Have you ever heard the term visual discrimination? What exactly does it mean? Why do we need it? Visual discrimination is the ability to recognize details in visual images allowing for the ability to see differences and likeness. This means that you look at something you can discriminate between shapes, colors, positions etc. Some of …
I love coming up with creative ways to work on balance exercises for kids. Balance exercises don’t always require standing on one foot. There are several different creative ways that you can work on balance exercise for kids. Today, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite ways to work on balance!
With a background in physical therapy I work a lot on gross motor skills. What I’ve found over the years, is that I use a lot of fine motor activities to work on gross motor skills! Since fine motor skills and gross motor skills go hand in hand, it’s really no surprise that this is …
Fine Motor Activities To Work on Gross Motor Skills Read More »
This year we have been doing more fine motor activities in my house as I have two preschoolers (almost 3 and just turned 5) living with me. It took a while for my 5 year old to even care to do anything that involved sitting at the table, but since he is interested now we …
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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 a child is able to reach across …
Do you have that kiddo that just can’t quite jump? Maybe they get the concept but need a little something extra to get over the hump? Have you ever thought of using a scooter board to help with jumping? Just looking for something new to try out? Check out this fun jumping practice idea using …
Living in a house with two little boys there is usually some sort of ball to trip over at any given time. Most kids love to play with balls and they can easily be incorporated into a gross motor or therapy session. Often times we think of ball games or sports and not always balance …
[social_warfare]Are you looking for a little change in your exercise ball strengthening activities? Looking for some more ideas to add a little flare to your session or your strengthening play with your kids. Check out these 5 fun ways to use an exercise ball for strengthening and add them to your tool bag today.
Well, it’s that time of the year again. The time when many of our toys start moving indoors, because it is just too cold outside (for the parents). At our home we are lucky to have an unfinished basement that we can bring some of the outside toys in. It’s a good things since we …
With the weather being so nice I’ve found that we are outside a lot! The great thing about being outside with an “almost crawler” is that there are lots of natural inclines when you are outdoors. If you start looking for inclines outside you will be surprised at how many you see. These inclines are …
As a parent it’s exciting to see your baby move through motor milestones. Being able to sit independently is one of those milestones that is really exciting. I know it was for me! We have a new independent sitter at this house (although he’s still wobbly)! When can you expect to see your baby sit …
As a mom of two boys I spend a lot of time playing ball. Big C likes anything ball related, he doesn’t discriminate. He also likes to kick any type of ball. It doesn’t matter if that isn’t the purpose of the ball, he will kick the ball. In watching him kick the ball the …
I wanted to share with you one of my favorite mom hacks of all time. You know all those expensive diapers you buy by the box? Well the good news is that there is I’m going to share another use for that box! I use my diaper box to let my baby sit in it …
When do I stop worrying about tummy time? I hear this question every once and a while. The truth is you always want tummy time, but the good news is that your baby will eventually not mind being on their tummy and use this position as one of their regular positions throughout the day. You …
You have a new baby and you’ve been working hard on tummy time. Your baby is really starting to get good at tummy time now that you’ve been so diligent in working on it. You feel like you want to try something different. You’re hoping to give your baby a little more entertainment while doing tummy …
You have this cute new little baby. You love to hold your baby and play with your baby, but every once and a while you need to put that baby down! What you need is something fun for your baby to use that doesn’t take much set up and allows your baby to move and …
You have this new squishy, cute, and wiggly baby. Your baby is starting to get better at holding up their head and is enjoying floor time. You’ve been waiting to see your baby make his/her first big move. Rolling often is one of the first “big” gross motor milestones that occurs in infants. Rolling is …
We’ve been using our contrast cards quite a bit for tummy time and side lying play. I recently put together a contrast cards board that has made utilizing the contrast cards so simple. The best part about the contrast cards board is it is really simple to put together and it only took me a …
We all hear a lot about tummy time. Tummy time is a must! We are all about tummy time at our house too. I have a ton of tips for tummy time! As great as tummy time is, I realize that it isn’t a position that baby is going to be in all day when …
Tummy time isn’t always the easiest thing for a baby or a parent. Some babies just don’t seem to like tummy time! As a mom and physical therapist I’ve had plenty of time to try a lot of different tummy time positions. Tummy time isn’t supposed to be miserable! Over time, I’ve found some …