Top 10 Simple Brain Break Activities to Help Your Child Focus at Home
Understanding Brain Breaks: A Parent’s Guide What Are Brain Breaks and Why They’re Essential for Children Brain breaks are short, purposeful activities that provide a mental pause from cognitive tasks. These breaks are essential for children because they help prevent mental fatigue, enhance mood, and improve overall performance. By allowing the brain to rest and […]
Practical At-Home Sensory Activities for Oral Seekers: Tips from a Pediatric Therapist
ContentsUnderstanding Oral Sensory Seeking in ToddlersWhat is Oral Sensory Seeking?Quick Snapshot:Why Do Toddlers Exhibit Oral Sensory Seeking?Practical At-Home Sensory Activities for Oral Seekers1. Chewable Tools2. Incorporate Sensory-Rich Foods3. Oral Motor Exercises4. Create a Calming Space5. Interactive Sensory Play6. Positive Reinforcement7. Professional Guidance Understanding Oral Sensory Seeking in Toddlers Does your toddler chew on toys, clothing, […]
Understanding the 8 Senses: A Comprehensive Guide to Sensory Processing in Children
(Including: understanding sensory processing in children and, offering a comprehensive sensory guide for parents) Have you ever wondered how your child experiences the world around them? It might surprise you to learn that children do this through more than just the commonly known five senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. There are also three additional […]
We Love Social Games!
By: Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP Social games are songs, rhymes, finger plays, and early social routines that adults sing and play with toddlers and young children with the primarily purpose of interacting and having fun together. You may already be familiar with many of these games, including Peek-a-boo, Patty-Cake, and the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”. We […]
Music and Speech Therapy
By Pranali Shah MS, CF-SLP Music can be an extremely beneficial treatment for speech therapy. Music activates all areas of the brain simultaneously. For children, music can promote language development, improve speech production, improve memory and spatial-temporal learning. According to the American Music Therapy Association: “Music therapy is an evidence-based, allied health profession that uses […]
Sensory Activities for Infants and Young Children
By: Christine Hemelians, MS OTR/L Below listed are the various activities for infants and toddlers broken down into the different sensory systems. Proprioceptive system: (the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location in space) Infants: Toddlers: Graded tummy time on caregiver’s chest (airplane rides) Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, climbing Lotion massage and joint […]
Springtime Mindfulness
By Erica Gliga, MOT, OTR/L Springtime is just around the corner and this blog post is all about getting outside, enjoying mindful moments with your littles in nature, and engaging different sensory systems. Nature is filled with so many wonderful sensory experiences and time spent outside can support emotional regulation, for both adults and children. […]
Seasonal Sensory Bins
By Erica Gliga MOT, OTR/L ‘Tis the season for sensory bins. This post shares 2 different seasonal sensory bin ideas to inspire some of your own creations to incorporate into play routines during the holiday season. Generally speaking, sensory bins can support development in a variety of ways such as providing tactile, visual, auditory, and […]
Sensory Diets
Does your child having a difficult time focusing? Are they always on the go? Climbing furniture, seeking touch, crashing into objects, placing inedible items in their mouth? Maybe they are a picky eater, or they do not like getting their hands messy. Are they excessively bothered by certain textures and do not like wearing socks? […]
Sound Machines
By Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP There’s been a lot of noise recently regarding whether the use of sounds machines is helpful or harmful to babies. Many families swear by them, while others have sworn off them. We will walk you through the pros and cons of these machines, and provide you with some tips on […]