It is the dead of winter around here. That means snow and cold. Sometimes too cold to even get outside. That can cause a little (or a lot) of stir craziness! To combat against that we try to play games with movement! The snowflake hop is a great winter gross motor game that can be […]
Snowflake Hop – Winter Gross Motor Game Read More »
We are only about a month away from St. Patrick’s Day! Gross motor games with a St. Patrick’s Day theme are so much fun! They work great for the entire month of March! The clover hop gross motor game was a hit! This time we are talking about the rainbow relay! It’s the perfect game
Rainbow Relay – St. Patrick’s Day Gross Motor Game Read More »
Conversation hearts have been around at Valentine’s Day for as long as I can remember. I’ve noticed that the “conversations” on the hearts have evolved over time. The hearts for the conversation heart hop game have movement based words as their “conversations.” It’s a simple, fun game that can be enjoyed by all age
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I’m a big fan of incorporating movement as a part of learning! I’m one who really likes the low tech approach. I’ve seen great response from the low tech and that’s why I’ve continued to create products to use for that approach. However, I think any type of movement is great and that can include using technology! If
5 YouTube Channels For Brain Breaks Read More »
With the month of February fast approaching it’s the perfect time to talk about incorporating movement into a Valentine’s Day theme. I always like quick and easy to go to movement ideas when working with the kids. Valentine’s Day brain breaks work perfect for this! They are great when we need a break, for transitions,
Valentine’s Day Brain Breaks and Gross Motor Ideas Read More »
A huge resource for my practice as a physical therapist has turned out to be Pinterest. Yes, social media at it’s best! Honestly, there’s some really great ideas on how to incorporate fun into your therapy sessions, plus easy access to research and technology ideas. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite boards to follow. Not only are
Must Follow OT, PT, and SLP Pinterest Boards Read More »
I remember back in elementary school absolutely loving the Valentine’s Day parties! I loved getting to decorate the “mailboxes” and working on writing out my cards at home. I loved getting to deliver them to everyone in the class. This inspired me to come up with a Valentine’s Day gross motor game that incorporated one
Valentine Delivery Relay – Valentine’s Day Gross Motor Read More »
Basketball season is upon us! Today’s post is all about basketball themed brain break ideas. There are so many different basketball brain breaks that you can do with the basketball theme. These are perfect for your basketball lover, March Madness, ball skills, or the Final Four!
Basketball Themed Gross Motor and Brain Break Ideas Read More »
I’m often asked how to encourage upper extremity weight bearing with a toddler/preschool aged child. It’s not always easy in this age group as they are on the move and busy! We know that weight bearing through the upper extremity helps build strength through the hands/arms/shoulder complex/core. One of my favorite ways to get weight
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I don’t know about you, but as cliche as it sounds I always find myself at the start of a new year with a resolution. This year my resolution is to start exercising again. With the new baby and a toddler I’ve found that my exercising just isn’t happening. One of my favorite ways to
Kids Yoga Resources – For the Classroom and Home Read More »
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 »
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
Incorporating Movement Into Morning Meeting Read More »
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
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 »
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’m always looking for fun ways to keep the kids moving. Adding a theme is a great way to make gross motor games even more fun. There are some pretty cool ideas out there! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I’ve found to try out this fall!
10+ Fall Themed Gross Motor Games Read More »