We Are Family!

When you work with children, you end up working with their entire family....and that's pretty fantastic.  We all know the importance of family, especially the role a sibling plays to a child who may have delays.  I believe that a pediatric occupational therapist has a lot of very important jobs and one of them is helping parents figure out the best way to promote a healthy sibling relationship.  I have lost count of how many times parents have told me that they feel terrible about the lack of attention their non-therapy children get.

There are a lot of ways to include siblings, especially those that are close in age, in the therapeutic process. As therapists, our goal is to make sure that the kids we work with meet their goals.  However, I find it equally important that I provide parents with activities that they can do at home with all of their children.  Kids spend a lot of time at home and for some parents, figuring out what to do with them at home can be difficult.  I try and suggest games, crafts and activities that can easily be done at home, especially for those times where the weather prevents kids from getting out of their houses.

Below, you will find some of the things I have done over the years to help support sibling relationships:

*whenever possible, I have siblings join in on a session...even if only for 5 minutes.  This is far more important when a sibling is close in age or a twin to the child you are treating who is always dragged from session to session and having to spend so much of their time in a waiting room.  This practice goes a long way for all people involved!  Maybe the parents or the caregivers get 5 minutes to run to the bathroom or make a phone call or maybe they can actually observe the shared time and pick up some of the language that you use to help make play time at home more successful.

*one of the things I like to do is help kids learn how to be the "masters" of a game during our sessions.  This means that they not only know how to play the game, but are able to set it up and explain the directions to people.  Once they are masters, I have the parents buy the game for home so they can play it with their siblings.  It is such a confidence booster for the kids to be able to be in charge of something as their siblings tend to be the ones in control most of the time.  It's important that the games are good for a variety of ages and that they aren't too complicated, especially when it comes to explaining the rules.  Some of my favorite family games:
-Uno
-Yeti In My Spaghetti 
-Tumbling Monkeys
-any of the matching or simple games by Eeboo
-Thumbs Up
-Spot It

*cooking and baking with kids can be a great way to not only address some of the occupational therapy goals at home, but can also be a fun way to help in developing a good sibling relationship.  You want to try and keep things simple and with not too many steps or ingredients so you can encourage as much independent and cooperative play as possible during these moments.  Something like making pizzas (put all the ingredients out and let the kids go to town) is a great choice and one of my favorites.  Need other ideas, check out this great website that has tons of videos with cooking activities just for kids.  Obviously, be there to supervise and do all the important parent things like turning on the oven, putting food in and out, etc. but really try and let kids work through any of the problems they may run into.

*arts and crafts can be a great way to have kids play together at home and if you choose the right thing, they may not even need that much help from grownups.  If you have an easel, set it up with an endless amount of paper for them to color, paint or draw all over.  Once they are done with their masterpiece, have them tell you what they did or maybe have them tell a story and write it on the paper and then make a big deal and hang it up somewhere for everyone to see.  If you need inspiration for craft activities, do yourself a favor and spend some time searching Pinterest.  It may be an easy way to procrastinate, but can help you come up with some great ideas. And check out this link on Parents that can send you to a bunch of kid-friendly crafting sites. Some of my other favorites craft ideas:
Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics (get a set of large ones that they can work on together)
Pirasta Coloring Posters-these are a huge favorite for my daughter and my nieces.  They are large enough that at least two can get involved in the coloring fun....many more if you get the super big posters!
Play-Doh Sets

*last, but not least, blocks and other kinds of building toys make a great activity for siblings to do together.  They can work together to build something and then can add characters and spend some time doing imaginative play together.  Investing in good building toys is worth it...it might hurt the wallet at the time of the purchase, but good ones will take a good beating and still last forever.  Some of my favorites (and ones that are used in my house all the time) are:
Tegu Magnetic Blocks
Magnatiles
Janod Building and Construction Toy Sets

As one of four girls, I realize how important a good sibling relationship is and how it is can be easy for one child to feel like they are getting short changed on attention.  As a therapist, I think it is important that we do what we can to help families understand how easy it is for them to play together, no matter what kind of difficulties one of their children may be having.  Try and encourage parents to take their kids outside and play together whenever the opportunity comes up.  Whether it be blowing and catching bubbles, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, kicking a ball back and forth to one another or one pushing the other on a swing, there are tons of ways that parents can help strengthen the relationship between their children instead of one feeling slighted.  Let's not forget how much children learn from each other...especially what they can learn from a sibling that they adore.

I know I am not the first therapist/professional who works with children that has faced this particular problem:  advising parents what to do to foster a healthy sibling relationship and limit the amount of guilt the parents feel about providing one child with more attention than the other.  What kind of advice or activities do you suggest?  Do you have a favorite Pinterest board or websites that you rely on for helping you come up with activities to do with your children?  Not only would I love to hear some of the things you all suggest to parents, I know that my readers would love to hear as well.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all.

It's Okay to Play With This Food!

It's been a while since I found a new game that I felt worth sharing.  To be honest, when I find something, it sticks around for a while.  For example, Tumbling Monkeys and Wok N' Roll have been part of my work routine for as long as I can remember.  When I read about how cold it was going to be this past weekend and that I would be entertaining not only my daughter but also another friend of hers, I decided it was time to add some new games to my daughter's collection. I went into my local toy store, Little Things, in Park Slope and could have gone a little crazy.  I was drawn to many of the educational games but knew that it wouldn't be well received by my daughter who is officially on winter break.  Instead, I went with a game that help work on improving her fine motor skills, particularly something that might help promote a better grip.  Yeti In My Spaghetti, by Play Monster (formerly known as Patch), was a HUGE hit with both my daughter and her friend.

I like when games are simple and easy for kids to play...that means that grownups don't have to struggle when reading the directions in order to figure out how to explain the game to said kids! How many of you have purchased a game like that and then never played it because you just couldn't figure it out??  Nothing frustrates me more!  Even better, there are no batteries required which means that this is a quiet game free of noise and lights!  The object of Yeti In My Spaghetti is quite simple:  place the 30 pieces of spaghetti over the bowl in a criss cross pattern and then place the Yeti on top of your pile.  Choose who is going to go first and begin pulling the spaghetti out from under the Yeti without letting him fall into the bowl.  You must be mindful, look at what you are doing and take your time when pulling the spaghetti pieces out because if the Yeti falls while you are pulling it out, the game is over.

