This weekend I got my Christmas cards done, had Santa pictures, and finished our baby announcement. So many pictures and today is my attempt at one month pictures! With everything going on this time of year I debated on doing a baby announcement since we were sending out Christmas cards anyway. In the end, I opted to […]
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This year is the first year that my toddler is really excited about Christmas. In the past we haven’t really bought him a gift. We’ve just bought him what he has needed. This year is the first year that he is going to get a real Christmas gift from us. I like the gift to
5 Gifts That Keep Toddlers Moving Read More »
I recently got my hands on the book, Begin With A Blanket (affiliate). The book is awesome and packed with ideas for baby play. I personally think the newborn stage is hard when it comes to “playing” with your baby. I recently shared one of my ways to fit tummy time in during the first
Newborn Tummy Time Read More »
Black Friday is upon us. That day of crazy shopping around for deals…or has that become Thanksgiving now? Having a newborn I’m opting out of the store rush this year. I’ll admit I kind of like to go and people watch more than anything. I’m usually not one who has a mad list. I’m sure I’ll
Holiday Gift Guide – From PT’s and OT’s Read More »
As moms we have all heard about it. Tummy time is important for our babies. Let’s be honest though, when we come home from the hospital with a brand new baby it can be pretty over whelming. There is A LOT of things to do and learn especially when it’s your first baby. Plus, the
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We know that movement is essential to learning. We know that kids that are physically active perform better at school. Making brain breaks fun and available are important. Adding a theme to brain breaks can make them go with any unit you teach or student’s enjoy! Stepping away from the screen and doing a brain
Over 20 Themed Brain Break Ideas Read More »
Well, there is no denying it if you walk into any store, the Holiday season is upon us. Christmas usually reminds me of shopping, cooking, and parties. The good news is that movement can easily be incorporated into a holiday or Christmas theme. During the very busy holiday season it is important to keep
Christmas Brain Breaks and Gross Motor Ideas Read More »
One of the things that I wanted to accomplish with baby number two was a tummy time station. I’ve decided to set this station up in our playroom. I know we are going to spend plenty of time in the playroom during the winter months with my toddler so it would be the perfect time
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The focus around Thanksgiving is of course giving thanks, but also food. As much as I love food I always try to participate in some sort of physical activity to go with it. Most often, we participate in a local Walk For Hunger. Combining Thanksgiving with physical movement can be achieved for the kids too!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. As a physical therapist, one of the big questions that often times comes up is wheelchair selection. There are several factors that we discuss and take into consideration when selecting a wheelchair
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The research is out there. We all know how important it is to incorporate physical activity and learning. Just think of these stats. Active kids are 20% more likely to earn an A in math or English. In active kids standardized test scores increased 6% over 3 years. Just One Physically Active Lesson Creates a 13% increase in a child’s physical activity for
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When I started as a physical therapist in the school system I wish I had known about all the different resources for standers. Coming from a clinical based practice it was a whole new world for me. I was learning about IEP’s, special education, and all sorts of different equipment. One thing that I really
I planned to do a few projects in preparation for baby number two. Honestly, I only got one project done. However, I accomplished project number two, tummy time contrast cards, the other evening while watching some HGTV. I intended to make them with baby number one, but didn’t get to it. The first time mom overwhelmed thing
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Football season is upon us. It’s in full force at our house. Vikings, Gophers, and the local high school teams are the weekend excitement around here. In the spirit of football season I’ve created a matching game with a football theme. Of course, the football matching game also has a movement component. It’s a fun
Matching With Movement – Football Themed Freebie Read More »
One of my first challenges when we started to “collect” toys at our home was finding appropriate storage at a reasonable cost. I was finding all sorts of baskets that were ranging from $50-$70 dollars that were designated for toys. This was far more than what I wanted to pay for toy storage. I am
Halloween is a fun filled holiday full of candy, costumes, and parties. Halloween is also a great time to encourage movement in the classroom, home, or therapy. Adding a Halloween theme can make movement at Halloween fun for the kids. Movement is also perfect to add into a Halloween party or use Halloween themed brain breaks
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One of my favorite fitness activities has become Tabata workouts. Tabata workouts are intense, short duration training that follows a specific format. The name Tabata comes from the doctor and researcher that came up with the workout. The Tabata workout is quick and effective making it a nice option to incorporate into the home, classroom and therapy.
Tabata Workout For The Classroom and Therapy Read More »
I recently had the opportunity to review Sensory Processing 101 (affiliate). As a physical therapist this sparked my interest and I hoped it would give me more ideas to use in my practice. This book is an awesome resource written from a parent and educator perspective as well as a therapist perspective. It gave me
I love the movie Grease! I used to watch it quite often when I was younger. I thought it would be so cool to live in that time where drive-ins, jukeboxes, and poodle skirts were all the rage. I also love that the 50’s can easily be integrated into gross motor and brain break ideas.
50’s Themed Gross Motor and Brain Breaks – 50 Ideas Read More »
I have been on a crazy organizing spree the last few days. Our closets and a few of our cupboards are absolutely driving me nuts. I can’t find anything and it looks like something exploded. So, I finally took it upon myself to do something about it. I started with our closets which were
Hat and Mitten Storage Solution Read More »