Article - OTPlan

Why Your Kitchen Junk Drawer is a Goldmine for Child Development

January 10, 2026 OTPlanLeave a Comment

There is a common misconception that supporting a neurodivergent child’s growth requires a playroom filled with expensive, specialized equipment. We see catalogs filled with weighted blankets, proprietary swings, and perfectly engineered fidgets, and it is easy to feel like we are falling behind if we do not own them all. The truth is actually much more encouraging (and budget-friendly).

Some of the most effective tools for building fine motor skills, sensory processing, and motor planning are likely already sitting in your home. In fact, using everyday objects often provides a distinct advantage over specialized toys because it helps children learn to navigate the real world.

The Power of Generalization

In therapy terms, “generalization” refers to a child’s ability to take a skill learned in one setting and apply it to another. If a child learns to twist a knob on a specific colorful toy, they might not immediately understand that a doorknob works the same way. However, if they practice twisting lids off recycled peanut butter jars or water bottles, the connection to real-life independence is direct and immediate.

“Play is not just about having fun; it is the primary way children make sense of the world and their place within it.”

When we use “found materials” for play, we are also encouraging cognitive flexibility. A stick can be a spoon, a wand, or a bridge. A specialized toy usually has one fixed purpose, but a cardboard box has infinite possibilities. This open-ended nature challenges the brain to problem-solve and adapt.

Three “Tools” You Already Own

You can start integrating therapeutic play into your daily routine without spending a dime. Here are three versatile items that pack a developmental punch:

Kitchen Tongs: These are fantastic for building hand strength and coordination. Have your child use them to transfer cotton balls or small blocks from one bowl to another. This mimics the motion of scissors and helps develop the muscles needed for handwriting.
Tupperware and Jars: Managing different lids requires bilateral coordination (using two hands together) and motor planning. Matching the right lid to the right container is also a great visual perception activity.
Laundry Baskets: These are excellent for “heavy work” activities. Pushing a laundry basket filled with books across the carpet provides proprioceptive input (deep pressure), which can be very regulating for a child’s nervous system.

Research suggests that early fine motor skills are a strong predictor of later academic achievement in reading and mathematics (American Psychological Association). By weaving these skills into natural, playful interactions with household items, we remove the pressure of “doing therapy” and focus on connection. The goal is not to fix anything, but to provide the just-right challenge that helps your child feel capable and confident in their environment.

The Importance of Play

January 10, 2026 Danielle NoriegaLeave a Comment

A child’s primary occupation is play.

Children use play to develop strength and coordination, sensory modulation, emotional regulation, and socialization skills that they need to engage with others. They build confidence, relationships, body awareness, and problem-solving skills through play.

Play helps the child understand the properties of the world around them. For example, when a child is “playing tea party,” the child is learning pouring skills that helps them at mealtime. They are learning techniques such as how much pressure they should apply when gripping a cup and how fast or slow to tip the cup to avoid spillage.

Moreover, when “playing tea party,” they learn the social skills of sharing food and conversation with another person.

They are learning problem-solving skills of what to do when the liquid spills out of the cup: self-regulate and find an appropriate solution, such as using a towel to wipe the spill.

They are working on their endurance with their attention skills, by sticking with one activity until completion.

This type of pretend play boosts brain structure and brain function, which sets them up for success now and later in life.

One of the best benefits to play is that it is FUN! It promotes learning, appropriate child development, and overall emotional well-being.

It can take many forms and is unique to each individual. Play can happen by themselves while building blocks, playing on sports team with friends, and pretend playing with a caregiver.

Here is a reminder that yes, play is important because it is productive; it is also important because it is a necessity of life to learn how to navigate this world to the best of our abilities!

References:

https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/ChildrenAndYouth/Play.aspx

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17200287/

What is “Core Strength”?

January 10, 2026 OTPlanLeave a Comment

With more time spent working from home, attending school from home, or exercising at home, chances are you’ve heard about “core strength.”