Besides the fact that this game is fun, it is great for working on a ton of skills for your little friends (I can't help but let my occupational therapy brain go there).  Ideal for kids starting at age 4 (or a super patient 3 year old) and perfect for working on:
*facilitating a pincer grasp as you pull the spaghetti pieces out
*improving eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills as you scan and plan what piece is best to take out from under the Yeti
*improve executive functioning skills, especially focus and attention and organizational skills
*improving social skills such as turn taking, good sportsmanship and teamwork (you can play in teams)

If you begin to get bored with the game, you can come up with some alternative ways to play it.  For example, add a dice to the game and have kids roll it and then take how ever many pieces of spaghetti that they roll.  If you really want to work on improving fine motor skills, have the kids remove the spaghetti pieces using a strawberry huller.  Do you have any other ways to vary how to play this game?

If you have kids or work with kids, I highly recommend this game.  Reasonably priced, easy to carry around and most importantly, fun to play.  Great for parents or therapists, even those that travel from home to home, since it is lightweight and doesn't require batteries.

If any of you have any great games that you have recently discovered or ones that are long time favorites, please share them with me and my my readers.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Snow Day!

With the anticipation of the impending snow this weekend, I thought I would focus today's post on both outdoor and indoor activities you can do with your little ones.  We know that kids love being outside playing with the snow...making snow angels, going sledding, building snowmen and snowball fights are the obvious ones.  But we all know that as soon as your kid has to use the bathroom or they get cold, they want to be inside STAT!  Once they are inside, us parents are all worried about what we will do to keep everyone sane the rest of the day.

Below, I have shared some of my favorite winter activities that you can do with your kids.  All are fun and have a therapeutic value to them.  Whether it be building overall body strength, working on improving fine motor skills or encouraging cooperative play and social skills, they are all fun and don't require much more than things you will find at home or outdoors.

1.  Wanna Build a Snowman?-if the forecast is correct, many of us will have enough snow to make a snowman!  Snowman building is a great activity for so many reasons.  It's perfect for encouraging working as a group with your friends or siblings.  Also great for working on improving upper body strength, body awareness and encouraging creativity.  If building with little kids, use this as an opportunity to talk to them and teach them about all the different body and face parts.

2.  Snowball Games-kids love making snowballs!  Who am I kidding....everyone loves snowballs!  Sometimes snowball fights can get out of control so you have to think of solutions for that not to happen.  How about setting up targets for your kids to throw snowballs at instead of at each other?  Or how about a snowball catch where you see how many times you can toss it back and forth to each other before it falls apart?  There are lots of fun things you can do with snowballs that doesn't have to be throwing it at another person.

3.  Make Hot Chocolate-nothing tastes better after spending hours outside playing in the snow than a cup of hot chocolate.  Let your kids help you make the hot chocolate.  Whether you have them scoop the chocolate powder into the mug and let them stir or make hot chocolate from scratch.  Check out these great recipes from this PopSugar post a couple of winters ago.

4. Blow Bubbles in the Cold-when the temperature drops below 32 degrees, really cool things happen with bubbles.  Try and dig out some of your bubbles that you have hidden somewhere waiting for summer weather and bring them out into the cold.  See what happens when you blow them and catch them with the wand!  You and your kids will all be amazed by what happens.

5.  Tic-Tac-Snow-use a stick to make a giant tic-tac-toe board in the snow.  Collect some branches to make Xs and pinecones or rocks for Os.

6.  Snow Ice Cream-this may be harder for us city dwellers, but snow ice cream is an easy and fun activity to do with your kids.  You will need:
1/2 cup half & half or whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups clean snow
Blend the milk, sugar and vanilla together until the sugar dissolves.  Mix the 4 cups of snow and stir until the mixture is the consistency of ice cream.  Eat plain or add your favorite toppings!

7.  Paper Snowflakes-if your kids need to warm up and you aren't quite ready to plop them in front of the television quite yet, how about having them make their own snowflakes.  I remember spending hours and hours as a kid making paper snowflakes.  I loved how you could do it again and again and like a real snowflake, no two snowflakes were ever the same.  As I have been on the hunt for fun winter themed activities for my  kids at work, I stumbled upon these name snowflakes on Childhood 101.  It takes a little bit of practice and definitely better for older kids but once you get the hang of it, you will be obsessed and want to make one for every single person you know!

8.  Craft It Up-there are a lot of fun and simple crafts that you can do on these snowy days.  I don't know about you all, but I happen to have a little girl who could craft all day long and doesn't need snow days as an excuse.  Some of our favorites are:
Make Homemade Playdough
Valentine's Day Crafts
Homemade Snow Globes
Washi Tape Crafts
Coloring and Activity Books (click on the link to check out my post from the holidays for ideas)

9.  Send out Postcards/Write a Letter-one of my sisters has a job that takes her all over the USA.  One of the things that she has started with all the kids in her life is to send postcards from wherever she ends up.  My daughter looks forward to this mail and learning about new places in our country.  One thing you can do with your kids is have them pick out a friend, cousin or other family member to write a letter to and tell them all about their snowy day adventures.  It's not only a great way to work on handwriting but also a great way for kids to recall and talk about what they did with people who may not have been home to enjoy it with them.

10.  Get Physical-if your kids start to get a bit stir crazy and need to get some energy out, think of all the great games that you can play inside to get them up and moving.  I tend to suggest to parents that they have a secret stash of games that they take out on cold or rainy days.  I especially like ones that encourage movement in kids.  Here are some board games/activities that are you can save for these kinds of days:
Twister
5 Little Monkeys On The Bed
Kids on Stage
Zoom Ball
Simon Says
Charades
Hide and Seek

While I know that I will be outside as much as I can, I do know that I will need to have backup plans to keep my own daughter busy and not attached to an iPad or television once we are inside.  I can't wait to begin some new snowy day traditions with her now that she is older and doing so much more.  Do you have any favorite snowy/cold day activities, crafts or cooking/baking activities that you do with your kids?  Would love to hear what kinds of fun and creative things you all do!  I'm always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Genius...Super Genius!

My daughter is in the process of learning how to read.  She's on the verge but for whatever reason, is resisting and has hit a bit of a wall which can get frustrating for this mom!  Part of me thinks that she is afraid that once she learns how to read that we will stop reading to her.  Even though we have promised her that we will always have our nighttime reading routine, she doesn't seem to want to take the final leap and read herself.
In the process of her learning, I have also tried to find fun word games that will help us work together to get her over this hump.  As you all know, there are a ton of options out there and many of them are just too educational which is just not going to be what works with my daughter.

The other day, I spent some time at one of my local Park Slope toy stores at their game choices.  My eyes quickly spotted the Blue Orange logo on a learning game and I was sold.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Blue Orange, they are the masterminds behind some of my favorite games:  Thumbs Up, Doodle Quest and all of the Spot It games.  Not only are their products fun, they are educational.  But they are more fun than educational making kids want to play them over and over again.

I picked up Super Genius First Words and Super Genius Reading 1 to use with my daughter who is still focusing on learning simple sight words (at this point, we are trying to master 3 letter words) and so far, so good.  There are other versions of the game for those who are already reading and can handle the challenge of larger words.  There is also a math version of the game that works on addition and multiplication.  I've used this a bit with my daughter and can't wait to bring it to work to test out with some of my other kids there.

