interaction, focus and attention and regulation skills.
Kick Scooter-many of my NYC families use a stroller for their older children to get to and from places faster but are wondering what they can get that will get their kids more physical.  One of the first things I recommend for them to get is the Mini Kick (for children 2-5 years of age) or the Maxi Kick scooter (5 years and older).  This light-weight scooter is easy for kids to use because of the two wheels in front and the one in back.  By leaning to one side or another, a child is able to easily steer (mostly to avoid hitting other human beings!).  Great for working on motor planning and coordination, bilateral coordination, body strength and focus and attentional skills.  For those kids who have a hard time warming up in the morning and are close enough to school, I suggest having them scoot to school to wake up the body to make the morning transitions easier.  
Zoom Ball-I remember using a Zoom Ball as a kid and loving it back then.  As a therapist, I love it even more because there is a tremendous amount of therapeutic value.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with what this is, let me describe:  there is a light-weight ball attached to two ropes with hands.  Each person grabs one side/two handles and let the play begin.  By opening and closing your arms, the ball can slide back and forth.  Go as fast or as slow as you want but see how long you can keep it going without having to take a break.  Great for working on building upper body strength, motor planning/coordination, modulation and regulation and cooperative play.  

Stomp Rocket-kids LOVE playing with stomp rockets.  After the kids place the foam rocket on a tube they jump on the launch pad and it shoots off.  This is a great toy for working on jumping, balancing on one foot and building body strength.  I love this toy because it is non-battery operated and doesn't make a ton of noise.  Kids love it because they can make something fly across a room without getting in trouble.  This is a great toy to work on with another friend...one friend can make the rocket fly and the other one can go run and try and catch the rocket and bring it back.  
Hop & Squeak Pogo Jumper-this kid-friendly pogo jumper is made out of durable foam and has a built in squeaker that squeaks every time a child jumps up and down.  The bungee cord handle has a comfortable grip for the kids to hold onto.  Great for working on improving trunk control/strength and motor planning.  Also great for providing proprioceptive input to kids which helps with improving focus and attentional skills.  Can be used indoors and outdoors and ideal for kids 3 and older. 

Do you have any wonderful toys that you think should be added to my list?  I'm always on the lookout for new toys not only for this list but also to have on hand at work.  Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Just scooting along

As I looked over my Annual Holiday Gift Guide, I realized I forgot to include one of my most favorite toys.  Living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan, I see a lot of kids on scooters.  It is a great way to get around for children and parents don't have to push a stroller around with them all the time.  Even better, you can have a younger child in the stroller and the older one scooting to your destination.

There are a lot of great scooters out there now, but many of the children I work with who have difficulty with motor planning, bilateral coordination and self-regulation issues, often have trouble using them successfully.  When my daughter and I spent more time in the playgrounds, I noticed the Mini Kick Scooter and was so impressed how easily the smaller children were able to use it and safely scoot around not only the playground, but the sidewalks.  My daughter Quinn mastered the Mini Kick by the time she was two years old!  

I began to suggest it to any parent who asked me what scooter would be best for their child and I consistently heard from them how their children were able to master it easily.  While I'm no scooter expert, I believe what makes this scooter better than others has something to do with the two wheels up front and one in back helping with balance.  The wheels have quite a bit of "give" and take the uneven sidewalks and bumps with very little falling over.   If you have an older/bigger child who is in need of a scooter, Kick makes awesome scooters for you!

Scooters are great for so many reasons; they help build overall body strength, work on bilateral coordination and help to improve motor planning skills.  For children with sensory processing difficulties, I recommend that they scoot to school in the morning so they can get some deep input which helps them with organization and self-regulation.

When a child who typically struggles with these skills can master the scooter, it helps build increased confidence and self-esteem.  And when a parent can see their child master something that they typically have trouble with, they also get a boost in confidence.  There is no greater feeling than watching your child happy and successful.

Please be sure to check out your local toy stores as many of them carry this fantastic scooter.

I'm just a click away if you have any questions!  I encourage you to share this post on Facebook or Twitter. You (and your friends!) can also subscribe to this blog so you are the first to know when an update comes through!

If you have any experience with this, or another, scooter, please leave a comment and let me know how your child is enjoying it!