How to Make Homemade Instant Snow

Posted on March 24, 2013 by christiekiley

Someone recently told me you can make instant snow by cutting open a disposable diaper and pouring water on it til it turns into a gelatinous, moldable sensory play tool.

What?!

As an OT who is always looking for new sensory play ideas, I decided I HAD to try this for myself. Here’s how I did it:

1. Cut open the diaper so you can extract the absorbent pad in the middle. Be delicate with the pad. It’s super fragile and little particles will start to fall off when you move it around.

2. Place the absorbent pad in a container (such as a plastic toy bin, baking sheet, or large mixing bowl) and slowly add water, poking and prodding the pad as you go to help break it apart. I had to use approximately four cups of water to turn a Size 3 Huggies pad into the appropriate consistency. If you don’t have a long container you could always cut or tear the pad into smaller pieces.

3. That’s it! Ridiculously simple.

Check out that texture.

Encourage sensory exploration, motor planning, and fine motor skills by molding the snow into snowballs or creating sculptures such as snowmen or animals. Practice pre-writing skills by forming shapes, letters, and numbers in the snow. Kids can use their index fingers or can even use a tool such as the non-brush end of a thin paintbrush in order to practice pencil grasp as well.

And for those little ones who are either reluctant to touch the slushy stuff or who need to practice their scooping skills, give them a tool (learn more here).

Make sure your little explorer doesn’t try to eat the fake snow. Though the substance is non-toxic, it doesn’t mean it should be ingested. Your snow will be as cold as the water you make it with. If you want it colder, put it in the fridge or freezer. If you want it slushier, add more water. Throw in a little salt if you (or your child) accidentally made it too slushy; this will help “dry” it out a bit. Create different colors of snow by mixing in some food coloring or Kool-Aid powder.

If you don’t have diapers in your house and don’t want to go out and buy a whole pack, you can purchase name-brand instant snow in many stores or online (click here).

Happy snow play!

*This post contains an affiliate link.

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Intro to Messy Play: Painting with Shaving Cream

Posted on March 3, 2013 by christiekiley

If you have a kiddo who is hesitant to dip their little fingers into messy sensory materials, or even outright HATES it, try giving them a tool such as a paintbrush or spoon. This will allow them to engage with the tactile media without actually having to touch it. It also serves as a nice introduction to messy play! Then as the child becomes more comfortable engaging in sensory play with the tool, she can gradually begin to explore the messy stuff on her own terms, when she feels ready.

When it comes to messy play, shaving cream is perhaps the most classic medium used by pediatric occupational therapists. Some kids LOVE the stuff and could bathe in it from head to toe every day if their mommies let them (like the kids in this picture). Others, like those mentioned above, probably wish it was buried in a deep dark cave far, far away.

So what do we do? Give ‘em a tool!

My toddler son got to try this activity last week since he’s still not so sure about things that are goopy or foamy. All we needed was a baking sheet, some old paintbrushes, a big piece of paper (bought a whole pad from the dollar store for future projects!), and three drops of food coloring.

I squirted the cream onto the pan, showed him how I swirled in the food coloring, and then demonstrated how to brush, brush, brush! on the paper since he was a little nervous about it at first. But once he saw that it was okay and we could sing fun songs while we brushed, he reached for a brush and joined right in! He remained engaged in this process for about five minutes before he decided he was all done. It was a good start!

As mentioned previously, if you have a child who is nervous about or avoidant of tactile sensory experiences like this one, don’t force them to touch it or “just be fine” with it. Gauge their comfort level, offer demonstration and gentle encouragement, allow them to watch peers or siblings engage with it while positively reinforcing them for doing so (but DON’T punish or shame the one who doesn’t engage), sing songs or count or rhyme while doing it, make shapes and faces and sound effects as appropriate, and provide plenty of opportunities for exposure over time. Make it fun! Praise them when they try it and allow them to wipe their hands or take a break when they need to in order to keep it as positive an experience as possible.

