The Many Benefits of Playing in the Snow
As the season of winter is vastly approaching, snow is (potentially) in the air! While we may want to stay indoors when it is snowing, playing in the snow actually has many benefits to a child’s development (once bundled up, of course!). Playing, moving around, building and creating in the snow provides opportunities for gross and fine motor skill development, coordination, body awareness, problem-solving, and even social skills. Not to mention an overall great activity to provide sensory input.
Cooking With Kids for Thanksgiving
Cooking with kids around the holidays is a fun activity that many parents and children enjoy doing together. Encouraging cooking skills is a great way to support a child’s independence and prepare them for adulthood. Performing tasks such as scooping, kneading, cutting, chopping, and shredding are great ways to develop fine motor skills and coordination. In addition, following a recipe teaches children how to follow directions and sequence steps. Some tips for cooking with your children this Thanksgiving include:
Cold Weather Clothing
The leaves have begun to fall and it’s time to dig out the long sleeves, pants and jackets. For a kid who struggles with sensory processing, especially tactile defensiveness, this time of year may cause increased stress and anxiety. For a child on the Autism spectrum or with other tactile difficulties, tags, textures and seams may cause complete meltdown. Luckily many clothing brands have recognized this difficulty and have attempted to ease the transition between seasons.
Tips & Strategies to Prevent a Halloween Meltdown
Halloween can be a very overstimulating for kids especially finding a comfortable costume to loud and crowded places. Here are some tips on different ways to prevent meltdowns during this fun and exciting time of year. Here are some strategies to help your child pick a costume.
Benefits of Crawling
Why is crawling so important? Crawling is an important part of development. Literature indicates there is a strong link between movement, the brain, and learning (Krog, 2015). As a baby begins to move around their environment, they are increasing their awareness of their surroundings, fostering their sensory-motor development as they begin to touch, explore, and see new experiences. Crawling also provides a strong foundation for the development of higher level motor skills.
Bathtime Tips
For some parents bathtime can be a fun and/or relaxing experience. For others, bathtime can be quite challenging. It often causes a negative reaction in children with sensory processing difficulties. Some things that might trigger a negative reaction in kids include: the sound of running water, water temperature, bathroom lights, the smell of soap or shampoos, fear of getting soap in the eyes, the feeling of being wet after washing, and the feeling of being towel dried. The best way to make bath time more enjoyable is to limit fears and incorporate some of your child’s favorite activities and toys.
Cooking with Children
As OTs, we consider cooking an occupation, specifically an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL). Cooking is a multi-sensory task that, when broken down into a task analysis, can involve sensory integration, fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, hand and upper body strength, motor planning, reading, math, problem-solving, impulse control, sequencing & more! Regardless of your child’s age or skill level, there’s a benefit to involving your child in the kitchen. You can involve your child using your discretion to address skill areas, but most importantly to spend time together, continue or create new traditions, and make memories together.
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.
Benefits of Yoga for Children
Practicing yoga has countless benefits for your child. Yoga can help develop the
physical body by increasing strength, balance, and coordination, while also benefiting
your child’s mental well being by supporting emotional regulation and boosting their
self-esteem. One of the best things about yoga is how accessible it can be! There are
tons of free classes and resources online, and with just five minutes of yoga per day you
could start to see some benefits.
