It's Time to Play!

Summertime has started, and as the days become longer, the amount of activities that children are involved in become greater. From baseball to summer camps and classes, children are often times rushed from one activity to the next in an attempt to help them learn skills that are necessary for their development. However, in the midst of going from one activity to the next, children become stressed out and end up disengaged in the activities that they are immersed in due to the lack of downtime or free play that they are allowed.

Studies show that free play is the best possible way for children to grow and gain skills that are necessary for their development. It allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength. As a result of this, free play is very important at aiding in healthy brain development.

There are many things that children can learn through free play. The advantages of it certainly outweigh any disadvantage to free play that might be present.

• Social Skills – When a child is engaged in free play, they often times will seek out other children to engage with them. They might turn the playground into a castle, and one child will be the king, and the other the queen. Through this process they will be acquiring the abilities to make decisions, collaborate, cooperate with others, control impulses and empathize.
• Virtues – Sometimes while playing a child might run into issues with their puzzle piece not fitting the way they would like it to, or their stack of blocks might keep tumbling down. It is through these experiences that children learn perseverance, patience, temperance, contentment, persistence, and the list continues on.
• Physical Development - Through free play a child is learning how to do things without being told how. Just like when your child learned to crawl and walk, free play allows him the chance to try new things. A great place to do this is at the playground and let them climb. This allows him to build their strength, coordination, a sense of body awareness in space and competence.
• Self-Discovery – Free play gives kids the time that they need to be kids. They can write, think, build, draw, figure out what they like and don’t like, dream and most of all, use their imagination.

There are many ways that you can allow your child to have free play to learn and grow. Have playdates with other children, go to the park or spend time in your sandbox in your backyard, provide your child with a dress up box filled with costumes and props and let them pretend to be adults. Have a box filled with objects such as paper towel rolls, plastic bottles, scraps of yarn, fabric and paper and allow your child to build things with no pressure to have any sort of required end result. Encourage them to tell stories and sing songs and most importantly of all, allow your child to do what they do best, be a kid.

More resources on free play:

TheAmerican Academy of Pediatrics 

The Importance of Timers

A timer can be an important tool for success with daily activities and routines for children of all ages. A visual timer helps children understand the concept of time by allowing them to see the movement of time. This can be a good motivator as it allows a child to visually see an end to an activity or how long they must wait for a preferred activity. It can also assist with smooth transitions so the child knows when to expect a change in routine.

There are a variety of visual timer apps available for both apple and android products, which have an option for alarm sounds and the ability to choose the time duration. Some of these include: 

	Android Or Apple	App Title	Developer	Price	Description
	Android	Flip's Timer	Spark Developer	Free	Time elapses visually on  a circular picture.
	Android	Time Timer	Time Timer LLC	$1.99	Shows elapsed time on analog clock.
	Android	EasyKidTimer	Goodbehaviortools.com	$1.00	Shows elapsed time on  analog clock. Customizable  with ability to import  pictures and descriptions.
	Android	Kids Timer	Skywise	Free	Time elapses visually on a circular picture. Option for visual to move  faster/slower.
	Apple	Children's Countdown -  Visual countdown timer for preschoolers	Fehners Software LLP	Free	Timer uncovers a picture as it counts down. Optional  sound. Up to 60  minutes of time
	Apple	Kids Countdown -  Visual timer for preschool  children	Idea4e	Free	Timer uncovers picture as  it counts down.  Optional Sound
	Apple	ASD Tools	Chestnut Apps	Free	Timer shows digital and visual countdown.  Able to select  from  picture library or  import your own picture.
	Apple	Time Timer	Time Timer LLC	$2.99 iPhone,  $4.99 iPad	Shows elapsed time on  analog clock.
	Apple	Timer+ Touch HD	Six Axis LLC	$1.99	Time elapses visually on a circular  clock-like picture

If you have any questions about these apps, or any other ways that the therapists at Pediatric Therapy Partners can help your child, please visit our website at www.pediatrictherapypartners.com

Tummy Time and Why it is Important

Tummy time is influential with helping your child develop the muscles they need for physical development in their early years. The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses tummy time, and has stated that it is important for infants to spend time on their tummy in short increments throughout the day since they spend so much time on their backs.

