DIY Mini Ring Toss Game!

This mini ring toss game is simple to make and has lots of therapeutic possibilities, including working on fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, colors, and numbers.

You will need:
1 piece of foam board- (approximately 30" x 15")
Duct Tape
Different colors of pipe cleaners
A paper towel roll
A Sharpie

1. Make a "partial cut" across the middle of the foam board
2. Reinforce the side of the foam board that is still connected with Duct Tape
3. Poke holes in the foam board using a metal skewer or other sharp object (be careful!)
4. Attach a piece of tape across the bottom of the folded foam board so that it makes a triangular shape like a slant board (see photo).

5. Cut the pipe cleaners in half, fold them, and poke each one through one of the holes. Spread the ends of the pipe cleaners apart on the backside of the foam board and secure them with duct tape.

6. Cut the paper towel roll to make rings and cover each one with a different color of tape or construction paper. The colors of the rings should correspond with the colors of the pipe cleaners.

Now you are ready to have some fun with your mini ring toss game! The rings can be placed or tossed on the pipe cleaners. You can instruct the child to match the colors or to "place the red ring on the number 5."  Increase the challenge by having the child place the rings using tongs. The possibilities are limitless!!!

Pets and Children with Autism

Recent research reveals that children with autism who have pets are more assertive. Click HERE for more information.

Motor Skill and Brain-Boosting Developmental Toys for Baby's First Year

Parents often ask me to recommend developmental toys, but I usually recommend simple household objects for play. For example, when children play with empty boxes or pots and pans, they use their imaginations which is wonderful for fostering creativity.  However, new toys at Christmas or on birthdays are always a treat! Here are several of my favorites:

Sassy Ring O' Links Rattle Developmental Toy

These rings are brightly colored which is good for visual stimulation. Babies enjoy shaking and manipulating them, which is wonderful for fine motor skills. I especially like the different textures on the rings!

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

This toy is also colorful and the stacking task is nice for developing eye-hand coordination. While your baby is playing with the rings, you can teach him about the concepts of big and small.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks

Here's another toy that's good for motor skills. Babies love to take and out of containers and put them back in, so this toy typically keeps a child occupied while also addressing eye-hand coordination.  During play, teach him the names and colors of the shapes.

The First Years Stacking Up Cups

Here's another basic stacking/nesting toy that I really love. These are super neat because they have numbers on the bottoms, so your baby can learn about counting as well as color and number recognition, and of course, stacking and placing the toys is wonderful for manipulative skills.

Handwriting with the Alphatrangle

While working with a student today, I had the opportunity to use an “Alphatrangle” from “The Size Matters Handwriting Program,” and I was very pleased with my student’s handwriting performance while using it! The product reinforces the handwriting program's concepts, and it’s lightweight, portable and fits perfectly on a desk or small table.  It allows students to have direct visual access to letter formation and size information. A bonus is that the “Alphatrangle” includes a 12-inch ruler! Check out the product here: http://realotsolutions.com/products/kit.html

Photos from: www.realotsolutions.com

Book Winner!!!

The winner of the "The Occupational Therapist's Handbook for Inclusive School Practices" is Amy Mc!  Congratulations!!!

Amy, please message me on Facebook so I can get your address:)