Make your own marbled greeting cards with shaving cream and food coloring

Posted on May 23, 2013 by christiekiley

I recently saw this great idea on Pinterest (of course) from a blog called Mess For Less. The post was about how to make your own marbled greeting cards and wrapping paper using shaving cream and food coloring.

You may recall I’ve mentioned in a past post that shaving cream is a wonderful material for introducing kids to messy play, even those who are hesitant or avoidant of tactile sensory experiences. (Click here to read that post.)

I loved the Pinterest greeting card idea because it takes a sensory play experience and turns it into something even more practical and meaningful! For those who seek or are comfortable with messy play, you can have them swirl with their fingers. For kiddos who aren’t so sure about the whole thing, give them a paintbrush, Q-tip, toothpick, fork — really anything! — to hold so they can still participate in the activity without becoming too overwhelmed or anxious. Using tools like those I just listed is great for ALL kids as they develop their hand skills and are getting their finger muscles ready to properly hold a pencil.

This activity is super versatile and can be used to personalize gifts for pretty much any occasion…isn’t Father’s Day is coming up soon (hint, hint, wink, wink)?

Be sure to visit the original post on the Mess For Less blog for further instructions and cool pictures of how she used her kids’ various marbled creations.

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Toddler Throwing Practice with Play Dough Basketball

Posted on May 19, 2013 by christiekiley

Does your child like to throw things? I know my toddler does. Well, challenge them to a game of play dough basketball!

I tried this yesterday after making a fresh batch of orange scented play dough using this basic recipe (and I used 2 packets of orange Kool Aid as both the color and scent, rather than liquid food coloring).

Play dough basketball was a fun way to allow my little guy to throw things without being destructive or getting into trouble!

Throwing is an important skill for the overall development of motor, visual, and coordination skills. It begins around 13 months with “flinging” forward, then progresses to throwing under or overhand around 15-18 months, then develops into throwing toward and eventually into a target about three feet away by the time they are 16-20 months old.

But encouraging kids to throw things can be dangerous, especially once they realize they can throw anything they can get their little hands on!

Play dough basketball is a safe(r) and easily accessible way to encourage throwing toward a target and it’s great because you can make the ball any size you want. If you cook a batch of homemade play dough, you’ll have about a pound or more of play dough to work with.

Because the play dough has some weight to it — as opposed to soft foam balls — it provides more sensory feedback to your kiddo’s muscles and joints, which helps them get a better feel for how much force they must use in order to throw the ball where they want it to go. This is especially true if they play with a big rolled-up piece of play dough that requires two hands just like a basketball.

Once all the play dough is in the target (such as a bucket), they can engage in some “heavy work” by carrying the bucket to a different part of the room or dumping out all the play dough balls to get ready for Round Two. This is especially helpful for kids who really seek out this type of heavy muscle input in order to keep their bodies calm.

After your game of play dough basketball is finished, sit down and engage in some fun fine motor play (10 great ideas here) or simply seal up the dough in an airtight container and save it for later.

Happy throwing!

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Tips for Raising Smart Kids

Posted on May 7, 2013 by christiekiley

Someone shared an interesting infographic with me recently about how to raise smart kids. I wanted to post it here not because I believe there is a “formula” for turning kids into geniuses, but because I think it’s a good conversation starter.

As an occupational therapist, I like that it addresses the fact that there are certain childhood occupations (i.e., meaningful activities that kids engage in) that can enhance brain function and learning. Conversely, it also demonstrates how other childhood occupations can negatively impact development.

But the most interesting fact presented in this graphic is the final one.

Check it out:

Isn’t that interesting? I know from experience that this is true — many kids I’ve known who are smart and “know it” do not possess the same work ethic or adaptive skills (such as dealing with failure) as those who are also smart but rely on their work ethic to help them succeed.

