I don’t know about you, but as cliche as it sounds I always find myself at the start of a new year with a resolution. This year my resolution is to start exercising again. With the new baby and a toddler I’ve found that my exercising just isn’t happening. One of my favorite ways to …
Kids Yoga Resources – For the Classroom and Home Read More »
We know that movement is essential to learning. We know that kids that are physically active perform better at school. Making brain breaks fun and available are important. Adding a theme to brain breaks can make them go with any unit you teach or student’s enjoy! Stepping away from the screen and doing a brain …
The focus around Thanksgiving is of course giving thanks, but also food. As much as I love food I always try to participate in some sort of physical activity to go with it. Most often, we participate in a local Walk For Hunger. Combining Thanksgiving with physical movement can be achieved for the kids too! …
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. As a physical therapist, one of the big questions that often times comes up is wheelchair selection. There are several factors that we discuss and take into consideration when selecting a wheelchair …
The research is out there. We all know how important it is to incorporate physical activity and learning. Just think of these stats. Active kids are 20% more likely to earn an A in math or English. In active kids standardized test scores increased 6% over 3 years. Just One Physically Active Lesson Creates a 13% increase in a child’s physical activity for …
When I started as a physical therapist in the school system I wish I had known about all the different resources for standers. Coming from a clinical based practice it was a whole new world for me. I was learning about IEP’s, special education, and all sorts of different equipment. One thing that I really …
Football season is upon us. It’s in full force at our house. Vikings, Gophers, and the local high school teams are the weekend excitement around here. In the spirit of football season I’ve created a matching game with a football theme. Of course, the football matching game also has a movement component. It’s a fun …
Matching With Movement – Football Themed Freebie Read More »
Halloween is a fun filled holiday full of candy, costumes, and parties. Halloween is also a great time to encourage movement in the classroom, home, or therapy. Adding a Halloween theme can make movement at Halloween fun for the kids. Movement is also perfect to add into a Halloween party or use Halloween themed brain breaks …
One of my favorite fitness activities has become Tabata workouts. Tabata workouts are intense, short duration training that follows a specific format. The name Tabata comes from the doctor and researcher that came up with the workout. The Tabata workout is quick and effective making it a nice option to incorporate into the home, classroom and therapy.
I recently had the opportunity to review Sensory Processing 101 (affiliate). As a physical therapist this sparked my interest and I hoped it would give me more ideas to use in my practice. This book is an awesome resource written from a parent and educator perspective as well as a therapist perspective. It gave me …
I’m always looking for fun ways to keep the kids moving. Adding a theme is a great way to make gross motor games even more fun. There are some pretty cool ideas out there! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I’ve found to try out this fall!
I am a dollar store or dollar aisle frequenter when it comes to grabbing things for working in the school with kids. I love a bargain! The nice thing is there is usually something that a therapist can use (or figure out how to use) during all seasons! It’s pretty hard for me to go …
The scooter board is an awesome tool to use for strengthening in kids. It’s so much fun to use with so many different games and obstacle courses that it’s hard to believe that you could be strengthening at the same time! My 2 year old recently received one for his birthday. He really enjoys it, …
I love fall. I am especially looking forward to the weather this year. At 8 months pregnant cool weather is much appreciated! One of my favorite activities to do with my family is go to the local pumpkin patch. My son loves to play and climb on the pumpkins. Pumpkins are the perfect them to …
I’ve gotten a bit carried away with making printables lately! I love the design aspect of it. It’s good therapy! I’m sad to admit it, but I’ve never decorated my desk. The majority of the reason is I’m rarely there, but really I could have put up at least one picture. In my printable frenzy …
I’ve always found that making things fun is the way to go. Whether that be in therapy or at home. I’m very much a “fun” exercise type person myself. I’d rather play an organized sport or game than run on the treadmill. I’m always trying to come up with new ideas to incorporate gross motor skills …
Fitness stations are a simple way to add movement to the day. Fitness stations are perfect for physical education but can also be incorporated into math centers, literacy center, or workshop set ups. This can add the much needed movement component to the day. The research is out there that kids need to move! Fitness …
Is there really anything more action packed than superheros? They jump, run, kick, and spin. The list could go on and on when it comes to superheros. With all the action superheros provide, they are perfect for incorporating gross motor into the day. The superhero hop is the perfect way to do this!
Who doesn’t love a circus theme? The circus theme makes it easy to incorporate gross motor and fine motor skills. What kid doesn’t love the idea of a circus or carnival? Implementing circus themed activities for kids into your gross motor or fine motor activities doesn’t have to be hard. Check out all of …
It’s finally the time of the year when we can really get out of the house. People are out and about back on the trails and visiting state parks. Even though I’m from Minnesota, I’m not much of a winter person. I don’t love the cold, but I love being outside. As soon as the …