Blog - Kids Place Therapy Services

Ways to Show Kids Why Loving Themselves Matters

Love is in the air! February is a great time to teach your kids why loving themselves matters. This means caring for their physical, mental, and emotional health, being kind to themselves, and appreciating/respecting who they are as a person. In doing so, you can help your child increase their resilience, decrease stress, promote positive mental health, and improve self-esteem and confidence.

Here are a few Ideas to promote self-love:

Positive self-talk can be done verbally in front of the mirror or with post-it notes on a mirror that your child uses. Have them say/write:
- I am smart and I can learn new things each day.
- I am kind.
- I am a good [brother/sister/son/daughter/friend].
- I am loved by my family.
Make a beaded bracelet with a positive word your child thinks describes them.
Have your child draw a picture of themselves, then have them write or say three things that make them special.
Create an “I love me” jar
- Fill it with written notes of things they feel proud of throughout the year
Movement
- Dance party (Can look up videos they can follow along to)
- Create an obstacle course (could include animal walks, climbing over cushions, etc.)
- Use yarn to make a laser course through a hallway
- Plan a scavenger hunt within the home

Looking for other activities to keep your kids entertained this winter? Check out our other blog, Winter Weather Fun.

February 1, 2024/by jessenpr

Winter Weather Fun

Uncategorized

Looking for ways to entertain your kids when it’s cold outside? Heavy work–or activities that burn energy–are critical in keeping our kiddos regulated.

If you’re willing to brave the cold and throw on some snow gear, try:

Shoveling. Kids love to feel helpful!
Making a snow fort. Creative and imaginative!
Sledding. Climbing up a hill before flying down is a surefire way to burn energy.

Prefer staying inside and warm? Try these fun options:

Make a blanket fort. You can fill the inside of the fort with spare pillows for added deep pressure!
Pillow fight. If your kiddo can handle this activity, you should definitely give it a try. Provide deep-pressure pillow squishes at the end of the activity to assist with calming them down.
Lifting/Pushing/Pulling. Pushing and pulling provides proprioceptive input* through the muscles and joints. Activities such as carrying groceries, putting wet clothes inside a dryer, or pushing a sibling around in a laundry basket are all great examples.

*the sense that lets us perceive joint position and movement, muscle force, and effort.

January 5, 2024/by jessenpr

Holiday Gift Guide

Uncategorized

Stuck on what to get your littlest loved ones for the holidays? Kids Place Therapy Services is here to help! If you’re looking for a holiday gift that will pack a skill-building punch, check out our list of suggested toys. We even use these at our clinic!

Fine Motor/Visual Motor

These toys will build hand and finger strength, visual motor skills, and bilateral coordination.

Blocks

Helping Hands Tool Set

Lacing Beads

Sensory

Whether you have a kiddo who seeks continuous movement, craves deep pressure, or has difficulty with certain textures, these sensory toys are sure to be a hit!

Cuddle Swing

Indoor Trampoline

Kinetic Sand

Gross Motor Skills

These toys are perfect for building body awareness, hand-eye coordination, bilateral skills, and more!

Twister

Toss & Catch

Monster Feet

Visual Perception

These toys target scanning, figure ground, spatial relations and more!

Spot It!

Perfection

Geometric Tangrams

November 20, 2023/by jessenpr

Fall in Love with Sensory Play

Uncategorized

Sensory play helps children interact with, and make sense of, the world around them. It can be any activity that stimulates their senses. That’s why babies and toddlers touch everything and put things in their mouths, and why kids make funny noises with their mouths. It’s why your child spins in circles until they’re so dizzy they fall, then get up and do it again.

Sensory play is vital to a child’s development. It helps build nerve connections in their brain pathways, helping them develop language skills, gross motor and fine motor skills. It also helps develop cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.

Fall is the perfect time to get outside and encourage your child to explore the world around them through play. Utilize the leaves, pumpkins, twigs, etc., for easy sensory play activities.

Fall-Themed Activities You Can Do at Home:

Did you know we offer a Sensory Motor Group? Learn more here.

October 30, 2023/by jessenpr

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Kids

Uncategorized

October is National Physical Therapy Month so let’s share why physical therapy can benefit your little ones.

As adults, we often hear about the importance of exercise and healthy habits as it affects our physical, mental, and emotional health. But what about our kids?

Take core strength, for example. Kids with a weak core exert so much mental energy focusing on maintaining their functional posture that they don’t have enough left to complete other activities (i.e. academics or daily routines). This can lead to agitation or frustration when they cannot complete what should be simple activities. Your child could also display signs of a weak core via movement (fidgeting, leaning, slumping, etc.). A physical therapist would be able to address all of these symptoms via therapy.

Here are a few other ways physical therapy could benefit your child:

Promote good flexibility, strength, and cognitive development
Focus on optimal energy efficiency to complete normal daily tasks and play
Aid in physical development
Treat and prevent injuries

If you think your child would benefit from an evaluation, please contact our office to make an appointment with one of our experts.

October 11, 2023/by jessenpr