This was especially true in my career as both a competitive gymnast and gymnastics coach. More often than not, the gymnasts who were praised for their immense talent from an early age (like the “smart kids” group) were more likely to drop out of the sport or become extra lazy and whiney when it got “hard” than those who were known for their good work ethic (like the “praised for their effort” group). The gymnasts who had less talent (even if they were really good gymnasts) but a better work ethic were more able to successfully overcome adversity – such as injuries or poor scores – and ultimately step up to the challenges of the higher levels. I saw it in the beginner levels. I saw it in the higher levels. I saw it in the college ranks. And I saw it as a coach.

What do you think about this? Have you ever seen this play out in real life?

(This infographic was produced by OnlinePsychologyDegree.net)

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From Rattles to Writing: A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills [Book Review and GIVEAWAY!]

Posted on May 5, 2013 by christiekiley

This month’s featured product is a handy book called From Rattles to Writing: A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills, by Barbara A. Smith. Not only am I reviewing this book because I think it’s AWESOME but I am also giving away FIVE FREE COPIES between now and this Wednesday, May 8th! Read on…

Barbara is a fellow occupational therapist who has worked with children for many years and is passionate about giving parents the tools they need in order to promote their child’s overall development. I first heard about this book several months ago and was hoping to get my hands on it, so when her publisher (Therapro, Inc.) offered to provide me a promotional copy of the book for review, I was ecstatic! I knew I would love this book before I even got my hands on it.

In the introduction, Barbara states that From Rattles to Writing is written to help parents and educators foster the skills children need in order to read and write (p. v).

But don’t kids just learn those skills on their own? you may ask. Good question. Barbara acknowledges this and suggests that educating parents and developing kids’ foundational developmental skills are more important now than ever due factors in our modern society such as the difficulties associated with seemingly infinite options for toys and educational products, advances in technology, higher expectations for gross motor development and competitive sports at younger ages, the push for academic achievement and handwriting at younger and younger ages, and the changes in kids’ learning environments in general.

It’s true. As a pediatric OT myself, I see this so clearly as I work with “undiagnosed” three-year-olds who don’t have a pincer grasp (a 1-year-old skill), first graders who can’t efficiently hold a pencil (a 3 to 5-year-old year skill), or second and third graders who have difficulty reading, writing, or participating in ball play because their eyes are unable to visually track objects without moving their head (a pre 1-year-old skill).

I often find myself so frustrated by the fact that many of these difficulties likely could have been prevented if parents knew what to look for and how to help in those early years!!! Why isn’t there a go-to resource for parents when it comes to fine motor development??? I often ask myself in desperation.

Now there is — it’s called From Rattles to Writing.

From Rattles to Writing is like the What to Expect When You’re Expecting of fine motor development for ages birth to five years.

Here’s what I like about this book:

1. It’s easy to navigate. At just about 200 pages in length, this book is designed to be used as a reference tool and is not necessarily meant to be read in one sitting. Much like What to Expect, It’s divided into age groups with one chapter per age group: Infants (divided into 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months), Toddlers (divided into 12-18 months, 18-24 months), Two Year Olds, Three Year Olds, Four Year Olds (with teaching methods and adaptations to help the almost-5-year-old who is ready to read and write prior to Kindergarten), and a concluding chapter that provides some suggestions for children as they move into Kindergarten and First Grade. I’ll admit, as soon as I received this book in the mail, I immediately opened to the 18-24 Months chapter so I could read up on my own son’s development and get some ideas for the home. I then flipped back to the Newborn chapter and found some great ideas to use when Baby Number Two comes along this summer! Like I said, this book is easy-to-navigate and can be conveniently picked up for just a few minutes at a time.

2. It’s holistic and well-rounded. Of course a book written by an OT would be well-rounded! Because fine motor skills do not develop in isolation from other developmental skills, Barbara also incorporates discussion and activity ideas involving cognitive, sensory, visual-perceptual, social-emotional, language, and gross motor development. I absolutely LOVE this and it is probably one of the main reasons why I will be recommending this book to everyone I know who raises or works with kids.

