Let's Get Cooking!

It's totally crazy to think about how quickly this summer is going.  I don't know about you, but even though we are having a lot of fun and doing lots of things with our own daughter, my husband and I are sometimes trying to figure out what to do with her.  We are getting to that point, especially these last few days, that it's so hot out that we don't even really have the motivation to go outside.  So even though there are several weeks left of summer, it is now it is time to get creative and keep us all from going to stir crazy.

One thing that brings me more joy than pretty much anything is baking.  It is something that connects me to my father and acts as my personal therapy.  As soon was Quinn was old enough, I started having her bake with me.  As a matter of fact, one of my favorite gifts for her was her first apron (thank you Carrie Cook!  Quinn still wears it when baking all these years later).  It started off simple and I would have her pour all the ingredients in for me.  As she got older and could be more involved, I'd let her do more.  The day I let her crack her own eggs was a pretty exciting day for her.  Baking with Quinn has been something that has not only been something we could do together to bond over, but has been a fun way to teach her new things.

Cooking and baking with your kids can be a wonderful activity, especially in air conditioning on these super hot days.  When parents are asking me for things to do over the summer to keep their kids up to speed with their occupational therapy goals, baking is one of the first things I suggest.  Not only is it fun, it can be tremendously therapeutic. Additionally, introducing kids to cooking/baking early on in life makes them more likely to take risks when eating and try new foods.  There are also a lot of ways to sneak in opportunities for learning when baking.  For example, if your child is working on learning their letters and numbers, they can make cookies using alphabet or number cookie cutters. If they need to work on building up strength, you can do it while stirring ingredients.

**before I begin the next half of my post, I am going to admit I am much more of a baker than a cooker.  So going forward, when I say baking, it represents both baking AND cooking***

Some of the therapeutic benefits of baking with your kids are:
Improve Upper Body and Hand Strength-baking is a great way to work on this skill in a fun and sneaky way.  Stirring the ingredients, especially as they start blending all together, can become increasingly difficult and require a lot of strength and endurance.  When baking for your family, I suggest that parents let their kids roll up their sleeves and mix with their hands instead of a spoon or a spatula....this really helps with building up the strength in those small muscles of the hands.
Improve Bilateral Coordination-baking is a great way to work on improving bilateral coordination because there are so many parts of this activity that require the use of two hands.  For example, when pouring the ingredients you need one hand to hold the measuring cup or spoon and the other pours the ingredients.  When mixing the ingredients together, it's essential that you hold the you hold the spoon or spatula with one hand and keep the bowl stable with the other one.  How about cracking an egg?  You need to hold the egg with one hand and keep the cup or bowl still with the other.
Improve Fine Motor Skills-do you have kids who need to work on improving cutting, grasping and other fine motor skills?  Baking is a great way to do that in a really fun way.  Need to work on cutting?  How about getting your kids to cut open the bag of chocolate chips?  If you have a ton of patience and time, you can use a pair of Zoo Sticks to put some of the smaller ingredients in (chocolate chips, pieces of fruit, etc.).  Even the simple task of pulling the paper off the butter is a great fine motor activity.
Improve Visual Motor/Visual Perceptual Skills-baking is a great way to work on improving visual skills.  When you are following a recipe, you have to be able to visually track between the recipe and the ingredients.  You need to be able to pour ingredients into a measuring cup or spoon and be able stop pouring them when they hit the line.
Improve Executive Functioning Skills-what I love about baking is that it is a great activity to work on improving higher level skills for older children.  Baking requires an incredible amount of focus and attention.  It requires one to be able to organize their ingredients, sequence and follow directions.  If you one doesn't (and I have lots of experience here) follow directions and focus carefully, you can end up with a mess of a project.  Baking is a great activity for older kids who need to work on improving their executive functioning skills and the best part is that much of the work can be hidden.
Improve Social Skills-baking is an incredibly social activity. Even though I am an occupational therapist and I tend to see kids on a 1:1 basis, I have also been lucky enough to spend a lot of my time working in social skills groups.  As a matter of fact, in September, I will be working with The Meeting House again as we begin our TMH Juniors group.  One of our program offerings will be a baking/cooking class once per month.  The social benefits of baking are endless and can be easily carried over at home with siblings and friends.  You can work on taking turns (pouring ingredients in), work on compromise and working as a team to complete a final project.  Once a cooking project is finished, there is a tremendous social opportunity to take advantage of.  You can set up a table or a picnic blanket and let the kids have conversations about what is happening in their lives.  If you have kids who have difficulty with conversation, you can throw a pile of conversation cards out in the middle of the table for them to reach out for when there is a lull in conversation.

There are a lot of fun and simple baking and cooking activities that you can do with your children...some that don't even require oven or heat!  Just keep in mind, when cooking with children, you will need patience and extra time.  Kids will ask a lot of questions, make a mess and may even lose their attention part way through your activity.  One thing to do in order to prevent that from happening is set up all the materials before you call your kids in....have your ingredients out, eggs cracked and in a cup, measuring spoons and cups ready, etc..  As children have more success with a cooking activity, you can start to add on responsibilities such as having them take out the ingredients.
Here are a few ideas for you to try with your kids, either at home or at work. I've tried them all and they have been a huge hit!