Our “core” is the middle portion of our body – think: our abdominal muscles, back muscles, and pelvic muscles.

It’s important for us to maintain appropriate strength in our core – that goes for kids, too! This is because these muscles stabilize us while we are in different positions, such as when we sit, stand, or crawl.

A child’s “core muscles” are very important for development, because these muscles hold up their posture. In order to move about the world, manipulate toys and objects in their environment, keep them from falling, and even eat more efficiently, a child core strength plays an important role.

There is a phrase “core stability promotes distal mobility”, which means that having a strong core to stabilize us in different positions, allows us to focus more on the movements of our other smaller and more precise muscles of our body.

For example, if a child has decreased core strength, they may have difficulty holding themselves up in a sitting position. This may affect how efficiently they eat. They may be so focused on keeping themselves still and upright in a chair, that the more precise movements of the hands, such as bringing a spoon to their mouth, become second priority.

Signs of weak core muscles can include:

Sitting or standing in a slouched position
Difficulty with balance activities
Fatigue

To strengthen your child’s core, you can:

Place frequently used toys in different positions so they have to squat, side bend, or do trunk twists to retrieve the toys
Bear crawl through pillow forts in your living room
Play Tug-O-War

Modify the above activities according to your child’s abilities. For more individualized activities, consult with your occupational therapist and pediatrician.

What is Praxis?

January 10, 2026 Danielle NoriegaLeave a Comment

“Praxis” is our ability to think about how to do something we want to do.

Kids use praxis when they are learning something new (which happens every day!). Let’s look at an example: Learning how to climb across the monkey bars at the park.

Praxis involves:

Imitation “Can my child move across the monkey bars after I demonstrate it?”
Problem-solving “Do they know where to place their feet and hands to maintain their balance?”
Sequencing: “Does my child understand the order of the steps:
- 1) climb up the ladder
- 2) turn their body around
- 3) place both hands tightly around the first monkey bar… and so forth?”
Timing “Does my child know the optimal time to let go of the monkey bars to move onto the next bar?”
Planning “Does my child know to find the momentum to move across the monkey bars efficiently?”

While this may seem instinctual to adults, consider how it must feel to look at the monkey bars for the very first time. There are a lot of steps involved and a lot to consider.

So, “Why does praxis matter?”

Research shows a relationship between praxis and socialization (Smith Roley et al., 2015) and a relationship between praxis and academic outcomes (Parham, 1998).

“Where else do I see praxis in my kids?”

Praxis is in everyday tasks such as:

Getting ready for play dates at the park
Learning new social games such as “Duck, Duck, Goose”
Organizing their room

“How can we improve praxis?”

It varies. In general, consider how well they imitate, problem-solve, sequence, time, and plan the steps in the activities you introduce to them, and adjust the teaching strategy accordingly.

Some fun activities to try include:

Origami
Simon Says
Learning new sports

Have fun, and find that “just right challenge” for your kiddo. Add support as needed and remove support when they are ready. Enjoy!

References

Parham, L. (1998). The relationship of sensory integrative development to achievement in elementary students: Four-year longitudinal patterns. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 18, 105-127. doi: 10.1177/153944929801800304.

Roley, S. S., Mailloux, Z., Parham, L. D., Schaaf, R. C., Lane, C. J., Cermak, S. (2015). Sensory integration and praxis patterns in children with autism. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(1):6901220010. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.012476. PMID: 25553746.

OT-based Strategies for Promoting Distance Learning Success

January 7, 2026 Danielle NoriegaLeave a Comment

School has begun for many, and it has taken on many different forms. We are very much thinking of all the students and families we know. This school year can be an opportunity to build resilience.

We wanted to offer a few strategies to provide support at this time – we compiled a list of occupational therapy-based strategies to promote distance learning success for your child.

Please note that the following list may or may not directly apply to your child. We acknowledge that this situation is ever-evolving and will look different for everyone who is engaging in distance learning. For more in-depth information, please consult with your child’s school, physician, and/or occupational therapist.