If you are familiar with and love the the Spot It games, you will be a big fan of the Super Genius games.  The concept of the game is pretty similar:  you have to find the matches between two cards.  The biggest difference is that instead of finding the matching pictures, you are trying to match the word to the corresponding picture or in the case of the math ones, you are looking for the matching number and math problem.  There are many ways to play the game which keeps it fresh and exciting for you and your kids:
Face Off-Score the most cards at the end of the game by being the first to find the match between the two faceup cards
Flip Flap-get rid of your cards as fast as possible
Sardines-have the most cards at the end of the game
Click Clack-find the pair between two cards
Cooperative-remove all the cards from the table by matching them to their neighboring cards

Super Genius works on the following skills:
Visual Perceptual Skills-great way to work on improving eye-hand coordination, visual tracking and visual attention.  As you scan your cards for matching pictures and words, you are building crucial visual skills necessary for reading and writing.
Executive Functioning Skills-fun game to work on improving focus, attention and organizational skills.  These are critical skills for school aged children as the academic expectations increase and they are required to focus for longer periods of time.
Speech/Language and Reading Skills-clearly this game was meant for working on improving reading skills.  But it is also great for improving speech and language skills.  This can be used by parents and speech therapists to also work on building a child's language and conversational skills.
Graphomotor Skills-If you are working on a 1:1 basis with a child and they are also working on handwriting skills, you can adapt this game so that they have to write the words as they find the match.  Encourage them to work on spacing, sizing and/or upper and lowercase letters.  If you have a child who needs to develop drawing skills, you can have them draw a picture for every word they write as well.  When possible and appropriate, encourage kids to work on holding their writing instrument with an appropriate grasp.
Social Skills-what I love about almost every single one of the Blue Orange games is that they all have a social focus.  Whether it be working as a team to find the matches or encouraging kids to be a good sport when they win or lose, Super Genius can be used to work on many social skills that are vital for kids growing up to work well with others.

For any of you who are dealing with a kindergartener (or any student) and all the unrealistic learning expectations, I completely sympathize and understand how important it is to try and keep learning fun. Due to the nature of my job, my own kid ends up not getting as much of my focus and attention at the end of the day when it comes to her school work.  Because of that, I have made it a point to find fun games that will motivate both of us at the end of our busy work and school days.  I was so happy that my daughter was excited to play Super Genius.  I was even more excited that she didn't feel stressed out and ended up feeling proud of herself as she sounded out the words and then found the matches between the two cards.  Keeping learning fun is my goal with not only my daughter but every single child I work with.

What are your favorite educational games?  Specifically, what educational games focused on reading and literacy are your favorites?  I'm more personally interested these days...I know the power of reading and how magical it is and can't wait for that for my daughter.  Please feel free to share your ideas with me.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Make Your Kids Appy!

Typically, I include a section in my Holiday Gift Guide that talks about great apps, but decided to keep that off this year.  However, I have been asked by many of the families what they can put on an iPad.  In today's world where technology appears to be taking over things, I think it's important that if we do introduce our kids to an iPad that we are at least mindful about what our kids are playing.  It's easy to just go to the app store and pick out the free ones but you would be surprised about some of the content on those apps.  Sometimes it's totally worth it to pay for a good app.  I also find that parents are more likely to use an iPad during the winter months (I mean, if winter ever arrives) when they find themselves stuck inside more.  They may spend lots of time playing with their toys and being outside, but need something more sometimes.

Speaking from personal experience, sifting through the countless number of kids apps on iTunes can end up being a full time job.  It can also get incredibly frustrating because many of the apps are no good and you end up wasting money and using space on your iPad that you could use for better things.  I have broken down my app suggestions for you into categories to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

Alphabet/Reading: of course you can use flashcards to teach children letters and numbers.  However, sometimes, especially for the kids I work with, they need something really motivating to get them to focus and attend to learning. Trying to figure out which ones should be on your iPad can get frustrating because there are just so many of them.  Here are a few of my favorite kid-tested alphabet apps.  

Faces iMake ABC-this alphabet app has two different games.  The first one, Learn ABC shows you a picture of something that starts with that letter and then breaks into a bunch of pieces.  The children then have to drag all the objects back into place like a puzzle to put the picture back together. The second game, Find ABC, has a letter and then a dozen different objects.  Your child's job is to collect the 5 objects that begin with that letter and place them in a grid. This hands on ABC game will be sure to get your kids excited about learning their letters.  

ABC Gurus-created for early learners/preschoolers, this ABC game is fun and creative and helps them not only learn their letters, but the sounds each of them make.  Kids love that they can pick a letter and then personalize it by coloring it and adding faces to it.  Once they are done personalizing their letter, they can then interact with it.  Kids don't only work on being able to identify their letters, they are working on learning the sounds of them and working on their creativity skills.  

Avokiddo ABC Ride-I am a giant fan of all of the Avokiddo apps.  More importantly, the kids I work with love them and ask to use them over and over again.  In this app, kids choose a character (Beck or Bo) and take them on an alphabet biking adventure.  Kids get to learn about the letters of the alphabet (you can choose to go in order or have the letter show up randomly) through fun mini-games.  For each letter of the alphabet, there is a fun activity/work associated with it.  Once they finish the game (catch the falling apricots in a basket, find the H hidden under a hat, etc.), they have to drag the letters of word back into place.   There are 26 different interactive scenes where kids get to practice spelling words depending on the letter of the alphabet.
Endless Alphabet-this app by Originator Kids might have been the one that convinced me that the use of an iPad during therapy might be far more beneficial than I had ever imagined.  In this truly delightful and interactive educationally based app, kids will their letters and begin to learn how to spell.  I love that my daughter has learned a bunch of new words and has been able to generalize them in the real world (she is a big fan of belch).  For each word (and there are a bunch of them), kids get to watch a short little video explaining the words after they drag all the letters back into place.  I like to challenge my kids to place the letters in their spot in order, but that can be too difficult for some of the younger kids I work with.  Just recently, Originator Kids has launched a comprehensive app called Endless Learning Academy.  I haven't had a chance to play with it much, but plan on it being used a ton in 2016.  Kids will learn letters, numbers, shapes, spelling and even Spanish while hanging out with their favorite loveable monsters. This is more of a subscription plan kind of app, but based on what I have seen so far, it is totally worth it.

Handwriting/Drawing: finding good handwriting and drawing apps is really important to me since it is one of the things I work on the most with the kids I work with.  I don't ever just use an iPad/tablet when working on handwriting but I do use it as a motivator to practice letters and numbers.  I always have a Boogie Board or a paper right next to me when using the handwriting apps so as soon as the kids finish up practicing the letter on the iPad, they then have to write it again.

