In this blog post, originally written on November 13, 2015 and updated on July 18, 2024, we are talking all about the benefits of playing with stickers. Occupational therapy providers love stickers as a fine motor tool! Let’s break down the benefits of sticker play with kids… When you were a kid, did you have ... Read more The post 10 Reasons Why Every Kid Needs to Play With Stickers appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

One of the ways that pediatric occupational therapy practitioners help their clients is by using everyday items and toys to support development. Sometimes, OT practitioners go into a setting and support skill achievement with whatever is available in the home or classroom. We love to do this in the environment the individual is in because ... Read more The post Learn with Board Games You Already Own appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This blog post on handwriting tricks from November 2016 has been updated to include more handwriting tips and tricks that school based OT professionals use every day. You’ll also have a handwriting email series and free handwriting handouts available in this blog post that you’ll want to grab. Handwriting Tips Handouts Handwriting is a struggle ... Read more The post Free Handwriting Tips and Tricks Printables appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Communication is a vital part of livelihood, so these types of expressive language are a huge part of everything we do. It starts at birth and continues until almost our final breath. Infants cry from the moment they are born, signaling some sort of need or distress. Their needs are met based on the type, ... Read more The post Types Of Communication appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This month we have been featuring summer worksheets to help you get your kids motivated to do “work” during the summer…or to use in a Summer occupational therapy session. Today we are adding another one to the toolbox!  Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns is yours to download for free.  We also recently added our Ice ... Read more The post Cut and Paste Ocean Patterns appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Whether it is summer break and you are looking to keep your kids involved, or curious about age-appropriate chores, here is a great post and printable for you. It feels like over the past couple of generations, there has been a shift from creating independent, to dependent children. I can not count how many times ... Read more The post Age-Appropriate Chores appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Summer is here!  My two favorite things are summer and ice cream.  What better way to honor these two things than a FREE I Spy Ice Cream printout!  Just because the kids are out of school, there is no reason to stop working on essential skills.  If you’re looking for a summer occupational therapy activity, ... Read more The post I Spy Ice Cream appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This ice cube jump and smash is a great ice play activity with major sensory benefits. The heavy work built through smashing ice cubes or jumping on ice cubes is huge! Plus, kids love the novelty of this sensory motor activity. Let’s break this activity down… This was originally an activity we did during the ... Read more The post Ice Cube Jump and Smash appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Looking for a few jellyfish art and craft ideas to create with a beach theme? Today, we’ve got a collection of creative jellyfish crafts, jellyfish handprints, and fun themed activities to build skills. Whether you are heading to the beach or planning a beach themed summer camp, these craft ideas are for you! Add these ideas to ... Read more The post Jellyfish Art and Craft Ideas appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

If you are new to school based occupational therapy treatment, you may be confused about how this differs from the private medical model.  Once you have a few IEP/504s under your belt, you will become a master in defending what therapist in the school do (and do not do). Knowing the points of a school occupational ... Read more The post School Occupational Therapy Scope of Practice appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more