While most handwriting, drawing, painting, coloring, and other play activities occur on a table or on the floor, those are not the only surfaces that can be used for these activities. Try changing up the activity and work on a vertical surface. Vertical surfaces support development and can make the activity more fun for children. In addition, changing the way you do an activity can help kids to focus and stay engaged longer. 

Why is Work on a Vertical Surface Beneficial?

Firstly, working on a vertical surface can support the development of a variety of skills. The skills supported by working on a vertical surface can carry over to everyday activities and to academic skills. 

• Bilateral Coordination – Depending on how the activity is set up, working on a vertical surface can also promote bilateral coordination. For example, the child may need to hold the paper on the wall with one hand while painting or drawing with the other hand. Setting up the activity this way helps provide the child with feedback if they are using both hands consistently. If they only use one hand the paper will fall.
• Wrist Extension/Pencil Grasp – Working on a vertical surface puts the wrist in an extended position which supports better pencil grasp and control of writing tools. 
• Shoulder/Elbow Stability – Working on a vertical surface requires additional shoulder and elbow stability. Having the child draw, write, or play on a vertical surface requires them to work against gravity and prompts strengthening of the shoulder and elbow. 
• Midline Crossing – Crossing midline naturally incorporates into play when using vertical surfaces as the child reaches with their dominant hand from one side of the surface to the other. 
• Core Strength/Posture – Positioning children in tall kneeling or standing can help to prompt better posture and core strength while working opposed to a slouched position at a table or desk

Activities to Try

Some activities that you can try at home that use a vertical surface include the following:

• Using Water to Paint Outside – This activity is simple to set up and requires very few materials. Give the child a bowl of water and paint brushes, and encourage them to paint the fence with the water, promoting painting on a vertical surface. 
• White Board – Simple drawing on a white board or chalkboard can be a great vertical surface activity. You can expand on this activity by playing drawing games such as tic tac toe or Pictionary. 
• LEGO Wall – Attach LEGO board to the ball and encourage your child to build with LEGO on the wall. You can get some more fun ideas for playing with LEGO here. 
• Car Wash – Set up a simple at home car wash. Use sponges with water and car soap to scrub and wash the car. 

These are just a few ideas to get you starting to work on vertical surfaces. Check our Your Therapy Source for more fun suggestions.

Summer is a time for kids to relax, have fun, and enjoy the outdoors. However, keeping them entertained can be a challenge, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Fortunately, there are plenty of free activities that you can do with your kids this summer that will keep them happy and engaged. Here are ten ideas for free summer activities for kids.

Free Ideas

Firstly, go on a nature walk: Take your kids on a nature walk and explore the great outdoors. Look for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Teach your kids about the plants and animals that live in your area. Or, check out these easy hikes you can do with your kids.

Have a picnic: Pack a lunch and head to a local park for a picnic. Bring a Frisbee or a ball to play with, and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Have a scavenger hunt: Create a scavenger hunt for your kids and their friends. Hide clues around your neighborhood or local park, and see who can find them all first.

Build a fort: Use blankets, pillows, and chairs to build a fort in your living room or backyard. Let your kids use their imaginations to create their own secret hideaway.

Go stargazing: On a clear night, head outside and look up at the stars. Use a star chart to identify constellations and teach your kids about the wonders of the universe.

Free (Or Almost Free) Activities

Visit a museum: Many museums offer free admission on certain days of the week or month. Check your local museum’s website to see if they have any free days coming up. The Museum of the Rockies is a great play to take your kids to explore.

Host a movie night: Set up a projector in your backyard and host a movie night under the stars. Pop some popcorn and snuggle up with blankets and pillows.

Make homemade ice cream: Whip up a batch of homemade ice cream with your kids. You don’t need an ice cream maker – just mix together cream, sugar, and your favorite flavorings and freeze in a container.

Visit a farmer’s market: Take your kids to a local farmer’s market and let them pick out some fresh fruits and vegetables. Use them to make a healthy and delicious meal together.

Finally, have a water balloon fight: Cool off on a hot day with a water balloon fight. So, fill up some balloons then let the kids go wild.

