Our Top 6 Favorite Uses of Tool-kit Tools...

Web Version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Pocket Full of Therapy Product Highlight: TWEEZER SET Various tweezers each requiring different levels of strength and skill. Some are traditional squeeze to close, other squeeze to open. All add a new fun twist to an ordinary task. NEWSLETTER SPECIAL: Order a PFOT Tool Kit and receive 12 mini erasers as a FREE GIFT. Orders must be placed online by Tuesday 10/27 at midnight.  Use the code "Top5Tool" at checkout.  DID YOU KNOW: You can purchase any tool individually. Order 5 of any tool and get one free. Enter code: 645 at checkout  Fall PHOTO Contest: Send us photo's of a product in action!  Each picture gives you an entry in the contest. (So 5 photo's=5 entries). Winner will be chosen at random 12/1/15 and receive a $25 gift certificate. (Send entries by November 27th to lisaw@pfot.com. Please include permission for PFOT to use the photo.) GOOD LUCK! Tool Kit: 6 Favorite Uses The Tool Kit is designed to strengthen the fine muscles of the hand. The various tongs, tweezers, and grabbers require different skills. Paired with the small items included they can present challenges to every skill level. 1. "Pass the meatball Please" - Give everyone a "plate" (napkin, piece of paper/felt, etc) and a tool. As the Chef, place a piece of "food" on one players plate. They must pass it to the next player's plate using only their tool. Of course any food that falls on the ground or they touch with fingers can not be served and must go back to the Chef. Players keep passing until all the food gets back the beginning. Food should be objects that vary in size and weight so both the tool and object change the challenge. Stop and switch tools frequently so everyone gets a workout. 2. Use tongs and tweezers to remove pegs from a pegboard and place in a container across midline. Or use to move game pieces on your favorite board game. 3. Use your zoo sticks to eat lunch or dinner! How much fun to use something different than a fork. 4. Keep safer tools like the trap, tongs, or strawberry picker in sensory bins to pick up hidden treasures like chips or mini erasers. 5.Sort different items into cups or a muffin tin. Try larger items like cotton balls, critter or spiney balls. Smaller items like mini dice, beans, or math counters can be a challenge with tweezers or 3 point grabbers. 6. Positioning can also be used to grade the challenge level or can actually be the goal and the tool kit materials used as the "distraction activity". Maybe using a wood tong and spiney balls appears too easy for a student; but positioning the materials to require crossing midline may be the real focus of the task. Or the materials are on the floor and the student in half-kneel must rotate and bend to reach them and place in a container on a table. Top 5 Reasons to Shop @ www.pfot.com 1. Find the top products for children with special needs and others; Including awesome sales' specials, and resources that you won't find anywhere else. 2. Each product is hand picked by an Occupational Therapist, with YEAR'S of experience in pediatric therapy, child development. All products are KID-TESTED. 3. Use "Ask the Therapist" to email an OT about a problem or ask a specific question or get a professional opinion. 4. Connect to our blog or pinterest boards to help you find day to day activity ideas for groups, handwriting and more. 5. We are "real" people here to help you select items, answer questions or (in the rare case) if something goes wrong with your order. Call us - unlike other sites, we're really here! (732-462-4474) Coming Soon.... More: Favorite uses of a product and Tips to adrress a specific skill area. Have a request? Let us know. (Send questions to: Lisaw@pfot.com) You're receiving this because you subscribed or placed an order with Pocket Full of Therapy. We will NEVER share or sell your info. Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe Contact Us: (800) PFOT-124 (732) 462-4474 *An OT is always available to answer questions or assist in selecting the right item!

