With summer time vastly approaching and school coming to an end, there are plenty of inexpensive and fun ways to keep your children entertained. These ideas are not only fun for your child, but can also help maintain some of the skills that were being addressed in school. Tactile, gross motor, fine motor and play/social skills will all be reinforced. So let’s get started, and let the fun begin!
Make a Splash: Water is not only refreshing on a hot summer’s day, but also is very therapeutic for your child. You can go to a public pool nearby, fill a little plastic pool, lay out a splash pad, or just play in the sprinklers. These are simple and easy ways you can enjoy water activities with your child. There are actually many benefits that your child can gain from these types of water experiences, such as, tolerating touch, eye contact, balance, gross motor planning and even learning water safety.
Painting (outdoors): Painting may be thought of as messy instead of “fun” in a parent’s mind. But when the kids are hot and ready to come inside you can actually keep them cooled off and refreshed with this creative painting idea…so let’s beat the heat.
Kool-Aid ice cubes: Try this way of fun in the sun painting and get in a few licks to awaken their palate too. All you have to do is buy Kool-Aid packages (variety of colors) and then place powder in ice trays and pour in a little bit of water. You can place Popsicle sticks in each one for easier grasping. This is great for kids that are tactile defensive or need to work on their grasping skills to develop a tripod or quadripod grasp. It’s tasty therapy.
Chalk: Have you ever colored with a marker and then switched to crayons? When you colored with a marker you probably realized you did not have to put much effort in drawing because the ink glides on the paper. With a crayon you have to apply more pressure. The same pressure is applied when using chalk. Chalk drawing provides a lot of sensory feedback into the hands, forearms and shoulder joints therefore allowing us to know where our body is in space. Side walks and driveways make a perfect canvas for a rainbow of colors.
Park: Going to the park is a perfectly free playtime activity. It allows children to explore the outdoor environment and is a great tool for motor planning. While they are climbing ladders and hanging on the monkey bars, they are building strength in their bodies. This also allows them to interact with other children and enhances their social skills.
Erin Kizzar, MOT, OTR/L
TW Occupational Therapy Clinic Manager
Occupational Therapist
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