From one busy parent to another, here are four self-care strategies I use at home to help relax and de-stress from the day. Lets start with a tool I use almost everyday to de-stress, the Vanity Planet Rejuvenating Scalp Massager. The vibrating massager has two settings and rubber brittles that comb through the hair. As mentioned…
Painting with Bubbles
Supplies Bubble solution (about 1 cup) 1-2 ts each of red, yellow, and blue paint Bubble wand (we used glitter bug, but you can choose your favoirte) 3 bowls to hold bubble solution/paint Paint brushes or spoons to mix paint and bubble solution Mulitple peices of large paper (we used 17” x11”, but you…
Rainbow Foam
Supplies 1 can of shaving cream Yellow, blue, and red food coloring 1 large cookie sheet Access to a sink nearby Paper towels or hand towel Procedure Have the child fill a cookie sheet with shaving cream from left to right and top to bottom to reinforce tracking for reading and writing. With the child’s…
Surviving Snows Days as a working mom of a child with special needs
How many 6 am calls have you gotten from school so far? You know, the one that throws off your entire day if you are a working parent? The one that leaves you either frantically rescheduling your appointments for the day or calling every babysitter on your list? Yes, I am talking about a SNOW…
Homemade Pomander Balls
Supplies 1 or more navel oranges Whole cloves Pencil or other child safe object to poke holes in orange Ribbon if desired Procedure 1. Draw lines on oranges to create pattern as desired 2. Push small holes into orange spaced appropriately along lines or for children who need help judging space, use marker dots rather…
Screen time or Play Time? 5 Ideas to Keep Kids Active Indoors
Parents are always looking for ways to keep their kids active in the winter without spending a fortune on trips to the bowling alley or the trampoline park! There is no guarantee of snow for snowman building, and, let’s face it – it can get pretty cold the further from the equator you get. While…
Crack Nuts to Improve Fine Motor Skills
Use these Tools to Strengthen Little Hands and Improve Coordination this Holiday Season At the holidays, many families have nuts set out with the appetizers. The Nutcracker Toy Soldier has become a Christmas icon. But in addition to this decorative soldier, there are a variety of fun nutcrackers that children can experiment with during the holidays. …
Essential Foundations of Fine Motor Skills: Activities for Home
Vision Play Ball! Start by throwing a large ball to and from your child, and progress to smaller balls as able. When playing board games, present cards high, low, left, and right to encourage looking and reaching. Using Easels and LARGE paper/posters, create a connect the dot picture or place a vertical column of stickers/images…
Halloween Spooktacular
Halloween is fast approaching, and you want to get yourself and your family into the festive spirit. But your time is valuable and you are always looking for ways to get some extra therapy into your child’s day. Look No Further! Halloween is ripe with sensory possibilities and fine motor fun. Check out these Halloween…
Make a Frozen Snowflake
In the spirit of yesterday’s snowfall here is a Frozen Snowflake you can make. Decorate it with glitter, color it your favorite color, or paint it. Make your design simple or complicated. Make one or one hundred! Have fun!
