Category Archives: 12. One Thing Thursday

How to Sneak Fine Motor Skills into Gross Motor Play

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Welcome to One Thing Thursday, where we share one thing you can do to boost your child’s development!

. . . . .

Parents and teachers often ask me how they can incorporate more fine motor practice into their child’s or student’s day.

Well, try this one thing:
Sneak fine motor practice into their gross motor play!

Many kiddos I work with struggle to sit still, focus, or follow adult-directed tasks, and their fine motor development suffers as a result. That’s why they’re getting OT! Asking them to sit at a table and transfer color-coded clothespins from one paper plate to another for a few minutes? Forget about it! Not gonna work for these movers and wigglers.

When many of my kiddos participate in a gross motor obstacle course at the beginning of their session, I usually make sure to include a fine motor station. This allows me to “chunk” the fine motor activity into smaller pieces in order to facilitate things such as improved attention to task, decreased frustration, and improved overall success with the activity. Plus the other gross motor stuff often serves as a positive reinforcer for them so they know that as soon as they finish their fine motor station (as much as they may hate it), they’ll be able to go do all that fun stuff again! Don’t get me wrong — the ultimate goal is to improve their attention and skill in the fine motor department and eventually get them comfortable and functional working at tabletop. But we’ve gotta meet kids where they’re at if we want to help them move forward. And, hey, we want it to be FUN!!

Don’t forget that fine motor development requires a stable “base”, which means kids need a strong set of abs, back/side muscles, neck muscles, and shoulders to support the development of refined skills in the hands and fingers. So, really, kids are working on the foundations of fine motor development even when they engage in gross motor play. It’s a win-win!

Below is one example of a fine motor/gross motor obstacle course several of my preschool students recently completed during individual school-based sessions.

OC 1

The obstacle course included the following stations:
1. Climb up the tall side of the blue blocks
Fine Motor Relation: Upper body/core strength; bonus of working on motor planning for those who struggle with it
2. Swing on trapeze and kick down foam blocks
Fine Motor Relation: Hand, forearm, and shoulder strength to hang; core strength to lift legs and kick; bonus of working on attention, timing, and providing vestibular input while swinging
3. Jump on trampoline
Fine Motor Relation: Core strength; neck strength; shoulder and wrist stability if holding therapist’s hands and bearing weight down into them while jumping; bonus of providing proprioceptive and vestibular input to calm and focus the mover or alert the sluggish child
4. Crawl through tunnel
Fine Motor Relation: Shoulder and wrist stability; neck strength; bonus of working on motor planning and bilateral coordination for those who struggle with it
5. Sit on hippity hop ball while using tongs or kiddie chopsticks to place all poms of one color into bucket (Find 50 ways to play with tongs by clicking here, and one tip for facilitating good grasp on tongs here.)
Fine Motor Relation: Hand and finger strengthening; practicing grasp pattern for crayon, pencil, or scissors; core stability while sitting on ball; bonus of providing vestibular input if bouncing and challenging visual scanning and discrimination to find desired color
6. Re-set foam blocks for trapeze by setting them up so they are lined up evenly spaced next to each other and “sit” just above the little white line (just like letters when they are written on paper)
Fine Motor Relation: Upper body strength to lift blocks; bonus of working on motor planning to raise them up and visual perception to accurately place them next to each other and on the line
*Repeat obstacle course until all colors of poms have been placed in the bucket while using the tongs. This means they get to go around the obstacle course four or five times, depending on how many colors of poms are included. It also provides a natural ending point for the obstacle course and eases the transition for many students because they know it’s “all done” when there are no more poms left. Minimizing tantrums during transitions is always good!

Don’t you wish you got to do this when you were in preschool?!

OC 4OC 2 OC 3Some other good fine motor or pre-writing activities to incorporate into obstacle courses for young ones include lacing beads, pushing puff balls into small holes, placing toothpicks into the small holes of a spice container, operating shape sorters or puzzles with pegs, assembling Mr. Potato Head, or building Mat Man one body part at a time as they go around (see short video of kids building Mat Man by clicking here).

So the next time you think there’s no way you can possibly get your kiddo to work on fine motor skills, or you think you just don’t have time for it, remember this! Squeeze fine motor practice into their gross motor play and you might just be surprised at how effective it is. Let your child be your guide when it comes to the appropriate level of fine motor challenge. Have fun!

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Switch Out Your Toys {One Thing Thursday}

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Welcome to One Thing Thursday, where I share one thing you can do to boost your child’s development.

toys

Do you ever look at your child’s toy box and think, “We really need some new toys”?

Yep, been there.

I know it’s tempting to put all the toys out there and give them lots of things to play with. But what’s the problem? The toys get old. Your child gets bored with them. You get bored with them. And from a  learning standpoint, your child’s brain kinda stops being challenged after engaging with the same toys over and over again. Practice is good, but too much of the same means their brain doesn’t have to create new “motor plans” in order to figure out how to engage with a new or unfamiliar toy.

So try this one thing: Divide your child’s toys into two or three groups and rotate them every week or two. This will keep your child’s brain stimulated and it will keep you from feeling like you need to go to the toy store and load up on new stuff for your little one.

While there are certainly times when new toys are necessary (like when they are ready to move from infant to toddler toys, or they have graduated to preschool toys), many of your child’s toys can last for longer than you think. And you know what happens when you bring out that box of toys that you’ve been hiding for the past few weeks or months? It’s like Christmas…for you and for them!