Infants need time on their tummy while they are awake to strengthen their head, neck and upper body muscles. Tummy time helps to build the strength and coordination that infants need to roll over, crawl, and reach for things. Tummy time is beneficial for all infants, including newborns. Although the length of time for tummy time for newborns is much shorter than for babies that are 3-6 months of age.

The benefits of tummy time continue beyond strengthening muscles. Tummy time also helps to reduce the risk of positional plagiocephaly, which is also known as flattened head. An infant’s skull is made up of several separate bones that eventually fuse together, but in infancy they allow for the child’s brain to grow. If an infant is spending a lot of time lying on their back, they are susceptible to having their head be molded into a flat shape. Infants that have a flat spot on their heads sometimes have to put more work into moving their head in certain directions, depending on where the flattening is, which causes them to use their muscles incorrectly and it can hinder their development and affect them their entire life. Cassandra Borlaug, MS, OTR/L from PTP notes that “Not only is tummy time important for a child's motor development, but also sensory and cognitive development. Tummy time promotes a better understanding of a child's position in space and body awareness, exposure to a variety of textures, movement of the head and body, and ability to see and look around.”

Sharon Drewlo, BS, OTR/L from PTP highlights that there are reasons other than gaining motor skills that it is important to engage in tummy time.  “Your baby is also getting exposed to tactile stimulation to the front side of her body when doing tummy time.  Instead of looking up at the ceiling when lying on her back, your baby can work on developing near point vision when on her tummy and gain a different visual reference to the world around her.” 

It is easy to incorporate tummy time into your everyday routine, especially if you start when your infant is a newborn. For newborns start with placing them on their tummy in your lap for a minute or two, or place them on your stomach or chest while you are awake and in a reclined position on a chair, bed, or the floor.

As they get to be older and more active, babies can be placed on their tummy on a blanket on the floor starting with short intervals of 2-3 minutes at a time and work up to at least 20 minutes of tummy time per day. Be sure to pay attention that your baby is not getting tired or resting their face while engaging in tummy time. You can also encourage your baby to move and interact with you by holding toys or by placing a mirror in front of them to get their attention, which will encourage them to lift their head and reach for things.

If you are worried that your baby is not properly developing and reaching their developmental milestones, give our sister company Early Intervention Partners a call to set up a free screening.

For more information on establishing tummy time, check out the following resources.

Early Intervention Partners Tummy Time Brochure 

The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

The Mayo Clinic

Winter Olympics and Learning

The Winter Olympics are only a couple weeks away! The Olympics are the perfect time to teach kids about all kinds of things. Not only can we teach them about parts of the world that are different from where we live, but we can also teach them about all of the different sports and the science and dedication that is involved with the preparation for each sport. We all have our favorite Olympic sports that we enjoy watching for both the summer and the winter Olympics and we can use those favorite sports as education tools for kids.

Starting with the location of the Olympics, kids can learn about the cultural aspects of where the Olympics are being hosted. This year the Olympics are held for the first time in Russia, in the host city of Sochi. Sochi has a population of 400,000 people and it is situated in Krasnodar, which is the third largest region of Russia.  The Opening Ceremony for the Olympics provides a glimpse into the culture of the location through the use of dance and other cultural aspects that are integrated into the ceremony.  Another part of the opening ceremony that is discussion worthy with kids is the parade of nations. You can discuss with kids beforehand different countries to look out for during the parade of nations, and turn it into a game. A possibility here is playing Flags of the World Bingo, where each of the kids has a card then when the flags go by the can mark it off on their bingo card.

When it comes to the actually events of the Olympics, you can talk through them with your child and help them to understand the rules of the different events. You can then help your child keep score of which country is in the lead to win the medals in each of their favorite events. You can even incorporate using motor skills by having your child write out the score board to keep track.

For more ideas on how to incorporate learning into watching the Winter Olympics, head on over to our Pinterest page to see ideas from books to read, games to play, and other fun activities for kids that are all Olympic themed. 

