6 New T'day activities & kinesthetic basketball

6 New Activities for your Thanksgiving week! Tired of the same, ole, Thanksgiving activities? We were too! So here are some new tricks to try! CRANBERRY DOUGH: 1/2 can cranberry sauce 1 1/2 Cups Cornstarch Mix, adjust amounts based on the amount needed & the desired consistency. Patterned or Zen-Turkey: Time to bring out the good markers or gel pens and sneak in pencil control for writing. Make a "stroke pattern sampler" to encourage different ways to fill in the picture. Examples: wave lines, little circles, cross-hatches, spirals Tic-Tac-Turkey: Make a board with tape, rope, yarn, on paper, etc Use: yellow for corn; orange for pumpkins, red for apples or cranberries and of course, brown for turkey! How about a round robin tournament to include all ages? Remember different throw lines for different ages! Stuffed Turkey Toss: Staple and stuff brown bags to make the target. Use crumbled paper to toss. Different size balls for different points. All can play! Popsicle Stick Puzzles: Tape sticks to the table to keep stable. Help draw or trace an image on the sticks. Carefully color or paint. Separate when dry for a fun self-made puzzle! Cranberry Construction: Time to get a little messy! Fresh cranberries & toothpicks or plastic coffee stirrers are used  as the building tools. Demonstrate making some basic structures. Then allow to add on or build their own creations. Fun Featured Game:    K-Basketball (kinesthetic game)  K-Basketball (a kinesthetic game) An eyes closed, basketball themed game, designed specifically to work on kinesthetic motor skills. Not many games can do this! How does it work? The 11" x 17" dry-erase surface depicts a basketball court, complete with men (printed circles & squares in 2 different colors scattered about) and a scoreboard. The object of the game is of course to score.  To do so, you place the tip of a dry erase marker on your shape at center court. Decide which of your teammates you want to "pass" to and practice that move 2-3 times with your eyes open. when ready, make that same move but with your eyes closed. If your dot lands totally inside your shape, then, it was a successful pass and you get to go again. If you missed your mark, ball goes to the other side. Feeling lucky?...go for that 3 pointer! It's loads of fun and everyone's sensory system gets a real workout! Helps improve awareness of body position for young and old alike. Happy Thanksgiving! Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

Got only a minute? 8 quick fine motor activities

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8 Quick Fine Motor Activities that take only a few minutes to do. Got only a minute or 2 ?  Quick Go-to Fine Motor Activities Sometimes the timing is just off... maybe the student sped through all planned tasks or they didn't take as long as you thought. You still have a few minutes left, hmmm...  What won't take too long or require much equipment? Try these "good ole stand-by's" ! Thumb Wars:  Lock fingers as shown. Elbows must stay on table at all times Try to pin your opponents thumb down on you fingers for a 5 count, using only your thumb. Best out of 3 wins - this time! Mini Simon: A pint size version of the classic game. Try to repeat the ever-increasing sequences of lights & sounds. Fast-paced, challenging fun! Mindo Robot: A single player thinking game. Jungle Animal Rescue: Take any fun small object (animal, car or truck) preferably irregular shaped Wrap rubber bands or jungle vines around it in a haphazard way.  Rescue!  Take turns being the wrapper and rescuer. Pencil Manipulations: Practice those finger movements that make pencil use easier. Hold pencil like you,re going to write. Begin at eraser & walk fingers from to point & back.  Rotate pencil so lettering disappears then re-appears. Repeat 5 x's Combine movements to go from writing position to erasing. 5 x's without dropping or touching desktop. Rubber Band Magic Trick A Classic Favorite !  A rubberband is placed around the 1st 2 fingers, then when you open your hand, the band "magically jumps" to the 3rd & 4th fingers! Behind the scenes: After the band is in place, sneak the rest of your fingertips under the band in the palm of your hand. Open & it jumps! Slip Knot Tying Chain This feels like magic when you pull it loose again! Use any string, yarn, rope, shoelace, etc Make a small circle at the end of string as if going to tie a knot, but instead of bring the end through, bring a loop through. Tighten both strings hanging down. That's a slip knot. To make a chain- go through the loop you just made-pull another loop through. Tighten. Repeat. To remove knots- just pull the ends of both strings. Whala! "> Cats Cradle:  Use string, shoelace, yarn, etc about 54" long. (using 2 strings, let's you model movements for setup) Pinch the X's by grasping in the space above & below the X. Movements usually are: Pinch, pull up, out to sides, down & under, then up through. Here's video of how to do it solo and also with a partner.  (I know-  Solo?  Never heard of it- leave it to youtube!) It's Veteran's Day -  Thanks to All Who Serve Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