Zipsicle-I saw these when in Bed, Bath and Beyond a few weeks ago and had to try them.  Who doesn't love a refreshing ice-pop?  How about making your own with your kids?  These little pouches are perfectly designed for making your ice pops.  If you go here, you will find a bunch of tasty and easy recipes you can follow to make your very own ice pops.  The best part, is that you can avoid artificial flavors and colors, which so many of the kids I work with are unable to eat, and add lots of fruits and other healthy ingredients.  
Zoku-this is another fun way to make your own ice pops at home.  I wrote out the Zoku ice pop maker about two years (check out that post here) and since then, they have expanded their line.  They still have their original pop maker, but now have smaller ones that don't take up as much room in your freezer.  They also have molds that are in the shape of fish, people and rockets, which might make your little ones more willing to try a new flavor. You can follow one of their recipes or make something of your own.  
Rainbow Fruit Kabobs-another activity that doesn't require the use of an oven or heat.  I love the idea of fruit kabobs and have actually made these with many of my kids when I was running social skills groups.  This activity is great because it can encourage your child to try new fruits.  It works on building fine motor, visual motor/perceptual and bilateral coordination skills.  For younger children who are just beginning to learn their colors, it's a fun way to reinforce it for them.  It's also nice to work on improving organizational and sequencing skills for older children who are struggling with both of these things.  Lastly, this is a simple enough of an activity that you can do it in small groups and encourage conversation, cooperation and team work.
Alphabet Cookies-I have always found that if you hide the work in learning, kids are more likely to hold onto the information.  I have always had a set of alphabet cookie cutters in my office to use with playdough and the kids really love it.  At home, you can take those same cookie cutters and make cookies instead.  If you are motivated, you can make your dough from scratch but if you want to
make it simple and fast, buy the rolls of sugar or chocolate chip dough at the store....the end product is the same.  There are so many opportunities to talk about the letters during this activity...you can have them look through the pile to find a certain letter and talk about words that start with certain letters.  Once they are all baked (and cooled), you can have children put them in order.  And if you want to make it really fun and therapeutic, you can decorate the cookies after using icing, sprinkles and other fun decorations.

These are just a few ideas to get you started but really, you can make any recipe a good recipe for kids.  I know that my daughter just loves being part of the process.  It can be as simple as pouring the cheese, butter and milk into the macaroni when making mac and cheese or as complicated as shredding cheese with a grater (kid friendly of course) for meals.  In addition to all of the skills that can be worked on while baking or cooking, it's a great source of pride for a child to be able to tell people that they helped make whatever they are eating.

Do you have a favorite recipe or cooking activity that you do with your child?  It would be fun to be able to put together a list of things that you have been successful with and share them with each other.  While I am an avid baker, I am always looking for new and tasty recipes to try with Quinn.  I'm always a click away and love hearing from you all.

Stay cool and fun baking with your kids.  Who knows, if you start your kids off early in the kitchen, maybe they will be the next top chef!

Oldies but Goodies

After over a decade at my sensory gym, I am making a move.  Not a big move (just a couple of blocks away) but for me, it's a big move because I don't like change.  Things are working just fine where I am.  I have met amazing people, worked with the coolest kids in NYC and made some amazing memories.  This is just a new chapter of my life and one that will help simplify my life and hopefully lead to a more organized and less hectic me.  While it is hard to imagine that I won't be back at my current gym to work again, I know that I am making a move makes more sense. After two years of being in two gyms and having my supplies scattered between the gyms andhome, I am looking forward to having my professional roots firmly planted in one place.

With this new chapter comes a cleansing of sorts.  I will admit it here...I am a toy hoarder.  It's impossible for me to walk away from a cool new toy or game without trying it out. I love finding new toys that will get my kids to work on things that they typically avoid.  My work closet it busting at the seams.  BUSTING!  I have gotten rid of so much stuff the last several years but have held onto much more than I have thrown away.  I'm using this move as an opportunity to really take a look at what I have, what I use and what I still need and I must admit, it feels good to get rid of things.

As I have been sifting through my treasures, I have realized how some of the best stuff I have are the most simple of toys.  Many of them have been in my closet since they were placed there when I first moved in.  The saddest thing is that many of the games I am about to talk about are no longer available. Those that are available have been updated in a way that don't compare to the original game.  I'm not sure why they tried to fix something that wasn't really broken and still have hopes that they offer the original game soon.  That hope is re-ignited as I have seen versions of the original Monopoly and Candyland in local toy stores in the last few months!

Out of all of my "treasures", the ones listed below are my favorites.  More importantly, the kids love them and they work on so many occupational therapy goals.

Fisher-Price Matchin' Middles

Still a favorite amongst my toddler, preschool and younger elementary school kids and in near perfect condition!  A shape has gone missing here and there, but between extra sets, I still have a complete set of this game in the box!  This game was really well made and has withstood being played with literally thousands of times the last 10 years!  It's a great game because it can be easily modified depending on the skill level of all children. There is no right or wrong way to play this game which is one of the reasons I think my kids don't get bored with it.  

My favorite way to play this game is by combining it with some kind of strengthening activity.  I either have the kids sit on a large ball and work on improving trunk strength by going back to pick up a piece or work on increasing upper extremity strength by having them match the shapes while lying prone on a net swing.  For the older children, I have them stand on a balance board or the platform swing while putting the cookies together to work on improving balance skills.  

Improve Bilateral Coordination-great simple game to work on using two hands together.  In order snap the cookies back together, a child has to use two hands.  For the more complicated shapes (heart, star, etc.), one hand must hold one side of the cookie while the other hand is used to twist the other side until it snaps into place.  If you have a child who doesn't consistently cross midline during activities, set the game up so a child is forced to cross midline to find the match. 

Improve Visual Skills-perfect for children who need to work on visual motor and visual perceptual skills.  Place all the cookie parts (choose either the brown or the white part) in one place and a child will have to scan them to find the matching shape. 

Improve Shape Recognition/Matching Skills-this is a great game to introduce shapes to the younger set and to help older children learn some of the more complex shapes.  

Improve Social Skills-if you are working in a small group, this is a perfect game.  You can use it more like a memory game or modify it to work on whatever skills you are focusing on with the children you are working with.  

Barnyard Bingo

Another very simple game. No batteries required and really well made.  The object of the game is to take the animals out of the barn and match them to their animals. This game can also be adapted and modified to work on whatever it is you are focusing on with each child.   There are two playing sides to the matching boards; one is just colors and the other is colors and animals.

I tend to use this game with my toddlers and preschoolers more than any other age group.  Like the cookie game, I tend to have the kids play this game while doing some kind of other activity on the ball or on a swing.  Work on increasing upper extremity strength while lying prone on the net swing; place all the animals on one side of the "field" and they have to rescue them and place them back in the barn.  If you have a child who is working on motor planning skills, use this as part of on obstacle course.

