Hello January! It's the start of the New Year and the dead of winter. When I think of January gross motor planning I think of all things snow and cold as well as a fresh start with the New Year upon us. I like to break January gross motor planning down into different themes for ...
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Arctic Animal Brain Breaks
The winter season is officially here! This is a time for snow, winter sports, and the arctic! I always loved trying to incorporate fun themes to make movement fun! In the winter there is no better theme than the arctic. Arctic animals are especially fun when it comes to ...
Balance Challenge Using Cardboard Blocks
Are you looking for something a little different to add to your gross motor stations? Maybe you need some fresh ideas on how to challenge balance? Maybe you want a fun party game? You need to try these fun ways to challenge balance with cardboard blocks. This activity is ...
Christmas Relay – Christmas Gross Motor
Christmas is quickly approaching! Gross motor games with a Christmas theme are so much fun! They work great for the entire month of December! It’s the perfect game for getting out all that energy out! After you read about the Christmas Relay You need to check out Christmas ...
Christmas Gross Motor – Holiday Hop
Are you a teacher, parent, caregiver, or therapist looking for a fun Christmas Gross Motor Idea? The Holiday Hop is the perfect Christmas gross motor idea. This game can be fun from preschool through elementary years. Check out how we play the Holiday Hop! ...
Printable Christmas Activities – That Promote Movement
Are you looking for quick and fun ways to move this holiday season? Do you have kids that need to get all of that energy out? Do you need the kids to re-focus with all the excitement this holiday season? Look no further! Here are fun printable Christmas activities that get ...
December Gross Motor Planning
December is one of my favorite months for gross motor planning. With the holidays upon us there are so many fun themed gross motor activities that you can try! Everything from The Gingerbread Man to Christmas themed games are perfect this time of the year! Check out these ideas ...
5 Resources To Incorporate Classroom Yoga
Classroom yoga is known for all of it's benefits including increased focus, concentration, and attention as well as promotion of thinking and memory to name a few. For those reasons alone, incorporating classroom yoga seems like a no-brainer! Yoga is really easy to incorporate ...
Stability Ball Activities – Stickers
We love when we can combine fine motor, gross motor, and fun all into one activity and we love stability ball activities. The stability ball sticker game is an awesome way to combine all of these in one really fun activity. It can be changed up for the seasons too by using ...
Brain Breaks for Kids – In The Classroom
Brain breaks for kids are so important in today's learning environments. So what exactly are brain breaks? They aren't just letting the kids sit and rest their brains. Brain breaks for kids are in fact giving the opportunity for them to move! The research is strong that brain ...
Classroom Brain Breaks With A Soccer Theme
Now that August is rolling in it's time that many teachers are thinking about getting back in their classrooms, parents are setting routines, and school therapists are getting ready for the new school year. A huge part of learning is having kids who are ready to learn, which ...
Baseball Brain Breaks
It's baseball season! When working with my kids during therapy sessions I try to find activities that interest them or catch their attention. I've found with my sports crazy kids, relating sports to any kind of strengthening, range of motion, cardiovascular exercise etc. to ...
Weather Themed Yoga
Are you looking for a great way to get your kids moving? A fun way to increase participation in the classroom, therapy, programming, or home? How about a great way to get the kids moving during your morning meeting? Then you've got to try weather themed yoga. No, you don't ...
Physical Activity For The Classroom – Using Technology
Most of us are aware that there is plenty of research that physical activity is needed in the classroom. There is also a lot happening with technology in the classroom. That being said, combining physical activity and technology could be useful to classroom teachers throughout ...
Bean Bag Balance Game
Are you looking for a fun game that also promotes balance? You need to try the bean bag balance game. It's super simple and you probably have most things that you need around your home! The bean bag balance game would also work great in physical education or for gross motor ...
Simple Sidewalk Chalk Gross Motor Activities
One of my absolute favorite tools as a physical therapist and mom is sidewalk chalk. I love sidewalk chalk because I can create fun gross motor themed activities by simply drawing on the sidewalk! Summer is the perfect time to get out that sidewalk chalk and give your kids a ...
Crossing The Midline Activities – Summer Themed
What exactly is crossing the midline? I've learned a lot about this from my Occupational Therapy colleagues. Think of the midline as an imaginary line that runs down the middle part of the body that divides the body into the right and left sides. Crossing the midline means that ...
Interactive Brain Breaks – Free Games
I've decided to try out something new! Interactive Brain Breaks and Physical Activity! I've always been a big proponent of stepping away from technology and taking a "brain break". Don't get me wrong, I love technology, I just believe A LOT of our time is spent on it, and a ...
Strength and Balance Exercises Using A Hill
One obstacle I often run into working in the schools is a space to work in. In these cases one of my favorite therapy tools happens to be a hill or incline. It's amazing how many great strength and balance exercises you can do with a simple hill or incline. I especially love ...
Single Leg Balance Exercise – With Bubbles
Are you looking for a fun way to work on single leg balance? I call this next activity a single leg balance exercise, but in reality it's more fun and play! This activity can be done most anywhere and you only need bubbles to practice these single leg balance exercises. So ...