LetterSchool-this is by far my favorite and most used/suggested handwriting app for the last several years.  Children can work on learning how to write upper and lowercase letters and numbers.  There are two levels to move through and for each letter or number, there is a 3-step process of practicing them.  First you learn where a letter starts and watch it being made.  Second, you have to drag the lines to complete the letter.  Lastly, children have to write the letter.  I like that this isn't solely a tracing app and the kids actually have an opportunity to practice their letters without lines being provided.  

Writing Wizard-this Montessori based app is another one of my go-to handwriting apps.  It not only allows you to practice letters and numbers, but also has shapes and pictures for you to practice.  One of the things I like about this graphomotor based app is that it is very colorful and engaging for the kids.  You can also customize it based on the child you are working with and his/her particular goals. Another nice thing about this app is that you can practice writing words that you personally add to the word list.  While grownups will like the learning aspect of the game, the kids will have fun learning since there are different ways to interact with the letters/shapes/numbers once you have successfully completed tracing them.   Similar to LetterSchool, there are options for the children to practice writing the letters, numbers, etc. without tracing.  

Little Writers-this is a great graphomotor app for younger kids. Like the previous two apps, this one is not just a tracing app; as the child progresses in their skills, you can increase the level of difficulty and have the dots disappear.  In the full version of the app, kids can work on learning how to write both upper and lower case letters, numbers, shapes, etc..  You can customize the whole app making it perfect for your child by recording your own voice, adding your own words to the list and adding pictures of people and objects!  Kids love the cute graphics and how easy the app is to use.  I love that it is so motivating and engaging for the kids making learning how to write a non-stressful and fun activity.  

Stella and Sam Draw Along-Stella and Sam are a brother and sister and their drawing app is a favorite of so many of the kids I work with.  It's an engaging drawing app that gets kids excited to draw.  All they have to do is a pick a shape, decorate and watch it come to life.  Kids can save their images which is always a big deal for kids.  I love that while working on drawing, kids are also working on increasing their creativity and imagination skills.

Visual Perceptual Skills: visual skills can be broken down into a few categories:  visual perception, visual motor and visual attention.  All of the apps below work on all of these plus so much more.  Kids who struggle with visual skills may have a more difficult time with putting together puzzles, learning how to write and draw and complete patterns and sequences.  When children struggle with things, they tend to avoid them all together.  The iPad is a perfect tool to work on building confidence and self-esteem in this area of development.  Once children realize that they can be successful with something on the iPad, it is easier to generalize that skill to an hands-on activity.  In my sessions, I try to follow-up the iPad activity with a more hands-on game or puzzle and recommend that parents do the same thing.  There are a lot of great apps out there, but here are the ones that are the most popular with my kids now.
Winky Think Logic Puzzles-this is a great app to work on improving problem solving and motor skills.  At the same time, kids are having fun and being challenged to use their brain to solve a variety of mind puzzles.  It's a fast moving game that works on improving visual motor and perceptual skills, executive functioning skills and can be played individually or with a friend.  There are three different levels of play, making this good for a wide range of ages.

Lumio Shape Arts-I remember playing with those plastic and wooden tangram sets growing up and having so much fun.  When I started in private practice ages ago, I tried to find the perfect tangram set to use with my kids.  Fast forward to the introduction of the iPad and then my search for the perfect tangram app began.  Shape Arts is the closest to perfect tangrams app that I have found (and my wallet will let you know that I have tried too many).  Great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills, executive functioning skills and focus/attentional skills.
Bugmazing-in this game by LittleBit Studios, kids can work on developing crucial visual motor, visual perceptual and executive functioning skills.  Choose a level of play and kids will be able to travel through a series of mazes while learning patterns, colors, letters of the alphabet and so much more.  There are over 20 different challenges for the kids to work their way through.  They love that they can collect coins and jewels along the way.  I love that they can work on important visual skills while having loads of fun!
Toonia Differences-there was a time in my life when I was absolutely addicted to that Spot the Difference game that was all the rage when iPhones first came out.  I could spend hours on it trying to beat my best score.  When I discovered the Toonia Difference game, I was psyched that someone had created a version suitable for kids.  The game is simple to play:  compare two pictures and try and spot the differences between them as fast as you can.  The pictures are cute and can encourage conversation at the same time they are working on improving a variety of visual and executive functioning skills.  

For Little Kids (2-5 years):

Lazoo Zoo-this is a super cute interactive app that allows kids to interact with all kinds of different animals at the zoo.  Their job is to feed the animals and after they do, they will watch the animals transform and change depending on who they are and what they eat.  Great for learning about colors, foods, animals, etc.. Also great for working on improving eye-hand coordination and language skills. 

Sago Mini Pet Cafe-this is one of my favorite apps for my younger kids.  Actually, you can't really go wrong with any of the Sago Mini apps available right now.  The funny thing is that some of my older kids still love to play this game even though it's too young for them.  Through 3 different games, kids will learn about colors, numbers and other educational concepts.  Also great for working on improving visual motor and perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination and focus and attentional skills.  

Look and Find Elmo on Sesame Street-my little girl never got into Elmo or Sesame Street like so many of the kids I work with, but I think that makes her the exception.  It's amazing to see how excited so many of the kids I work with get over Elmo and all his buddies.  In this app, kids can entertain themselves and work on improving eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills while looking for different items hidden throughout 6 different Sesame Street scenes.  Kids love it because Elmo will keep popping up cheering them on while they are looking for the different items.
Bugs and Bubbles/Bugs and Buttons/Bugs and Buttons 2-I love all of the apps by Little Bit Studios and while I put this in my younger kids section, they are all appropriate and loved by my bigger kids as well.  These apps are still as entertaining and as motivating as they were when I downloaded them years ago.  They are still one of my  most recommended apps for parents to add to their app collection.  First of all, each app comes with 18 different games that teach your child a variety of things:  colors, shapes, matching, eye-hand coordination and a million other things.  Second of all, there is such a variety in the games that your child can play it over and over again without getting bored.
Pepi Doctor-still one of the most recommended apps at work (and at home), even after years of play.  I think kids connect with the characters in the game and love helping them feel better.  They start by choosing one of the 3 characters.  Once they choose their character, they then get to be the doctor in 5 different games.  Whether it be cleaning their teeth or putting back together a broken bone, kids are motivated and engaged during this game.  I find it's a great game not only for improving visual skills, but to encourage language skills and social skills.  It's a great game for kids to play together to learn how to take turns, compromise on what games to play and to talk about the game.

