When I was young, my mother sent me outside and I would spend HOURS swinging. I would sing, I would close my eyes to surprise myself by how high I’d gone and as I got bigger I’d challenge myself by jumping off at the highest point. Swinging does so many good things for sensory motor […]
It amazes me that almost every girl in my second grade class (probably 20) waited in line to jump rope during recess. On a good day we may have had three turns during that precious thirty minute break. There was no adult telling us to do this. It’s just what we did. We didn’t do […]
I have a sister five years older than me and in my formative years I spent most of my time trying to “catch up” to her. That may be why I learned to ride a two wheeler at three years of age. Having safe sidewalks and uncluttered days to practice at my leisure surely helped […]
OK, so a baby isn’t going to mount a two wheeler…not even a trike. But there are many activities that engage little ones so they’re all set to go once they get big enough to straddle a ride toy! I highlight bicycle riding not because it is a favorite of mine (which it is) but […]
I have recently learned that an excellent source for potassium is found in the skins or outer layer of a carrot. So, I’m not sure you want to peel off all that nutrition. However, carrots also are easy to hold and are a terrific introduction to peeling for younger children. When it comes to teaching […]
Swimming is one of the primary motor skills every human being should acquire. Why? It may save your life some day. So how do you go about teaching your child to swim? There are many excellent swimming programs available and this site does not intend to be an exhaustive guide in swimming skill development. As […]
Age old simple toys are often packed with the most benefit. Take the Dreidel, a simple gift found during the holiday season. These toys offer a fine motor challenge that refines the pincer grasp and increases coordination of the fingers. Benefits: Visual focus: holding the toy correctly requires guidance from the eyes and visual attention. […]
One of my favorites is the “squeeze toy” pictured above. It allows the child to squeeze when turned into a ball and this stimulates proprioceptors, which you may recall, help inhibit unecessary stimulation in the brain. In essence, it provides calming stimulation. When the ball is turned inside out it becomes this “spiky” thing that provides tactile […]
Ever wonder why every preschool, kindergarten and first grade have a myriad of cut and paste projects? There are so many integrating skills that develop when using scissors. In a perfect world, early childhood programs would throw away all the pencils and have the students cut out strips of paper and combine to form all […]
It is always fun to see the reaction of children when I pull out a plunger to play with. Even at a very young age, children acquire a sense of place – and plungers belong in the toilet, certainly not in the gross motor room. After I assure them that the plunger I use has […]
Play dough is a favorite of many children. This time tested activity strengthen the hands and is a great entrée into touch exploration. Benefits: Hand strengthening occurs when the fingers are fully extended (straight) and used to press down and roll the dough back and forth to make coils. Children, typically call these “snakes” or “hot dogs.” Isolating […]
