This guest post is from Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist and author of The Pocket Occupational Therapist and The Special Needs School Survival Guide.
During winter breaks, to keep kids occupied I encourage my clients and my own children to limit screen time and be creative. Children of all ages learn skills—and about their environment—through play activities. Here are some that fill both fun and functional requirements for your child!
1. Dig out the pool noodles.
Lay out the pool noodles as an obstacle course; children can step around and over them. Kids can also play limbo with the noodles or crawl under them in the quadriped (crawling) position. Also, cut in half, pool noodles can be used as balance beams for young kids; work in bare feet to make the task easier.
2. Play Lego copycat.
Use Legos or building blocks to make a creation, then ask your child to duplicate it. This activity can be switched around so that children create models for parents to follow.
3. Play the touch-’n'-guess game.
Grab any two items in your home that are the same—say, a couple of crayons, a pair of toy figurines, salt and pepper shakers—and add one of each to a paper bag. Place the second set in a line in front of your child. Ask her to feel the items in the bag and, without looking, find the matches. This skill, called stereognosis, is valuable. It is the ability to perceive and identify objects by using only the sense of touch—the same one we use when we reach into our purse feel for our lipstick or wallet.
4. Rope ‘em into housework!
Heavy work can be calming. Include children in chores and activities such as moving chairs, picking up and placing dirty clothes into a basket, vacuuming, or sweeping.
5. String up the holiday cards.
Punch holes into holiday cards with a one-hole puncher. Gather up ribbon, string or twine and lace the holes, helping your child do the threading as necessary—a great fine-motor-skill exercise.
6. Make geoboards.
Use Styrofoam as a base and attach golf tees, sticks, small pencils, or hairpins. Encourage kids to push the items into the board or pound them with a toy hammer. Help them add colorful rubber bands to create shapes such as stars and polygons.
7. Create a sensory hideout
You can drape sheets over a couple of chairs, build a hideout from a bunch of boxes, or use a small tent if you have one. Add pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals to give kids that cozy feeling. Also great: Lycra fabric in which kids can roll up and wrap themselves—that gives awesome proprioceptive input. My kids love having a flashlight in their cozy space.
With a little creativity, many activities can be fun and therapeutic. Play with your child and the memories you make together will last a lifetime!