Learn to Button: Baseball Tic Tac Toe Game!

 

Sometimes learning to button can be frustrating and boring, especially if you ask a child to practice over and over again on their own clothing. So way not turn it into a game? Here is a fun and motivating DIY activity for a child to work on buttoning skills.

How to Make a Button Tic Tac Toe Game:
   Supplies Needed- 9 large (1-inch) buttons
                               Flannel fabric- 1 print (Let your child select the pattern)
                               2 different colors of felt fabric
                               Iron-on Interfacing (found on Amazon)
                               Sharpie Marker

1. Cut the flannel print into a 30 x 30-inch square.
2. Iron the interfacing onto the back of the fabric.
3. Use a ruler and Sharpie Marker to draw out the tic tac toe grid.
4. Sew a button in the center of each grid square.
5. Cut the Xs and Os out of the felt fabric, and cut button-size openings in the center of each one.

It's time to practice buttoning while playing tic tac toe!!!

The project above was completed by a Master of Occupational Therapy student at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and posted with permission.
                             

Visual Scanning: Free Worksheets!

When you move your eyes to look for items or information around you, this is called visual scanning. Visual scanning is important for reading and other school tasks like writing.

Playing the game "I Spy" is a good way to work on this skill.  Also, here are several worksheets for kids that require visual scanning!

 

Circle Q Worksheet

Circle Cat Worksheet

Circle Laugh Worksheet

Visual Attention and Coloring Inside the Lines

How many times have you worked on coloring within the lines with a child only to look at the child and he is coloring away and his eyes are nowhere near the paper and crayon? This has happened more than I'd like to admit. Thanks to a tip from an OT friend, I have a new technique that I'm going to share with you. Items needed: Plastic Canvas Needlepoint Sheets (found at craft stores or Amazon), File Folders, Construction Paper, Crayons, Slant Board (optional).

Cut the shapes that you want the child to color in the center of the file folders then laminate them. Cut out the shapes once again.

Here are the Plastic Canvas Needlepoint Sheets-Clear and White.

 

 Place the Needlepoint sheet down first, followed by the file folder cut out, then the construction paper with the same size shape drawn on it.

Be sure to line up the shapes on the file folder and the construction paper.

Have the child color within the lines of the square. As she colors inside the square, she will "feel" the bumpiness of the needlepoint sheet, but if she goes outside the lines, the file folder blocks the bumps, so she will be more motivated to color within the lines! Plus, the feeling bumps draws her visual attention to the task! A double reward!!!