Have fun!

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Santa Fine Motor Craft {Photo Friday}

Posted on November 30, 2012 by christiekiley

Welcome to Photo Friday, a place where I share photos of therapeutic tools and ideas that can help boost your child’s development. Please give me feedback on my ideas — I love hearing how they go over with other kids!

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The Christmas season is in the air and, even though it’s not even December yet, classrooms are already filling with Christmas crafts.

For kiddos who need work on fine motor skills — especially cutting — try this basic Santa craft with card stock or construction paper. All it takes is to cut out one circle and some short, straight lines (which I know is still tough for a lot of little ones who receive OT). Use tape or glue to attach the appropriate body parts and provide the “just right” amount of assistance so the child is challenged enough to learn but not enough to become super frustrated.

This is a great activity for working on fine motor (obviously), visual motor (hand-eye coordination), sequencing (follow in order step-by-step), and body awareness skills (organizing body parts). It’s ideal for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Kids can draw a face, punch a hole at the top, and add a ribbon or hook to make their very own ornament!

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Use play dough as boundaries for cutting {Photo Friday}

Posted on November 16, 2012 by christiekiley

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For kids who have a hard time cutting anywhere near a line, try using play dough as a “road” for them to cut on. I used this on-the-fly earlier this week for a kiddo who has no concept of paying attention to lines when cutting, but he was able to follow directions to “keep your scissors on the road!”

Have them help you roll out the play dough and press it on the paper with their pointer finger…it sticks really well! (Wikki Stix work also, but not everyone has them just lying around and they don’t stick to paper quite as well.) You can adjust the width of the road to increase or decrease the challenge, and you can of course make any shape you want them to practice cutting. For more concrete guidance, try drawing the boundaries on the paper with marker so they have some guidance as to where to place the play dough in order to make their road. The more angles and curves, the trickier. You can also draw a thick line for them to keep their scissors on in the middle of the road. Try it out!

If you have more financial resources and prep time, you can also use glitter glue, puff paint, or craft foam to give kids physical boundaries for cutting. Find out how by clicking here.

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4 Halloween Fine Motor Activities

Posted on October 21, 2012 by christiekiley

I had a lot of fun working on Halloween fine motor activities with my students last week, so I thought I’d share four that turned out to be a great hit! These were done with kiddos ranging from preschool all the way to fourth grade.

1. Eyeball sensory bag.
This might have been my favorite all week because of its versatility. All you need is a gallon-sized ziploc bag, a few squeezes of dollar store hair gel, and a gooey eyeball (dollar store two-pack). I taped the bag on a whiteboard and then drew mazes and pre-writing shapes on the board underneath so they’d show through the bag. I drew an eyeball to indicate where the gooey orbit should start, and then the kids had to use their fingers to make the eyeball follow the lines. The boys, of course loved it…but so did the girls! It was quite a workout for their little fingers (with the added benefit of working at a vertical surface to encourage better wrist activation for mature pencil grasp). I’ve never seen kids so mesmerized! This activity was great for providing input to my sensory seekers (squish, squish!) while also serving as a protective barrier for my sensory avoiders (no touching that gooey, yucky stuff). Lots of adorable giggling with this one!

Fine motor/visual perceptual skills addressed: isolation of index finger, pincer grasp, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination (visual motor skills), following lines and pre-writing strokes
Good for ages: preschool through elementary
Make it harder: use one hand to hold the bag and the other to slide the eyeball (rather than using two hands to slide it around); slide upward; shapes with more angles; complete the path in both directions (as in picture 3)
Make it easier: hold the bag in place for them so they can use two hands to slide the eyeball; slide downward; shapes with fewer angles

2. Spider web lacing plate.
I was surprised at how easy or difficult this was for some students. My string was only long enough for six holes, but you can do more holes if you have a longer string (good thing I tested it out beforehand!). I pre-knotted the string and wrote the numbers on the plate before involving the kids, but I had them punch the holes themselves going from 1 to 6. Then they laced the web and got to hide the spider or bug at the very end as their reward (bag o’ bugs from dollar store). Some kids needed a lot of assistance to coordinate holding the plate with one hand and lacing with the other. Some needed help holding the string effectively and figuring out whether to go up or down. Some needed help scanning the plate to find the numbers in the correct order (either due to visual processing difficulties, attention/impulsive difficulties, or both). Again, this was a good Halloween fine motor activity for both boys and girls!

