Blog - Kids Place Therapy Services

The Benefits of Occupational Therapy for Kids

April is Occupational Therapy Awareness Month!

What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

OT helps people of all ages with physical, sensory or cognitive issues overcome barriers that affect their everyday lives. It is an important part of a child’s development as it focuses on carrying out everyday tasks and improving their level of functioning and independence.

OT is beneficial for kids with autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, developmental delays of varying degrees, or those recovering from an injury. It can also help address one area your child may be struggling with and require extra help.

What does Occupational Therapy address?

OT addresses many vital skills, including:

Fine motor (i.e. grasping and releasing toys)
Handwriting
Visual motor coordination/perceptual skills (i.e. walking, playing, etc.)
Range of motion, posture, or upper extremity strength
Sensory processing and related attention concerns
Motor planning and coordination
Life skills such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, and feeding
Learning positive behaviors and social skills

What does an Occupational Therapy session look like?

Kids Place Therapy Services believes in building a child’s self-confidence and addressing therapy goals through play. We are experts at analyzing and designing effective treatment to best benefit your child and family. Our therapists work in our clinic, schools, or in your home.

We will work closely with your family to provide resources and activities to utilize at home to ensure the strongest foundation of success.

How to get your child into Occupational Therapy?

If you think your child could benefit from OT, you can:

Talk to your pediatrician
Visit the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) website to learn more and find resources
Call our office at (630) 347-1702 to schedule an appointment to find out next steps! We are happy to help!

Check out our Occupational Therapy Superheroes!

April 14, 2025/by jessenpr

How Standing Outside Barefoot Benefits Your Health

Uncategorized

Did you know standing outside barefoot is beneficial and has a scientific name? Grounding, or earthing, is the practice of standing on the ground barefoot to absorb the Earth’s natural electric charge.

According to the National Library of Medicine, grounding produces positive effects on inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and can be beneficial in the treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

While more research is needed, connecting with the earth has also been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety and stress, promote sleep and relaxation, regulate the nervous system, and improve circulation.

How to practice grounding:

Go outside without shoes or socks and stand/sit/walk on the grass, soil, sand, or even concrete.
Focus on connection. Find a time and place that allows you to feel relaxed and present.
20-30 minutes is the optimal time frame, but even shorter sessions can be beneficial!

For children, specifically, spending time outside can help improve sleep, build confidence, calm and reduce anxiety, and promote sensory engagement.

While it might be tough to get a kid to sit or stand still barefoot, there are several ways to get them engaged so they can benefit from grounding.

5-4-3-2-1 Method. Have your child identify five things they can see, four things that they can touch, three things that they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste.
Mindful Walking. As you walk, prompt your child to describe what it feels like to have their bare feet on the ground. Is the ground rough? Bumpy? Cold?
Physical activities. Play a game barefoot, dance in the grass, or do yoga!

Please ensure you are using proper sun and weather protection while outside. Always check to ensure the spot you plan to practice grounding is safe to do so.

Want to learn more about how playing in nature is beneficial? Check out our post “Benefits of Playing in the Rain.”

March 17, 2025/by jessenpr

The Importance of Self-Esteem in Kids

Uncategorized

The month of February is most often associated with love. We teach our kiddos the importance of spreading love and kindness to others, but it is just as important to show yourself love and grace as well. Building good self-esteem in kids is vital to their growth.

According to the National Library of Medicine, self-esteem may be established as early as five years old. Having a good self-esteem is crucial for children’s development and how they view themselves, accept defeat, as well as impacts confidence, motivation, and social interactions.

Signs of low self-esteem include avoiding a challenging task without trying, withdrawing socially, declining grades in school, becoming overly concerned or sensitive, making excuses, or having difficulty accepting praise from others.

Ways to improve your child’s self-esteem:

Spending time with them. It’s important to take time out of our busy days to spend time with our children and do things they enjoy. Express interest in their interests or do something fun with them to boost their mood.
Teach your child to praise themselves. They should feel prideful when accomplishing everyday tasks no matter how big or small. Model this behavior to encourage them to do so.
Allow them to make choices. This allows them to feel more important and assume responsibility for things in their life. This may be difficult for some parents to do as allowing your child to have control may seem like a power struggle. Start by giving them two options to choose between.
Normalize things not going as planned. We are the models and our kiddos are constantly looking up to us. Allowing them to witness imperfection will provide them with a realistic sense of reality.
Love your children unconditionally. You will 100% get angry and frustrated with them at times and may raise your voice at them, but at the end of the day remind them how much you love and care for them.

Contact our office for more help on improving your child’s self-esteem. Check out our other blog about ways to teach your child self-love.

January 26, 2025/by jessenpr

Practicing Gratitude Matters

Uncategorized

In light of the holiday season, teaching our children about gratitude is a great way to share and spread positivity to others. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude is linked to improved sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, increased happiness, and increased emotional resilience.

There are many different ways parents can encourage gratitude in their children:

Start simple! Anytime your child does something helpful, point it out.
Encourage them to say “thank you” as a verbal expression of gratitude.
Be a role model and allow your children to hear you talk about how grateful or appreciative you are for something or someone else. This can include things we often might take for granted such as daily meals, water, and/or electricity.
Involve them in acts of kindness by visiting an animal shelter, volunteering at a holiday food drive, or donating a toy to Toys for Tots (or any other charity).
Practice writing thank you cards/notes to friends and family members.
When your child is upset, challenge them to focus on something positive in the situation.
Create a routine. Have a regular conversation at the dinner table or before bed about one thing you both are grateful for that day.

Make the holiday season even more cheerful by remembering to practice gratitude wherever you go and encouraging your little ones to do so too!

With the fall break approaching, be sure to check out our other blogs about the importance of open-ended play and ways to practice fine motor skills!

November 11, 2024/by jessenpr

National Eat Better, Eat Together Month

Uncategorized

October is National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. Incorporating a family meal time into your family’s schedule is valuable as it offers a time for family members to connect, a time to model a nutritious diet for your children, and a variety of opportunities to encourage children to participate and become independent in the tasks that are required to make a meal.

While this may not be feasible every night, a great starting point is aiming for one night a week or a weekend brunch. You could then build upon that once it becomes a routine.

Ways to include children in creating a family meal time:

Retrieve a number of items at the grocery store and have your child choose. For example, they have to recall three items within the produce section to grab.
Set the table.
Assist in preparation of the meal.
Follow a simple recipe;
Wash produce;
Stir;
Pour drinks;
Measure and add ingredients;
Clear the table; and
Wash dishes.

Involving children in a variety of mealtime steps can promote a child’s:

Independence;
Attention;
Executive functioning skills;
Fine motor skills;
Visual motor skills; and
Bilateral coordination skills.

Need more ideas? Contact our office. Our therapists can help identify other ways to get your kids involved in mealtimes.

October 7, 2024/by jessenpr