Home
Easter Egg Hunt with Spoons
Easter Egg Hunt activity that you can do indoors to work on balance, motor planning, pacing, bilateral coordination and more.
Snowflake Sisters
This activity promotes fine motor skills (i.e. cutting with child-sized scissors, drawing with markers, squeezing a glue bottle, and manipulating painting utensils) involved in academics. In addition, it addresses sensory play through interaction with glue, salt, and watercolor textures.
Ballgown Jewlery
This activity addresses hand strength necessary for tasks such as writing, cutting, meal preparation, and opening snack containers. In addition, it promotes a sensory experience through interacting with cold ice and engaging in water play.
DIY Abacus Counting Frame (Rack Rack)
Work on bilateral hand use, eye-hand coordination, and fine motor control by creating and playing with an abacus (counting frame) using paper rolls, pipe cleaners, and beads.
What is OTPlan?
OT activity ideas search engine that helps you find pediatric occupational therapy activity ideas by skills to promote using common household materials.
Our products help support sensory and motor development through games and engaging activities.
Occupational Therapy Activity Ideas
Choose an Activity Search Option
Latest Occupational Therapy Activity Ideas
Get your Skills In A Box, (OT)Plan Dough, and Activity Packets
Fun activities and tools to develop and promote fine motor, visual motor, and sensory processing skills.
Follow Us On Instagram
Add these mini kits to every bunny on your list! 🐰🐰🐰 Link in bio or visit https://otplan.com/shop/
Available and ready to be shipped in time for the Easter 🐣
Available and ready to be shipped in time for the Easter 🐣
✂️Here is a fun way to practice cutting skills!✂️
I asked my kiddo to cut each line, focusing on bilateral hand use, motor planning (moving his non dominant hand to stabilize and manipulate the paper), eye-hand coordination, and visual perception (to match the eggs after we cut them).
✂️
The lines were presented in a developmental order, from a straight line, to curves, to zig-zag, and then a wave.
✂️
When we finished cutting, I scattered the pieces around the room, and we did a little “egg hunt” to find them and match them back together.
✂️
Don’t forget to share and tag us if you try this activity!
I asked my kiddo to cut each line, focusing on bilateral hand use, motor planning (moving his non dominant hand to stabilize and manipulate the paper), eye-hand coordination, and visual perception (to match the eggs after we cut them).
✂️
The lines were presented in a developmental order, from a straight line, to curves, to zig-zag, and then a wave.
✂️
When we finished cutting, I scattered the pieces around the room, and we did a little “egg hunt” to find them and match them back together.
✂️
Don’t forget to share and tag us if you try this activity!
🌺Gift the Joy of OTPlanDough!🌺 https://otplan.com/product-category/otplandough-kits/
Available and ready to be shipped immediately! Use coupon code spring10 at checkout 🌺 Link in bio!
Available and ready to be shipped immediately! Use coupon code spring10 at checkout 🌺 Link in bio!
"Retro Baby" is written by fellow OT, Dr. Anne H. Zachry, PhD, OTR/L.
This book challenges us to think deeper about why we purchase and use the equipment, toys, and videos that we do for our kids, and to consider the scientific evidence behind those items (i.e. screens, swings, smart toys, car seats, etc.). It provides the readers with techniques to safely & simply promote development with activities that do not require materials or with activities involving items that we may already have at home (like this familiar DIY baby drum!). The book places a large emphasis on safety It is concise in explaining safety hazards and techniques to promote safety and provide support.
The pictures & charts were perfect for visual-learners, like myself. It was easy to follow, and I appreciated the organization in which it is written (by chronological age order). This is a great resource, especially for new parents and caregivers, and for practitioners. 📚
Buy here: http://ow.ly/wksL50z0nNB
This book challenges us to think deeper about why we purchase and use the equipment, toys, and videos that we do for our kids, and to consider the scientific evidence behind those items (i.e. screens, swings, smart toys, car seats, etc.). It provides the readers with techniques to safely & simply promote development with activities that do not require materials or with activities involving items that we may already have at home (like this familiar DIY baby drum!). The book places a large emphasis on safety It is concise in explaining safety hazards and techniques to promote safety and provide support.
The pictures & charts were perfect for visual-learners, like myself. It was easy to follow, and I appreciated the organization in which it is written (by chronological age order). This is a great resource, especially for new parents and caregivers, and for practitioners. 📚
Buy here: http://ow.ly/wksL50z0nNB
Here is another way we used our Easter eggs today. Little one was practicing her math facts and was avoiding the paper-pencil task... so, we got the eggs out and I wrote some equations on one side of the egg and the answers on the other side, and she had to match them!
