Free Football Game for OT, PT or Speech Activities

Here is a fun, football themed activity for some therapy carry over or during a session.  Create your own 6 activities to see who will win the game.  Download the printable, blank footballs and directions at Your Therapy Source Inc.

Fall Activity: Kick Box Painting

Try this fun activity for children of all abilities - kick box painting. Adapt the activity as necessary by placing the box where the child can complete any active movement to knock it over.

Hot, hot, hot! Water obstacle course

Here is an example of a water obstacle course that you can create with your client or child. Therapy does not get any more fun than this. This activity encourages gross motor skills, muscle strengthening, eye hand coordination, trunk rotation, crossing midline, balance and motor planning. Whew! That is a lot of developmental play with some simple water play.

Rock Smash Sensory Motor Activity Idea

Sensory Motor Groups in Children with Down Syndrome

The current issue of Pediatric Physical Therapy has published research on sensory motor groups for children with Down Syndrome. The researchers compared 2 groups of children with Down Syndrome (10 children total ages 13-29 months of age). One group received only individualized interventions and the other group received the individualized interventions along with 10 weekly sessions of a sensory motor group. Children in the cluster that received the weekly sensory motor group interventions exhibited significant improvements on the Gross Motor Function Measure in the following sections: lying and rolling, kneeling and total score. Significant improvements were also seen in Goal Attainment Scaling. The researchers concluded that sensory motor group interventions resulted in greater improvements when compared to only individualized interventions. They recommended further research in this area.

For sensory motor group activity ideas check out Sensory Motor Group Activities A to Z. Need activity ideas in a hurry - 25 Instant Sensory Motor Group Activities.

Reference: LaForme Fiss, Alyssa C. PT, PhD, PCS; Effgen, Susan K. PT, PhD; Page, Judith PhD, CCC-SLP; Shasby, Sharon PhD, OTR/L Effect of Sensorimotor Groups on Gross Motor Acquisition for Young Children with Down Syndrome. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 21(2):158-166, Summer 2009.

Kite Flying - Spring Outdoor Activity

Children absolutely love to fly a kite. They love the challenge and the thrill of getting the kite up and in the air. Then they progress to the challenge of keeping the kite in the air and out of the trees. Kite flying requires eye hand coordination, motor planning, body awareness and gross motor skills. Try out these activities today:

1. Make a kite out of a brown paper lunch bag. Decorate, punch 4 holes in corners where bag opens. Tie string and you are ready to fly it.
2. Not windy enough for a kite? Draw, decorate and cut out a kite. Tie ribbons to the end of it. Tape it onto the top of a long stick. When the child runs with it, the kite will fly!
3. Raining today? Print and complete our FREE kite activity, Jump Up, Up and Away, to encourage sensory motor skills.