September Occupational Therapy Drills

September Occupational Therapy Drills

September Occupational Therapy Drills

Theme: Dinosaur and Bugs

Occupational Therapy Drills # 1:

Gross motor: Jumping.

• Jump on spot
• Jump forwards from a line two feet together
• Jump down from a progressively higher height
• Jump from hoop to hoop, circle to circle, over a rope.
• Jump sideways, back and forth, forwards and back

Occupational Therapy Drills # 2:

Fine/Visual Motor Skills: Thumb opposition. Thumb oppositions the ability to turn and rotate the thumb so that it can touch each fingertip of the same hand. Being able to rotate your thumb allows us to form a “web space” which is the space that exists between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the index finger (A-ok sign). When we have an open webspace it allows for greater precision and control when using tools and allows for less stress and fatigue on the joints. Some activities that you can participate in with your child to strengthen these muscles and form an open webspace are:

• Make a slit in a tennis ball so that it resembles a “dinosaur’s” mouth. Squeeze the tennis ball to open its mouth and feed the “dinosaur’s” with pennies.
• Squeeze bulb syringe games turkey basters or medicine droppers to have a race by squeezing them to blow cotton balls and pompoms across a finish line.

Occupational Therapy Drills # 3:

Self Care Skill:  Brush Teeth

• Introduce your child to the toothbrush without toothpaste first.
• Let them hold it and put it to their teeth
• Pair a fun song while you doing it. They are a lot of fun songs about brushing teeth for kids on youtube.
• Gradually add small amounts of toothpaste. Avoid toothpastes that have strong taste such as mint or baking soda. There are different kid friendly flavors when just starting to brush.
• Gradually increase time and amount of teeth the toothbrush touches.
• Praise, praise, praise.

Occupational Therapy Drills # 4:

Sensory: Motor Planning. Many of our clients have difficulties with motor planning. Motor planning is the ability of the brain to come up with an idea, then organize and carry out a sequence of unfamiliar actions. Strategies to help with motor planning include

• Break new tasks into smaller steps.This provided a structured way to teach new motor tasks and keeps children motivated without becoming too overwhelmed.
• Repetition: Additional practice is often required to master a new task.
• Physical guidance: Physical move the child through the movement so they know what it feels like.
• Obstacle Courses: Plan, build, and sequence through obstacle courses.
• Use visual cues to learn new motor tasks and routines..