3. It’s informative without being too “heady”. Sometimes developmental resource books can get too little technical as they spout off scientific jargon. But because this book is written first and foremost for parents, it provides solid scientific and developmental information in easy-to-understand language. I like how Barbara incorporated technical terms (such as “crossing midline” or “motor planning”) into the text while clarifying them both in context as well as in definition boxes to the side of the page. I can imagine parents reading each chapter (especially the Infant chapters) and saying, “That’s so interesting!” or, “I never knew that!” Infant and child development really is so complex, yet fascinating.

4. It’s full of good ideas. The author provides sub-sections throughout the book related to Suggested Toys (developmental toys to purchase to encourage visual, sensory, and motor skills), Make Your Own (toys you can make or adapt using household materials), Fun Activities (play ideas to teach specific skills for certain ages), and Music (songs and dances to teach developmentally-appropriate motor and language concepts specific to certain age groups). Barbara inspired me to immediately create two items mentioned in her book: a VELCRO® bottle for fine motor skills and slimy spaghetti for sensory play (using this recipe).

5. It provides additional developmental info and resources in the back of the book. At the end of the book Barbara provides a quick chronological reference of visual motor skills developed in the first five years; an at-a-glance page with proper letter formation for capital letters, lowercase letters, and numbers (based on the Zaner-Bloser approach); a glossary of terms; and a list of additional resources for everything from baby sign language, kids’ cookbooks, books with more ideas for sensory and motor development, pre-writing books, visual motor skills, and more. The learning and idea-sharing doesn’t have to stop just because the book ended!

Doesn’t this book sound AWESOME?! Great for new parents (Mother’s Day is coming up!!), new OT grads, special education teachers, or childcare providers who work with kids on a daily basis. Don’t you want to get your hands on it?

Well, you’re in luck because Therapro, Inc. has agreed to partner with Mama OT to give five lucky winners a free copy of the book as part of a From Rattles to Writing giveaway!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE “FROM RATTLES TO WRITING” GIVEAWAY! Enter this giveaway by clicking on the “Enter to Win” tab in the box above and then following the directions. Please let me know if you have any difficulties entering. It’s made to run smoothly, but sometimes there are hiccups in the system, and I don’t want anyone to be left out due to technical difficulties!

This giveaway will run from 12:00am PST on Monday, May 6, 2013 to midnight Wednesday night (12:00am PST, May 9, 2013). You can read the terms and conditions of this giveaway by clicking on the appropriate link in the entry box.

I really hope you’ll check out this book. It is an invaluable resource for anyone who works with kids. Best of luck in the giveaway!

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links, so if you click on them and wind up buying something, a small percent of your purchase will help Mama OT buy more diapers (at no extra cost to you).

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Mama OT’s Product of the Month – May 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by christiekiley

This month Mama OT is excited to feature the book From Rattles to Writing: A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills as the product of the month!

From Rattles to Writing is written by Barbara Smith, a highly experienced occupational therapist who loves to educate and empower others. In addition to being an OT and an author, Barbara also blogs about how to make your own therapy supplies at http://recyclingot.blogspot.com.

Mama OT will be publishing a review of this book soon, so be on the lookout for my thoughts about this exciting new resource for parents of children ages birth to five!

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

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Tips for teaching kids time management, planning, and organization (aka- executive function skills)

Posted on April 28, 2013 by christiekiley

Mama OT is excited to welcome back guest blogger Abby Brayton-Chung! Abby is a pediatric OT who wrote a post for us last summer called “Five Things Your School OT Wishes You Would Do This Summer“. Today she is here to talk about something OTs call “executive functioning” which includes, among other things, the ability to manage time, plan, and organize. She spent much of the month of March addressing these types of skills on her OT blog, and she has agreed to condense all those posts into one so you can learn some really great tips. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks in order to read her individual posts with more details on each suggestion she provides. They are REALLY helpful.

. . . . .

What are executive function skills?

Executive function skills are cognitive skills that are used to execute a task. It takes several executive skills to execute a single task. For example, getting dressed for school involves planning ahead for the weather, beginning and completing the task in a timely manner, managing emotions about wanting (or not wanting) to go to school, and maintaining attention to complete the task.