For Bigger Kids (5 and older): so many of the bigger kids I work with are walking a fine line of being too big for "baby" games but too young for the older kid games.  I try and stay away from things like Candy Crush, Minecraft or other games that I know that they can play at home.  It's been fun to discover some of the games below and see how engaged and excited the kids get.  Little do they know that while they are having fun, they are developing critical skills that will help them become better students.  Here are a few of my favorites for the bigger kids.  

Thinkrolls/Thinkrolls 2-these games have been a big hit with many of the older kids on my caseload.  There are two versions of this game and each of them are totally worth spending the money on because they will keep your kids occupied and thinking for a very long time.  There are several puzzles to play that works on improving problem solving, memory and spatial organizational skills. Kids can learn about all about science and physics while exploring the different levels of both Thinkrolls and Thinkrolls 2. 

Toca Blocks-in this app by Toca Blocks, children are able to create and explore worlds that they build.  Using different kinds of blocks, children build an explorable environment filled with different characters and adventures.  Great for working on improving focus and attention, improves creativity and problem solving and can be used in a small group of kids to encourage social skills, teamwork, cooperative play and stimulate conversation.
Fruit Ninja-some of my older kids shy away from any apps that look as though they are made for "babies" so I have tried to put a few games on my iPad that are more mainstream but at the same time will work on important therapeutic skills.  Fruit Ninja is simple:  slice as many fruits as you can in a given amount of time or before you hit a bomb/drop too many pieces of fruits.  This game is great for working on improving visual attention, focus and attention, eye-hand coordination and a ton of other visual skills.  For my kids who are working on grasping, I have them use a stylus while they play.  I also like to throw in my own challenges to work on following directions.  For example, I will tell them to only slice red fruits or ones that you have to peel before eating.  Makes them not get too sucked into the game (although it is a truly addicting and fun game).
Whac A Mole-I've been a fan of the board game Whac A Mole for years.  This is definitely an app for older and more patient kids and a wonderful way to build up their frustration tolerance.  It's not an easy app and while I wish there was a way to slow it down at times, I like the challenge of it.  With over 60 levels to play, your kids will have fun while also working on improving focus/attention, eye-hand coordination, visual scanning and several other skills.

Apps are only as good as the design companies who make them.  If you look through my iPad, you will notice that I have several games from the same companies.  I am constantly looking at the following websites to see what amazingness they have in store for us app-addicted people:
Toca Boca
Toonia
Avokiddo
Sago Sago
PepiPlay
Originator Kids
Lumia Kids
Tiggly
Osmo
Duckie Deck

Here are a few suggestions to make using an iPad even more therapeutic for your kids at home.  

*whenever possible, use a stylus instead of their fingers.  This is a great way to work on improving your child's grip on a writing instrument and improve eye-hand coordination.  There are a lot of different stylus' to choose from but my favorite are the iCreate Crayon, the Kikkerland Mini Stylus Pen or the Cosmonaut stylus.  They are all a bit smaller than a lot of the other stylus' you might see out there encouraging a more appropriate grasp when holding it.  Additionally, both the crayon and Cosmonaut stylus are a bit thicker and have a rubbery grip making it a bit easier to hold onto for those little hands.  

*work on a raised surface when possible.  In order to do this, you can place the iPad on an easel or get some kind of stand to put it on when they are playing with it and have them sit on a chair or a therapy ball.  Make sure that the iPad is at eye level.  First of all, this is great for working on improving shoulder stability and strength.  Without proper stability and strength, developing age-appropriate fine motor skills becomes much more difficult.  Secondly, working on a raised surface works on building wrist control and strength which often times leads to a more proper grasp when holding onto writing instruments.
*when at the gym, I have kids work on the iPad while lying over a bolster or when on the net swing.  This allows us to work on building their upper body strength, shoulder stability, wrist control and head/neck control at the same time.  I have found that when kids are having fun playing an app, they are distracted about how hard they are working on this swing and last for much longer periods of time 

*when possible, have your child or children work with a sibling or a peer on the iPad.  This encourages socialization and conversation which is often the main complaint I get about children using iPads and other forms of technology.  If used the correct way and if playing the right apps, it can actually be used to facilitate conversation amongst children, work on turn taking, compromise and collaborative play.

While many of us make New Year's resolutions to spend less time looking at the screen, it's important to keep in mind how beneficial and motivating it can be for kids who have a hard time with learning.  Whether it be because they have a hard time learning or interacting with his/her peers, when used correctly and in moderation, the iPad can end up helping children become more confident and willing to take risks.  Making sure that I have a hands on activity after playing the iPad is a huge thing for me.  For example, if you have a child who is totally resistant to drawing or writing letters, start with something like LetterSchool and then have a Boogie Board writing tablet close by so they can immediately practice their letters.  Keep learning fun, motivating and offer many opportunities for success.

I'd love to hear from you guys about your favorite apps.  Do you have any winners that I should be using in this new year?  I love to start the year off fresh and exciting for not only the kids, but for me.  I find an updated selection of apps is good for everyone and keeps us focused and keeps therapy fun.  Be sure to send me an email with your suggestions.  I'm always a click away and love hearing from you all!

Wishing you all a very "appy" 2016!  

Let's Get Social!

The holiday season has always been my favorite but since moving to New York City and having a child of my own, it's become even more special.  When you work with kids, the holidays take on a whole different meaning.  If you read my blog, you will know that I take gifts for the holiday seriously.  VERY seriously.

All of the gifts that I included on my Holiday and Tween Gift Guides this year have been kid tested and therapist approved.  All of them are fun....I mean what is the point of giving a gift that a child won't have fun with.  Since I am an occupational therapist, I made sure there was an educational or developmental skill that could be worked on with them.  Finding gifts that children will be happy about is important. But finding ones that will be fun and work on developing age appropriate skills is equally important to me.

In the latter half of my career, I have had the great opportunity to be part of an amazing organization called The Meeting House.  In short, TMH is a recreational based (afterschool and weekend) program for school age children who have social difficulties.  It might be that they become overstimulated in larger crowds or that they may get anxious talking in front of their peers.  Or maybe it is that they have language difficulties that cause them to have difficulty being successful with their peers in social situations.  Whatever it is that brings them to TMH, we welcome them with open arms and give them a safe, supportive and accepting place to learn new social skills and become more confident in social situations.

Being part of TMH has been the inspiration for me to look at toys and think about not only the fine motor, visual motor/perceptual or sensory aspect of toys but the social benefits that toys can give. Parents are always looking for activities that they can have on hand at home to encourage their children to play together as well.  So many of the kids I work with are more comfortable playing on their own and resist playing with someone else, even if it is their brother or sister.  As children get older and rely more on technology, they are losing social skills.  Something as simple as looking a person in the eye when talking to them is something that can be challenging for many kids these days.  Having a back and forth conversation and answering questions can also be really difficult for many of the kids I work with.  Having the right toys, games, etc. at home is important to encourage and practice these critical social skills.