✅ we got to work on her math
✅ we got to promote bilateral coordination skills
✅ we got to work on grading the force needed to open and close the eggs
✅ we got to work on visual perception/scanning
✅ we got to work on her math
✅ we got to promote bilateral coordination skills
✅ we got to work on grading the force needed to open and close the eggs
✅ we got to work on visual perception/scanning
If you missed my live video earlier today (I wasn’t able to save it to my stories for some reason ☹️), here is our #brainbreak activity for today!
Materials: 10 Water Bottles, 10 Stuffed Animals
1. Place the stuffed animals at one end of the room.
2. From that end, line up all the bottles in a raw, spacing them 1 foot apart.
3. Ask the child to stand at the edge of the row (opposite from the stuffed animals).
4. Instruct the child to bear walk over the row of bottles all the way to the animals.
5. Have the child pick up an animal and run back to the starting line, running in-between the bottles.
**What are we working on: Motor planning, proprioceptive and vestibular input, core strength, visual perception.
Materials: 10 Water Bottles, 10 Stuffed Animals
1. Place the stuffed animals at one end of the room.
2. From that end, line up all the bottles in a raw, spacing them 1 foot apart.
3. Ask the child to stand at the edge of the row (opposite from the stuffed animals).
4. Instruct the child to bear walk over the row of bottles all the way to the animals.
5. Have the child pick up an animal and run back to the starting line, running in-between the bottles.
**What are we working on: Motor planning, proprioceptive and vestibular input, core strength, visual perception.
If your kids are like mine, you spend extra hours in the kitchen these days! For some reason they are hungry all day long 🤪 This reminded me of this activity we once did in the clinic... We have a kiddo who absolutely loves the ins-and-outs (pun intended🍔) of meal preparation, largely because mealtime is a beloved family value.
We used this activity to talk about the eating experience - who we eat with, the way food looks, smells, etc., our favorite textures, how we eat, how foods can be prepared, how it makes us feel before or after we eat, how we feel when we get to serve others food, etc. We set up an obstacle course where each station had a meal preparation activity.
Burger: Motor planning activity by retrieving pretend food ingredients from the top of rock walls, along the monkey bars, under stacks of pillows, inside the ballpit. Visual-motor activity by sitting on a moving bolster swing while throwing “patties” at grill targets.
Neapolitan Slime Shake: Sensory activity with slime.
Menu & Register: ✏️Writing activity by copying designs & writing from memory (addressing line placement, sizing, and spacing). ⌨️Typing activity by having them isolate their fingers by typing on a calculator drawn on the board.
Animal Style Fries: ✂️Cutting along lines and staying within the boundary; utilizing tongs to mix as a fine motor strengthening activity.
We talked about family roles, like who likes to cook and who sets the table. We discussed healthier options and techniques to incorporate balanced meals. Meeting people where they are at and educating them on further healthier possibilities is central to OT; individualizing their progress & having fun are what makes the lessons memorable!
We used this activity to talk about the eating experience - who we eat with, the way food looks, smells, etc., our favorite textures, how we eat, how foods can be prepared, how it makes us feel before or after we eat, how we feel when we get to serve others food, etc. We set up an obstacle course where each station had a meal preparation activity.
Burger: Motor planning activity by retrieving pretend food ingredients from the top of rock walls, along the monkey bars, under stacks of pillows, inside the ballpit. Visual-motor activity by sitting on a moving bolster swing while throwing “patties” at grill targets.
Neapolitan Slime Shake: Sensory activity with slime.
Menu & Register: ✏️Writing activity by copying designs & writing from memory (addressing line placement, sizing, and spacing). ⌨️Typing activity by having them isolate their fingers by typing on a calculator drawn on the board.
Animal Style Fries: ✂️Cutting along lines and staying within the boundary; utilizing tongs to mix as a fine motor strengthening activity.
We talked about family roles, like who likes to cook and who sets the table. We discussed healthier options and techniques to incorporate balanced meals. Meeting people where they are at and educating them on further healthier possibilities is central to OT; individualizing their progress & having fun are what makes the lessons memorable!
Was challenged by my kiddos to do this fun obstacle course we put together for our #brainbreak this morning! What a great way to start #otmonth 🤩🤩 I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing profession! Thank you to all of you who support me, and thank you to all the kiddos and families that let me support them! #loveot 🥰
.
.
