Obstacle courses allow us to tackle many different goal areas in just one activity! Find out the different ways below! Social/Cognitive/Emotional Development: Sequencing and Planning of Movements Turn Taking Following Multi-step Directions Problem Solving Initiation of Activity Task Completion Waiting for Turn Gross Motor Skills: Balance Strength Coordination Motor Planning Building Protective Responses Timing and Accuracy Sensory: Proprioceptive input (climbing, pushing objects, animal walks, tunnels, crashing onto cushion, carrying heavy objects ..read more

What is visual perception? It is the ability for your brain to process and interpret visual stimuli within your environment or make sense of what you see. This is necessary for everyday activities or routines such as dressing, feeding and play activities as well as academic tasks like reading, writing and math. Visual perception differs from visual acuity, as visual acuity focuses on your ability to see from a given distance. Visual perceptual skills can be broken down to seven different skills: Visual memory, visual sequential memory, form constancy, figure ground, spatial re ..read more

Motor planning is the skill that helps us learn and execute a movement in order to complete a task or activity. Sensory information from the environment provides us with feedback on what the body is currently doing to then guide the body towards a desired motor action. Motor planning consists of three parts: ideation, organization, and execution of a motor task. The proprioceptive and vestibular systems are important in helping children learn to motor plan novel motor actions, as they help us determine where we are in space so that we can then adapt our bodies to the necessary postures and pos ..read more

Does your child struggle to transition away from activities? This blog will provide you with some tips and strategies to assist your child with more positive and successful transitions. Provide Clear, Simple Directions In order for your child to truly understand the directions, try to keep your directions clear and simple. For example, "First, clean up trucks then shoes on". Simple and clear direction allows your child to more clearly, quickly, and effectively process what you want them to do. Give Warnings Provide your child with ample warnings that the activity will be coming to a close an ..read more

Dressing skills are meaningful activities of daily living and an important part of a child's development as it fosters independence. Dressing skills are also an important part of school readiness in preparation for preschool and kindergarten. It allows them to gain a sense of self sufficiency at school, home and other natural environments which can impact their overall self esteem. In order to complete various dressing tasks, a child needs many different skills. This includes: range motion, muscle tone, postural control, balance, hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, visual perceptual skil ..read more

Even though the first speech and language milestone is not until your baby is 12 months old, there is still so much that is happening with their speech and language before they say their first word! Below are 5 easy tricks you can use when engaging with your baby to encourage their speech and language development before they turn 1! Use simple language and sound models! Simplifying your speech to 1-2 words or even simply syllable shapes (bubuh instead of bubble!) can help engage your child and give them a simple model to copy! Use of musical instruments! Using bells, drums, cymbals to imitat ..read more

From first steps to running around at the playground, a child's gait pattern continuously changes from ages 1-8! Read on to learn about each stage of gait development and what to expect at various ages. 10-16 Months Old First few steps First steps typically occur 6 months after a child learns to pull-to-stand Large degree of both hip and knee flexion while stepping Arms in high guard position (up in air by head with elbows flexed and shoulder blades pinched together) Poor stability with frequent falls First few months of walking Wide base of support with flexed knees and pronated feet Min ..read more

Looking to reduce stress and create a joyful environment during the holidays for your child with sensory challenges? Check out this blog post for some tips! 1. Routine Try your best to keep at least a portion of your child's routine consistent, even during the holidays. Routine helps children with sensory challenges remain regulated and organized when they are given the chance to understand the flow of their day and what events will occur. For example, 9am-morning routine, 10am-holiday sing-a-long with Santa, 11am-quiet time and sensory diet etc. This type of routine will set up your child fo ..read more

If you're looking for some gift inspiration during the upcoming holiday season, check out our holiday gift guide! Infants (birth-3 months old): These are great toys to get your infants to track toys, practice tummy time, reach for their feet, grab toys, stimulate sensory skills, and improve their eye hand coordination skills! Shaker Rattle Tummy Time Mirror & Pictures Activity Play Mat Taggie Toy O-Ball Foot and Ankle Rattles Sensory Book 3-6 months old: These toys allow your little one to explore, grasp, and touch different textures for tactile development along with improving dexteri ..read more

While your child's speech and language system is growing, mirrors can be helpful ways to integrate speech "work" into your day-to-day routines. Even as early as their first week of life, babies can benefit from mirrors! Tummy Time: As early as a day or two after birth, tummy time is introduced. One of our favorite ways to engage our babies during tummy time is with mirrors. This helps keeps them engaged, allows them to start establishing a sense of self, and also helps with visual development. Since we are already using a mirror to engage them, this is a great opportunity, especially as your ..read more