Executive function skills begin to develop in infancy and continue developing all the way into adulthood! Executive function skills take a long time to fully develop, so it is important to provide children with a solid foundation along the way.

Executive function skills help children complete chores and homework, save money for a desired toy, follow rules, and keep track of belongings. Signs that your child might be having difficulty with executive function skills include: difficulty planning school projects and/or estimating how long it will take to complete a project, difficulty telling details of a story in a sequential manner, or difficulty remember information while doing something.

There are a number of executive function skills, which are described in more detail here. Today I’m going to focus on the following areas that parents commonly identify as areas of difficulty for their children: (1) time management, (2) planning, and (3) organization.

Tips for developing executive function skills in children:

(1) Time management. Time management is the ability to estimate how much time one has and how to use that time to complete a task.

To teach the passage of time, I like to use a dry erase marker to color on the face of a clock, like this (read more about this strategy by clicking here):

This method allows your child to visualize the time remaining, as well as to check in at the halfway point. Some questions to ask at the halfway point:

Am I halfway done with the work?

Am I still focused on the goal?

Is anything robbing my time (e.g. distractions)?

Do I need to move at a faster or slower pace?

(2) Planning. Planning is the ability to create and follow a plan to complete a task.

To help children plan out their homework, teach them to become a future sketcher (read more about that here). If your child has a homework assignment, first ask, “What will it look like?”

For example, what would the following assignment look like?

Using a two column note, write the definition of each vocabulary word and draw a picture to illustrate the definition of your vocabulary word.

It might look something like this when it is completed:

By teaching your child to sketch out what an assignment will look like when it is completed, it allows your child to identify where to start, what components are needed, and what the assignment will look like when it is finished. This all leads to more independent completion of homework!

For long-term planning, post-it note calendars can be useful for students to visualize when different assignments are due, as well as to help with breaking assignments down into manageable chunks (read more here). This can help you and your student avoid the last minute scramble of discovering the science project is due tomorrow!

(3) Organization. Organization is the ability to keep track of information and materials.

Students often fall into one of three organizational styles: visual, spatial, or sequential (read more here). Setting up a Get Ready-Do-Done workspace can help with both organization and planning for all three organization types (read more here).

Using colored visuals to set up and organize the study space allows children to plan for all of the supplies they need to complete their homework and to work more independently.

In addition to setting up a study space for your child, a simple homework folder can help keep your student organized and help to remember to turn in homework (read more here).

Any homework that needs to be turned in should go into the homework side of the folder. When the teacher asks for the homework, your student will know exactly where to look! Your child may initially need assistance making sure all of the homework gets into the folder at night.

Speaking of organization, does your child have trouble getting out the door in the morning with all of his or her belongings? Try taking a photo of your child ready for school and then placing the photo in a luggage tag on his or her backpack. Now your child has a visual to refer to when getting ready for school! This works well for soccer practice (or any other sports practice) as well!

Check out the following blog for more tips on teaching kids executive function skills:
1. Engaging Minds:Tools for Learning, Skills for Life

And I highly recommend these books if you are looking for additional tools to help with executive function skills in kids:
1. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, 2nd Edition, by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
2. Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School, by Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran

I hope you find these tips helpful for teaching your child skills to not only be successful in school, but to also be successful in life!

. . . . .

Abby Brayton-Chung, MS, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist with 6 years of experience evaluating and treating children ages birth to eighteen. She has experience working in early intervention, school-based, and clinic-based settings. Abby currently works at a private school in the Boston area serving students with language based learning disabilities. Abby blogs about her experiences as an OT at www.abbypediatricot.blogspot.com.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click on the link and end up buying something, a small percentage of that purchase will help Mama OT buy more diapers (at no additional cost to you)!

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How to know if your child is ready for potty training

Posted on April 17, 2013 by christiekiley

Don’t you ~~secretly~~ wish child-rearing came with a manual?! Like how to know when it’s time to start potty training? And how to actually go about teaching a tiny, impulsive human how to direct their inner recycled goods into a tiny throne several times a day?

