Little Time with a Rhyme and Reason

Love this important reminder 🙌

"Any occupational therapist will tell you that the foundation for fine motor skills lies in strength and stability of the core muscles (belly and back), shoulders, and arms. Letting toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary kids have plenty of gross motor play outside is really important for handwriting.

Often that type of play doesn’t feel like it fits with our emphasis on early curriculum but it does and can contribute greatly to fine motor skills and handwriting."

The Unconventional Handwriting Guide (Part II): Less Sports, More Dirt. “Any OT will tell you that the foundation for fine motor skills lies in strength and stability of the core…

Today I had to “think outside the box 📦 “ literally to come up with an activity for Kasey when she asked me to watch a show. Do we watch shows? Absolutely! But I really struggle when I’m just using it because I can’t think of a creative way for her to play. We emptied our kit, pulled out some animals and made a “fishing for letters game.”

1. Cut out letters from index cards and placed them under the clear box
2. Add warm water and food coloring to your kit box
3. Place sandpaper letters on the lid
4. Add animals to cover the letters
5. Call out a letter and have your child find the letter under the animal

*use a dish drying mat under your kit to minimize water 💦 messes

I often watch this with our jungle gym or swinging on our swings. Over time, they learn to go higher on their own, pump their legs, and feel like the are on top of the world.