Memorial Day

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Red, White, and Balloons!

Celebrating Memorial Day with a BBQ?  Here are some great games to play with friends or family, indoors or out!   You will need balloons and few other supplies.  Eye hand coordination, motor planning, motor skills, and FUN!

1.  Balloon Baseball: All you need is a balloon and some pool noodles.  Hit the balloon up into the air, now try to keep it up but hitting it with your pool noodle. 

* Have one person call out a color- the person holding that color pool noodle has to hit the balloon.  Or call out a name or age and that person has to hit the balloon. 

* Add some more gross motor skills- if you are swinging the pool noodle, you have to hop on one foot to the balloon, or skip to get the balloon before hitting it. 

2.  Crab Walk Balloon Volleyball: All players need to be in a crab walk position, using your feet to hit the balloon to the opposite side.  You can tie a rope to two chairs to make a net or hit it over a table or chair.  If crab walk is too difficult, try playing in half kneel or in a squat position.

3. Balloon Body Jam: You need a balloon and a partner.  Pick a body part, head, arm, knee, hip or hand.  Now place the balloon on that body part, have your partner stand next to you with that same body part on the balloon.  Now see how far you can walk without letting the balloon fall!  Make it a little more exciting with a relay race or two! 

 

Compiled by Lisa Walker OTR

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere, Product Specials and Sales

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Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

Whether you are stuck inside or have time to play outside bubbles are a great therapy tool!  There are so many different activities you can do with bubbles, liquid or bubble wrap!! Here are just a few:

1. Put your child in a bubble:  For this activity you will need some space, a child size plastic pool, hula hoop, Dawn dish soap, and glycerin (can find at a drug store). 

* First fill the pool about two inches deep with water, add 2 cups of Dawn dish soap, and about 2 tablespoons of glycerin.  Mix all ingredients together.  

* Have your child step into the pool and place the hula hoop around them, laying it on the bottom of the pool.

* Slowly raise the hula hoop around them, do this slowly, be careful not to touch the hula hoop to anything or the bubble will pop, and the bubble will form around them!

*If they don't want to be in the bubble, you can also have your child sitting on the outside of the pool making large bubbles with the hula hoop. 

2. Bubble Wrap Hopscotch: Cut your bubble wrap into 9 squares and place on the floor in the form of a hopscotch board.  Now play hopscotch with some extra input! Your child will be more motivated to jump as the bubble wrap pops away!

3.  Bubble Wrap Art: Tape a piece of bubble wrap around a paint roller, dip in paint and roll on large sheet of paper.  You will get tactile and auditory input as well as bilateral coordination to roll back and forth.

4. Pinch Bubble Pop: Blow bubbles, any kind, and ask your child to pop them using pointer and thumb, then use ring finger and thumb, then pinky and thumb.  Work on finger isolation as they pop away!

 

Compiled by Lisa Walker OTR

All You Need is a Therapy Ball, Free Shipping too!

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All You Need Is A Therapy Ball!

How many activities can you do with a therapy ball?  Here are some of our favorites.

- Increase upper body strength as you have your child lay in prone,  on their stomach over the ball, placing their hands on the floor to weight bear.  The larger the ball, the higher your child, the more gravity working against your child. While laying on their stomach have your child play games on the floor, complete puzzles, or stack blocks.  They won't even know they are working!  When placing the ball, if you want more support make sure it is under your child's hips, more difficult move the ball down their legs.  And remember to make the activity less challenging as you make the position more difficult to avoid frustration. 

- Use your therapy ball as a seat! For those students who like to move, switch their chair for a therapy ball.  Have your child sit with their hips, knees, and ankles at ninety degrees.  Make sure you have an adult close by especially when you first try out the ball for a seat.  Our new Kore Chair may be a safer option!

- Provide some deep pressure! Have your child laying flat on the therapy mat or floor, and roll over them with therapy ball.  Make some pancakes!

- Therapy ball toss- have your child pick the ball up over their head using two hands together, toss toward a partner.  Increase the distance between partners to work on grading control and force.  Increasing upper body strength, team work and eye hand coordination.  If you don't have a partner use the wall for ball throws. 

- Therapy ball patterns- work on modulating force and increasing strength with this fun therapy pattern activity.  Use these patterns: *Throw ball against the ball, bounce, and catch.  *Throw against wall and catch.  *Bounce, throw against wall and catch.  *Place something on the floor, throw ball to hit it and partner will catch.  *Bounce with alternating hands.  *Bounce five times with one hand and five times with the other. 

Tissue Paper:10 Activities to do this week; $5 Off Special

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10 Things to do with Tissue Paper:

There are so many things to do with a simple pack of tissue paper.  Whether you recycle it from a gift or buy a pack at the dollar store, here are some fun activities to do at home, school, in group or individually!

1. Tissue Paper Races: Grab a straw or two, rip some pieces of tissue paper and crumple into a ball.  Place them on the floor, have your child lay on the floor and blow tissue paper across the finish line. Start with the finish line close, then increase distance to required greater and more forceful blowing. Or do on hands and knees and make the finish line across the room for some upper extremity weight bearing.

2. Tissue Paper Masterpiece: Rip, tear and crumple!  Create a masterpiece.  Have a coloring sheet or shape outlined, add some glue and place the crumpled tissue paper on top. Smaller pieces of paper and "one-hand only" crumpling works those in-hand manipulation skills. To make this part of a group sensory motor obstacle course- have the student place a piece of tissue paper on a group picture, each time they finish an obstacle.

3.  Tissue Paper Art in a Bottle: We do sand art, why not tissue paper art?   Using a clean, dry, empty water bottle, crumple pieces of tissue paper and fill the bottle! Make layers of colors, or mix and mingle. Practice using a pincer grasp, or try a tool to pick up small balls and place in the bottle. Add small, lightweight "treasures" that you can visually search for when complete. Close the cap tightly when full and seal with hot glue if desired.

4. Abstract Tie Dye Fun: Tissue paper art: Darker colored tissue paper will work better with this project.  Cut small squares of tissue paper and lay on watercolor paper.  With a spray bottle, spray water on the tissue paper.  The tissue paper color will run and tie dye the water color.

5.  Tissue Paper Pendant: Cut tissue paper into large pieces and soak in warm water for several minutes.  Take several pieces out of water and squeeze water out, then push into ice cube tray.  Continue to do this until your tray is filled.  When finished, turn tray over and push out the shape.  Let your shape dry for 1-2 days.  Paint with Mod Podge when dry!

6.  Tissue Paper Window Art: Tape a piece of contact paper on the window, sticky side toward you.  Cut pieces of tissue paper and press to the contact paper.  Your children won't even realize they are strengthening their shoulders and upper body while doing this!

7. Ribbon Sticks: Tape a long length to a stick and make your own ribbon sticks/streamer.

8. Juggling: take advantage of the light texture of tissue paper and that it will "float" on air. Practice tossing with one hand, catching with other. Then toss one with the right hand, toss one with left- then catch left, catch right.

9. "Keep it up, Keep it Whole-No hands Allowed": Toss a sheet high in the air and see how long you can keep it from hitting the floor. Tap with different body parts, even blow, but don't touch with your hands or tear it. Try this in pairs or small groups too - add rules like alternate turns or stay on a spot.

10. Tell us what you like to do: You must be inspired to try one of these activities or have an idea of your own. Share it! Email us or post it on our facebook page!