While I can’t tell you exactly how to potty train your little one (there are soooo many approaches), I certainly can try to help you understand the telltale signs of when your kiddo is ready for potty training.

Did you know that, developmentally speaking, the transition from diapers to big kid undies actually follows a fairly predictable progression?

Many kids become mostly potty trained between 2-3 years of age, with boys typically achieving the feat later than girls. However, it’s not about starting at a specific age, it’s about starting when your child is physically and emotionally ready. So tune into your toddler and see where she’s at with this progression. You may end up starting earlier or later than you thought.

Signs your child may be ready for potty training:

• She experiences discomfort when wet or soiled. She may walk with a wide-legged waddle or tug at her diaper when it’s soiled. Kids with low sensory awareness may lag on this one because they are less likely to feel the extra junk in their diaper.

• She indicates or communicates when she has a dirty diaper. Kids will often do this by patting or pointing to their diaper in the presence of their caregiver. Yours may even use words or signs to communicate if they are old enough and know the appropriate words to use.

• She has regular bowel movements on a fairly consistent basis. Many kids are able to be trained to poop in the toilet before they are actually “potty” trained, so this is an important one. In my experience as an OT, kiddos who have restricted diets due to picky eating and/or who experience constipation due to diet or medications often struggle with this one, and this typically affects their ability to learn to use the toilet.

• She can sit on a potty for a short time when placed on it. Make sure the potty is situated so her feet are supported rather than dangling from the porcelain throne. This is especially important for children who have low postural muscle tone (such as those with Down Syndrome, Autism, or a generally weak core) or postural instability. Foot support is also important for little ones who are afraid of being off the ground. Some examples include the Fisher-Price Cheer for Me Potty, Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Portable Potty, and the Sesame Street Elmo Adventure Potty Chair (which is what we have, pictured in the cover photo at the top of this post).

• She demonstrates a pattern of being able to stay dry for about two hours or more at a time. This means her bladder muscles are mature enough to hold potty for that long.

• She can pull down her pants and even remove her diaper fairly independently. Not totally necessary, but extremely helpful in moving toward toilet independence.

• She demonstrates interest in watching and imitating others’ bathroom-related actions. This translates into MOTIVATION, which is a huuuuuuuge part of potty training.

• She can follow basic directions.

*The above-listed skills tend to develop between 1-2 years of age.

• She communicates the need to go before it happens. This can be done through words, posture, or facial expression. Many kids I’ve worked with will often hide in a corner or turn away from others when they feel the need to poop (just before they start grunting and working hard, if you know what I mean!). It’s really cute and pretty amusing. However, some children with sensory or developmental issues lack the internal physical awareness that sends the signal from the bladder to the brain that the bladder is full and needs to be emptied. This lack of internal communication makes these kiddos very accident prone in the potty domain; they may need a more regimented potty schedule as opposed to relying on them knowing and communicating when they need to go.

• She wets her diaper at consistent intervals.

*The above-listed skills tend to develop between 2-3 years of age.

If you nodded your head in agreement to most of the above-stated milestones, then your child may be ready for potty training! Try your best to choose a potty training time frame that is relatively stable and calm (do those even exist in the parenting world???). What I mean is, avoid beginning the potty training process just before or during a big transition such as a move, right before or after the addition or return of a family member, etc. This will help you and your kiddo maintain as much consistency and follow-through as possible.

Here are some additional milestones to keep in mind as you continue on your potty adventures:

• Seats self on toilet and uses it independently.

• Attempts but may need help with wiping, fasteners, and difficult clothing.

• Independent toileting. She can tear the toilet paper, flush, wash hands, and manage her clothing on her own.

*The above-listed skills tend to develop between 3-5 years of age.

Still unsure about whether your child is ready for potty training? Take a quick online quiz measuring your child’s potty training readiness by clicking here.