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Barnyard Bingo are:

Improve Color Recognition/Matching Skills-fun game to introduce young children to colors.  I like that you can start very simple by having the kids matching the animals to the right color board and then as they master it (which is quite quickly for many kids), you can flip the cards over and they can work on matching both the animal and the shapes.  

Improve Fine Motor Skills-I encourage my kids to use their "pinchers" when placing the animals in the barn or removing them to then place it on the matching picture.   

Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-no matter how you play this game, the kids favorite part is taking the animals out of the barn.  I often have all the pieces in the game already so they are motivated to play the game and get the animals out of the barn.  Encourage a child to hold the barn with one hand while using the other hand to take the animal out of the barn.  

Improve Social Skills-while this can be played with just one child, it can also be a great game to begin working on game playing with the younger children.  Each child can take two colors and they have to match all their shapes.  Great for working on turn taking and how to be a good sport.  If the kids get an animal that doesn't match for them, I encourage them to hand it off to their friend and help them.  This can be very hard for some kids but a great way to begin teaching kids how to be a good friend.  

Perfection

I don't think I have ever been more disappointed by any game update more than when I saw new Perfection game.  The original, pictured below, has 25 different shapes to match.  The new version has 9.  Maybe 25 was too many for some kids but 9 is just ridiculous.  The good news for me is that I still have a pretty intact version of the original.  It's missing a few of the pegs from the shapes, but for the most part, the game is in great condition.  For those of you who want the older version, you will have to shell out a little more money but you can still find a new/gently used game on Amazon.com.

I love this game because it can be adapted to suit the needs of so many children.  It's easily adaptable for many ages and skill levels.  I rarely play it the traditional way which is to get all of the shapes in their matching spot before the timer runs out and all the pieces pop out.  For many of my sensory kids, the popping sound can be upsetting so I have them put all the pieces in; if they don't mind the sound, we will let them pop out after they get them all in.  For my older kids who are up for the challenge, I tend to wait until they have about half the pieces in before starting the timer so their is a greater chance for success.  Like the other games, I like to pair Perfection up with some kind of strengthening activity.  This is a great game to play while lying prone on the net swing or place the pieces at the top of a scooter board ramp and have the kids pull themselves up to the top to retrieve them.  

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Perfection are:

Increase Grasp Strength-I love killing two birds with one stone when working with the kids.  With this game, I take the pieces and hide them in theraputty so they can work on making those little hand muscles stronger.  Take a look at this link at Fun and Function to choose the right resistance putty for your child.  For some of my kids, I will have them pick up the shapes using a pair of the Zoostick chopsticks as another way to increase grasp strength and also promote proper grasping patterns. 

Improve Fine Motor Skills-each piece has a little peg which is perfect for working on improving grasping skills.  I encourage my kids to use a fine pincer grasp when picking the pieces up from a flat surface.   If you want to work on in-hand manipulation skills, you can have the kids pick up more than one piece at a time and have them move the pieces from their palm to fingertips; increase the challenge by increasing the number of shapes they have to pick up.  

Improve Visual Motor/Perceptual Skills-great game for working on matching and visual scanning.  No matter how many times the kids play this game, they still need to scan the playing board in order to find the matching shape.  I don't have a single child who has been able to memorize the board and know exactly where each shape goes without scanning it first.  

Whac-A-Mole
Who doesn't remember playing the arcade game Whac-A-Mole growing up?  I still have visions of playing that game for hours!  I was really excited when I discovered that it was a game that I could play with my kids.  And when I say play with my kids, I mean I really like to participate in playing this game!

Whac-A-Mole is great because it can be played individually or with other people.  I like to to get my kids comfortable with the rules before having them play with a peer.  There are three levels of play:  Solo, Easy and Difficult.  Solo (which I actually find harder than the actual difficult mode) allows a child to try and beat the game (which I have never done EVER) by hitting all of the moles.  Easy mode gives each player a sound that will go off every time the mole lights up.  Difficult mode gives each player a sounds but no light will go off; this requires a tremendous amount of attention and I rarely play on this mode.  Because of the different modes, this game can be used with children of all different ages.

Once the kids master the rules of the game, I like to pair it with a strengthening activity.  It must be clear to all my readers that my favorite swing is the net swing.  It allows you to work on improving upper extremity strength, increase neck/head control and improve wrist control/stability.  What I love most about the net swing is that you can pair it up with so many different activities, such as playing games like Whac-A-Mole, and you can distract kids from the hard work that it requires.

Like Perfection, Whac-A-Mole has gone through a bit of a facelift since I first purchased mine.  I haven't really tested the new one out so I have no idea how it compares to the one that I have had for years.  I'm not sure why they had to change it since this one was so good to begin with, but I'm happy to know that you can still find new/gently used games on Amazon.com as well.

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Whac-A-Mole are:
Improve Eye-Hand Coordination-fun way to work on improving visual motor skills, especially eye hand coordination.  I start with having kids only being able to use their hands when playing the game and tell them they get to earn the hammer only after they have shown me they can play by the rules.  I like to use hands better because so many of my kids do well with the sensory input from hitting the top of the mole's heads with the palm of their hands.
Improve Modulation/Regulation-I am surprised I haven't lost my voice telling kids to not hit their moles before they hear their sound and see the hat light up.  They get so excited about winning that they just start hitting away.  This game is also great for helping kids work on modulating how much pressure they use when they hit the moles on the head.  It is the kid's instinct to hit as hard as they can.  I want this game to last forever and tell the kids that they might break the game if they use all their muscle power on hitting the heads.  I encourage kids to be gentle which can be quite difficult for them once they get excited, and sometimes anxious, about winning.
Improve Focus and Attention-it can be very difficult for a child to focus and attend to only their mole.  They often get distracted by the other flashing lights/sounds and miss the chance to hit their mole on the head.  I don't know of many games that require such visual attention as this one.  As they master the simple mode and move onto the difficult mode, it requires a tremendous amount of auditory attention.
Improve Social Skills-my older kids love playing this game against each other.  I let the kids decide amongst themselves what color mole they will be and what level of play they will tackle.  Choosing a color can be difficult for many of the kids I work with; they get stuck on only being able to play their favorite color and need to be flexible about their choice sometimes.  As with all other games, this is a great game to work on being a good sport, especially being a good winner (and a good loser).