So try picking out some toys for the week, and switch things up on a regular basis. You might find that you get more creative with what you offer as “toys” (like bowls, mixing spoons, strainers, and other things around the house). It will be good for both you and your child!

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Let Them Put a Triangle in a Round Hole {One Thing Thursday}

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Welcome to One Thing Thursday, where we share one thing you can do to boost your child’s development.

. . . . .

One Thing Thursday is back, and here’s the deal: I’m not gonna sugar coat this one. Here we go.

Dear Parents,

If you remember nothing else this week (or this month…or year…you get the point), please remember this ONE THING:

Don’t be afraid to let your child make mistakes. 

In fact, please allow them to make mistakes. Give them enough space so they have the option of making mistakes. Especially as young toddlers.

They NEED to learn from their mistakes. They NEED to learn that “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” is actually a real thing. They NEED to learn that if they mess up the first time, they can try again next time. They NEED to learn how to persist in a task even if they don’t succeed the first, or the second, or the third time.  They NEED to learn that if they can’t do something, they can ask for help rather than throwing a tantrum, having someone swoop in to do it for them, or simply giving up.

I have seen far too many little ones who, after being given the chance to engage in trial and error without an adult jumping in at the first sign of difficulty, have made tremendous strides in their cognitive and physical abilities. You should see the way these kiddos light up when they discover they can do something themselves. Could be learning to put on a shirt. Could be figuring out a shape sorter. Could be learning to cut with scissors.

Yes, every child is different and has varying capabilities. But the message is the same: give them a chance to try it by themselves. 

So the next time you see your child trying to put a triangle in a round hole (or engaging in some metaphorical equivalent) and you have the urge to jump in and immediately do it for them, hold your horses. Give them a second. Or two. Let them try to put the triangle in the round hole. Encourage them. Point them in the right direction. Give them a chance to look up to you and ask for help. Guide them to the right solution. And then if they need you to ultimately finish it for them, go right ahead. But please don’t deprive them of the process of problem solving and the rich learning experience that only trial and error can bring.

Let them put the triangle in the round hole.

And then see what happens.

I will thank you for it when they are older.

Respectfully yours,

Mama OT

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One Trick to Help Babies Learn to Roll {One Thing Thursday}

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Welcome to One Thing Thursday, where we share one thing you can do to boost your child’s development.

. . . . .

Looking for a suggestion to help your baby learn to roll?

Try this one thing:

Set down and pick up baby while shifting his weight to the side in a rolling motion. You can start this one as soon as baby is born and — guess what? — it’s super easy to incorporate into your daily routine. You can do this with every diaper change and sleep session which means, for a newborn, it can add up to 20 or more times a day. That’s a lot of practice!

Here’s how you do it: Sit baby on his bottom and roll him over to the side while setting him down. Be sure to support his head so it doesn’t flop back, but check out how he automatically tries to keep his head from falling sideways so it stays in line with his body (a reflex with which babies are born). Cool, huh? This strengthens the muscles on the sides of his neck. This move also allows him to practice pushing against the floor with his arm on the way down. Simply reverse this motion when it’s time to pick baby up, and baby will get practice pushing up from the floor as well. Be sure to practice rolling baby to both left and right sides throughout the day…we don’t want a baby who only moves to one side! Check out the photos below and watch a short video demonstrating this maneuver by clicking here.

baby rollingbaby rollingbaby rolling

Looking for more ideas to help baby learn to roll? Check out this post with 10 tips for helping babies learn to roll.

Hope you enjoyed MamaOT’s first edition of One Thing Thursday. Come back next Thursday for another quick tip to boost your child’s development. And be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out!

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Coming Soon: “One Thing” Thursday

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I’m excited to announce the newest addition to the MamaOT blog!:

“One Thing” Thursday

MamaOT

Every Thursday, I will feature one quick tip that you can implement to help improve some aspect of your child’s development. I will keep it as focused as possible so it’s short, sweet, and easy to use. The age range addressed will vary from week to week, so there will be something for everyone throughout the month.

Cool? Let me give you the back story real quick:

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I do my best to give my little clients’ parents ideas for how they can carryover their child’s therapeutic program throughout the rest of the week. Though it’s tempting to give them a bunch of ideas so they can leave their child’s session armed and ready to go for the next several days, I find it’s often more effective to only suggest ONE THING. Sometimes that ONE THING is very specific (e.g., give him a deep massage with lotion after bath time every night). Sometimes it’s pretty broad (e.g., find opportunities to engage her in fine motor activities that will continue to encourage development of her pincer grasp). And, yes, I’ve even referred a parent to Pinterest before for sensory and fine motor play ideas via Kid Blogger Network. God bless Pinterest.

Anyway…

I have found that giving families more than ONE THING to do each week can be overwhelming and impractical and, more often than not, families are less likely to carryover therapist suggestions when they are given too many ideas to choose from, no matter how fun or great they are. And, honestly, sometimes it’s even difficult for parents to try out that ONE THING. Factors such as limited time, space, energy, or finances can get in the way, and it’s totally understandable. I’m a parent. I get it. Raising a family is tough work. That’s why I try to keep it simple.

Similarly, I want to provide tips and tricks on this blog that are practical and easy to use. Sometimes a list of five or ten things is great. But other times ONE THING is enough.

That’s why I’m creating “One Thing” Thursday.

Be sure to stop by for next week’s first installment of “One Thing” Thursday. I’ll give you a clue…it’s about babies.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to the blog or followed MamaOT on Twitter or Facebook, now’s your chance! You don’t want to miss out on all the great tips and tricks you can use for those crazy, quirky, sweet, special children in your life.

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