Looking for more info on exactly how to potty train your kiddo? Check out these resources:

From the Mayo Clinic – Potty Training: How to Get the Job Done
From Baby Center - Developmental Milestone: Toilet Training
From Growing a Jeweled Rose – How I Potty Trained My Daughter in 3 Days!

If you are really struggling with potty training, be sure to mention it to your child’s pediatrician. He or she may have some recommendations for you, especially if the issue is related to constipation and the need for a supplement to “get things moving”, so to speak.

Keep in mind, too, that children with developmental, sensory, or communication difficulties may struggle with potty training more than their typically developing peers. Occupational therapists and Speech therapists can be hugely helpful during this challenging time and can assist with the development of the motor, communication, and cognitive skills necessary for your child to succeed. And if your kiddo is working with behavioral therapists they, too, can also be a highly effective part of the potty training team. While I wouldn’t recommend seeking out OT, ST, or Behavioral Therapy for the sole purpose of potty training (we are not necessarily potty training experts!), I do think it is appropriate for these disciplines to address potty issues through goals that can be applied to situations related to potty training (such as following commands or routines, initiating communication with an adult, requesting help, managing clothing and fasteners, improving balance or postural instability, etc.).

For those of you who have already potty trained kiddos: What are your suggestions for identifying readiness and actually potty training children?

*This post contains affiliate links.

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Homemade Edible Finger Paint (No Cornstarch Needed)

Posted on April 14, 2013 by christiekiley

Today I wanted to try some finger painting with my little guy (20 months old). Unfortunately, I didn’t have any paint and I wasn’t able to go to the store to buy cornstarch or any of those other ingredients commonly used in homemade paint recipes.

Thankfully, I did have flour and food coloring.

So I simply mixed equal parts water and white flour (I did one cup of each) to make a nice painty paste. I put the water in the bowl first, then slowly mixed in the flour to avoid lumps. I divided up the paste into separate compartments of a toddler plate and then mixed in food coloring.

Voila! Easy homemade edible finger paint!

We took our supplies outside and tried it out. Not bad!

I liked this mixture because it was super easy for my little guy to wipe off himself and didn’t smear around on his skin like regular paint would. If he wanted it off, it came off. It also easily washed off with warm water after it had dried on his (and my) skin. Plus, it was no big deal if it got in his mouth. It’s just flour and water.

I wouldn’t recommend using this mixture for “serious” art. It became grainy and bubbly on the paper and wouldn’t be great for making detailed masterpieces. However, it’s perfect if you’re just looking to give your little one easy access to a low-maintenance, low-cost painting experience, which is exactly what I wanted.

Remember to provide tools such as paintbrushes and sponges for kids who are nervous about touching the paint. Also, please, don’t encourage your kids to eat the paint. Just because it can be eaten doesn’t mean it should be eaten, especially if your kiddo has a gluten allergy or Celiac Disease.

What is your favorite homemade edible finger paint recipe?

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Sensory “Calm Down” Bottle

Posted on April 7, 2013 by christiekiley

Have you ever found yourself working with or caring for a child who becomes so overstimulated or upset that nothing seems to help them calm down?

While there are many whole-body sensory calming strategies that can be used to help kids calm and regulate their bodies, they aren’t always available or effective in certain contexts. Wouldn’t it be nice if, when your kid is having a meltdown in the car, grocery store, classroom, Grandma’s house, or even your own house, you had a go-to sensory tool you could provide to help him or her calm down?

Enter the “Calm Down” Bottle.

I first discovered it on Pinterest thanks to In Lieu of Preschool and then dug a little deeper to find the original post published at My Crazy Blessed Life.

Calm Down Bottle

Calm Down Bottles from My Crazy Blessed Life

Just as newborns (especially premies) learn to regulate their breathing, heart rate, and body temperature through an outside source (i.e., skin-to-skin contact with their new parent), older kids often require an outside source in order to learn how to regulate their physiological and emotional responses to stressors.

