3 across. 3 down. 3 diagonal. All nine boxes?!This year I'm inviting you to join me with OT BINGO!At the beginning of each month I will share the challenge board with 9 prompts. The prompts may help bring some variety to your OT practice or activities at home. Photo challenges were popular years ago and this is a spin on that without any pressure to take a photo. February challenge prompts are:* Jump* Paper Plan* Squigz* Scooter Board* Putty* Half Kneeling* Masking Tape* Broken Crayo ..read more

Mindfulness.In the moment. Being present. While you are reading this ... are you also thinking about your checklist of things you need to get do today? What's for dinner? How long will this take? The holiday you were just on? What you need to tell your family?I'm very good at multi-tasking but over the years, I have found that I start one thing and move quickly to the next without finishing the first task.  I procrastinate with the tasks I don't want to do and then become o ..read more

It's back to school time in Australia!  After a wonderful summer break, it is time to dust off the work cobwebs and get ready for the year ahead!January is all about getting resources ready for the new school year.  Lots of admin to get organised and worked out before I even make contact with families. ​For each new year and each new OT child; I provide a workbook to record things we do each week.  We may draw or write directly into the book.  I use scrapboo ..read more

What a wonderful 2024! It has been a busy year for Your Kids OT, celebrating 10 years here on the internet.  In that time, I have "e-met" some amazing people. I'm encouraged by you...the online community who have sent me messages, emails and commented on social media.  You are the reason that I keep doing this! I may not be the most regular in sending blogs and emails, however I hope what I do share, continues to bring you inspiration and encouragement.  I want to ..read more

It is the end of the school year here in Australia.  While we are busy winding up the year, most of us usually have some thoughts about the next school year. Are current clients staying with us? Are they moving on? Have we got a waiting list? What are we going to do the same and what changes need to be made in the next year?What goals are we setting?For me, January is a time of planning and organising.  It is usually a quieter time for Australian therapists so the ..read more

I love this time of the year! Our Christmas tree is up and it is starting to look festive.  I'm looking forward to getting started with my Christmas baking and the upcoming holidays. However, all around me,  I feel surrounded with tension, stress and fatigue.  Children, parents, teachers, therapists...I think many of us could benefit from a little reminder to remember to breathe.Inhale.Exhale. Inhale.Exhale.So simple but yet hard to do. We know that ..read more

Happy OT Week 2024!In Australia, this is the week that we celebrate occupational therapy! I think that the profile of occupational therapy is ever increasing with the general public, however I am still asked quite regularly ... "So what do you do? What is an occupational therapist?"I recently share this description on Instagram...Occupational therapists are unique. We work with children and adults (and their families) to promote participation in daily living.?We support the p ..read more

Think of a task that you really dislike doing.  I'm thinking of cleaning my bathroom.Do you avoid it? I can do it later.Do you try to get someone else to do it for you? It's time to get a cleaner.Do you prioritize other things as more important? I'll make dinner, vacuum, walk the dog first.Do you deny that the task needs to be done? It's not that dirty, I can do it another day.What eventually helps you to get started? Do you barter with yourself, promising a reward aft ..read more

Handwriting legibility is an important focus of many school based occupational therapists!What we know is that improvement comes down to a lot of practice with pencil (or pen) to paper! What we also know is that many children need to be taught aspects of handwriting legibility to work on.  They may identify that their handwriting is "messy" but what does that actually mean?  What concrete steps can they take to address handwriting especially when it is not a preferred activit ..read more

These are a few of my favourite things!This is a list that was created for Amazon PRIME day, however I thought I would share it here as well. I am no longer an Amazon affliate. This list reflects items that I have used in practice (or similar).  You may also find a local supplier who sells a similar item (support local if you can). I have placed the items into categories, however many also cross over a few categories. Save this for your child's next birthday or Black Friday Sale ..read more