Tips for Traveling with Kids during the Summer!
As summer approaches planning family trips, whether it’s a road trip to the Poconos or a plane
ride to Disneyland, always guarantees a fun summer full of amazing memories. Sometimes
traveling to our destination takes a long time, making it difficult for kids to get their needs met
while in a confined space for a long period of time. This can result in sensory overload or a lack
of sensory input and lead to meltdowns. Below is a list of ideas you can use to provide your
child with adequate sensory input in order to limit meltdowns and make more family
memories.
Holiday Toy List
Holidays are a great time to stock up on your kids favorite things! But where do you start!? If you are looking for some guidance to find some FUN and FUNctional toys this holiday season check out some OT-approved toys and games;(As always: speak with your child’s therapist to get suggestions regarding their specific needs and preferences!)
What is Proprioception?
Many people consider proprioception our “sixth sense”. Proprioception allows us to sense our body’s movements and actions. It helps us determine how much force to use when holding, pushing, pulling, or lifting objects. Proprioceptive input is received throughout our muscles and joints that tells us about our movement and body position. Another way to describe proprioceptive input is heavy work. Proprioceptive input can be regulating and organizing for many children, and provide them with movement that their body is craving! This movement can help them calm their bodies down and potentially allow them to better focus on tasks.
FALL FUN ACTIVITIES
With the fall season in full-swing, there are so many ways to get your child engaged in a variety of sensory experiences. This season brings about so many changes; from the weather, falling leaves, fresh harvests, warmer clothing, to the time that the sun sets. Allowing children to explore the elements of their surroundings helps them = engage each of their senses, which in turn helps them process and make sense of the world around them. Understanding the differences that come along with each season will help your child learn about change over the course of the year.
Say Yes to the Mess
A child’s job is to play and, guess what? They LEARN through play. Learning through play does not only mean playing with toys. It means allowing your child to play with food, too. Why is this important? It is important because eating is one of the most complex activities we do as humans. It involves ALL of our senses-sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste and even our “hidden sense” of proprioception as we grade how much force to use when grasping food. There are 2 other “hidden senses” in addition to proprioception (vestibular, interoceptive) that are also involved, but we can save talking about those in more detail for another day. By allowing your child opportunities to play with and explore a variety of foods, the more you are EXPOSING them to the sensory aspects of the food. Over time, EXPOSURE leads to ACCEPTANCE.
