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Worm Hunt Activity

4/25/2024

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In celebration of OT month, OT Outdoors will send out activities throughout April that you may do with kiddos with explanations on the skills that are worked on.

Ingredients:
Worm layer
- 1 pack jello/gelatine
- Cooked spaghetti or gummy worms
- Optional: food coloring (pink for worm, brown for jello)
Dirt layer
- 2 cup flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- Vegetable oil

Other materials:
-
2 Containers
- Mixing utensil

Instruction:
1. In a container, make the jello/gelatine according to the package instructions. Optional: add brown food dye.
2. Put in gummy worms or pre-cooked spaghetti that is dyed pink.
3. Put in fridge to harden.
4. Optional: heat treat flour at 300-350 degrees for about 10 minutes until flour reaches 160 degrees to make the flour edible!
5. In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, and vegetable oil (little by little to preferred consistency).  
6. Put the dirt layer mixture on top of the solidified worm layer then start the worm hunt!

Whether you choose to have kiddos participate in making the dirt & worm layer or only the worm hunt, they each have benefits from OT perspective. 

Let me explain how:
1. Measuring, scooping, and pouring ingredients work on fine motor coordination, visual motor integration, bilateral hand use, hand-eye coordination, and heavy work.
2. Mixing ingredients works on gross motor coordination, arm strength and endurance, arm range of motion, and using appropriate amount of pressure for the task (grading of movement). 
3. Pulling ‘worms’ out could work on fine motor coordination (picking up and placing small objects), bilateral assist (stabilization of the pan with non-dominant hand), stereognosis (identifying objects through touch), using appropriate amount of strength for the task (grading of strength), play theme expansion, and assisting to ameliorate tactile sensitivity through exploration and play.

If the activity is too easy or too hard - you may assist as needed, brainstorm with the kiddo what could help make it easier/harder, or even divide up tasks to make the activity the ‘just right challenge’ for them. After all, this should be a fun activity!

Hope this explanation gives you a better understanding of the OT thought process behind the fun activities we do in session. 

Send us a picture or video if you work on this activity with your kiddo! 

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DIY Fossil Excavation Activity

4/19/2024

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Original DIY Fossil Excavation Video (Click here)
​
In celebration of OT month, OT Outdoors will send out activities throughout April that you may do with kiddos with explanations on the skills that are worked on.

Precautions - eating of non-food items
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups cornflour
  • 4 cups play sand
  • ¾ cup water

Other materials:
  • Container
  • Utensils for digging
  • Kid tools - hammer, wood stick, plier (optional)
  • Toys/figurines/stones

Instruction:
  1. In a container, mix together cornflour, play sand, and water .
  2. Reserve about ⅓ of the mixture for later.
  3. Press down gently on the mixture to remove air bubbles (pressing too hard could make it difficult to excavate)
  4. Put in toys/figurines.
  5. Bury toys/figurines with reserved mixture, press down again lightly.
  6. Let it air dry for ~24 hours
  7. Excavate when dry!

Whether you choose to have kiddos participate in part or all of the activity, they each have benefits from OT perspective. 

Let me explain how:
  1. Measuring, scooping, and pouring ingredients work on fine motor coordination, visual motor integration, bilateral hand use, hand-eye coordination, and heavy work.
  2. Mixing ingredients works on gross motor coordination, arm strength and endurance, arm range of motion, and using appropriate amount of pressure for the task (grading of movement). 
  3. Putting toys in mixture could work on spacing, bilateral assist (stabilize with non-dominant hand), fine motor coordination (picking up and placing small objects) and address tactile sensitivity. 
  4. Excavation of the objects work on arm strength and endurance, utensil/tool use, using appropriate amount of strength for the task (grading of strength), and play theme expansion.

If the activity is too easy or too hard - you may assist if needed, brainstorm with the kiddo what could help make it easier/harder, or even change up the tools to make it the ‘just right challenge’ for them. After all, this should be a fun activity!

Hope this explanation gives you a better understanding of the OT thought process behind the fun activities we do in session. 

Send us a picture or video if you work on this activity with your kiddo! 
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How Can Horses Help?

10/30/2019

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​Hippotherapy is the portion of an occupational, physical or speech therapy treatment session where a skilled medical professional utilizes a horse as a treatment tool to achieve specific functional therapy goals or outcomes.  The horse can help address specific occupational therapy goals including:
  • Increasing strength and endurance in postural muscles for improved sitting and standing balance
  • Increasing strength and endurance in the arms for functional reach and grasp
  • Assisting with motor planning of gait and functional mobility 
The horse can also help teach social skills (particularly keying into non-verbal language) -- and believe it or not -- can assist with attention and focus. The therapist helps clients achieve these goals by manipulating specific properties of the horse’s movement, the position of the client on the horse, bend, speed, length of stride, directionality and use of specific tack.

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Tolerant Trick or Treating This Halloween

10/30/2019

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With Halloween upon us, please try to be accepting of all of the folks who will be visiting your homes. Keep in mind:

The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills.

The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues.

The child who does not say trick-or-treat or thank you may be non-verbal or have speech delays.

The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl may have food allergies.

The child who isn’t wearing a costume may have sensory processing issues or autism.

The big boy who seems a little older may be an adult with developmental delays.

Choose your actions and words wisely. Be nice. Be patient.

​Happy Halloween!

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Bats, Spiders, & Skeletons ... Oh My!

10/30/2019

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Helping children develop their fine motor coordination skills is one of the many occupational therapy interventions we offer at OT OuTdoors.  Good fine motor skills are required to help kids accomplish the tasks they do on a daily basis: handwriting in class and on homework assignments, getting dressed, tying shoes, buttoning pants, brushing their hair & teeth, eating meals, cleaning up their rooms, and playing with blocks, Legos or doll clothes. The better their fine motor coordination becomes, the more independent and efficient they’ll be in daily living.
Pictured above are a couple of our friends helping our therapy dog Noodles become “spook free.” By using tongs or chopsticks to remove the toy figurines, they are developing their tripod grip (proper grasp required to hold a pencil or utensils) and strengthening their hands and fingers with each pinch. One of the great things about this activity is that it can be done at home and can be modified a number of ways to keep it fun and engaging! Some ideas include:
  • Theme the activity around upcoming holidays (spiders at Halloween, love bugs for Valentine’s Day, four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick’s Day) 
  • Place toy bugs in your child’s bed and have them collect the “bed bugs” prior to bedtime
  • Use a favorite stuffed animal or a patient family 
  • Switch out the bugs for items like Legos, puff balls, or other items your child may gravitate towards
  • Have the whole family eat with chopsticks during one meal each day
Ask us about these options during therapy and we’ll show you how to integrate them into your home routine. Sign up (link)
OT OuTdoors-because life doesn’t happen in a clinic

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Therapists
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  • Hippotherapy
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