I’m often asked how to encourage upper extremity weight bearing with a toddler/preschool aged child. It’s not always easy in this age group as they are on the move and busy! We know that weight bearing through the upper extremity helps build strength through the hands/arms/shoulder complex/core. One of my favorite ways to get weight […]
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This post brought to you by SnowCast. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Pink Oatmeal. It’s that time of the year for snow. During the winter my toddler loves to go outside and play. With a baby and toddler in tow I have to be organized even when we go outside to play
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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
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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!
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
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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
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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!
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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,
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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
Movement is a must, and competition is fun! I think a little competition is healthy, even if it’s just competing with yourself to do better. I also think it adds a little motivation. One of my favorite gross motor games to play is a gross motor version of Win It In A Minute! This game is
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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
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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!
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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
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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
I love Spring! Living in Minnesota, the winters are long, and nothing is better than seeing that white stuff disappear! I don’t even mind the muddy mess or puddles that come with the melting snow. It’s actually a lot of fun. I’ve been letting my son go crazy playing in them. It’s resulted in several
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Hooray! March has finally arrived. March brings hope that Spring is upon us, especially here in Minnesota. March means basketball tournaments, shamrock shakes, and St. Patrick’s Day. March also means that we are playing fun gross motor games with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. The clover hop is a great way to get kids up and
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It’s no secret that a favorite thing around our house is water play. C started playing in the water as a baby and hasn’t stopped. We shared some of our favorite ways to play in the water last summer. In the winter, water play has fallen to the side on my end at least. C
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I remember my mom making playing card holders for her Kindergarten classroom years ago! I even made a playing card holder for a motor development project back in college. This particular playing card holder still stands as my favorite in spite of all of the great ideas that can now be found on Pinterest. Card holders
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We truly don’t need any more flashing or loud toys at our house. I don’t know how many times I’ve walk by our toy basket and had some random toy go off. I believe that some of the best options for playrooms or gifts for little ones are missed since they aren’t always on the shelves