So now that you have gotten a taste of my oldie but goodie favorites, I would love to hear from you guys about some of your favorite occupational therapy toys, games, etc. that have played a role in your therapy sessions.  I focused on just the games, but must say that there were so many other things I found while cleaning out my closet that I have used for years and years.  What do you have in your bag of tricks that hold a special place in your therapy heart?  More importantly, what do you have that you won't part with because your kids love them year after year?
I look forward to hearing from you.  I am always a click away and loving getting emails and comments from you all.

A happy holiday weekend to you all.  May you spend some special time soaking up the last days of summer and enjoying time with those you love before the craziness of a new school year hits us all!

I'm Going to Huff and Puff.....and Calm Myself Down!

This is going to be a quick post, but one that I think will be super valuable.  I am not sure about any of you, but I find May and June to be harder than almost any other time of the school year.  So many of my kids are feeling nervous and worried about all the changes that summer usually brings about.  For some of them, it's ending school and realizing they will be in a new school next year with so many new faces.  Others are worried about camp, taking a bus for the first time.  Whatever the changes are, it often brings about kids with increased energy and more difficulty with being able to modulate/regulate their behaviors.

One of the skills I love to teach children when they present with these types of behaviors is how to take deep breaths.  When a child is feeling anxious or scared, his or her breathing will change and instead of taking normal breaths, they will be observed to take short, quick and shallow breaths.  Deep breathing is
important because it can lower a child's anxiety and give them a sense of control over their body.  Teaching a child how to do calm breathing is a great tool that they can have with them at all times, especially when their grownups aren't there to help guide them through it.  However, teaching children, especially the younger ones, how to properly take deep breaths can be more challenging than one may think.


Ever since discovering Free App Friday by Smart Apps For Kids, I have found a handful of great apps.  Ones that I most definitely wouldn't have discovered without me reading it about on their post.  Last week, one of the apps features was Huff-N-Puff by Duckie Deck.  Their description of the game is:  Huff n' PUff lets children learn about physical effects of wind and air, in a simplified setting.  Now, a youngster can have a more direct interaction with the digital world by using the power of their own breath.  Just blow some air near the iPad's or iPhone's iOS 5 microphone and delight in the realistic effect on-screen.  As an occupational therapist, I read this as follows:  Huff n' Puff lets children learn about how to effectively take deep and controlled breaths in a fun, motivated and simple setting.

There isn't much to the game, but it is fun and so far, my kids are loving it!  There are about 25 different activities that your child can play with.  I
pick and choose which ones are most appropriate and most motivating for the child I am working with.  The only thing the child needs to do is breath into the microphone of the iPad or iPhone and something fun will happen.  So far, my favorites are blowing the seeds off the dandelion, making the pinwheel spin or blowing the whistle.  I like these because they require a child to work on sustaining a long, deep breath.  I sometimes challenge my kids to see how many times they can make the pinwheel spin which they love!

One thing I really love about this game is there are ways to generalize and practice your deep breathing with real life activities.  For example, one of the activities is to blow up a balloon.  Right after you blow the balloon up on the game, you can have a child practice using those deep breaths by blowing up a real balloon.  Who remembers that pipe where you have to keep the ball in the air without having it fly away?  They have that as an activity on this game!  I have a few of the real pipes at work and the kids love it, but they often have trouble with it.  Some of my kids think it is really funny to make it fly away and have to chase it.  I am going to see if I can get them to be more successful by practicing with Huff-N-Puff first.

I hope you all have as much fun with this game as I am having.  Deep breathing is such an important skill and I have struggled with finding the most effective way to help my kids learn this skill.  It is an essential skill for learning how to cope when faced with challenging situations.  I am sure many of you have other ways to work on this without using technology and I would love to hear from with your ideas.  As the end of the year approaches and our kids are faced with an increased number of changes and challenges, I would love to be able to help empower them with a skill that will help them get through these difficult times.  

Just Scratching the Surface

In general, I have been a big fan of scratch art for as long as I can remember.  I have memories of making my own scratch paper as a child in art class using crayons and a special kind of black paint.  It was magical scratching away the black paint and see what was underneath.  So when I discovered Scratch Art I was psyched.  Over the years, the products have evolved from drawing pages to stickers, fashion books, and key chains (to name a a few).  It makes me happy that Melissa and Doug continue to develop great products that I am happy to suggest to my families.

I have always had some form of Scratch Art in my closet at work but didn't use it as much as I had wanted because it tended to be too challenging for many of my kids, especially the ones that required a lot of imagination and creativity.  Recently, when looking through the Scratch Magic Art products at a local toy store, I discovered the Safari Animals Mosaic book.  I immediately purchased it and began using it with my kids, both younger and older.  I was happy to see that kids of all ages and abilities were successful in the activity and motivated to keep working on it until they completed it.

What sets this book apart from their others is that many of them will give a template but then you have to use your imagination to fill them in.  For example, the fashion design one will provide you with the outline of a dress or a shirt and then you have to figure out how to design it.  While this can be fun for a child where creativity comes naturally and easily, it can be stressful for children who lack that skill and they may lose the motivation to complete the activity.  The Safari Animals Mosaic book provides you with clear instructions to scratch all shapes that have a dot on them.  For so many of the kids I work with, something as simple as that helps them as it is clear what is expected of them.  They don't need to worry that what they are doing is right or wrong (even though when my kids do the other types of scratch art I am constantly telling them there is no such thing as right or wrong when it comes to imagination) and just focus on scratching out the correct shapes.

Here are a few more occupational therapy goals that can be addressed when using the Safari Animals Mosaic book:

Look at this amazing tripod grasp being used
by my little friend.  

