Upper Body Strength - OTPlan

Laundry Basket Sailboat

OTPlan — Tue, 19 May 2026 17:36:05 +0000

This activity is a fun way to get your child moving while building their core and arm strength. By sitting in a basket and pushing themselves, they learn how to coordinate their upper body to create movement. It also helps them understand how their body moves in space. Your little sailor will have a blast navigating across the floor on their own power!

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The Brave Cardboard Shield

OTPlan — Tue, 19 May 2026 05:08:42 +0000

Helping your child build a shield is a great way to grow big, strong muscles in their arms. As they lift and move the shield, they learn how to stay steady and coordinate their movements. This playful game also makes them feel like a hero while they practice their balance.

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Newspaper Ring Launchers

OTPlan — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:41:44 +0000

This activity helps your child work on coordinating their big muscle movements. By rolling and throwing their paper tubes, they build strength in their shoulders and arms. Aiming for the hanging ring improves their focus and timing. It is a great way to turn simple items into a fun challenge that burns energy.

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Heavy Roll Cotton Sweep

OTPlan — Sun, 03 May 2026 04:15:10 +0000

This activity uses a weighted paper roll to provide deep pressure. This helps your toddler understand where their body is in space. It turns a simple clean up game into a core workout. The rice inside adds weight and a fun sound. It builds hand strength and helps both sides of the body work together. Your little one will love the noise it makes as they push it across the floor!

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The Newspaper Crane Challenge

OTPlan — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:15:19 +0000

This activity is a fantastic way to build strength in the shoulders and arms. By using a long newspaper rod, your child has to work harder to control their movements. This type of heavy work can help children feel more grounded and focused. It also encourages them to use both hands together. Planning how to scoop and move the block helps with motor planning skills. Your child will love the challenge of being a crane operator!

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Foil Pan Table Skater

OTPlan — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:00:10 +0000

This activity turns a kitchen item into a fun shoulder workout. Your child will build trunk stability while sliding the pan. Moving the pan across the table provides great sensory feedback. It also helps them learn to use both sides of their body.

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The Heavy Cargo Foot Push

OTPlan — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:27:10 +0000

Pushing heavy objects is a wonderful way for toddlers to learn about their bodies. This heavy work provides calming sensory input to their joints and muscles. It also helps build a strong tummy and legs. By pushing a box across the floor, your child practices coordinating their movements. They will also learn how to use the right amount of force. It is a simple game that makes exercise feel like fun!

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Foam Fortress Pull-Apart

OTPlan — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:10:34 +0000

This activity is fantastic for developing strong hand and arm muscles. Pushing the craft sticks through the foam and later pulling the pieces apart provides great proprioceptive input, also known as 'heavy work.' Heavy work is calming and helps your child regulate their body and focus. Since they must use both hands working together, it improves bilateral coordination. It also requires motor planning to figure out how to best pull the pieces apart without them tearing.

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Felt Tunnel Push

OTPlan — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:51:13 +0000

This activity is fantastic for developing controlled hand strength and proximal stability. Pushing the pom-pom through the tight felt tunnel provides heavy work input (proprioception). This sensory feedback helps the child gauge how much force is needed. Holding the base steady with the non-dominant hand builds important shoulder and core stability (proximal stability). This is crucial for controlling fine motor movements like handwriting or buttoning. The entire process also refines aiming and eye-hand coordination, requiring focused effort to push straight down through the narrow tube.

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Sponge Weight Release

OTPlan — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:51:12 +0000

This activity provides wonderful heavy work input for the hand and arm muscles. Squeezing a water-filled sponge builds finger and hand strength, which is crucial for pencil control and self-help skills like opening containers. Carrying the wet, heavy sponge across the floor engages the shoulder and core stabilizers (proximal stability). The goal of releasing the water over a target also refines eye-hand coordination and motor control.

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