Fine motor/visual perceptual skills addressed: hand strength (punching holes), pincer grasp, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination (visual motor skills), visual scanning
Good for ages: preschool through early elementary (or older depending on skill level)
Make it harder: use one hand to punch holes rather than two; use one hand to hold and manipulate lace; add more numbers and longer string; use a thicker plate to require more strength for punching holes
Make it easier: slide plate into a 3-hole puncher (but only punch one hole at a time) so they can use their whole upper body to punch holes; use fewer numbers and shorter string

3. Wiggly spider hat.
This one I found at Sweet Tea Classroom via Pinterest (of course). I’ve been using it in the clinic and in the schools, and boys and girls think it’s hilarious! It’s a great basic cutting activity (just lines and 2 circles) that can easily be adapted based on skill level. It also involves some fine motor dexterity as they help tear off pieces of tape, press them on the hat, and roll up two pieces to use for the eyes. (You could use a stapler instead of tape but I am so not comfortable giving a preschooler a stapler, no matter how well supervised. You could also use a glue stick, but then the pieces tend to slide around when in the hands of a little one.) The best part of this craft, though, is when the kids put on the hat. It’s hilarious. The 8 legs bounce around and they just think they’re sooooo funny. The googly eyes help, too.

Fine motor/visual perceptual skills addressed: pincer grasp, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination (visual motor skills), dexterity, scissor skills
Good for ages: preschool through early elementary (or older depending on skill and interest level)
Make it harder: have them cut and tape on their own; show them a model and have them figure out how to make it from the model; show them a model and give them a written step-by-step list of how to make it on their own
Make it easier: only have them cut out the short, straight lines (circles are obviously harder to cut); take the lead on the tearing and rolling of tape, but have them help where they can

4. Group pumpkin collage.
I came up with this activity when I was laying in bed one night thinking about work (can’t turn that brain off). It has actually turned out to be a really neat collaborative project, and we’re not even done with it yet! I got a big piece of black bulletin board paper from the school supply room, taped it to the wall, and drew an outline of a jack-o-lantern. I found big sheets of orange and green tissue paper in a drawer somewhere and then told each student that they could contribute to a group project that all the kids were doing in OT. There’s something about contributing to the greater good that really gets some kids fired up.

Because my focus was more on having the kids crumple the paper and glue it to the wall rather than wasting time wrestling with a big sheet of tissue paper, I tore it into small squares and then handed it to them so they could get to work. Some students needed constant reminders and demos to crunch it up into a little ball (as you can see). Some had poor strength and/or dexterity, so they had to push the tissue on their body while crumpling in order to gain added stability. Some also needed help holding the glue stick correctly, like you would hold a pencil (they wanted to grab with their whole fist instead). And yet others needed frequent reminders to stay inside the lines (or out of the eyes, nose, and mouth, which will remain black). We did this as part of our fine motor warm-up before sitting down to do tabletop work such as cutting or writing. Many students have been excited to come back to OT to see how much more of the pumpkin has been made. I can’t wait to do more themed collages with my students in the future!

Fine motor/visual perceptual skills addressed: pincer grasp, dexterity, finger strength, visual scanning for where to place tissue, shoulder strength to reach up and press onto paper
Good for ages: preschool through elementary
Make it harder: have them crumple using only one hand, have them tear the tissue paper themselves, use a glue stick with a twist top to challenge more refined finger skills
Make it easier: allow them to use two hands to crumple paper, do glue for them so they can just focus on crumpling and placing the paper over and over

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I hope you get a chance to try one or more of these Halloween fine motor activities before October is over and you have to wait until next year to give them a go. Have fun!