The purpose of this 10-item list is to jog your ideas of other components about distance learning that you may or may have not thought of before. We encourage you to focus on what you can control in this situation.

Strategy 1: Share your story.

Start a conversation with your child regarding distance learning and approach it with curiosity – what are their favorite parts and least favorite parts about it? If applicable, talk them through situations where you had poor WiFi connection, when you were late to a virtual meeting, or when you have experienced technology glitches, and provide them with examples of how you handled the situations. At the very least, we can communicate our support and empathy with our body language and facial expressions.

Strategy 2: Consider the environment.

Personalize their workspaces by having helpful sensory toys, favorite stuffed animals, pictures, quotes, and/or crafts they made, nearby. If your child benefits from less visual distractions, promote a decluttered workspace and/or view. Ensure their workspace temperature is optimal for their learning, and/or provide them with access to jackets or cold water nearby to help keep them regulated.

Strategy 3: Consider their eye health.

Remind them of the benefits of the “little things,” such as closing their eyes when they feel their eyes are getting tired, or looking away. You can do this by playing a game of “I Spy.”

Note: To exercise their eye muscles, have them look up, down, side to side, and diagonally while keeping their head straight. To exercise their neck muscles, have them do the same movements, but this time moving their head (i.e. looking over their shoulder when looking side to side).

Strategy 4: Consider the scents in their office.

Some children are highly distracted by scented candles or the smell of cleaning products. Also, imagine smelling your favorite homecooked meal, on an empty stomach, in the middle of an exam. Could be distracting; would be delicious!

Strategy 5: Consider the sounds.

Inform others in the house when your child needs it to be quiet, such as during assignments or tests. Teach your child how to adjust the volume on their devices & how to use the mute function. Consider the background noise in the house (i.e. washing machine running, television on in the other room, dogs barking, neighbors talking, etc.). Avoid having multiple devices in the same room to eliminate echoes.

Strategy 6: Consider movement & flexible seating.

Movement is a big component here. Encourage movement by having a dance party or doing exercises in the time that would replace their commute to school. Exercises can be embedded in your routine, such as safely jumping from the kitchen to their desk or squatting while brushing their teeth. Your child can even create movement cards by writing an action such as “plank for 30 seconds while naming 5 things you learned today” or “crab walk across the room to retrieve puzzle pieces & finish a puzzle on the other side of the room”; have them keep it by their desk so they can refer back to it during their breaks.

In terms of flexible seating, consult with your occupational therapist to further personalize this to your child. In general, flexible seating can include sitting on dyna discs if your child prefers to rock or wiggle to keep their attention to activities. However, it can also mean changing positions, such as by standing, kneeling, or lying on their tummy.

Strategy 7: Dress the part.

Ensure your child maintains the routine of getting ready and dressing up for school. This may help encourage your child to differentiate between home time and school time. This may also promote their self-confidence during distance learning.

Strategy 8: Put words to their feelings.

Discuss with your child how it feels to be distracted (i.e. “I know I am distracted when I feel like my mind is racing and jumping from thought to thought”) or focused (i.e. “I know I am focused when I can imagine heading toward a target”). This can help paint a picture to identify their emotions and can be a precursor to coping skills. Draw it out for them, if that helps, too.

Strategy 9: Go with the flow.

This can look like adapting with possible changes in the curriculum further down the school year.

It can look like teaching your child ways to avoid becoming visually distracted with the moving tiles they see on their screen (i.e. consider changing the screen to only focus on the teacher, if possible).

It can look like informing your child that everyone learns at a different pace (i.e. if they may fixate on one student finishing an assignment before others).

Strategy 10: Lean on support.

What does “community” look like to you at this time? You do not have to take this on alone. Know and utilize your helpful resources.

These are just a few items that can be addressed – we hope this encourages you to think of what else is within our control.

We wish you all peace, resilience, and good health at this time.