Below, you will find my 10 top gifts that will promote social skills. They are all included in my regular gift guides but I talk a bit more about the social aspect of each toy instead of the occupational therapy aspect.

1.  Polaroid Camera-as many of us know, kids are most likely spending more time with their phones than they are with anything else these days.  One of the things they like to do with their phones is take pictures.  Probably  more so than any generation of kids, tweens don't know a time where they couldn't see a picture immediately after taking it.  Polaroid Cameras are (kind of) immediate but also require a little bit of patience, focus and attention.  They require your kids to connect with their environment and make conscious decisions about what they will take pictures of since they won't be able to erase it.  I've been using a Polaroid camera with my kids at work and they love it and doing even mind having to wait to see the picture.  Both Polaroid and Fujifilm make instant cameras that come in a variety of fun, bright, bold colors. I love the idea of kids working together to think about what they will take pictures of.  Not only is it fun to see all the different pictures that are taken, but it is a great way for kids to engage in conversation.    

2. Games-kids may outgrow certain kinds of toys, but good games will last through the ages.   I was actually in Target last week and noticed that they have a whole display of the classic board games in their original packaging.  They call it the Retro Series and they feature some of the best games ever...Sorry!, Clue, Twister, CandyLand and Scrabble.  I'm tempted to get a couple just because I like the old school packaging!

Having a good collection of board games is important for all houses.  While so many kids are more inclined to spend their free time on an iPad or hooked up to some kind of game system (there is nothing wrong with that and there are a ton of benefits to children playing video games), I think it is important for playdates and hangouts be less about technology and more about real face-to-face interactions.  Depending on what games you choose, your child can work on improving their fine motor, visual motor/perceptual and executive functioning skills (focus, attention, organization, sequencing, etc.).  Some of the other social skills that can be worked on playing board games are learning how to take turns, how to be a good winner and loser and practicing conversation skills.  Here are just a few of the great games out there to consider this holiday season:

*Jenga

*Pictionary

*Connect 4 (I'm a big fan of Connect 4 Launchers)

*Trouble

*Uno (I also really like Uno Dare because there is an added gross motor component built in)

*Apples to Apples

*Spot It

*Thumbs Up
*HedBanz
*What's In Ned's Head
*Tenzi

3.  Large Coloring Pictures by Pirasta-I am in love with these giant coloring pages that are actually created right in my beloved Brooklyn.  This is a great group activity (we are actually in the process of completing the New York City Big Apple one with our kids at The Meeting House).  Be sure to check out the Pirasta website to see their entire collection!  While I love the posters, I am also a big fan of the coloring sheets that they have.  If you look at the picture to the left, you will see my own daughter and niece completely engaged and focused on completing one of these coloring pages together.  They had to compromise on who was going to color what, share their materials and be able to be okay with the other person using colors that they may not have chosen.  In the end, they were just happy that they got to do this together.  With the holidays and all those family and friends gatherings coming up, these are the perfect thing to stock up on!  If you are in the Park Slope, be sure to check out Lion in the Sun for their extensive collection of Pirasta products.  

4. Zoom Ball-this is a great gross motor activity that works on bilateral coordination, motor planning and upper body strengthening.  A perfect activity to work on social skills, particularly team-work and cooperative play.  One of the things I like to work on while using a zoom ball is conversation skills.  Sometimes what  I ask kids to do is to have them ask a question before sending the ball back to their friend; before their friend can send it back, they have to answer the question.  Depending on the kids you are working with, you can come up with social goals using the Zoom Ball.  Whether it be conversational skills, or just being good at working as a team, the Zoom Ball is a wonderfully affordable and motivating tool!

5. Dueling Stomp Rocket-Stomp Rockets are one of the most underrated gross motor toys but bring

hours and hours of fun. Not only is it great for encouraging gross motor skills, stomp rockets can be used to encourage motor planning, focus/attention and social skills. The Dueling Stomp Rocket is as awesome as the original but has a lot of great social features since there are two pads to jump on.  Just like the original stomp rocket, you stomp on the launch pad and send the rockets flying.  With this double one, you can have a competition to see whose goes further and who can run faster to catch/or pick theirs up. If you have larger groups, you can do relay races.  There are lots of fun social activities that can be done and it is great for children of all ages when using the stomp rocket!  

6. OgoSport Discs-I love this sports game.  They call it a hand trampoline for all different kinds of balls.  Great for working on improving focus/attention, motor planning, organizational skills and upper body strengthening.  Additionally, a great activity to encourage teamwork and cooperative play amongst kids.

7. And Then I Wrote A Story/And Then...Story Starters Set 1-these cards can be a great social activity if you  have kids who love to tell stories or act things out. The Story Starters set comes with 20 beautifully illustrated cards and the beginning of a story.  It's up to your child to decide how the story will end.  They can write their stories in the And Then I Wrote A Story notebook.  But if you happen to work in groups, you can give each of the kids an opportunity to add to the story.  You can use the story starter card and then go around and let each child add a sentence or two to the story.  Be sure to have someone write it down or record it for them so they can hear it aftewards!

8.  MagnaTiles-Building toys are always great to have for playdates and I especially love MagnaTiles because they are easy to use and don't require a lot of work/strength in order to use them.  In addition to working on visual motor and perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination and bilateral coordination, MagnaTiles are a great social tool.  Kids have to work together to come up with a plan to decide what to make.  They need to be able to share materials, take turns and help each other out as they are building.  They also require children to be flexible and maybe build something that they don't want to in order to make their friends happy.

9.  Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics-I'm a huge fan of the Sticky Mosaic brand and have been gifting these and using them in therapy sessions for years and years.  They are a motivating and simple craft activity that works on so many fine motor, visual and executive functioning skills. Sticky Mosaics are picture templates with numbers all over the picture.  Each number has a colored sticker or gem that it coordinates with.  Kids have to take the stickers and put them on the squares in order to make a really colorful picture.  While they can be done individually, they are also a great activity to do with a friend or in a small group.  It's a great way to teach kids how when you work together, things can get finished quicker.  It's also a great way to teach kids about coming up with a plan together.  For example, they should figure out if they want to work on the same color/number or each take their own.

10.  Puzzles-Jigsaw puzzles are a great social activity.  It's one of my go-to activities when I am working with a pair or group of kids.  You can choose your puzzle based on group interests and skill level.  For example, if you have a group of children who love vehicles, get a transportation based puzzle.  Choose the number of pieces based on the children's ages, skill level and what they will be able to complete in the time that you have set aside for the activity.  What I like most about it is that there is a very simple end goal: you need to take all those pieces and put them together.  It requires focus and attention, staying in the group and helping your friends out.  It requires teamwork and being patient with your peers.  At the end, once the puzzle is completed, the kids can feel really good about completing the puzzle as a group.  Plus, working together makes something like this easier to finish in less time.  Some of my favorite puzzles are made by Eeboo.  They tend to be made out of thicker paper and can handle the wear and tear of being used over and over again.