Improve Grasping Skills-I am not sure if you guys have similar experiences, but I find that my kids tire of handwriting activities to improve their pencil grasp skills.  Or maybe you have kids who are able to write their letters and all that fantastic stuff but they need to work on endurance and using the proper amount of pressure on a writing instrument.  If that is the case, this is a perfect activity for that child.  I work with a 7 year old girl who knows how to make her letters and is able to write beautifully but slowly because she uses too much pressure on the writing instrument.  She was getting bored with the handwriting activities we were doing during our sessions.  I introduced the Scratch Art Mosaic Color Reveal Book to her a few weeks ago and she flipped!  I was able to motivate her to use a proper grasp when holding the wooden stylus and she was able to realize on her own that when she scratched too hard, her hands would tire and she wouldn't get as much done.  Without much prompting from me, I could see her begin to use the proper amount of pressure and was able to complete the whole picture in one session (she was very motivated to be able to keep it and show her mom who was coming home later).
**I find that the wooden stylus can be too thin for some of my kids and am trying to figure out a way to improvise....any thoughts??**
Improve Visual Motor Skills-if you have a child who needs to work on their visual motor skills, this is a great activity.  This requires a child to visually scan their work for where they have to scratch.  It requires them to remain in the boundaries of each shape.
Improve Modulation/Regulation-the fact that their are lines and boundaries requires the children to control how fast and where they are coloring.  Often times, the kids are observed to scratch all over the place as fast as they can.  For this activity, I do not allow that.  I want them to learn how to slow down and focus on the details.  It is important that they learn how to color one thing in at a time and to complete it before moving onto the next area.  If they can do it with this activity, then they should be able to generalize that skill to coloring books or other coloring activities.
Improve Focus and Attention-What I love about this particular Scratch Magic product is that it requires you to focus on what you are coloring.  For my older kids, I am definitely harder on them about scratching away the whole surface and trying their  hardest to remain in the lines.  I may tell them they can't move onto the next shape until there is almost no black left on the one they are working on.  I want them to really focus on completing something instead of rushing through the activity.   For my younger kids, I may encourage it but not as much as the older kids.  A sign of attention and focus improving is how long they will stick with the activity before asking to stop.  For many of my kids, this ends up being a multi-session project.  I like to keep track of how many shapes they fill out from session to session and share with the kids how they are able to color more in each time.

There are just a few of the many goals that can be addressed using Scratch Art Safari Mosaic and other Scratch Magic products.  Do you have other goals that you have worked on that you want to share with us?

I'm not sure about all of you, but when I start the school year, I like to have new items for my kids.  I find that my returning kids definitely have their favorites and will ask for certain activities, but love the idea of finding out what is new in my closet or work bag.  The Scratch Art Safari Mosaic is a perfect addition to your toy chest if you are looking for something new and motivating for your kids.  It's also a great book to recommend to families who want to follow through on what you are working on during therapy without the kids feeling like they are never getting a break.  A child can be doing this at home with mom and dad or with his/her siblings and working on developing a proper grasp, building grasp strength and working on improving his/her endurance for graphomotor activities.

Have any of you found any other products like this that would be good for me to look into?  There are so many great Scratch Art sets out there and I am sure that I'm missing something great that could be used with my kids.  I love hearing from you guys and am always a click away.

Remember to check out local toy stores to see if they carry Scratch Art Safari Mosaic and other Scratch Magic products.  I know in my neighborhood, I can find tons of different books and sets.  Small businesses count on our business and I always feel better when I purchase from them.

Rainbow Brights!

If you have a young girl or know any young girls (or young boys for that matter), I am pretty certain you have heard of the latest craze, The Rainbow Loom.  Thanks to my goddaughter, I learned about the Rainbow Loom in April before it was virtually impossible to find in the stores.  Meghan was wearing the bracelets and showing me her whole setup.  Once she started making one for me, I was sold.  I went home immediately and bought two looms; one for work and one to keep at home for any younger visitors to play with.  Since bringing it to the gym, it has been a huge hit.

If you don't know about the Rainbow Loom, let me tell you about it because it is truly a perfect addition to any occupational therapist's bag of tricks, especially if you work with school age children. Basically, the Rainbow Loom (pictured at the left) is a set to make friendship bracelets.  Using a plastic loom, a hook and a bunch of brightly colored rubber bands, you make an awesome bracelet out of small colored rubber bands.  You place the rubber bands on the loom and then use a hook to weave the rubber bands into a colorful bracelet.  I encourage the kids to use their pinchers (fine pincer grasp) to place the rubber bands onto the pegs.  You have to follow a pattern so this is great for visual motor and visual perceptual skills.  I encourage the children I work with to choose a pattern and follow it from beginning to end to work on planning and organization skills in addition to the aforementioned visual skills.  If you have a child who needs to work on visual skills, this is a great craft activity for them.

Here is the original set.  Perfect for throwing in a bag
for those of you who do lots of home care or running from
school to school

Each set (pictured at the right) comes with the original Rainbow Loom pattern.  As of right now, that is the only one I have used with my kids at work.  However, if you have a child who has mastered the original bracelet pattern and is ready for more of a challenge, You Tube has step-by-step videos for tons of other patterns.  You can also check out the Rainbow Loom website for some links to other videos.  As a child becomes more of a master, you can start seeing how independent they can become learning new patterns by watching the videos.  I guarantee that if a child who has struggled with these types of activities can figure out the different patterns on their own, their confidence and self-esteem will improve by leaps and bounds.  It may even motivate them to try other activities that have been challenging for them in the past.

In addition to what I have already mentioned, The Rainbow Loom can work on the following occupational therapy goals:

This child is using great bilateral coordination
for the completion of her bracelet

Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-this is a great activity to focus on bilateral coordination skills in a fun and motivating way.  So much of this activity requires the use of two hands.  From putting the rubber bands on the loom, to stabilizing the loom with one hand while the other holds the hook to removing the completed bracelet from the loom with one hand while holding the loom still with the other.  So many ways to address this OT goal in a sneaky way (love tricking the kids into working on goals)!
Improve Grasping Skills-if you have a child who struggles with pencil grasp, this is another way you can work on encouraging a proper grip.  If you look at the picture below, you will see that you should hold the Rainbow Loom hook with a tripod like grasp.  I work with so many children who avoid working on handwriting activities and most of the time it is because their grasp on a writing instrument causes them so much difficulty with the task.  Using the Rainbow Loom can be a sneaky way to work on improving a pencil grasp without the child even knowing it!

