Toy Recommendation Guide 2013

Here it is… The ultimate toy recommendation list… Now if only I could afford 1 of each of them…

Check it out:

http://intelligentnest.com/2013/10/20/the-toy-recommendation-guide-2013/

Worms and Minnows!

Today’s fine motor Friday is dedicated to an activity we did at handwriting camp! In order for kids to learn good handwriting habits, handwriting has to be fun. How do you make handwriting fun, you ask? You add some dirt, worms, and minnows! Making an obstacle, have the kids reach in, grab a worm or minnow, run to another bucket, and drop it in… No dropping in between allowed! You will hear squeals, screams, and giggles as the slimy and squirmy critters wiggle in their hands! If they are unwilling or do not want to touch the critters, you can provide a net so they can still participate! Once they get to the drop bucket, have them write a descriptive word on the sidewalk with chalk! You can provide some examples or help with spelling as needed! Talk about fun!

DIY Moon sand

This is the easiest DIY tactile play you could ever make that is different from shaving cream and rice/noodle bins! All you need: flour and baby oil. That’s it! Mix the two together until you reach the consistency you like the best! Feels very similar to moon sand and if you put it in a container with a lid, it stays good for several weeks! Cheap, quick, and easy! I even made some in ziplock bags to send home with a few kids. Using some old tile spacers, I threw this activity together to work on orienting crosses and Xs, improve tactile exploration and acceptance, improve attention to task and following directions (for example, I would ask my client to place it on a “red X,” etc.), grasping, work on counting and color identification, etc.! We had fun! The ideas are endless with how to use this “moon sand” stuff. What have you don’t with it?!

Toy Tuesday: Hangman

I’m back! It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post… my world has been a little crazy lately! I’m back in action this week, featuring the Melissa and Doug Hangman game! How cute is this?! The letters are pretty resistive, working on finger strength when turning them over. Great game for letter sequencing, spelling and writing simple words, making handwriting fun, and body awareness. Love the size and the ease of storage. It’s compact and easy to carry around. What other fun ways have you used hangman for?

Lacing

I have been brainstorming a way to help my kids understand the concept of lacing. A coworker and I came up with this idea: green for go, red for stop, with a green line to follow with the lace. Starting at the star, push the lace through the green hole, pull it through until it stops, and follow the green line to the next green hole. I haven used it with several kids and it is helping! I plan on making one with only green holes to remove some of the visual cues. Has anyone else tried something fun to help with lacing?

Big Foam Dice

Not just dice, dice that are 5 inches big! How fun! The ideas to use these are endless!!!! Use for obstacle courses, number of depictions for exercises, play a bingo game, matching and counting numbers, stacking, and so much more! How have you used dice?

Mardel Monday: Lab Mice

This game is too fun. 100 puzzles, with 3 different levels of difficulty, and an awesome cognitive component for only $18 is a superb deal! To play the game, you must connect the color mouse to his corresponding cheese, without crossing any other paths. What a great way to make mazes fun!

Toy Tuesday: Magnet Maze

How cute is this! Great to use while on a swing, on a balance board, or just sitting at a table. Great for teaching correct grasp as well!

Fun With Paper Clips

Came up with this cheap and easy task at work this week to work on the skills for putting on a paper clip. Purchased these paper clips (actually book marks) at Mardel and used an old Pringles can from food school. 🙂 The kids loved it, which means I can add it to the blog! What else have you done with paper clips?

Mardel Monday: Cutie Caterpillar

What a cute little caterpillar! And oh so helpful with learning buttons, zippers, snaps, ties, and buckles!! Great way to make this task just a little bit more fun! You can find him at Mardel!