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Easy Pipe Cleaner Bracelet

Posted on October 7, 2012 by christiekiley

Bracelets are fun to make, but they can be really tough for kids who have poor fine motor skills. If a child wants to make a bracelet but is struggling with being able to use two hands together (bilateral coordination), has difficulty using their “pincher” fingers effectively (thumb and index finger), can’t seem to coordinate hands and eyes (visual motor), or is just downright clumsy, try having them use a pipe cleaner instead of a string.

All you need are some beads…

…and a pipe cleaner.

That’s it!

Pipe cleaners are a great string substitute because they stay in place and don’t flop around, thus reducing the amount of fine motor control needed to successfully complete the task. Their fuzzy texture and hard wire give more sensory input to the fingers, which is great for kiddos who have underdeveloped or newly emerging fine motor skills. And their thick, fuzzy nature encourages beads to stay in place so they don’t slip off if the bracelet-maker loses focus or accidentally fumbles with their fingers. What a great way to minimize frustration and maximize success!

Pipe cleaner bracelets can also serve as a great fidget toy for the child who must always be touching, spinning, or jiggling something. They can play with it — spin beads, bend bracelet, etc. — while it is either on or off their wrist. Just make sure you’ve looped the pipe cleaner around the end enough times to know that the beads won’t go flying with all that fidgeting.

I hope you’re able to grant a child the gift of bracelet-making with this simple pipe cleaner trick. What are some other ways you like to modify bracelet-making for kids?

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Easy Sensory Bags for Babies and Toddlers

Posted on September 23, 2012 by christiekiley

I have been experimenting with sensory bags lately for my one-year-old and have been pleasantly surprised at how ridiculously EASY they are to make!

For a basic sensory bag, all you have to do is 1) open a plastic bag, 2) squeeze in some cheap hair gel and 3) drop some small items in the bag. That’s it! You can reinforce the zipper seal with some packing tape for added security. The dollar store will be your best friend for this project!

Here are a few ideas for sprucing up your sensory bag and making it even more fun for your little one. Do it yourself or have your little helper give you a hand!

Add a handful of beads.

Put seashells in blue gel for a look that will make you long for the Caribbean.

Mix some body wash with hair gel and throw in a dash of sparkles for some sudsy, sparkly fun. The more you squeeze it, the more bubbly it becomes.

Or see how your little one responds when you give them a sensory bag that glows! (Five-pack of glow sticks also found at the dollar store.)

These are just four quick, easy ways to expand your child’s sense of sight and touch in a fun, non-messy way…do you have any idea how fun it is to squeeze those squishy bags?!

Not only can sensory bags be fun for teeny tiny ones, they can also be helpful for older kids who are always wanting to touch EVERYTHING. Help them make their very own sensory bag and offer it to them when they feel like they need something for their hands. Be sure it’s sealed and reinforced, and provide appropriate supervision for their own safety. I’m thinking about using these sensory bags with some of my very own therapy kiddos. We’ll see how it goes!

If you’re as excited about these sensory bags as I am (and I hope you are!), then come back on Wednesday morning…I will be featuring a round-up of LOTS of different kinds of sensory bags from amazing bloggers around the world. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the fun!

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This post was shared on Tuesday Tots at Rainy Day Mum. Click the badge below for more fun kids’ activity ideas!

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Activity Ideas for Kids: Pinterest!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by christiekiley

Last week I introduced you to four fantastic websites that all do a great job of sharing ideas for activities to do with kids:

1. Monday featured No Time for Flash Cards (read post here).
2. Tuesday was all about Productive Parenting (read post here).
3. Wednesday we dove into Growing a Jeweled Rose (read post here).
4. And on Thursday I introduced you to hands on : as we grow (read post here).

