Blog - Kids Place Therapy Services

Getting Your Kids Excited About Food

Summer is a great time of the year to enjoy fresh produce. August, in particular, is the peak season for many fruits and vegetables to be harvested. From farmer’s markets to orchards, there’s a variety of ways to include your youngest family members in selecting nutritious fruits and veggies for your household. Activities and outings that involve gathering foods are a wonderful way to facilitate an understanding of food production, the people involved, and where it comes from. It could also be a fun and exciting way to introduce or try different foods. Additionally, these settings encourage social skills via talking with the merchants. Asking questions can lead to new discoveries, curiosity, and provide practice talking with community members.

A visit to a market, farm, or orchard allows kids to touch, smell and get a chance to choose the produce themselves–building a sense of autonomy and pride in what was gathered. This could lead to a higher likelihood of them eating their vegetables since they picked it themselves. If you cannot get out to a market or farm, simply spending a little extra time at the grocery store produce section where kids can be included can be an easy way to build knowledge and interest in novel foods and their preparation, as well as get them excited about food. Healthy eating and good nutrition is vital to fueling our bodies and aiding in development as kids grow.

Questions? Contact our office.

July 29, 2024/by jessenpr

Ways to Practice Fine Motor Skills During Summer Break

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The first official day of summer has finally arrived! Since school is out, your kids’ days look a little different–more time outside, less structure, and open-ended play. While necessary to your child’s development, it’s also important to practice handwriting and fine motor tasks during summer break to avoid setbacks once school starts again.

Handwriting ideas:

Writing a letter or card to a family or friend
Making lists (i.e. grocery shopping, what to pack, activities they would like to do or try, and favorites of any category)
Journaling
Mad Libs
Alphabet hunt (You can be creative with your version of this!)
Hide letters around the house and have your child check them off of a list as they find them.
Idea for a child with more advanced handwriting skills: Have them find words in their everyday environment (such as in a magazine, books, on products, etc.) and copy a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
Junior version of scattergories
Decipher a code
Make up a story, character, or map

Fine motor/hand strengthening ideas:

Write or draw using sidewalk chalk
Pop bubbles with index finger only
Paint rocks or flower pots
Play dress up (with clothes that have zippers, buttons, or snaps)
Card games
Jewelry making
Use squirt guns for water fight
Use clothespins to hang things (clothes, art, etc.) on a line
Color using broken crayons (if working on improving pencil grasp)

Contact our office and our therapists can help identify strategies that work best for your family during summer break. Be sure to also check out our recent blog about why open-ended play matters.

June 22, 2024/by jessenpr

Why Open-Ended Play Matters

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Parents and summer have a love/hate relationship. Kids spend more time at home and the weather is warmer. That said, typical routines and schedules go out the window. While it may be tempting to register our children for summer camps, classes, sports, play dates, and more, it is very important to remember that our little ones need open-ended play with friends and free time just as much as structured activities. Not only does it benefit their mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, it also encourages creativity, problem solving, and other skills vital to their development.

Other benefits to free time and open-ended play include:

Emotional regulation. Unstructured play helps children process difficult emotions while still allowing them to act like a child.
Reducing burnout. It takes a lot of mental energy for children to stick to structured routines during the school year. It’s important to allow them time for themselves, similar to how adults approach self-care.
Improves sleep and boosts immunity. Warmer weather often means more time outdoors, which uses a lot of physical energy in kids. Physical exercise has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, which boosts immunity, in addition to improving sleep!

Contact our office and our therapists can help identify strategies that work best for your family during summer break.

May 21, 2024/by jessenpr

Benefits of Playing in the Rain

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April showers bring May flowers! Not only is this rainy time of year good for the earth, it brings many benefits for our children’s development. Playing outside in the rain can positively impact your child as they grow in a variety of ways, including:

Physically. When a child plays outside, they rely on their gross motor skills–running, jumping, climbing, etc. The rain can increase the need for balance, along with providing puddles to jump in! This strengthens their coordination and encourages them to be aware of their surroundings. Playing outside in the rain also positively impacts their immune systems–just make sure they are dressed appropriately to go outside and once they come back in.
Sensory. Rain provides a unique sensory experience by transforming the world around them with different sights, smells, sounds, and touches. Sensory input from the outdoors helps build neural pathways in the brain and promotes self-regulation.
Creativity. Rain encourages them to explore their surroundings via simply walking/running around, drawing with chalk (which can turn paint-like when wet), using their imaginations and playing with mud, dancing/singing, or catching rain drops on their tongue. It allows them to problem solve, cultivate a sense of wonder, and contributes to their overall intellectual development.
Mental Health. It’s been shown that playing outdoors for at least 20 minutes a day helps kids self-regulate and lower cortisol levels. When most adults see rain, they think to stay inside. However, being inside all day can lead to sensory overload for the little ones.

Contact our office today to see how playing in the rain can help achieve your child’s therapy goals.

April 18, 2024/by jessenpr

Tips for Healthy Sleep

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Did you know that poor sleep in kids is linked to social, developmental, and behavior difficulties, irritability, academic challenges, and learning difficulties.

Here are a few important things to do to help your kiddo get a restful night’s sleep:

Set a routine. Start winding down about an hour before bed. Avoid any high energy activities. The bedtime routine should be the same every night, lasting about 20-30 minutes, and include consistent calming activities (i.e. brushing your teeth, taking a bath, and reading a book). Always finish the routine in their bedroom.
Keep consistent bed/wake times. Try not to deviate by more than an hour on days where kids do not have school.
Create a calm bedroom environment. Keep your child’s room dark, calm, and comfortable. Avoid using it as punishment so your little one does not associate their room with punishment.
Naps matter. Make sure you follow the appropriate nap schedule per your child’s age. Too much sleep during the day can impact their sleep at night. A good resource to reference is the Baby Sleep Site.
Maintain a healthy diet. Foods with high sugar, low fiber, high saturated fats, and high carbs have been shown to contribute to poor sleep.

If you think your child needs something more to help them drift off to sleep, sensory aids can help.

Weighted blankets simulate deep pressure, or feel like a hug.
Massages before bed can soothe them to sleep
Epsom salts in their bath before bed can help relax your child’s muscles and body. Epsom salts contain magnesium which creates a calming effect in our bodies when absorbed through the skin.
White noise can help protect against unpredictable or distracting sounds.
A designated night time item like a stuffed animal or blanket can provide comfort.
Diffuse calming essential oils (lavender, bergamot, or eucalyptus) to create a soothing environment.
Melatonin, a common sleep aid, can be used if your child is still struggling to maintain good sleep after trying all of the above. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician first before trying.

Contact our office for help on where to begin. Our Occupational Therapists can help you identify what strategy may be most helpful for your child.

March 4, 2024/by jessenpr