Check out the tripod grasp being used in this picture.
This is the grasp that is expected when holding a writing instrument

Improve Focus and Attention-if you are trying to work on increasing a child's attention span and ability to focus, this is a perfect activity for them.  It is crucial that a child has good attention and focus when completing their bracelets because there are a lot of steps to completing each bracelet.  If you take your eyes away and lose focus on where you are, there is a chance you will have to start from the beginning again.  I try and help keep the children I work with who have decreased frustration tolerance by calling their attention to where they are and what the next step is.  Sometimes, having children talk through the next step, they are more successful.  As each child becomes more confident with their looming skills, you can decrease the amount of assistance you give them.  If you look at the picture above, you will see a child deep in concentration....something I strive to see in the kids I work with.  

Do you have a child who needs to work on his/her organizational
skills?  The Rainbow Loom kit above is a great way to
encourage a child to keep their supplies neat and organized.  

 Improve Organizational Skills-for children who lack organzational skills, this is a fun way to work on that.  Instead of having them just pick through the rubber bands while making the bracelet, I have them take out all their supplies first.  If they are following a pattern, they have to figure out how many of each color they need and put them in piles.  When they begin actually making the bracelet, they aren't wasting time digging through all the rubber bands.
Improve Self-Esteem and Confidence-I can still remember making friendship bracelets when I was younger.  I can remember struggling learning how to get it just right and feeling frustrated when it didn't come out perfectly.  But then, I finally got it and finished that bracelet and gave it to a friend and felt so good about myself.  Since this is an activity that is a bit of a fad right now, all the kids want to do it and do it well.  Being able to take their looms and make bracelets alongside their friends will help the kids I work with feel better about themselves and much more confident in his/her skills.  And in the end, if I have helped make a kid I work with feel better about themselves, then I have done what I truly set out to do.

Improves Social Skills-as some of you know, the Rainbow Loom is a craze right now.  I know my almost 8 year old niece and her friends have made hundreds of them this summer at her camp.  They sit together and share their materials, help each other out when they need it and exchange completed bracelets.  I just gave Julia her very own Rainbow Loom Deluxe kit and she is beside herself.  She is on vacation now, but know that she can't wait to show it off to her friends and make more bracelets with them.  This is such a great social activity for kids that doesn't involve electronics and/or screen time which I find to be such a welcome thing for school age kids.

How many of you have memories of making friendship bracelets growing up?  I can clearly remember going to the craft store with my mom and sisters and picking out tons of embroidery thread and spending hours and hours with my clipboard creating bracelets.  It wasn't easy and I had to start over again time and time again, but the satisfaction I felt when I completed a bracelet was awesome.  It made me feel so proud to create something and then be able to give it to a friend or family member.   I am loving watching that satisfaction and pride in the children I am working with.  What I really love is that this is an activity that is the rage amongst so many young (6-10 years old) kids this summer.  So when a child I work with, who typically struggles being able to do things like their peers, masters this, I know they feel good and are more likely to try this with their peers.  Way too often, I see children I work with avoid to do activities that they really want to do because they are afraid to not be as good as their friends.  I love watching them practice and then master something like the Rainbow Loom and then go out and do it alongside their friends.  Not only makes them feel proud, but it makes them feel like they are part of their peer group which is something that many of the children I work with typically struggle with.

If you are wondering where you can pick up a Rainbow Loom kit for your kids, I suggest checking out local toy stores first and seeing if they carry them.  My love of supporting small businesses is no secret.   I know that Stoopher and Boots on the Upper West Side in Manhattan carries them (and the accessories).  The educational store Learning Express carries them as well.  If you have no luck there, check out Amazon.com and see what you can find there.  This is where I found the Rainbow Loom Deluxe kit for my niece Julia's 8th birthday and am pretty certain I have not given her a gift that has made her this happy in all 8 years of her life!

I am excited to hear about your experiences with the Rainbow Loom with your kids.  Do you have a pattern that you have introduced to the kids you work with that has been easier for them than others?  Have you come up with ways to adapt the activity for children?  I would love to hear from all of you about your experiences with the Rainbow Loom.  As always, I am just a click away and really do love hearing from my readers.  

  

It's All About Teamwork

As a therapist, I wear many hats.  I do all the 1:1 private practice stuff at two sensory gyms in NYC (Heads Up and SAGE).  I am a co-founder of the most amazing after school program, The Meeting House, for school age children with social special needs.  And I run smaller social skills groups with a speech therapist I have had the joy of working alongside for years now.  Professionally, I can't think of a luckier therapist than me.

With all of those different hats I wear, the toys, supplies and equipment I need varies from setting to setting so my eyes are ALWAYS open for new and fun things that would be appropriate for each place.  Yesterday, while walking around the UWS trying to kill some time between clients, I found myself in Stoopher and Boots, a super cute kids store that carries not only adorable clothes but also a great selection of toys.  I'm super excited for the new game I picked up and think that many of you will love it as well, especially you parents of multiple children or therapists/educators who tend to see groups of kids.  Stack Up by Peaceable Kingdom is a perfect game for preschoolers.  It is great across the pediatric disciplines as it covers goals for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy and educational goals!  I can't think of many other games in my very large and overstuffed closet that do that.

