If your child participates in occupational therapy at home, you may be looking for fun ways to keep them engaged and build their skills. Occupational therapists are experts at creating engaging activities to help your child learn the skills they need to succeed in life!
The following activities can help children with various needs, including sensory processing issues and fine motor skill development. They’re all straightforward and require just a few basic supplies.
A hot air balloon is an enchanting sight that can take your breath away. However, balloons are not just flying in the sky – they also compete in competitive events!
Participants must fly a marker within a designated area in a balloon race. They may be required to drop a feature quickly, achieve the most significant change of direction, and perform many other tasks.
Balloon Tennis
If you’re looking for a fun, energy-burning activity that kids won’t destroy your house with (and will get them moving around!), try balloon tennis.
This simple game is a great way to build hand-eye coordination and learn the basics of net sports. You can even play it indoors on those chilly days when outside isn’t possible!
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to exercise and refine visual processing, perception, organization, sequencing, concentration, and more skills. They are also an excellent activity to use with children who are working on fine motor skills.
Spatial awareness is a crucial skill for young children to develop to place puzzle pieces successfully. This requires turning and orienting the work to fit securely in place.
Books
Just like in occupational therapy Modesto CA, books are a great way to engage children in occupational therapy at home while improving their visual attention and imaginative play skills. This can include counting objects, tracing the characters in a book, or describing the story through pictures.
This activity can also be used during therapy sessions to help students maintain focus and attention. This will also help them learn emotional regulation strategies while having fun.
Sensory Bin
A Sensory Bin is a great way to provide children with various sensory experiences. It stimulates multiple senses at the same time, including touch, sight, sound, and smell.
For kids with sensory sensitivities, adding a variety of textures into their sensory bins can help them learn how to manage these different sensations. It also helps increase their hand strength and fine motor skills!
Bath Time
Bath time is an excellent opportunity to provide your child with sensory input. Bubbles, skin-safe food coloring, and other fun toys can keep kids engaged and help them build their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
Bath time can be challenging for children with sensory processing disorders or other issues. However, there are things you can do to make the experience less painful and more enjoyable.
Shaving Foam
Shaving foam is a fun way to teach kids about personal care and test their fine motor skills. It’s also a great sensory activity that everyone in the family can enjoy.
One of the best shaving foam products for this activity has a nice smooth texture and is made from skin-friendly ingredients.
Balloons
Balloons are a fun way to challenge kids’ balance, coordination, and strengthening skills. They are also a great motivator and help improve oral motor muscles and visual skills, according to Seirrah OT.
Balloons come in various materials, including rubber, latex, and mylar. Some of them, like mylar, are electrically charged and can be a potential safety hazard. For that reason, they should only be used indoors.
Play Dough
Playdough is a fun and simple toy that can be used in various ways for children to practice their fine motor skills. It also is an excellent sensory activity and helps to promote creativity and representational thinking!
How children shape their play dough–poking, pulling, pounding, squashing, rolling, and squishing–uniquely builds fine motor development.
Sensory Sensory Bin
A sensory bin is a shallow container filled with filler material like sand or rice. It also includes items children can manipulate with their hands, such as spoons or cups.
Sensory bins are a great way to develop motor skills, language, and cognitive development through open-ended exploration. They also foster social interaction and cooperative play.