So here are my picks for toys, games, crafts, etc. that work on social skills.  While there are literally dozens and dozens of other ones I could have included, I chose these because I have seen the success in person with the kids I work with and the groups I run.  The OT in me also chose them because I knew that there were also fine motor, gross motor, visual motor or executive functioning skills that could also be worked on while using them.

Parents, therapists, teachers....do you have a particular game or activity that you love to use to promote social skills?  I am always on the lookout for new and motivating products and am sure that my readers would also love to hear your ideas.   I am always a click away and love hearing from you!

Gifts for The Tough to Please....Tweens!

If you have taken a look at my 2015 Holiday Gift Guide, you will know that I put a whole lot of time and heart into it.  Since most of the kids I work with are between the ages of 2 and 8, putting together that list is easy because I test out the toys all the time.  But as kids get older, gift giving can get a bit trickier.  The holidays are a big deal and people want to make sure they give gifts that will not only be fun, but will be somewhat useful.  While shopping for kids in general can be difficult, shopping for a tween/teen can be super difficult.  If you have a tween in your life, you know that they have specific interests and "needs".  They ask for a lot, or maybe don't ask for anything at all.

I have a 5 year old daughter.  She is still really into Calico Critters and Disney princesses and actually makes gift giving really easy.  Every night Quinn spends time circling a bunch of stuff she doesn't really want in the catalogues that come in the mail.  She makes gift giving easy.  But I also have a 10 year old niece (who used to be super easy to buy gifts for) who I still want to impress with my gift-giving abilities.  I want her to know that thought is put into the gifts I give her and cross my fingers that she likes what I choose.  The toughest thing about shopping for this particular age group is that they are in limbo....they still want to be kids and get lots of gifts and play with toys, but they want to be a big kid and do all those big kid things at the same time.  They are hard to please which can make shopping for them more of a job than fun.  

I have a point here....I am getting to it right now.  Even though buying gifts for kids gets more difficult as they get older, there are still a lot of great options out there.  You may have to be more creative and you may have to step outside of what you feel comfortable giving.  It's important to keep in mind that the person you have to put first is the person you are buying the gift for, not necessarily standing behind your ideas and beliefs.  

I've done a lot of research and testing out and have come up with ideas for Top 10 List of  Tween/Teen Gifts:

1.  Polaroid Camera-as many of us know, tweens/teens are most likely spending more time with their phones than they are with anything else these days.  One of the things they like to do with their phones is take pictures.  Probably  more so than any generation of kids, tweens don't know a time where they couldn't see a picture immediately after taking it.  Polaroid Cameras are (kind of) immediate but also require a little bit of patience, focus and attention.  They require your kids to connect with their environment and make conscious decisions about what they will take pictures of since they won't be able to erase it.  I've been using a Polaroid camera with my kids at work and they love it and doing even mind having to wait to see the picture.  Both Polaroid and Fujifilm make instant cameras that come in a variety of fun, bright, bold colors.   

2.  Washi Tape-I'll admit, I am a sucker for some pretty Washi tape.  I find myself buying it for no reason other than it is so pretty.  My niece Julia, 10 years old, spends hours and hours playing and crafting with it.  You can buy it at all craft stores and I have seen it at some of my local gift stores including my favorite store ,Pink Olive.  The great thing about Washi Tape is that it's small and doesn't take up a lot of room.  It is also a reasonably priced gift (although you can go a little crazy and buy some more expensive tapes).  There are also a ton of things that you can do with it.  Check out this link to 100 Ways to Washi for some awesome ideas.  And let's not forget about the hours and hours you can spend looking on Pinterest for other ideas.   On my hunt for finding some new patterns, I stumbled upon these washi tape sticker sheets.  My daughter and I have had a lot of fun decorating and making some really cool pictures.  Washi tape is not only great for working on fine motor and manipulation skills, but also encourages creativity and imagination.

3.  Games-kids may outgrow certain kinds of toys, but good games will last through the ages.   I was actually in Target last week and noticed that they have a whole display of the classic board games in their original packaging.  They call it the Retro Series and they feature some of the best games ever...Sorry!, Clue, Twister, CandyLand and Scrabble.  I'm tempted to get a couple just because I like the old school packaging!
Games are great to play as a family or to take out when you have friends over.  Clearly, playing games works on developing language and social skills but there are also a ton of other benefits.  Depending on what games you choose, your child can work on improving their fine motor, visual motor/perceptual and executive functioning skills (focus, attention, organization, sequencing, etc.).  Some other great games to consider for your tween/teen:
*Jenga
*Pictionary
*Connect 4 (I'm a big fan of Connect 4 Launchers)
*Trouble
*Uno (I also really like Uno Dare because there is an added gross motor component built in)
*Apples to Apples
*Spot It
*Thumbs Up
Games are great to play as a family or to take out when you have friends over.  Clearly, playing games works on developing language and social skills but there are also a ton of other benefits.  Depending on what games you choose, your child can work on improving their fine motor, visual motor/perceptual and executive functioning skills (focus, attention, organization, sequencing, etc.).  

4.  Coloring Books-one of my favorite things to do when I am feeling a little stressed out is to color.  It's amazing how something from our childhood can bring such a sense of calm to us even as we get older.  Coloring is no longer something just for younger children.  Have you been into your local bookstores lately?  If you have, you will notice that there are now dozens of coloring books intended for older children and grownups.  I have blogged about this subject several times; you can read my most recent coloring blog here which was written in June.  Since then, I have discovered other great coloring books that are well suited for your tween/teens.  Some of my favorites are:

*Harry Potter Coloring Book by Scholastic
*Secret Garden Artist's Edition by Johanna Basford-the original edition is just as beautiful but this artist's edition includes 20 pictures that you can color in and then frame which might be a nice motivating factor for some of your kids!
*Large Coloring Pictures by Pirasta-I am in love with these giant coloring pages that are actually created right in my beloved Brooklyn.  This is a great group activity (we are actually planning on doing one with our group at The Meeting House).  Be sure to check out the Pirasta website to see their entire collection!
*Doodle Lit: Drawing On The Classics-kids can know learn more about classic literature in a fun and interactive way.  With Doodle Lit, kids can use their imaginations to complete pictures from Pride & Prejudice, Romeo & Juliet, Alice in Wonderland and several others.  There are also pages that have activities that you can pop out and craft with.

