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Saturday, October 24, 2015

Fun Toys for Baby's Bilateral Integration Skills!


When a child has intact bilateral integration skills, he can use both arms together in a coordinated manner.  Bilateral skills are important for future tasks like writing and cutting.  These are a few of my favorite classic toys, and they are great for your baby’s bilateral skills! It’s

The farm toy is a wonderful way for your baby to learn words and animals.  Just point the arrow to an animal, and have your your baby stabilize the toy with one hand and pull the lever with the other to hear the animal sound!  There are 16 different farm animals featured on the toy.  And to add to the fun, this classic also plays “Old Mac Donald” and “Farmer in the Dell.”

These snap lock or pop beads are good for your baby's bilateral skills, eye hand coordination and upper extremity strength! 


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Halloween Wheelchair Costumes for Kids

  WALKIN' & ROLLIN' COSTUMES FOR HALLOWEEN
Photo Credit: Felixco, Inc.
 
Are you looking for Halloween wheelchair costumes for kids?  If so, you have to check out WALKIN' & ROLLIN' COSTUMES!

Walkin' & Rollin' Costumes transform wheelchairs into fun and amazing costumes.  Volunteers design and hand sew each costume, so it will be a perfect fit!  This is a wonderful organization, so you may want to consider donating to this worthy cause.  For more information, click HERE.



Saturday, October 10, 2015

Ziplock Bag Teaching and Learning Quilt: Perfect for a Visual Schedule

Materials:
·      Sandwich sized Ziplock bags
·      Clear packaging tape
·      Colorful Masking/Duck Tape (design of your choice)
·      Pictures, educational materials, or other items that you wish to put in the slots

Instructions:
1.   Decide how many Ziplock pockets that you would like for your quilt to contain.
2.  Lay the Ziplock bags out on a flat surface in rows make a large square (For example, 9 Ziplock bags will make 3 rows with 3 bags in each row.)
3. Using clear packaging tape, tape the back side of the Ziplock bags together.  Tape straight down the back of the bags between the first and second columns, the second and third columns, and then continue taping between additional columns from top to bottom and between the rows from left to right. (Only apply this tape to the back sides of the bags to allow the bags to be opened from the front.)
4.  Place strips of the decorative tape straight down between each row where the bags meet on the front of the quilt.  Use one large strip to tape from the top of the square to the bottom of the square.  Repeat this until you have taped between each column.
5.  Next, apply the tape across the bags from left to right where the bags meet.  Be sure to not tape the flap down to the bag above it.  You will line the top side of the tape up with the top of the flap where you open the Ziplock bag and tape across from left to right.
6.  Finally, use the decorative tape to tape around the outside of the big square.  Once done, each individual square will be outlined with the decorative tape. 
7.  You should still be able to open your individual Ziplock pockets on the front of the quilt to slide in the pictures, quotes, instructions, or any other item of your choosing.
8.  If you wish, you may use the same instructions for applying the decorative tape to the back side of your Ziplock bag quilt in the same pattern to make the back side as visually appealing as the front side of your quilt.

      This fun teaching and Learning Quilt can be used in a variety of ways!  You can use it as a visual schedule, or to list the steps of a task that you want your child to learn.  It can also be used to list other visual instructions. It's fun to fill the slots with pictures of family, past trips, or hobbies.  Use your imagination and come up with other ideas for this Ziplock Bag Teaching and Learning 
Quilt.

The project above was completed by one of our Master's of Occupational Therapy students at
 The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and posted with permission.



Saturday, October 3, 2015

Craft Activity for Kids: DIY Paint Palette


Do you know a child that loves to paint?  If so, here is an easy DIY paint palette! An egg carton can serve as a simple paint palette, with each egg slot holding a different color of paint.  
Painting Activity for Kids:  Tape a large sheet of white poster paper to the wall. Instruct the child to dip his index finger into the paint and to draw on the paper.  Provide hand over hand guidance at first (if needed) to build confidence and comfort level with the activity, then begin to fade your assistance. Demonstrate how to draw simple shapes to work on the ability to follow simple commands.  If appropriate, the child can practice writing his name and other simple words, or have him draw something that he loves, such as his car, a pet, or family member.  This is fun and allows for free expression!
The project above was completed by one of our Master's of Occupational Therapy students at
 The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and posted with permission.