| This list of activities is designed
to give you ideas of how to help your child develop various skills
that are important for reading, writing, self-expression (art, drama,
etc.), physical well-being (muscle development/coordination), while
at the same time having tons of FUN! It is very important to allow
your child to develop their own preferences, styles and interests
so that the end product is a result of their own accomplishment.
At the same time it can also be appropriate to guide your child through
an activity or learning experience in order to challenge their abilities
and improve skills.
While providing them with a wide variety of materials
and techniques, it is important to notice if they avoid specific
textures, scents, or challenges. If you notice an area that your
child avoids, try to introduce it slowly, or combine it with something
that they enjoy. You can also model how much you like doing the activity.
It can be helpful for you to do a portion of a challenging task and
then allow them to complete the rest. This affords them the feeling
of accomplishment even if the task as a whole is a bit beyond their
current skill level. An example of this is tying shoe laces. Some
children are able to complete the first part of the knot. Other children
may enjoy the final tug of the bow. The important part is that the
child is involved in a portion of the task. Little by little they
do more and more, until they can do it by themselves.
Activities to Promote Eye-Hand Coordination, Visual-Motor and
Fine-Motor Skill Development
Fine-Motor Skills - The use of
small muscle groups for controlled movements of the hands. Visual-Motor
Integration / Eye-Hand Coordination - The coordinated movement
between the eyes and the hands.
- Cutting - Cutting playdoh, cardboard, putty (silly
putty or theraputty),angular and curvy lines, straw, paper.
Fiskar brand scissors* are highly recommended as they cut smoothly
and can be used for right or left handed children. Having regular
experiences holding the scissors and cutting different
types of materials will in and of itself improve cutting skills.
*Fiskar junior scissors can
be purchased at your local pharmacy
- Writing
- Use shaving cream, sand in a box top, vibrating pens, crayons/markers
that are scented, chalk on a sidewalk or driveway, drawing
dot to dot or mazes, coloring books, cards to friends and family.
You can also have your child form letters, numbers or words
in the air or on your back, and you guess what they wrote.
- Bead
stringing - String various types of beads made out of wood,
clay, Cheerios, Fruit Loops on pipe cleaners, shoe laces, string,
licorice, etc. Water play - Water squirters (many come in the
shape of animals), squeezing wash clothes and sponges, helping
to wash the car or table (yeah!).
- Cooking - Pouring, stirring,
shaking, kneading, cutting, pressing, measuring.
- Pinching - (Not
friends and family!) clothespins, clay, clips, snaps, velcro.
- Arts and crafts - Origami, model cars/boats, glitter, glue,
yarn, woodworking braiding.
- Puzzles - You can draw a puzzle
shape in the air and have them chose which one of three choices
is the one you drew, then ask them to draw it themselves.
Sometimes outlining the form board with a dark marker can help
children focus on shape discrimination. Taking your finger and
tracing the shape also helps to emphasis it's features, you can
encourage your child
to outline it as well.
- Playing catch - Velcro balls
with velcro catch mitts, baseball glove and ball, Koosh balls
with various textures, a balloon filled with water, toss an
egg (outside of course!). Talk to your child about how hard or
soft you are throwing each item, this concept is helpful for
learning about and controlling their own strength.
- Games - Video/computer games with joy sticks or
a mouse, learning to type with two hands, board games with moving
pieces around the board (chutes and ladders).
Activities to Promote Visual-Perceptual Skill Development
visual perception - the ability to look at visual
information and make meaning from it.
- Sorting - Baseball cards by teams, playing cards
by suits or colors or numbers, buttons by sizes or colors, sorting
mail, matching socks or clothing when laundry is cleaned, silverware
into the drawer.
- Sequencing - Putting numbers and letters in
order, arranging objects by size, games such as Simon where
you copy a pattern.
- Reading - Finding how many of a certain letter
or word is on a page, child reads to parent and visa versa,
word search puzzles, cross word puzzles, pointing to details
in pictures.
- Fingerspelling games - Fingerspelling words and
have your child copy the spelling or sign the word.
- Games - Board games ( i.e. Candyland, Bingo),
puzzles, Where's Waldo, memory games (i.e. concentration, lotto),
computer/ video/Nintendo.
Activities to Promote Sensory Processing
Sensory processing -
The ability to accept, interpret and respond accordingly to sensory
information.
- Sand play - Barefoot play, hide hands and feet,
pouring on arms and legs, mix sand and water to create a different
texture.
- Water play - Swimming, baths with Crazy Foam soap, bubble
baths.
- Cooking - Experimenting with different tastes, temperatures,
textures and scents.
- Art - Finger painting with pudding, shaving cream
and paints, clay, playdoh, sand art, goop (cornstarch mixed
with water and food coloring).
- Movement - Swings, slides, rolling down hills,
bouncing on balls (Hippity hops) and trampolines, rocking, pushing,
pulling. Keep in mind that slow movement i.e. swinging calms
the system where fast movements awaken the system.
Activities to Promote Gross Motor Skill Development
Gross motor
control - The use of large muscle groups for controlled movements
of the body.
- Sports - Karate, rowing a boat, swimming, ice-skating,
roller-blading, baseball, soccer, gymnastics, running/jogging,
bike riding, horseback riding. Dance and aerobics - Promotes
coordination, strength and endurance.
- Games - Hop scotch, jumping
rope, leap frog, simon says, red light green light, statue, tug
of war.
- Weight training - Weight lifting (not appropriate
for preschool children) you can use cans of soup or children
sized barbells.
Developed by: Andrea
Pearlman and Lori
Rolnick, Occupational Therapists, Kendall Demonstation
Elementary School
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