New Year's Resolutions

Does your family make a point to have New Year’s resolutions each year? The beginning of a year can be a great time to revisit old goals and create new goals that can help children to grow in various different ways; much like the goals that kiddos in therapy have. Here are some tips on how you and your child can create New Year’s resolutions that are kid friendly.

• Talk with your child and discuss what goals they might like to achieve. For some kids, they might want to improve their reading skills and would like to have a goal of reading one book or chapter a day or trying new foods, but for others their goals might be a physical accomplishment that they would like to achieve. Remember to start with small goals so children won’t be overwhelmed by the aspect of working towards achieving their goal.
• Have your child choose and write their goal down and post it somewhere that it is visible. Hang it on the fridge, or in another location where it will be looked at daily.
• Be supportive and encouraging of your child’s effort to accomplish their goal. If they miss a day or two, tell them that is alright and that they can still work towards accomplishing their goal. Tell them how great you think they are doing, and set up some sort of reward for when they reach their goal.
• Set resolutions for yourself and post them next to your child’s. This can be a conversation point by being able to discuss with your child what is working to achieve the goals and what isn't working, as well as how you and your child are feeling about the goals that have been set. By doing this you are also helping your child learn to keep someone else accountable.  

By setting New Year's resolutions with your children, not only will it give them something to work forward to, but it will also give them the opportunity to build valuable life skills. Are you unsure if the goals your child picked out are good goals for them to have, or are looking for some suggestions of goals? Talk with your child's therapist at PTP to see what they might recommend for your child. 

Christmas Gifts

It is that time of year again where we start searching for the perfect Christmas gift for our loved ones. Our therapists have put together lists of gifts that they recommend for children that will help them to grow through play. Most of these gifts you can find at area stores such as Target or Wal-Mart.

OT Fine Motor Gifts

• Coloring Books and Crafts
• Cootie Game
• Hi-Ho Cherrio
• Lacing Cards
• Mancala
• Pick-Up Sticks

Speech Gifts

• Barnyard Bingo
• Candyland - The shapes, colors and matching all provide talking points for your child to interact with.
• Guess Who?
• HeadBandz
• Rory's Story Cubes - www.storycubes.com
• Uno Moo
• Zingo

PT Gross Motor Gifts

• Animal Scramble
• Balance Board
• Hopscotch - mats or draw outside
• Hula Hoop
• Jump Rope
• Twister

These are just a few ideas on what you could get your child for Christmas. For an extended list visit our Fargo office where you can pick up a sheet or two and take them home with you. We also have lists that are broken into age groups as well. If you have any questions on gift ideas or would like an electronic list, our therapists will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!

Traditions

The holidays bring along with them the time of year where families come together and participate in traditions. These traditions help to define the memories that a child has throughout the years. From a meal that is prepared for the holidays to an activity that we participate in, when it comes to the holidays, these traditions are important. Especially to a child with special needs that struggles with change.

There are different traditions that you can put into place to help your child feel at ease during the holiday season. Here are some things that you can try to help your child recognize each holiday as they come and go every year.

• Give your child a section of your Christmas tree to decorate or ask them which ornaments are their favorites and place those on the front of the tree so your child can enjoy them.

• Find alternative decorations that your child can use to decorate their room or a space in your house. One option for alternative decorations is the holiday themed ones that are intended for bulletin boards. These can be attached to a wall and your child might have fun designing and decorating their own space.

• Include your child in the planning of events that are going to happen. By explaining what will happen will help them to understand what is going on at the event and will help keep them from being overwhelmed.

• Create a “safe space” room for your child with special needs where nothing in the room has changed. Explain to your child that if they need to get away for a break they can go to the room for one.

• Have a holiday calendar. The calendar outlines the events for the holidays and you and your child can decorate the calendar. By having the calendar handy, your child will have a better understanding of what will be different from their normal routine throughout the holidays.

By implementing traditions into your holiday routine that will help your child be at ease throughout everything going on, not only will they become great memories for you and your family, but they will help the entire holiday season go smoothly.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Pediatric Therapy Partners!

Sheknows.com
FriendshipCircle.org
Care.com
Psychcentral.com