Art of Thanksgiving: November!

 

Happy November from you friendly therapists and staff at Kids Place Therapy Services! Although we may be shivering in these colder temperatures, the KPTS family is excited for the season of giving. November is a wonderful time to give thanks for your family and friends as well as to take advantage of these last few weeks of fall. Scavenger hunts and walks outside can be a great way to incorporate language and movement into your kiddo’s routine; there are so many colorful leaves, acorns, and pinecones to collect before winter arrives. These leaves, acorns, and pinecones can be utilized in art projects, described using rich language, put into fall themed sensory bins, and incorporated into books and stories. Some great fall and Thanksgiving stories you might want to check out during your next library visit include: How to Catch a Turkey, Llama Llama Gives Thanks, There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey, Turkey Trouble, and ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving.  Get reading, have fun, and stay warm!

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A Spooktacular October!

It’s October and the KPTS team is ready to get spooky. Fall and Halloween activities are a great way to get your child engaged. If your child is a mover and a shaker, making leaf piles, climbing bales of hay, pulling wagons of pumpkins, picking apples, and completing fall scavenger hunts can be a great way to add movement, heavy work, and fun in the fall months. Food based activities for fall include making smores, baking cookies and pies, making soup and chili, baking pumpkin bread, and making candy apples. For some Halloween razzle dazzle, painting and carving pumpkins, telling scary stories, making Halloween costumes, and creating Halloween decorations can provide fun for the whole family. Last but not least, your family can turn into zombies using toilet paper or ghosts using sheets for Halloween games. As always, have fun and stay spooky!

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I’m Just Me Month!

Hello from the KPTS team! October is here and it is I’m Just Me Month. I’m Just Me Month focuses on embracing what makes us unique as individuals. It is a time for breaking down stereotypes and building a safe and positive environment for diversity. It is when we embrace ourselves and our differences that we begin to promote our mental wellness and improve our confidence. Our challenge to you and your child is to find one quality inherent to their identity that makes them who they are – unique, outstanding, and wonderful. Celebrate this uniqueness; there is no other child like yours!
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Fall Breakfast in Septemeber

Hello from your friendly KPTS team and happy end of September! It’s hard to believe that summer has come to an end already. With the sadness of summer coming to an end, there is no better time to celebrate breakfast than the month of September. Eating a regular morning breakfast helps to manage weight, guides us toward eating healthier meals throughout the day, and gives our bodies energy to begin our day. As we control our own breakfast choices, it is important to help our children create healthy breakfast tendencies. Children who eat a regular and healthy breakfast are more likely to perform better at school and demonstrate positive behaviors. Making breakfast with your children is also a great way to involve your child in meal preparation as well as target language, speech, and sensory goals. Some healthy breakfast choices include banana pancakes, breakfast pizza, yogurt parfait, egg bites, smoothie bowls, and breakfast burritos. With your child, you can explore different textures (e.g., berries, oatmeal, yogurt), model verbs and action words (e.g., chop, mix, cut, whisk, scoop), make comments (e.g., so creamy, I like berries), target following directions (e.g., put the raspberries in the bowl, give me cup), and have fun!

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Anxiety in kids and best ways to respond to our anxious kiddos.

Every school year brings new and exciting challenges for our littles.  New friends, growth spurts, and new knowledge are all exciting for some but can create anxieties in others.  Anxiety in littles can present in many ways from nail biting , lack of sleep, tummy issues, diarrhea, and nausea.. just to name a few.  We have gathered some helpful lists for parents on how to best address our anxious kiddos along with some coping skills that our kiddos can use to calm and create a productive outlet.

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