Stack Up is a cooperative game that focuses on having all the players work towards the same goal as opposed to being first or the winner.  The object of cooperative games is that you focus on working together and not as individuals.  Nobody is made to feel left out or made to feel as though they didn't do a good job.  The point of the game is that in order for you to win, you need to be part of a group and play with your friends, not against them.  Cooperative games have becoming increasingly popular since I began working in schools about 10 years ago.  I love them because I find that for some of the kids on my caseload, they spend so much time working 1:1 with grownups that they lose out on opportunities to play with their peers outside of the classroom and may present with difficulties playing games appropriately.  I am lucky enough to work in an office with other occupational therapists and speech therapists.  If the kids are appropriate for one another, we will put aside some time to play a game together; this is great for all those involved.  For parents who want to encourage their children to play together more peacefully, this game is perfect!  Sometimes parents tell me they have a hard time letting their kids play games together because it leads to so much fighting and upset when somebody loses.  This could be a good solution to the sibling game-playing blues.

In addition to what I already talked about, here are a few more goals that can be worked on while playing Stack Up:

Improve Eye-Hand Coordination-this is a fun way to work on eye-hand coordination without the kids even realizing they are working on it!  My favorite kind of activity...one that can be super fun but help reach some of those occupational goals.  A child requires eye-hand coordination to put the stick in the hole of the block and then they need to carefully look at where the block goes and how to stack it on top of the other without it toppling over.  Sounds easy but when you have kids do it at the same time, it can be quite tricky for them.
Improve Frustration Tolerance-cooperative games are a good way for kids to work on improving their frustration tolerance.  Not just towards an activity, but in regards to working with another child. This is such an important skill for kids to develop but not always an easy one to work on.  Children who have good frustration tolerance will most likely play better with their friends.  

Improve Color Recognition/Matching Skills-another great aspect about this game is that you can use it for younger children who are still in the early stages of learning their colors.  As you spin the spinner, you land on 1 of 4 colors; you can use this as an opportunity to not only learn colors but to work on matching and sorting colors.  For younger children who aren't quite ready to play the game, you can use the opposite side of the board and have them sort colors onto the right colored square.
Improve Social Skills-I find it is very difficult to teach a child the importance of team work and not always having to be the winner.  So many of the children I work with think that if they win, they are the best.  I love that the concept behind this game, and all cooperative games, is that the way to win is by working together and making decisions as a group, not just on your own.  There are a lot of collaborative games out there but many are geared towards older children and, oftentimes, don't always hold the interest of the kids.  I love that this is easy to understand and even easier to adapt for whatever the group of children are able to handle.  This game is also good for encouraging conversation amongst friends which many of my kids need to work on.
Improve Motor Planning-depending on how you play the game, you can add a physical component to the game.  If you land on a challenge when you spin, you pick up a card with some kind of physical challenge (the whole group should perform this).  For example, my favorite challenge is to do a jumping jack and freeze in a legs open position.  The kids found this to be really funny and we were able to work on a skill that is sometimes hard for them.  Other challenges include standing on one foot, giving a friend a high five and holding it for 5 seconds or making silly faces.  All of these things may sound easy to you but for children with motor planning difficulties, it can be quite challenging and they may avoid trying it.  This game motivates the kids to try it in a really fun way.

I am really excited about trying this game out with the kids signed up for my social skills group in the fall.  I am also anxious to check out a few more of the games that Peaceable Kingdom has created.  The other cooperative games they have on their website look like they will be a lot of fun as well. In addition to more cooperative games, they have regular board games, card games and sticker sets.  I'm impressed not only with the quality of the product but with the thought that has been put into creating the game.  I am sure their other games and products will prove to be equally as wonderful.

Do any of you have cooperative games that you can recommend to me and my readers?  I would love to start the fall with a few new games to use during my sessions at the gym and also for my social skills groups.  Please share your ideas with us all!  While this game is targeted towards the younger kids, I also work with older children both in my private practice and at The Meeting House and would love a few more games for that population.

As always, I love hearing from my readers and am just a click away.  Looking forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions for other fun and motivating cooperative games.

Fishing Around is Fun!

I think all us therapists are familiar with the magnetic fishing puzzle by Melissa and Doug.  I must use mine nearly 1000 times a year at the gym and it never gets old.  One of the best parts about this puzzle is that the kids love it and don't realize how many occupational therapy goals can be worked on using this puzzle.  

Today, I was at my favorite toy store in Park Slope, Norman & Jules, looking for some birthday presents.  While I was completely successful in finding great presents, I was also successful (like I am every time I enter the store) finding a really cool toy for work.  This is not uncommon when I go into this store.  

Amongst the many fabulous toys at Norman & Jules right now I spotted a really cute fishing set.  Both Quinn and I fell in love with this toy and our little friend Liv did too.  The wooden fishing rod by Pure Play Kids is a simple but amazingly crafted toy.  It's the perfect size for preschooler and young school age children's hands.  While the set comes with 5 different colored, fish, the magnet is strong enough to pick up any metal objects.  I can't wait to experiment at the gym and have the kids pick up different objects so we can work on improving fine motor and grasping skills.  I will use small objects so we can work on encouraging a fine pincer grasp.  Earlier in the post, I spoke about the magnetic puzzles.  I plan on using the Wooden Fishing Rod set by Pure Play to have the kids pick up the puzzle pieces instead of using the fishing pole that comes with the game to add more of a challenge and work on improving a child's frustration tolerance since it takes longer to wind the fishing pole up.   

In addition to what I already talked about, the Wooden Fishing Rod toy will work on the following occupational therapy goals:

Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-the best thing about the fishing game is how you can work on improving bilateral coordination skills when using it.  One hand holds the fishing pole and the other hand is used to wind the string back up and then remove the fish from the pole. 

Improve Visual Perceptual Skills-when playing with the fishing pole set, you can have the child you are working with follow a pattern when catching the fish (tell them to get the fish in a certain order).  You can also have them work on matching colors by setting out different color paper and 

Improve Modulation and Regulation Skills-I love this activity because it is a great way to work on improving modulation skills.  The children have to not rush or go too fast when picking the fish up or winding the fishing pole up or the fish will fall off the magnet.  

Improve Attention and Focus-you can work on improving attention and focus by slowly increasing the number of fish or objects that you have a child pick up during the activity.  Start off with just a couple of fish or a couple of objects and as they get better with the fishing pole and winding it up, increase the number.  You can ask them to follow a certain pattern and pick up the fish in a particular order to work on focus.  