5. Boodle Box-sometimes you just don't know what to get that special little girl you have to shop for. I had this issue with some of the older girls who I buy for this year.  I wanted to make sure that I got them something they would like but that wouldn't be too old/mature for them.  Then I thought about how much kids love to get mail and how they don't get much snail mail these days with email, texting, etc..  What could be more exciting than getting a box filled with fun new products??  The Boodle Box is a subscription for girls and teens (you pick one of two options based on the girl's age, 5-10 years of age or 11+) and comes with a handful of fun beauty or fashion products based on that month's them.  Some of the things that have been featured in the boxes are candy, nail polishes, lip glosses, hair accessories, etc..

6.  Loot Crate-while Boodle Box is geared more towards fashion and beauty products, Loot Crate is for that kid who is more into geek and gaming gear.  Do you have a kid who is really into comics and superheroes?  Each month, a box filled with fresh collectibles, tech gadgets and art products comes gets delivered to your child.  You never know what you are going to get which makes it more exciting for the recipient.

7.  PowerUp 3.0-while I know many parents are trying to avoid giving gifts that keep kids attached to their phones, I thought that this Smartphone controlled paper airplane kit was pretty awesome.  And it actually requires kids to be connected and focused to their environment more than to their phone.  First you make a paper airplane.  Once it is made, you attach the Smart Module to the paper airplane.  Now it is time to you make your airplane fly using your phone.  By moving your phone in different directions, your airplane will fly within 180 feet of your phone for up to 10 minutes at a time.  Great for working on eye-hand coordination,  motor planning, focus/attention and organizational skills.

8.  Arts & Crafts-no matter the age, kids like to craft and create things.  As they get older, you just have to be sure to find things that might suit their interests more.  I like to suggest arts and craft sets that might be good to do with a friend in order to practice teamwork, cooperative play and other social skills.  This helps to prepare this older group of kids for when they have to do projects in school with their peers.  Some of the best craft sets for this older age are listed below:
*Spirograph
*Edible Chemistry Kit
*Nail Style Studios (Klutz)
*ThinkFun Maker Studio Kits
*Loopy Mango Finger Knitting Scarf Kit
*Fashion Plates Deluxe/Action Plates Drawing Set

9.  Gross Motor Gifts-doesn't matter the age, kids need to move and get themselves active.  I especially like to suggest gross motor toys that get kids outside.  Not only

great for building body strength, motor planning and coordination, but if you choose the right products, it can be great for encouraging social skills.  Here are some of my favorites that your tween/teen will be sure to love!
*Pogo Stick-this one is good for kids weighing between 60 and 100 lbs.  Be sure to get one that is meant for kids or your might find they are too big or too heavy for them to use successfully.
*Zoom Ball-this is a great gross motor activity that works on bilateral coordination, motor planning and upper body strengthening.  A perfect activity to work on social skills, particularly team-work an cooperative play.
*Dueling Stomp Rocket-stomp rockets are one of the most underrated gross motor toys but bring hours and hours of fun. It is great for encouraging gross motor skills, motor planning, focus/attention and cooperative play. When I saw this double stomp rocket toy, I had to get it (and recommend it to everyone).  Just like the original stomp rocket, you stomp on the launch pad and send the rockets flying.  With this double one, you can have a competition to see whose goes further and who can run faster to catch/or pick theirs up.  Best part...no batteries required!
*OgoSport Discs-I love this sports game.  They call it a hand trampoline for all different kinds of balls.  Great for working on improving focus/attention, motor planning, organizational skills and upper body strengthening.  Additionally, a great activity to encourage teamwork and cooperative play amongst kids.

10.  Do It Yourself Books-these are great gifts for any kid, but especially good for your tweens/teens because they can do it independently.  Kids are so used to having to write about certain things for school and love the opportunity to tell their own stories without any rules. DIY books are great for encouraging imagination and creativity. They allow kids to express themselves in both words and pictures.  
*My Comic Book-this kit comes with ready-to-use page templates, washable markers, an artist pen, pencil and eraser, a how-to guide and a postage-paid envelope, order form and instructions.  Once kids fill in the templates, they can send it back to Lulu Jr. who will in turn send it back to you as a comic book!
*Story Lines Books-I love this collection of DIY books.  Each book comes with a story written already and it's your child's job to illustrate the story.  There are 10 different ones to choose from so you'll be sure to find the perfect one of your tween/teen!
*The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book-kids can be the author, illustrator and main character in this DIY Wimpy Kid book.  There are tons of interactive pages with space for your child to write their own life story.
*And Then I Wrote A Story/And Then...Story Starters Set 1-this journal and story starters set is perfect for those kids who want to write and draw but need a little help.  The Story Starters set comes with 20 beautifully illustrated cards and the beginning of a story.  It's up to your child to decide how the story will end.  They can write their stories in the And Then I Wrote A Story notebook.
*Crayola Story By Me (hardcover)-this kit by Crayola contains book and cover page templates, washable Crayola markers, brainstorming sheet (genius idea since we know kids tend to have a hard time getting their thoughts all organized), instructions, book redemption form and a prepaid envelope.  Once your child writes and illustrates their story, they can mail all the materials in and will then get it back as a professionally printed hardcover book.

11.  Loome: this simple (and totally affordable) crafting tool can be used to make pompoms, tassels, friendship bracelets and much, much more.  I was introduced to it this weekend when at a makers Holiday Shop in Brooklyn.  Of course, I loved that I finally found a tool that made making pom poms easy for me.  But what I loved more was that my 5 year old daughter was able to do it with some assistance from me.  A tween would be able to use this independently and spend hours creating with it.  Great for working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination and increase creativity skills.  There website has links to several how-to videos for your child to watch.  Can be done individually, but also could be done with friends.  I have already made a pom pom Christmas garland with mine and plan on making some pom pom and tassel necklaces with my daughter.  You can buy just the loome (there are a few different ones to choose from) or pick up one of their kits which comes with all the supplies you need.  

12.  Blink Blink Kits-these creative circuit kits have all the necessary tools to make your own arts and crafts and fashion projects.  They were created by two woman specifically for girls to encourage and inspire them to become more interested in technology and engineering.  I picked up the Paper Circuit kit this weekend and am already excited to try it out with my own daughter and nieces to make ornaments and other kinds of light-up paper projects.  Great for working on fine motor and visual motor/perceptual skills.  Also great for inspiring creativity and social skills if done in a group.  Be sure to check out their DIY Tutorials on their website for lots of great ideas!

**there is no reason that you can't pick one of these sets up for boys as well

So, here you go.  I had a lot of fun putting this list together and consulting with some of my tween/teen friends to find out what they want this year.  If you have any great ideas for tween/teen gifts, please share with me and my readers!  Your suggestions could help make things easier for other parents/gift givers this holiday season.  I am always a click away and love hearing from you all!