In OT we call this “learning to self-regulate”. Some common self-regulation strategies preschool-aged kids (or older) can use to successfully calm themselves include deep breathing, wrapping themselves tightly in a blanket, self-massage or “dots and squeezies” up the hands and arms, wall push-ups, rocking in a rocking chair, swinging on a park swing, retreating to a dark, quiet space, laying on or under a beanbag chair, and so much more.

Most toddlers and preschoolers (and even older kiddos) are not able to self-regulate and often require some sort of instruction or model for how to respond to emotional- or sensory-based stressors. This is especially true for many children with autism and sensory processing difficulties. These kiddos often require co-regulation, which means regulation strategies must be initiated or demonstrated by another person. (Side note: Family pets such as dogs tend to be wonderful co-regulators for children, especially those with autism. Some are even trained as therapy dogs for that specific purpose.)

From an OT perspective, these Calm Down Bottles are a nice tool for helping kids transition from co-regulation to self-regulation.

If a child is so upset she cannot be consoled or engaged in other calming activities (like she doesn’t want to be touched, hugged, or talked to), these Calm Down Bottles can serve as a visual “anchor” in order to bring her focus into one place when it may feel like her world is spinning out of control. She can shake the bottle as hard as she wants (so don’t use a glass bottle), and this provides calming proprioceptive input to her body while also serving as a physical outlet that is less destructive than hitting or kicking. While she holds the bottle and watches the glitter fall, her hands and eyes are brought to midline and this can help organize and center her nervous system as well. And as her heart pounds and she demonstrates fast, shallow breathing from being so upset, the slow fall of the shaken glitter can serve as a visual model that, often unconsciously, can slow her heart rate and respiration.

At first the use of a Calm Down Bottle will likely need to be initiated by the adult. As with most calming strategies, it should be introduced to the child before she is ever upset so she knows what it is and how it works. Additionally, it will likely be the most effective when given to the child before she completely escalates and is totally inconsolable. Most calming strategies will be most effective when implemented before kids get to that “point of no return”. Shake up the bottle, hand it to the child, and see what she does. If, after repeated introductions, you find the Calm Down Bottle is an effective tool (like this mom, this mom, and this mom did), then it’s possible you’ve found something to help your kiddo transition to self-regulation!

Sensory Calm Down Bottle

Calm Down Bottle in action, from In Lieu of Preschool

The transition to self-regulation occurs when your child initiates use of the Calm Down Bottle as a self-calming tool. This may mean she asks for it or just goes and gets it herself when she starts to feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, or upset. You will have to be the judge of whether she needs to be left alone or if, after a certain number of minutes, you can sit with her in order to be a part of the calming process by talking to her about her feelings, using additional calming strategies, or simply just being there with her.

I remember learning in school that it takes the human body about 20 minutes to fully calm down after becoming upset or excited. Basically, it takes that long for the body to “call off the attack” and return itself to its original, non-stressed state. So keep this in mind when watching or helping your child recover from a stressful episode, whether it was due to sensory overload or an emotional breakdown.

Calm Down Bottles are really easy to make. Click here to find out how.

You can even have your child help you make the bottle. By involving her in the process she can develop some ownership over it, plus she also gets to practice some fine motor strengthening and hand-eye coordination as she squeezes the glue and sprinkles the glitter in the bottle!

Have you ever seen or used a Calm Down Bottle? Got any tips you’d like to share?

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New Fine Motor iPad App for Preschoolers!: Dexteria Jr.

Posted on April 4, 2013 by christiekiley

Hot off the press! The same company who created the go-to fine motor app, Dexteria, is releasing a new app today that is designed for younger kids and tinier hands: Dexteria Jr.

Dexteria Jr. was created after parents, therapists, and educators provided feedback saying they loved Dexteria but felt it was too advanced for younger kids. Score! We all know it’s important for kids to develop strong fine motor skills in the preschool years, but did you know r esearch shows early childhood fine motor skills are a strong predictor of later success in math, reading, and science?

