Tag Archives: home activities

May3

Let’s Go On A Picnic

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Let’s Go On A Picnic

The weather is pretty nice outside right now and perfect for picnicking—-in your back yard, porch, or on your living room floor 🙂

Enjoy the activities our OT, PT, and SLP have come up with for you this week!

 

 

 

 

SENSORY

This week our focus is on tactile (TOUCH) input. For this activity you need sunscreen (if you are going outside) or plain lotion (if staying inside). If you are using scented lotion, be sure you let your child SMELL the lotion.

Rather than a quick slather, gently massage the lotion on to your child’s arms, legs, etc. concentrating on each body part as you go.  Go slowly and talk about the body part you are applying the lotion to—perhaps even make up a little song to go with it!

 

 

GROSS MOTOR

Whether you have your picnic inside or outside include some games.  There are many kinds of games you can play.  I looked online and found lots.  There are games for inside and outside.  There are games that include water (for a hot day) and items that you have around the house.

Play some sort of a game where you have to throw an object to a target.  Games like horseshoes, washers, corn hole, ring toss, or bowling.  Use what you have from home to play your game.  You could use bean bags, foam balls, swim rings, laundry baskets, boxes, cones, recycled plastic bottles, etc.  If you want to challenge your child’s balance have them stand on a pillow while throwing objects to the target.  If you are outside, you could use water balloons and buckets.  These could all be played while sitting or standing.  You could also play by having your child reach to place an object in a container while they are seated in their wheelchair or chair.  Move the target up high, down low, to the side, forward, etc. to place the object in/on the target (bucket, box, cone, etc.).  Have them cross midline and use both hands.

Also, include a game that requires running.   Games such as relay races (there are many online that include water balloons and sponges if it is a hot day), freeze tag, red light green light, hide and seek, or kick ball.  If your child is in a wheelchair and they can self propel their chair, have them push their chair to play the game.  If they are unable to push their chair, have a sibling be their partner and move them as the game requires.

Try a game that involves gross motor movements such as sack races, hopscotch, and obstacle courses.  Make your own hopscotch path using sidewalk chalk or hula hoops.  You can also use sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, pool noodles, cones, etc. to make an obstacle course for your child to move through.

Maybe, end the day with a scavenger hunt to find a hidden sweet treat.  Have fun and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR

Have fun blowing bubbles! If you are doing this inside, you probably want to have a towel handy to wipe up spills. As the bubbles drift into the air, encourage your child to follow them with their eyes. Ask them to catch them by waving their arms, clapping the bubbles between their hands, poking them with a finger, or even isolating the index finger and thumb to “pinch” the bubbles.

Hold the bubble container and ask your child to dip the wand in to work on eye hand coordination. If you are really brave, let your child hold the container——make sure to have that towel handy 🙂

Blowing bubbles is a simple but oh so much fun activity—-enjoy!

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE

The weather is so beautiful right now and PERFECT for a picnic!  Here’s an activity you can do inside or outside: What Should We Bring To The Picnic

Talk with your child about the different things that they might want to eat at a picnic.  There are picture supports in the link above.  You can use the picture symbols of food that are in the link or you can cut food out from magazines.

Since you won’t be too far from home while on your picnic, here’s a little recipe that doesn’t require many ingredients and will be yummy to have when it’s hot outside.  Take a look at the recipe to see our students putting this treat together from 2018 🙂  Here’s a link to the recipe: Lets Make Strawberry Sorbet

 

 

 

 

 

LITERACY

We suggest this book from January 2015: The Little Brown Owl Makes a Healthy Snack

And this book from this book from October 2013: Who Did Alice See

 

 

Join us next time for more fun and home learning—-Group by Group!

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Apr4

Take a Walk Outside

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Take a Walk Outside

As schools are closed for the next few weeks, we are going to do a series of posts with ideas for our parents at home. Since our students aren’t here we are just pulling archived photos—which is kind of fun actually 🙂

This week our activities are centered on taking a walk outside in your backyard!

 

 

 

SENSORY:

What can you HEAR, SEE, SMELL? Does it FEEL different to walk/ride over bumps in the grass/sidewalk, go fast/slow? Are there things to TOUCH?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROSS MOTOR:

For students whom walk, take advantage of what your surroundings provide you with.  Practice walking on and transitioning different surfaces, such as grass, mulch, gravel, sand, etc.  Also, practice walking up/down hills, curbs, stairs, ramps, etc.  Walk in areas where the student has to step over or around objects in their path of travel, such as water hoses, tree roots, etc.

For students whom self propel their wheelchairs, have them push on different surfaces or inclines/declines/ramps.  Have them turn their wheelchair in a requested direction or weave around objects in their path of travel.

Hopefully this will provide you with some good ideas.  Make sure you provide as much assistance and/or supervision as needed to ensure student safety.  Most of all have fun and enjoy your walk together.  The weather has been great.

 

 

FINE MOTOR: 

For students who need assistance with classroom tools, draw a simple picture of something you saw outside (ex. tree or house) and have them color it. If you have to help them hold the utensil that is okay, but encourage them to move their arms themselves. Markers may be easier for them to use (less friction/brighter colors)and remember the writing surface can be placed vertically.

 

For students learning to use classroom tools, ask them to draw a picture of something they saw outside. For example, you can model a square house step by step to encourage visual copy skills. Using verbal prompts such as DOWN and ACROSS lines can be helpful. You could also add start/endpoint dots for the lines.

 

 

For students learning to write, ask them to write a sentence about what they saw. Give them a model to copy if they need it. Sometimes, using a highlighter to emphasize the top and bottom lines of the paper can be helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE: Practice core vocabulary words HELP/STOP/GO. Do you need HELP to get ready? Do you want to GO? Do you want to STOP here?  Talk about what you SEE (“I see a BIG house” or “I see a LITTLE bug”).

 

 

 

Ask them to find different things like a leaf, a stick, a car.  Talk about the weather and if it’s SUNNY or CLOUDY.

 

 

 

 

 

LITERACY: we suggest reading our book from 4/1/2018— Let_s Go To The Park 

 

So this is our new normal! Join us again next time for more fun and learning—-Group by Group!

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