OccupationalTherapy

& PhysicalTherapy

SuggestionsFor The Summer….

A safety reminder:

While all the activities included in this packet may be beneficial to most children, consideration must be given to the age and skill level for each child. Also, some of the provided suggestions should only be done under strict adult supervision and/or with precautions (ie: knee pads &helmets when rollerblading, etc)

HAVE A REALLY FUN SUMMER!

Keep up the great work!

Debbie Kilgore (OT)

Playground, Backyard or Park

1. Merry go round

2. Slide

A: Climbing up ladder

B: Sliding down

C: Climb up the slide (if you feel comfortable with this)

3. Swing or Hammock

4. Balance beam or walking on a curb or log (can incorporate more challenging activities, i.e.: catching/throwing at a target, popping bubbles, walking forwards, sideways or backwards)

5. Jungle gym or monkey bars – either try to alternate hands to go one at a time, or just see how long you can hang

6. Sand boxes:

A: find toys or objects hidden in the sand

B: see Beach

7. Suspended Bridges

8. Sidewalk chalk

9. Hopscotch

10. Jumping rope; can use a hula hoop to start.

Snake jumps: wiggle rope and have child jump over

11. Squirt Guns

A: Super soakers

B:

Aim at a wall or squirt a balloon floating

C: Draw shapes or letters on all wall with the water squirted out

12. Climb a tree or climb up a rope

13. Walk on top of tires

14. Fly a kite

15. Hippity Hop

16. Walk along stepping stones

Sports or Relays

1. Roller lading or Roller skating

2. Badmitton

3. Volleyball with beach ball or balloon

4. Wheelbarrow walk or crab walk relays

5. Tug of War (can also be done with coffee stirrers or straws to increase finger strength)

6. Jumping relays with objects between knees (balloon, small soft ball)

7. Carrying water or small objects on a spoon to place in a cup a few yards away

8. Obstacle courses….go under, around, in/out of things

9. Walking/crawling through random size cardboard boxes

10. Ring toss/horseshoes

11. Pushing or pulling each other in a wagon or try a cardboard box

12. Karate

13. Gym class/Rock climbing

14. Swim class

15. Riding a bicycle

Chores

1. Gardening (digging, pulling weeds, watering with a watering can)

2. Water potted plants with a squirt bottle

3. Laundry

A: carrying a basket of clothes

B: sorting clothes

C: hanging clothes on the clothesline with spring clothespins or trying toput them on a hanger

D: Folding laundry; fasten buttons, zippers, fold socks

E: Put clothes away

4. Dishes

A: Washing and drying dishes; wringing washcloth

B: Make letters/shapes when squeezing liquidsoap

C: Sorting dishes/silverware when unloadingdishwasher

5. Tearing up junk mail before recycling

6. Polishing furniture with a spray cleaner such as Pledge

7. Washing window

8. Cooking activities such as peeling fruits and vegetables, ripping lettuce, shucking corn on the cob, making meatballs, kneading pizza or bread dough, making cookies, stirring/mixing activities

9. Cleaning up room by having child put away all objects that fit in a certain category, such as by shape, color, type of toy

10. Vacuuming/sweeping

11. Practice lacing shoes, sorting shoes where they are kept

Rainy Days

1. Writing in various mediums such as salt, corn meal dry rice, finger paint, pudding, dishwashing liquid or shaving cream on a plastic tray

2. Making letters out of things such as play doh, yarn, pipe cleaners, small manipulatives, beans, wikki stix, straws

3. Sponge painting t-shirts, craft activities, use a hole puncher and make something with the holes

4. Stringing necklaces or cereal, beads, painted macaroni, pop beads

5. Table hockey by flicking coins, ping pong balls, or cotton balls into a cup

6. Finger/hand games such as patty cake, snapping, itsy bitsy spider, using fingers to count, sign language alphabet, using one finger on each hand to type on the computer

7. Picking up objects with tweezers, tongs or strawberry hullers (marshmallows, cereal, etc) Anything involving pinch or grasp

8. Twister

9. Fishing game (can be done while standing on pillows or balance beam to work on balance as well)

10. Walking on old couch cushions or mattress

11. Concentration game (can also make your own cards using shapes, colors, letters, etc)

12. Card games such as Go Fish, War, UNO

13. Puzzles or Crafts

14. Mazes, Dot to Dots, Tic Tac Toe

15. Wooden tops, Doodle tops

16. Jacks

17. Pop Beads (can work on patterns)

18. Practice cutting (can cut coupons from sale papers) or help wrap gifts (rip tape, tape to package, etc)

Other ideas, wherever,whenever!

1. Stuff envelopes, put stamps on them or a post card

2. Knee walking (simple obstacle course, or down length of hallway)

3. Half kneeling (have child reach for bubbles or clap them, have a catch, pick up items from the floor, draw on an easel or on a vertical surface)

4. Simon Says or obstacle course

5. Wall push ups (stand in front of wall, arms length away, lean toward wall and push yourself away)

6. Forearm weight bearing (lie on stomach, weight bear on elbows/forearms (elbows under your shoulders) while watching a movie, doing puzzles or reading a book)

7. Activities on a vertical surface-painting, stickers on paper, drawing, window clings, magnets on refrigerator, fun tack)

8. Flashlight games-child can trace a line, maze, rainbow drawn on wall or paper. With 2 flashlights, can play flashlight tag. You can also use a pen light.

9. Upright vertical games-Connect Four, Lite Brite, Battleship

10. Balloon racquet ball

11. Soup can push ups-hold soup can in each hand, push from ears to straight up in the air in a controlled manner. You can also lie on the floor, on your back and push from shoulders to ceiling as well. Please be careful!

12. Practice handwriting, coloring, etc. Make a card or picture. Write in a journal

At TheBeach, Lake or Pool

a. Finding and picking them up

b. Making shapes and letters

c. Sorting by color or shape

10.Walking through water against the tide, jump while in water

11. Fishing

a. baiting hook or fly tying-use your discretion

b. casting and catching fish

c. reeling in fish

12. Swimming

13. Burying body in sand

14. Water Slides, diving board

15. Kick while hanging on side of pool or kick board

16. Pull ups at side of pool

17. Pull a wagon full of your things

18. Carry small buckets of water to your blanket or towel

19. Pour water from one container to a smaller container

20. Dig in the sand; fill a sand pail; bury someone’s feet!

21. Paint large shells with water color paints; decorate with glue and smaller shells or gems; write a message on it with a Sharpie

22. Play a paddle game or have a catch

23. Fly a kite

24. Paint with water on cement using large paint brushes or squirt bottles

25. Try to set up or fold up your towel

26. In the car, play the alphabet game. Look for letters of the alphabet in order from A-Z while passing signs

27. Play a card game or sort cards by suit or number

28. Open up a snack by yourself

29. Write someone a post card using your best handwriting

30. Draw a person or house, or use objects to create one (sticks, shells, “paint with water”)

31. Go to an amusement park and try something new