Oral Motor Fun

Web Version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Pocket Full of Therapy Wearable Chewy Necklades Wearable Chewy Necklace Pendants with Breakaway Rope These attractive oral motor fidgets are perfect for teething and sensory exploration-stimulation, provide light to medium “chewers” a more socially acceptable manner in which to provide input, alleviate chewing and sucking of clothing, fingers, hair and lips while facilitating concentration and calming. Senso Brush The Senso Brush can be used to directly stimulate areas of the mouth both inside and out. The alternating textures make it helpful for children with feeding difficulties by introducing new textures into their mouth easily in a controlled manner. Also provides a source of sensory stimulation for children who seek input from grinding teeth or chewing on items such as pencils, fingers, clothing etc. Made from FDA approved latex BP and Phthalate free materials. Follow Us On Facebook Oral Motor Fun Huff and Puff Spelling: All you need is styrofoam or paper cups, cotton balls, and straws.  Cut a "door" in the top of each cup then place them upside down on the floor.  Write a letter on each cup.  1. Pick a word to spell.  2. Lying on your stomach take a straw and a pom pom, blow through the straw, moving the pom pom toward the letter you need. Not ready to spell?  Just find a letter or find the letters in your name.  You can have a visual model to make the activity a little easier.  Or use shapes or numbers on the cups instead of letters. Set up on the table instead of the floor.  Instead of cups, use a piece of paper with letters on it.  Take your straw and blow the pom poms to your letter.    Oral Motor Zoomball You Need:  - String, a straw, balloon and tape.  1.  Blow up the balloon and tape it to the straw.  Now place the straw on string.  Tie one end of the string to a chair or door knob, then the other end of the string to a chair.  Make sure the string is pulled tight.  2.  Pull the balloon to one side, now blow the balloon to the other side! Set up two and have a race! Make your activity a little harder and crawl or crab walk while you blow the string. Follow your oral motor warm up with the "Real" Zoomball/Zipper.  Classic two player toy for developing bilateral coordination, team work, timing, arm and hand strength and endurance. Soft 5” ball with approximately 7 feet of string. Smaller size makes it easier for indoor use and for fitting in therapy bags. Shipping Special $5.00 Shipping!  Place an order online before Monday October 19, 2015 at midnight and receive $5.00 flat shipping.  Enter code "OralMotor" at checkout.  *Orders must ship to contiguous U.S.  No drop shipments.      Compiled by Lisa Walker OTR You're receiving this because you subscribed or placed an order with Pocket Full of Therapy. We will NEVER share or sell your info. Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe Contact Us: (800) PFOT-124 (732) 462-4474 *An OT is always available to answer questions or assist in selecting the right item!

Fine Motor Fun With Straws!!

Web Version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Pocket Full of Therapy Bunchems Squish, connect and create with Bunchems! These colorful, fuzzy plastic little balls stick together with a push and come apart with a pull. They stick and stay for endless play! Build a 3 dimensional lucky lady bug, daring dragonfly or slippery snail using the Bunchems balls and the 11 included accessories to bring your creation to life. Then simply pull them apart and rebuild as anything you want, the possibilities are endless! Item #T6408, T6409 Product Highlight Bored with your standard beads? Add life, color and pizzazz to a classic developmental activity with this new set. At approximately 1 inch, these brightly colored, high quality plastic beads are a good, challenging size for hands. Set includes 48 beads, 12 in each of 4 categories: transportation, safari animals, marine life; pets, and 100 multi-colored pony beads for use as spacers. Great for stringing, sorting, patterns, in-hand manipulation, tool use and classifying. Use thin straws or coffee stirrers to string these fun beads! Follow Us On Facebook Thank you Pinterest Friends! Fine Motor Fun With Straws?! Who Knew You could weave with straws?!! So fun and different! You need straws,yarn, a piece of cardboard, and tape to get started.  1. Start with 3 straws: For each straw, cut a  piece of yarn a few inches longer than you want the finished piece to be.  Tie the strands together with a knot and tape it to the cardboard.  2. Feed each strand of yarn through a drinking straw, sliding the straws all the way up to the knot. 3. Tie the end of another piece of  yarn around the first taped-down strand. 4. Now start weaving!  Move the yarn over and under the straws.  Keep the weaving as tight as possible.  As the straws become wrapped  in yarn, slide the straws down to re-expose them.  Continue weaving  until your piece reaches the desired length. 5. To finish the end, tie the weaving strand and all of the base stands together in an overhand knot.  Now the only question is, what are you going to do with your yarn weaving?  Whatever you choose, you'll have fin making it!   Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 More Fun With a Pack of Straws Here are some more fun fine motor tasks all with a pack of straws.  1. Cut and String: Take your straws and cut small half inch pieces, now string them on a piece of yarn or pipe cleaner.  Work on sorting and pattern copying as you cut sort the colors then make a pattern for your student to copy.  String a bracelet or necklace. 2. Make a Flute: Take nine straws and cut each a little shorter than the next.  So when you are finished cutting they look like a set of stairs.  Now line them up in size order and tape them together.    Compiled by Lisa Walker OTR You're receiving this because you subscribed or placed an order with Pocket Full of Therapy. We will NEVER share or sell your info. Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe Contact Us: (800) PFOT-124 (732) 462-4474 *An OT is always available to answer questions or assist in selecting the right item!