These are just a few ideas for free summer activities for kids. With a little creativity, you can keep your kids entertained all summer long without breaking the bank. Now whenever you have a chance, get out there and have some fun!

The first year of kindergarten is an exciting time for your child. So many new experiences and new friends. But, it can also be scary and intimidating for both children and parents. However, there are many ways to help your child prepare for kindergarten.

Firstly, it’s important to establish a routine. Children thrive on routine. Having a set schedule can help them feel more secure and prepared for the day ahead. Start by setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Try to plan out a daily routine that includes time for meals, play, and learning activities. This will help your child adjust to the structure of a school day and make the transition to kindergarten smoother.

independence

Secondly, encourage your child’s independence. Kindergarten is a time when children start to become more independent. It’s important to foster this independence at home. Encourage your child to dress themselves, use the bathroom independently, and take responsibility for their belongings. This will help them feel more confident and capable when they start school.

How to Prepare for Kindergarten Reading Skills

Thirdly, read to your child every day. Reading is one of the most important skills your child will begin to learn in kindergarten. It’s important to start building this skill early. Make reading a part of your daily routine, and encourage your child to ask questions and engage with the story. This will help them develop a love of reading and prepare them for the reading and writing activities they will encounter in kindergarten. You can learn more about why maintaining a summer reading schedule is important here.

Social Skills

Lastly, practice social skills. Kindergarten is a time when children start to develop social skills and learn how to interact with their peers. Encourage your child to play with other children, practice sharing and taking turns, and express their feelings in a positive way. This will help them feel more comfortable in social situations and make friends more easily.

The thought of your child going to school for the first time might be a little scary. Preparing your child for kindergarten in advance may help to relieve some fears. It is an exciting and important task. By establishing a routine, encouraging independence, reading every day, and practicing social skills, you can help your child feel confident and ready for this new adventure. Remember to be patient and supportive, and enjoy this special time with your child. If you’re looking for more help, Scholastic has 20 skills you can also work on with your child before starting kindergarten.

“Around 24-30 months, children start to integrate nonliteral themes into social play, marking the emergence of social pretend play.”¹ Speech therapists use pretend play frequently to address many concepts in therapy sessions. It has a number of benefits for language development in children. So, let’s explore some key factors.

Expanding Vocabulary with Pretend Play

Pretend play is a great way to expand vocabulary due to minimal limitations of what is happening in the current environment. Children are exposed to new ideas and things that they may not be normally exposed to in their daily lives. Vocabulary surrounding creative places, objects, people, and feelings can be experienced.

Building Conversational Skills and Attention

“From 15 to 24 months, children progress from exchanging simple social behaviors (e.g. smiles) to playing with toys in an interactive manner, with each child contributing to the play. This social play is reality based, with toys and objects used for their intended functions.”¹ Integration of nonliteral themes occurs around 24-30 months. This occurrence allows a child to use their expanded vocabulary and new understanding that, for example, a hairbrush can represent a phone, creating the desire to converse with peers of these new findings. Conversational exchange facilitates the skill of attending to a peer and an object for an extended period of time.

Understanding Different Perspectives

Imaginative play, especially role-playing activities, build and nurture the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others. Also, “Certain partners may act in ways that foster success and sophistication in social pretend play.”¹

Improve Problem Solving Skills Using Pretend Play

Pretend play can take so many different forms and outcomes can consistently change. It is an important way for children to learn about if/then or hypothetical scenarios.

There are many toys and activities that promote this activity, such as dress up clothes, role playing, puppets, and play food/kitchen. For more ideas on how to support creative play at home, check out Inspire My Play and Busy Toddler. However, if you feel like your child struggles with their play skills, check out Building Play Skills for Healthy Children and Families.

References

1. Howes, C. (1987). Social competence with peers in young children: Developmental sequences. Developmental Review, 7,252–272
2. DeKroon, D. M., Kyte, C. S., & Johnson, C. J. (2002). Partner influences on the social pretend play of children with language impairments. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 33(4), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2002/021)

Often times we find ourselves threatening our children or criticizing them for their behaviors, in hope that they will self-correct. Criticizing and threatening children DOES NOT stop them from misbehaving. But what it does do, is stop them from loving themselves. It will often make the behavior even worse. This, is turn, can create more problems down the road like poor self-esteem and depression.