Non-traditional Playing card activities for hand and social skills

Web Version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Pocket Full of Therapy SETS: A DIFFERENT KIND OF CARD GAME The deck includes 81 cards. Each has either 1, 2, or 3 symbols on it. The symbols are either ovals, squiggles, or diamonds; either red, green, or purple, and either solid, striped, or open outlined. The original game calls for players to find SETS - 3 cards that have 3 attributes in common (i.e. all open, red, or go in number sequence). But these cards can also be used for sorting by 1, or more attributes. The uses are unlimited! MINI PLAYING CARDS 2 1/2 inch glossy finished playing cards in a storage box. Great size for smaller hands or makes larger hands work harder. Unlimited uses for therapy and play. Small and convenient for travel and therapy bags. Really works those intrinisic finger muscles! FACE CHASE This game was designed for attention to detail during facial recognition. But the 60 double sided face cards can also be used as a just cards to sort anyway you would like. (By hair color, eyes, mouth, etc.) Attention to detail is needed to spot the subtle differences. Also can be used to play the facial expression recognition game!  Follow us on Facebook PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM TOO! PFOT on Pinterest Coming Soon... Have only a minute activity ideas.  Use playing cards as the activity WITHOUT playing cards or Math! Playing card games definitely has a place in the social skills children need now-a-days. Most children like playing cards and quickly learn basic games such as War, Go Fish, & Old Maid. But they may avoid these games or "pass" on taking a leadership role if they know that their hand skills are not quite good enough. Maybe they can't shuffle, deal or hold the cards appropriately in their hands. If you are always dropping your cards or can see a cards value as you deal, well it can become a BIG DEAL to others. Basic Card Handling: Shuffling: This takes practice & patience. There are several ways to shuffle. You can find many video tutorials on youtube Swish & Mix: The easiest. Lay all cards face down on table, swish around with both hands to mix them up. Then gather again. Overhand Mix: Hold cards loosely in hand resting a long edge of the cards in the palm of the other hand. Carefully take a portion of the back of the deck and bring it to the front. Repeat several times. Dealing Cards: Hold the deck, face down, loosely in non-dominant hand with thumb on top. Push or slide the top card away from the palm toward the open side of your hand. Take it with other hand, thumb on top and place it straight down on table. No wrist movements or turning card up. Deal cards clockwise to each player. Dealing Cards Face-up or flipping: (as in playing War) Hold deck in non-dominant hand. Place fingertips of other hand on top of deck, slide top card TOWARD self so you can see value then end the flip by placing it on table. Activities to practice hand skills: Sort cards by color (2) or suit (4) or number (13) or even/odd Flip cards: Each player takes turns flipping a card to the floor trying to get it to land face up. Frisbee Cards: Choose a "goal" and try to hit it with a card tossed frisbee style (wrist work) Build a house of cards. Greater than-Lesser than: Player holds deck and deals 2 cards face up. Is the 1st card greater or lesser than 2nd card? Greater- the pair goes on 1 pile, lesser goes on a different pile. Non-typical card games: What's missing? Layout 4 or more cards face up. Remember them, then take 1 away, and mix up remaining cards on display. What's missing? Up 1 - Down 1: All cards are dealt out to players. 1 player turns their top card over in front of them. Next player looks at their own top card. If it is 1 up or down from opponents' card it may be placed on top of that card, if not it goes onto a new pile in front of the second player. The player keeps going until can not place a card on opponent's pile. 1st to have no cards is the winner) Robot Programmer: Lay out several rows of cards face down. Choose an object that is going to be the "robot" maybe a block. Then place other objects on top on a card - these are road blocks. The '''Programmer" needs to instruct the robot how to maneuver through the "road" of cards to get to the end. (move forward 3 spaces; turn right; move forward 2 spaces...). You can write down the directions or do them from memory. Card Scrabble-Dominos: Each player gets 12 cards. Lay down a beginning card face up. 1st player must place a card either next to or above or below 1st card by matching suit, number or going up or down 1 number. 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!