Thank you

Lucky Duck Families,
As our school year comes to a close, I wanted to Thank all of you for a wonderful  year.  It has been so much fun getting to know your children and watching them learn and grow.  I am grateful to have been a part of their development.  I wish you and your family a wonderful summer.
~Katie

Summer Fun Activities

Read, Read, Read.  

Read with a flashlight, or on a picnic blanket, or at the library.

Play Ispy - 

I spy with my little eye something (give a color)

 I spy something that rhymes with 

 I spy something that starts with - (and give the sound)

Play board games -

Candyland, memory, etc.

Journal

-Keep a summer journal.  Children can draw a picture and tell you about their picture

Ideas shared from our Therapist Blog

SUMMER FUN OT ACTIVITIES

It’s time to enjoy the beautiful weather and get outside!  There are many activities you can do outside that will be not only fun but also helpful to your child’s development.  Below is a list of some outdoor activity suggestions and their many benefits!

• Break out the Sidewalk chalk

• Practice drawing pictures, lines, shapes or letters.  Use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz-away and start over

Developmental benefits: fine motor, prewriting skills, synsori motor development, midline crossing

Go on a Nature Walk!

– collect leaves, branches, small rocks to make a collage

Developmental benefits: fine motor, sensory processing, bilateral coordination and visual perceptual motor skill development

Wash the Car!

– break out the soap, sponges and hoses

Developmental benefits: upper body/wrist/hand strengthening, midline crossing, bilateral coordination, sensory processing skill development

Go to the Beach & Play in the Sand!

– draw lines & shapes in the sand with fingers; build sand castles

Developmental benefits: visual motor integration, visual perception, hand strengthening, bilateral coordination, midline crossing and sensory processing

Paint with Water!

 -use large brushes, or small sponge pieces to paint with and use the side of the house, a fence or sidewalk as your “canvas”

 Developmental benefits: hand and wrist strengthening, grasp development, proximal stability, visual motor integration and midline crossing  

Dig For Treasures!

– using small kitchen tongs or strawberry hullers, pick up small toys or “treasures” hiding in the sandbox

Developmental benefits:  grasp development, hand strengthening, bilateral coordination, eye hand coordination, visual motor control

Start discussing new vocabulary such as flowers, bugs, rain/raindrops, grass, bunnies, birds and concepts such as growing and weather

Go Outside and.....

• Play tug-a –war ( use a rope or use a popsicle stick for finger-tug-a-war)
• Draw on driveway using sidewalk chalk then spray clean using squirt bottle
• Have a squirt gun battle
• Roll down a hill
• Have wheelbarrow or crab walk races
• Blow bubbles and try to pop or pinch them with your finger tips!
• Go to the park and try out all the fun swings and climbing equipment
• Make paper air planes
• Fly a kite
• Go to the beach and dig for shells in the sand
• Build a sand castle
• String a necklace using dried pasta or Cheerios
• Go swimming!!
• ‘Draw’ shapes and lines in wet sand
• Wash the car using soapy water and sponges
• Play hopscotch
• Play a game of catch with water balloons!
• Water the plants (try using  squirt bottle or garden hose)
• Pull a heavy wagon and take a walk to the park

On Rainy Days.......

• Bake!!  Stirring cookie batter or rolling dough is a great way to work on hand strengthening
• Paint a picture on an easel and then hang your picture to dry using clothespins
• Make a mosaic – snip paper strips into small squares and glue on a picture outline

• Make fruit loop or Cheerio towers!

* Start with a ball of playdough on the table. Position a wooden skewer in the playdough, then start threading the cereal onto the skewer to build your tower

• Build fine motor skills with some great Indoor board games:

* Scaterpillar Scramble

* Sneaky, Squeeky Squirril Game

* Thin Ice

* Bed Bugs

* Topple

* Finger Twister

* Connect Four (Key chain or mini version)

* Perfection or Scramble

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STUFFED ANIMAL GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES (Kim Russell - pt)

As a mother, I know my children's many stuffed animals (most of which sit on the bottom of the bed) are never being used.  Well, here are some ways to utilize those furry little animals to get your child moving while having fun!  

• Animal Walking- gather a variety of different animals i.e. frog, bear, bunny, etc. and have your child walk like each one.  As this becomes easy for your child increase the challenge by placing obstacles in their path to move over, under, around, etc.

• Animal Toss- use stuffed animals of various sizes and shapes to toss into a container such as an empty laundry basket.  Increase the challenge by increasing the distance, having the child balance on a cushion or pillow while tossing, stand on one foot and throw, etc.

• Animal Musical Chairs- have the children hold stuffed animals while playing musical chairs.  When the music stops instead of having the children sit have them place their animal on the chair.  Vary the movement i.e. running, skipping, jumping, bear walking, etc.

• Parachute Play- use a bed sheet as a parachute.  Place a stuffed animal(s) in the center of the sheet and lift the sheet up and down, giving the animal(s) a ride.  Also try Ring Around the Rosy.  The children can walk, run, skip, jump, etc.

• Flying Animals- have your child lay on their back and squeeze a stuffed animal between their ankles.  Have the child lift their legs while keeping the animal between their ankles and make their animal “fly”.  This is a great core strengthening activity. 

Encourage your child to have fun playing with their stuffed animals while you are sneaking in some physical activity!