Summer is finally here! We hope that you are enjoying this well-deserved break and
time with family. Here are some activities to try over the summer break; the best thing is that you can easily do them at home with the whole family!
1. Build an Obstacle Course Through the House
Spending time outdoors in nature is the best therapy! However, on days when it’s
too hot to go outside, or if it is raining, indoor obstacle courses provide an
opportunity for kids to develop gross motor skills and also offer a chance to improve
positional awareness and planning movements. Use anything and everything you have at home – cushions, stools, chairs, duvets, tables. Get from one end of the house to the other without touching the floor!
2. Involve Your Child in a Cooking Activity
Cooking with kids is a great way to work on fine motor skills through the use of
different cooking utensils. Cooking and baking also provides rich sensory
experiences with the different textures such, taste and smells. Cooking is also a
great way to provide children with the opportunity to develop social skills through turn
taking, asking for help, and building creativity and resilience if things don’t turn out as
planned.
3. Make Bath Time a Fun Activity
Bath time is a great way to provide children with a range of sensory inputs! Use
scented bubbles and skin-safe food colouring to add texture to the water. Place
shaving foam all over the bath wall and trace shapes and letters and numbers in the
foam. Add shaving foam all over your child’s body as a visual cue to learn the name
of body parts and to identify which body parts need to be cleaned.
4. Story Time Before Bed
Story time provides children with the opportunity to wind down and get ready for bed,
while developing their imagination. Allow your child to pick their favourite books, and
adapt the characters and plot to your child’s individual interests.
5. Drawing and Colouring on Vertical Surfaces
Scribbling, colouring, and drawing on vertical surfaces like chalk boards, white
boards, easels and even your kitchen refrigerator can have many therapeutic
benefits including promoting a better upright posture and shoulder stability,
developing an efficient finger grasp, and improving bilateral coordination.
Comments