I was given a chance to try out this new app for free last week in order to share my feedback on opening day. It requires an iPad 2 or higher in order to utilize the video/camera feature. So far I’ve tried this app on myself, my 19-month toddler, a Kindergartner with developmental/fine motor delays, and a second grader with visual perceptual and visual-motor integration difficulties.

Dexteria Jr. consists of three games that target fine motor and visual motor skills at the preschool level. They’re also super cute and kid-friendly. Here’s what I think:

1. Squish the Squash.
Kiddos must isolate their index finger and touch the screen to squish the squash. Lower levels contain stationary veggies while more advanced levels contain squash that move around and must be double-tapped in order to be squashed. Good activity for beginners, pretty straight forward. Make sure kids use their index finger to tap while curling their remaining fingers into a fist.

2. Trace and Erase.
Trace and Erase is a basic introduction to following paths and mazes. Users encounter increasingly more complex paths that include angles, curves, and corners as they advance through the levels.

Children must use their index finger to trace the line and then “erase” it with a digital eraser. With each line they erase, that part of the screen “disappears” and is replaced with part of your image from in front of the camera. Once all lines have been erased, the camera screen opens up and gives you a five-second countdown before taking a silly photo using a variety of crazy effects. You can also select the front camera if you want. The camera feature was really motivating for my Kindergarten kiddo and, without even being prompted, he began waving his arms and making silly faces in front of the camera as it counted down. Dexteria definitely figured out how to make mazes a little more fun and kid-friendly!

As far as I could tell, these photos were not saved anywhere in the app or on the iPad, so there shouldn’t be any issues related to confidentiality if you are using this with a HIPAA-protected client.

3. Pinch the Pepper.
Much like the original Dexteria “Pinch It” game, kids must isolate thumb and index finger in order to pinch the pepper and make it disappear. Lower levels contain fewer peppers who simply sit in one spot, while higher levels contain peppers that move around at faster speeds. Advanced pepper pinchers will encounter peppers that change colors (from red to yellow) and will multiply if kids pinch them when they are in their alternate color. Great for working on strengthening those “pincher fingers” through repeition while also practicing skills related to visual attention, discrimination, tracking, timing, impulse control, and overall attention to task.
To be honest, I like this Pinch the Pepper game way more than the original Dexteria Pinch It game. The original has crabs that make a crunching noise when pinched. They have creepy legs that wiggle around and, since I’m not really a spider person, they sort of freak me out (no, seriously). But Pinch the Pepper? Same skill, way cuter, way less creepy. The dancing peppers are also accompanied by really cute music that I have yet to become sick of in the past week. I actually found myself bobbing my head back and forth and tapping my toes as kiddos played this game.

For all three of these games, it’s good to tilt the iPad up to a nearly vertical angle so kids can sit up straighter (vs. slouching down to the table), keep their head upright (vs. craning their neck down to see the screen), extend their wrists in order to tap or pinch the screen (vs. flexing their wrist when flat on the table), and strengthen their shoulder muscles (vs. resting arms on the table and iPad).

Encourage kids to utilize one hand to complete levels rather than switching back and forth between left and right. If they’re having trouble isolating those “pincher fingers” as I call them with kids (thumb and index finger), try giving them a clean sock that has two holes cut in it — one for each pincher finger. This will naturally encourage them to tuck their remaining fingers under. (I know I’ve seen this brilliant idea on Pinterest but can’t locate the link at the moment.)

As with any app, it is not wise to solely rely on technology in order to develop fine motor skills. Use this app as a “warm up” at the beginning of a session, a reinforcer for work completed, or a way to simply engage kids’ attention toward fine motor play as part of a greater approach to fine motor activities with physical manipulatives.

Dexteria Jr. can be purchased in the app store starting TODAY for $2.99 by clicking here. I hope you get a chance to try this app with the little ones in your life. It’s engaging, colorful, musical, and a fun way to introduce young kids to basic fine motor skills that will serve as a nice foundation for later grasping and handwriting skills.

*Though I was provided a free promotional code to try out this app for review, all opinions and feedback are my own.

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