I hope you’ve had a chance to check out at least one of these websites and have found something that strikes your (or your little one’s) fancy. Haven’t found what you’re looking for? Can’t get enough of the activity ideas I’ve already given you? Well, have I got the treat for you.

One word: Pinterest.

For those who don’t know, Pinterest is a website where you can organize (or “pin”) all the ideas you and your friends find on the internet by creating virtual “pinboards” for your stuff. You can follow other people’s boards and they can follow yours. WARNING: Pinterest is extremely addicting!!!

Among other things, Pinterest is the perfect place to find and organize activity ideas for kids. While I wouldn’t recommend just going on Pinterest and typing in search terms for activities (that would take waaaayyyy too long), I do think it’s worth investing a bit of your time into finding a few core people/organizations who can provide you with everything you’re looking for in terms of activity ideas.

Here is a short list of three great groups to follow on Pinterest if you’re looking for activity ideas for kids:

1. “Kid Blogger Network Activities & Crafts” : this one will pretty much dominate your home page because it’s a collaborative pinboard, which means lots of specifically selected bloggers can contribute kid-friendly pins…hence, “kid blogger network”.

2. “PediaStaff on Pinterest” : they are a therapy staffing company that supports their therapists in part by creating and organizing hundreds of pinboards related to activities used in pediatric therapy…everything from speech and language development, to fine motor and sensory processing skills, to holiday-themed activities…honored to have a few of MamaOT’s blog posts repinned by PediaStaff!

3. “AOTA Inc – Children: Developmental Activities” : the official pinboard of the American Occupational Therapy Association, so you know it’s gonna be good…very honored that some of MamaOT’s blog posts have made it onto here, too!

And, of course, you can always follow MamaOT on Pinterest for additional actvitiy ideas! I pin resources from the above three sources frequently and also have a handful of other sources that knock my socks off. Click here to see my pins and follow along.

Who are some of your favorite people to follow on Pinterest in order to find great activity ideas for kids?

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Activity Ideas for Kids: “hands on : as we grow”

Posted on August 9, 2012 by christiekiley

This week on MamaOT we’ve been featuring various websites and blogs that will give you a creative boost when it comes to coming up with activities to do with the kids in your life. Monday featured “No Time for Flash Cards“, Tuesday was all about “Productive Parenting“, and Wednesday focused on messy play ideas from “Growing a Jeweled Rose“.

Today I am excited to share with you a blog called hands on : as we grow: hands on kids activities for hands on moms. It can be found at www.handsonaswegrow.com.

Hands on : as we grow is run by a stay-at-home mom named Jamie, and she blogs about the activities she does with her two boys (age 2 and age 4). This is a really interactive blog featuring activities that can be searched by the following categories:

My absolute favorite part of hands on : as we grow is Jamie’s challenge to both herself and other parents to learn how to be a “hands on” parent. You absolutely MUST read her post about “How to become hands on with your kids” (click here). It is inspiring, to say the least. She addresses ten hurdles that get in the way of being a hands on parent (like “I’m not crafty” or “I don’t have any of the stuff”) and goes through them one by one to help you get over your fears, insecurities, and excuses about spending quality, hands on time with your kids (and, yes, Pinterest is one of those ways to overcome) — and she does it without an ounce of arrogance or judgment.

Not only does Jamie of hands on : as we grow encourage parents to spend quality hands on time with their kids, she has also issued a challenge called “30 Days to Hands on Play”. As part of this challenge, she asks parents to join her in spending 15 minutes of uninterrupted hands on time with their kids for 30 days straight. And each day, she provides a new idea for how you can spend that time. She also asks parents to do some self-reflection and come up with a simple mission statement about how they want to become more hands on with their kids. It could be as easy as saying, “I want to play with my kids once a day without any distractions for 15 minutes,” or, “I want to learn how to actually enjoy spending time with my kids.” Sounds simple but as a parent, I know, that can be quite a stretch for many of us. Click here to read her introduction to the 30-Day Challenge.