#pediatricoccupationaltherapist #lovewhatyoudo #activitiesforkids #supportingfamilies #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensoryintegrationtherapy #kidswithspecialneeds #adhdparenting #autismfamily #spdmom #aota #occupationaltherapy #otmonth2020
.
.
#pediatricoccupationaltherapist #lovewhatyoudo #activitiesforkids #supportingfamilies #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensoryintegrationtherapy #kidswithspecialneeds #adhdparenting #autismfamily #spdmom #aota #occupationaltherapy #otmonth2020
I LOVE getting inspired by my kids!! When we first started homeschooling due to COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago, the first thing that Little One asked me was to make a “Rack-Rack”! I wasn’t familiar with the term, but after she explained it to me I realized what she want to make is an Abacus 😄
So, there you go... my first home made Rack-Rack! I only set it up and she did the beading. What a great opportunity to work on fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination 🤗 Thanks for the inspiration Little One! 😍
So, there you go... my first home made Rack-Rack! I only set it up and she did the beading. What a great opportunity to work on fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination 🤗 Thanks for the inspiration Little One! 😍
Sometimes our kids have these fast-evolving "big ideas". Today’s tip is to have our creative kiddos draw out their ideas in order to: - Ensure expectations are understood by everyone - Bridge the connection between their imagination & fine motor skills
- Promote focus - Reduce the amount of errors (& likely the amount of frustration) DURING the activity
- Give you insight into WHAT they are thinking & HOW they are planning. This is the perfect chance to iron out planning details, rather than correcting them while they are already in the middle of the activity.
Here, we drew the layout of our hopscotch pattern on a whiteboard & used it as a soft guideline. The finished hopscotch looked different from the drawing, but the drawing provided a lot more structure than what it would have looked like without it. Additionally, we had concrete visual to compare what we see in our minds vs. what they actually look like.
When we were done, we took time to literally step back & look at the big picture. We observed the number reversals, discussed what we learned & how to address it for next time (i.e. our positioning mattered!). We changed up the hopscotch rules for now: if you landed on a reversed number, you had to reverse your body toward the direction the number faced.
Planning things out does not equate to perfection; rather, it promotes learning through imagination & experience. 😊
- Promote focus - Reduce the amount of errors (& likely the amount of frustration) DURING the activity
- Give you insight into WHAT they are thinking & HOW they are planning. This is the perfect chance to iron out planning details, rather than correcting them while they are already in the middle of the activity.
Here, we drew the layout of our hopscotch pattern on a whiteboard & used it as a soft guideline. The finished hopscotch looked different from the drawing, but the drawing provided a lot more structure than what it would have looked like without it. Additionally, we had concrete visual to compare what we see in our minds vs. what they actually look like.
When we were done, we took time to literally step back & look at the big picture. We observed the number reversals, discussed what we learned & how to address it for next time (i.e. our positioning mattered!). We changed up the hopscotch rules for now: if you landed on a reversed number, you had to reverse your body toward the direction the number faced.
Planning things out does not equate to perfection; rather, it promotes learning through imagination & experience. 😊
🌱Motor Monday Gardening🌱
Spending more time at home can encourage us to go back to basics, like being outside & working with our hands. Planting herbs in the garden can be a fun gross motor idea for our kids - it involves squatting, using upper body strength to scoop up heavy dirt, and pushing soil into place.
Individualize the activity by making changes such as having age-appropriate gardening tools to ensure safety & utilizing a raised planter or a pot if needed.
Bring awareness to all of our kiddos’ senses, such as by asking: How does the plant smell? What do the leaves feel like? The stems look fragile, it looks like we should be extra careful when handling it, doesn’t it? The plant can see the sun from here, it looks like the perfect place for it to live. What should we name it? How much water do you think it will need?
Take it a step further & connect it to the kitchen. This Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Bruschetta recipe was modified and taken off of @foodnetwork Bon appétit!
Spending more time at home can encourage us to go back to basics, like being outside & working with our hands. Planting herbs in the garden can be a fun gross motor idea for our kids - it involves squatting, using upper body strength to scoop up heavy dirt, and pushing soil into place.
Individualize the activity by making changes such as having age-appropriate gardening tools to ensure safety & utilizing a raised planter or a pot if needed.
Bring awareness to all of our kiddos’ senses, such as by asking: How does the plant smell? What do the leaves feel like? The stems look fragile, it looks like we should be extra careful when handling it, doesn’t it? The plant can see the sun from here, it looks like the perfect place for it to live. What should we name it? How much water do you think it will need?
Take it a step further & connect it to the kitchen. This Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Bruschetta recipe was modified and taken off of @foodnetwork Bon appétit!