It is easy to get stuck in this cycle when you are at your breaking point, and you have no other tools in your pocket to implement. We all do this because we are human. Sometimes we yell, nag, threaten, and scream. We make empty threats, “Christmas is cancelled!” Yet, the best part about being human is we can change! I know, you are asking HOW!? What is the answer to getting your children to behave?

It Starts with You

Firstly, it starts with YOU! Are YOU ready to change? Are YOU ready to put forth the work? Secondly, it starts with understanding that behavioral changes come from within the child. Change in behavior in children occurs because something internally motivates them to do it, and they decide (for themselves) that it is good for them.

The pain you cause by cancelling Christmas may initially motivate your child to behave. Yet, this threat actually fractures the bond between parent and child. Therefore, the result of improved behavior is only temporary. It is very short lived. So what do we do?

The next step is getting children to go from defiant to cooperative. However, this requires some understanding of basic development and knowing what stage of development your child is in. You need to utilize methods that work with them. This understanding will help to create change from within the child, not from external world.

Simple Steps to decrease Behaviors

Here are some simple steps to implement to begin this internal change!

• Build respect without yelling or nagging
• Lead with confidence and strength by managing misbehavior using modeling behaviors
• Stop yelling, nagging or fighting – Just walk away until ready to address in a calm manner
• Gain positive energy to give to your child and to the other loved ones in your life (model this behavior)
• Learn how to respond to the defiant behavior with a calm response
• Look beyond the behavior and see what message the behavior is communicating
• Help to label emotions correctly to gain awareness that emotions are real and they are OK to feel
• Label and help communicate effective language like, “This isn’t working! Could you help me?”
• Help your child improve their social emotional learning

Children learn a lot by watching. So, try your best to model the behaviors and choices for your children. Encourage effort and take the pressure off. Do your best to implement some of the above strategies and see if your child starts to make that internal shift. Then, if they do not, feel free to reach out to your pediatrician or reach out to an occupational therapist.  Another great resource is Dr. Becky, a clinical psychologist and mom of 3, who has tons of tips and tricks for parents.

Summer is here, and with it comes the need for easy and inexpensive snacks for kids. As a parent, you want to make sure your kids are eating healthy. BUT, no one wants to spend a lot of time or money on snacks. Luckily, there are plenty of options that are both nutritious and budget-friendly.

quick and easy snacks for kids

One of the easiest and healthiest snacks for kids is fresh fruit. Whether it’s sliced watermelon, grapes, or berries, kids love the sweet taste of fruit. Plus, it’s packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential for their growing bodies. You can even make it more fun by cutting the fruit into fun shapes. You can use cookie cutters and your kids can help. Making fruit kabobs also makes snacking a little more fun. Add some marshmallows or a brownie bite to the skewer to make it even more enticing.

Another great option is veggies and dip. Cut up some carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers and serve them with a healthy dip like hummus, guacamole, or ranch. Not only is this snack low in calories, but it’s also a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. In addition, if you have some extra time on your hands, you can make it more fun by making a veggie tray in the shape of a fish, owl, or this adorable lion with hummus as the face.

Snacks that require baking

If your kids love chips, try making your own homemade chips. There are a lot of different things you can experiment with to make chips. You can make sweet potato chips, kale chips, zucchini chips, or even apple or banana chips. All you need is some olive oil, your favorite seasoning and something to bake them in. Check out Hello Glow for 30 Healthy Chip Recipes.  

For a more filling snack, try making a batch of homemade granola bars. You can customize them with your kids’ favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Plus, they’re easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for a quick and easy snack on the go. Add it to a cup of yogurt with a handful of berries on top and you have a meal!

There are plenty of easy and inexpensive summer snacks for kids that are both healthy and delicious. From fresh fruit to homemade granola bars, there’s something for everyone. So, next time your kids are hungry, try one of these options and watch them gobble it up with a smile.

Looking for more summer ideas? Check out School’s Out Summer Activities and Summer Activities to Fend Off Boredom for more inspiration!