I really can’t say enough good things about hands on : as we grow. I absolutely love Jamie’s heart behind what she does and I would recommend this blog to any parent or caregiver in a heartbeat. If you’re interested in checking out this blog but don’t know where to start, I’d recommend heading over to her “my favorites” page, where she shares a list of some of her fave hands on : as we grow posts (which includes posts related to the 30-Day Challenge). Find her favorites page by clicking here.

I really, REALLY hope you check out hands on : as we grow. To be honest, I haven’t known about this blog for very long and, already, I have been inspired to become more engaged with my baby and avoid interruptions in the precious moments I have with him. I hope it will inspire you, too.

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Activity Ideas for Kids: “No Time for Flash Cards”

Posted on August 6, 2012 by christiekiley

Last week I asked you to tell me what ages and topics you wanted to learn more about here on MamaOT.com. I learned that many of you are looking for play and activity ideas for your little ones. To be honest, there are TONS of blogs out there (it’s overwhelming, really) that offer a multitude of ideas for creative crafts and activities for kids. And since MamaOT is a “Tips and Tricks” blog that sometimes features activity ideas (rather than focusing on them exclusively), I thought I’d share some helpful resources for those of you looking for a creative boost. I’ve decided to devote this entire week (how lucky are you?!) to telling you about some fantastic resources out there on the world wide web that have already put together fun lists of things to do with kids of all ages!

The first website you should check out is called No Time for Flash Cards: Learning and Play for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids. It can be accessed at www.notimeforflashcards.com.

No Time for Flash Cards (or NTFFC for short) is a fun blog that features tons of activity ideas for babies, toddlers, and kids. It has been around since 2008 and is run by a teacher/mom who loves to help other parents. You can search for activities based on:

AGE — infant, toddler (1-3), preschool (3-5), school-age (5+), big kid and parents (8+)
CRAFT — by theme and by age
ACTIVITY TYPE — cooking, fine motor, gross motor, math, pretend play, science, sensory, and songs

The philosophy of NTFFC is to make learning fun at home and in school…without the flashcards!

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I think the NTFFC blog is a great place to start for those who are looking for activity ideas that will engage kids’ brains and bodies without making them feel like they’re being “drilled”. The blog’s writers have backgrounds in literature, education, and crafting, so those are the kinds of ideas you’ll encounter. Though it’s not a site geared specifically toward reaching developmental milestones or sharing how to playfully work toward specific age-appropriate skills (such as fine motor milestones or handwriting development), I think you’ll find the ideas on NTFFC useful and practical, especially the page that outlines basic must-have craft supplies.

Here are some examples of activities featured on NTFFC (click on title for link to activity):

Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles
Texture Collage
Real Life Angry Birds
Emotions Book (for infants and older kids too)
Cooking in the Sink — Sensory Pretend Play

I hope you’ll stop by No Time for Flash Cards and try out some of the many fun ideas it has in store for you. Hopefully you’ll discover some new favorites. Let me know what you think of it!

Tomorrow I will be sharing another website I like that is filled with hundreds (maybe even THOUSANDS) of activity ideas for parents and kids to do together. Be sure to come back to check it out or, better yet, subscribe to MamaOT so you don’t miss out on future posts. See you tomorrow!

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Mama OT

Tips and tricks for those who care for children

Tag Archives: crafts

How to Make Homemade Instant Snow

Intro to Messy Play: Painting with Shaving Cream

Santa Fine Motor Craft {Photo Friday}

Use play dough as boundaries for cutting {Photo Friday}

4 Halloween Fine Motor Activities

Easy Pipe Cleaner Bracelet

Easy Sensory Bags for Babies and Toddlers

Activity Ideas for Kids: “hands on : as we grow”

Activity Ideas for Kids: “No Time for Flash Cards”