We made this racoon craft many moons ago, when my oldest was in second grade. She’s now a sophomore in high school, and I have to say that those years went by like a flash. This post was originally written in October, 2015 and I’m just updating it now with some tips about how to ... Read more The post Raccoon Craft for Math and Fine Motor appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

The cafeteria is a terrible place for people with sensory sensitivities.  If you have ever joined your child for lunch at school, you will agree.  Two hundred or more children, 1000 different smells, and the chaotic noise level do not create a great eating environment for anyone. In this post we will explore how to ... Read more The post How to Support Sensory Needs in the Cafeteria appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Do everyday environments like the grocery store, the mall, or your office leave you feeling anxious and stressed? Does the thought of going to these places that are highly overstimulating with sights, sounds, smell…and people… fill you with dread or a sense of anxiety? If you answered yes to both these questions, you might be suffering ... Read more The post What is Overstimulation Anxiety? appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

In this blog post, we’re covering an important piece to the fine motor skills puzzle: finger opposition! Finger and thumb opposition is a dexterity and precision skill that develops from a young age, and is very important in eye-hand coordination tasks that we complete every day. Let’s cover what this term means and how to ... Read more The post Finger Opposition appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

Who remembers a childhood fire drill?  Did you know that memories are driven by emotions?  People remember times or events that trigger emotional responses because of the overwhelming input leads to sensory dysregulation.  Luckily having a few strategies in place can help the child with sensory needs navigate a fire drill. Sensory Processing and Fire ... Read more The post Sensory Needs and Navigating the School Fire Drill appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This blog post on learning at home with materials found around the home is a great resource for school based OT providers because many of the skills we work on in therapy sessions need to be carried over at home to ensure results. It’s the everyday practice that makes skills stick! Here you will find ... Read more The post 31 Days of Learning with Free Materials appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This blog post on how to make a sensory bottle is an old one on the website. It was originally written February 21, 2015 and we updated it April 11, 2024. All this time later, the fact is that sensory bottles continue to be a valuable self regulation and calming tool for kids to use ... Read more The post How to make Sensory Bottles for Self Regulation appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This blog post on preschool center ideas for pre-writing skills was originally written September 20, 2017. We’ve since updated it to include more resources and ideas to support the development of preschool prewriting skills that occurs through play in the preschool age. We have many preschool centers ideas to help with this skill! Our favorite ... Read more The post Preschool Centers to Develop Pre-Writing Skills appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

This blog post oh how to help students become more organized at school was originally written on January 11, 2016 and was updated on April 9, 2024. We wanted to update it to include resources to help kids with a messy desk or disorganized locker that results in lost homework, misplaced assignments, and general school ... Read more The post 42 Ways to Help Students Stay Organized at School appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more

I was wasting time on Amazon (do you do that too? It’s the ultimate window shopping experience!) one day and I came across a series of buckle toys that made my occupational therapy mouth drool. Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic here, but as a pediatric OT, I can tell you that there are ... Read more The post Awesome Buckle Toys for Fine Motor Skills appeared first on The OT Toolbox ..read more