News
With the summer break upon us, here are some fun activity ideas to keep your child motivated and working towards their therapy goals.
Occupational Therapy
Sensory trays
A sensory tray (sometimes called a sensory bin) is typically a deep tray, tub or container of some sort filled with materials and objects carefully selected to stimulate the senses. They prompt self-directed play where your child is able to explore independently. In a recent blog we share some ideas for creating sensory trays including a Christmas themed tray.
Christmas craft
There are so many fun and festive ways to get your craft on and support your child to work on fine their motor skills. Creating festive artwork including painting, sticking, cutting and sprinkling glitter will all help to develop tiny little hand muscles.
Reindeer food
It’s so important that Santa and his reindeer are able to spot your house on Christmas Eve (you wouldn’t want them to miss you!) Get your child to sprinkle glittery “reindeer food”, made from oats and glitter, outside your house. The sprinkling action helps strengthen little hand muscles and our speech pathologists love the accompanying rhyme:
Sprinkle this reindeer food outside tonight,
the moonlight will make it sparkle bright.
As the reindeer fly and roam,
this will guide them to your home.
Speech and communication
Christmas greetings!
This Christmas will be a little different and some won’t get to spend time with loved ones who live further away. Help your child to send Christmas messaging to family and friends using a communication method to suit their age and ability. This might be:
You can even get your child to use their AAC and send their message via video.
Call Santa
Calling Santa is so much fun! Make the call yourself and then let your child chat to Santa or support them to do this. If you have Google Assistant ask “how is Santa?” and you will be connected through to the “north pole”! If you don’t have Google Assistant don’t worry because Santa let us into a little secret, free call 03 8672 0121 and you can leave Santa a message!
Physiotherapy
Take a dip
With the hot Queensland summer upon us, we don’t need much of an excuse to get in a pool! Being submersed in water takes pressure and weight off the body and provides a sense of freedom, especially for children with a disability who may be supported in equipment for many hours of the day. It also helps to relieve pressure on joints and muscles. Read more on hydrotherapy.
Decorate the Christmas tree
While decorating the Christmas tree doesn’t sound at all like physiotherapy, it will give your child the opportunity to practice bending, squatting, stretching, standing from a squat position and reaching up above their head. Put on some Christmas tunes and get them dancing too. It’s a Christmas themed work-out!