Increase Balance Skills-I like to challenge the kids by having them use the fishing pole while standing on a balance board or a slow moving square/platform swing.  For those who are anxious about doing it this way, I make it a game by saying that they are standing on a boat and need to catch the fish.  Standing on the board or the swing while engaged in this activity is a great way to work on increasing trunk control and strength.  

Improve Social Skills-as with most games, I think it is important to figure out a way to use them socially.  This fishing game is perfect for that.  You can work on children taking turns catching the fish in order to work on turn taking.  If you have more than one set of fishing poles, you can assign each child certain colors and have them work together to catch all the fish.  

If you happen to find yourself in Brooklyn, I highly recommend you check out Norman & Jules.  The owners of the store, Avi and Courtney, are the parents of 2 year old Charley who was a preemie and are committed to filling their store with top quality products.  Not just top quality products, but ones that will stimulate development, motivate imagination and ensure hours of fun for not only your child, but you as well.  I have found so many wonderful wooden toys and games here that I use at home and at the gym that have become the favorites of many.  I guarantee that you will have a hard time walking out the door without a bagful of their magical toys!  The icing on the cake...a portion of all sales go to The March of Dimes so you don't have to feel so guilty spending all that money!

I look forward to hearing from you and finding out if you have any other ideas on how to use this toy in the therapeutic setting.  I am only a click away and love hearing from my readers.  I have gotten so much good advice from my readers on how to adapt the toys and games that I have written about.

Happy Fishing!

The OgoDisk is Oh So Much Fun

Now that it is starting to really feel like Spring, I thought I would write about one of the toys that I use at the gym and at The Meeting House that would be a great toy for any and all of you occupational therapists and parents.

Months ago, I blogged about OgoBild Bits toys.  I was initially drawn to the OgoSport Company because I loved that it was born and raised in Brooklyn just down the street from where I live.  I was also drawn to them for their great design and durability after being introduced to them by one of my toy loving parents (thank you Alice) and knew that they would be a huge hit with all my kids.  These manipulative toys have been a huge hit with kids of all ages.  So once I fell in love with the OgoBild Bits, I decided to check out their gross motor sports game, OgoDisk.  Since adding it to my bag of tricks, it has become one of the most popular toys I have used.  It's been especially popular with our older group of boys at The Meeting House.

OgoSport makes many great products, the OgoDisk being one of my favorites.  The game comes in three different sizes (12-18") and two different styles (with and without handles).  It consists of two paddles and a koosh ball for passing back and forth.  The middle of the paddle is made out of a mesh-like material that helps the koosh ball bounce with great force.  So even if your child has decreased upper extremity strength, they can still hit the ball far enough to another person.  For children who have difficulty with grasping or decreased hand strength, there are two different paddle styles, one with handles and one without (pictured above).  You can experiment with what works best for your child and will allow for success.  Since the koosh ball is light, it can be played indoors to some extent without having to worry about broken windows or other valuables.  The three different sizes of the paddles makes it possible for kids of all different ages to be able to play it.  I have also heard of people taking this to the beach or to the pool because of the lightweight design and not being affected when it gets wet.  I can't wait to take our set to the beach this summer!

There are many occupational therapy goals that can be met using the OgoDisk.  Listed below are just a few of them.

Improve Eye-Hand Coordination-when hitting the koosh ball, it requires a tremendous amount of eye-hand coordination in order to get the ball back to your friend(s).  You need to make sure that your eyes are focusing not only on the ball, but where your friend is standing so you can get it to them with accuracy.
Improve Modulation and Regulation Skills-I love many of the skills that can be worked on using the OgoDisk, but think that it works on modulation and regulation really well.  The springy material on the paddle makes the koosh ball really fly, sometimes much further than anyone is anticipating.  When first introducing the toy to the kids at work, I spend a lot of time telling them to not hit so hard or to hit harder.  It takes a tremendous amount of patience and self-control for a child to hit the ball with the right amount of force for them to be successful in playing this with their peers.
Improve Attention and Focus Skills-while I have used this game in groups, I have also used it individually.  I challenge the kids to hit the ball up in the air as many times as they can before it hits the ground.  This is great for working on focus and attention (as well as eye-hand coordination).  In addition, this is a perfect activity to work on improving frustration tolerance in kids.
Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-if you have an older child who struggles with bilateral coordination, this is a good way to practice it in a fun way.  When a person serves the ball to their peer, they have to hold the paddle with one hand and hold the ball with the other.  This is challenging, but once they get it, they will feel so good about themselves.

Improve Social Skills-as mentioned earlier, we use this game at The Meeting House with a group of the kids.  They LOVE it and have come up with their own version of monkey in the middle using two sets of the game.  This gross motor game is great for encouraging good sportsmanship and encouraging your friends when they do well.  It's great for turn taking and making compromises amongst a group of kids.

While I tend to use this game with the older kids on my caseload (school age), I have used it with success with some of the younger ones as well to work on many of the aforementioned skills.  I may adapt the expectations of the game and instead of having them stand up while playing the game, I may have them sit so they are more grounded and focused on the task at hand.

This is also a great toy to throw in your bag as you are headed for a picnic somewhere this spring and summer.  I promise that your people, big and small, will all be entertained for hours!  I have seen the OgoDisk at many of the local Park Slope toy stores, including Lulu's Cut & Toys on Fifth Avenue and Little Things Toy Store on 7th Avenue.  You can also check out the OgoSport online store if you can't find it locally.  Keep in mind how much the small businesses depend on our support so do what you can to support them.

Have any of you used the game in therapy or with your families?  Do you have game variations to share with the rest of the MAC&Toys readers?  I would love to hear your thoughts about the OgoDisk and how you use it not only therapeutically but recreationally.  I am always a click away and love hearing from my readers.

Hope you are all enjoying your spring.  Now get out there, get your self some OgoDisks and enjoy the fresh air!