New Idea

I was in line to check out at Dollar General and noticed some interesting bracelets. They were squishy and had shapes with bright colors. They were also only $1.00 a piece!

These are so much fun for tactile sensory manipulation. You could even cut the bracelets apart and use them for sequencing or counting.

New Idea

I found some clear plastic shower curtain rings for $1.00. My son immediately started playing with them when I got home.

He loves connecting them together to make a chain. Great for fine motor skills!

You could wrap colored tape around them to do sequencing or counting. A great find!

Here is today's quote.

New Idea

I was looking at a deviled egg tray at the store the other day. Then it occurred to me that it could be used as a counting game.

I purchased 2 small bead bracelets and used the beads for this project. There are indents which are marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 on both sides with the number 10 in the middle.

You could also use letters for this game to spell simple words.

This has multiple applications to help with fine motor, math, and spelling!

Here is today's quote.

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.

New Idea

I took one week off after the end of this semester and do apologize that I haven't posted in a while. I came across a very neat idea while shopping at Family Dollar.

This is a large bendable ruler. It is based on the concept for slap bracelets, but it is thicker and larger. It does require some strength to straighten it out and bend it. It can also be used to help with counting!

Here is today's quote.

Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goals.

New Idea

I found something that can be used at the beach or pool as an incentive during the summertime. I found a large inflatable tube for $2.00.

The child can step inside and out of the opening in the center. This can be done side to side or forward and back. Weights can be added to the arms or legs as well.

We do a lot of boating during the summer time so I will be trying this when we go out on the beach. It doesn't need to be strenuous for them. I will try for three repetitions of  two side to side and two front to back with a swim break in between. I think he will be more receptive if it seems like a game to him!

Here is today's quote!

Don't limit your challenges - challenge your limits.

Idea In Action

My son's occupational therapist sent me some pictures of Tyler using one of my ideas. I donate most of the items that I post to her. She uses them with her other clients. This is one of the items I gave to her.

Tyler is shown holding the cookie cutters for tracing. Then weights are added to improve coordination and muscle dexterity. He had to separate the shapes from the inside out and arrange them back in order.

Demonstration

My son's occupational therapist was kind enough to let me capture a video  and a picture of her working with Tyler today. Tying shoes has been an ongoing struggle for us.

It was suggested for us to use a jump rope for practice as it is a larger scale model. It worked very well and with some more practice, Tyler should be able to tie his own shoes soon!

Here is today's quote!

No act of kindness, 
No matter how small, 
Is ever wasted.

New Idea

I went to our local Swap Meet and found something interesting. I picked up a plastic baby bottle dryer. I also bought some rubber bands and did some experimenting.

The tall prongs can be used to place rubber bands around them, and you can turn it into a counting game. The small prongs can also be used to place smaller rubber bands around them and this can be turned into a pattern game.

Grasping the rubber bands helps with fine motor skills and the addition of a game makes it fun!

Here is today's quote!

This above all, to thine own self be true.

Flower Project

I was able to have three volunteers today for the flower project. It was awesome. All of the kids enjoyed themselves and had pretty flowers to share at the end.

Here is today's quote!

Once you choose hope, anything is possible.

Family Fun Night Project

While volunteering at my son's school, I helped with a project they were doing on the parts of a flower. I want to share this project because it can help with fine motor skills.

The end result is a flower with leaves, roots, and lots of petals. I will share the process with pictures when we do this at home. Here are the basic supplies that will be needed. Cut a sheet of tissue paper in half. You will need four halves per flower, green pipe cleaners for the stem and leaves, and brown pipe cleaners for the roots.

The flower shown here is the one we completed at school. This can also be an educational opportunity to explain how flowers get water and grow!

New Idea

I was shopping at Walgreen's and noticed they had some cute red noses for sale at the pharmacy. They are for Red Nose Day and the proceeds are for charity. I was looking at the nose and had a wonderful idea!

If you put a pencil in the opening where your nose would go, a child could easily grasp the squishy foam, and this would help with correct finger positioning for writing. I had my son try it, and it worked! The only setback is that the pencil may need to be taped to help keep it in the opening.

Here is today's quote!

No one has ever become poor by giving.

Family Fun Night Project

I came across a project post on Facebook, and I would like to share it. This will require one gallon size plastic bag, clear hair gel, glitter, and an assortment of small plastic sea creatures.
Add the gel to the gallon bag along with some glitter. Now, add the sea creatures. Seal the bag.

This project creates a sensory bag that would be great for little one to manipulate!
The post was originally from Ziploc and they call it Ocean In A Bag!

Instead of using sea creatures, try using bugs or dinosaurs. The possibilities are endless.

Big Project Started

Yesterday, I began the task of starting my big project. I still have quite a bit to do, but it is coming together nicely!

I am hoping to have it finished within the next week. I will keep updating with pictures. Here is the first picture!

Here is today's quote.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

New Idea

We have all seen those plastic back scratchers. I bought two at our local Sunday swap meet. They have a hand at the end that is cupped.

You can put  blocks or some other small toys in front of a child, and have them sit and reach with the hand part of the back scratcher to pull the objects toward them. This can be used to cross mid-line. Can't wait to try this out!

Here is today's quote.

Happiness is a journey... Not a destination.

New Idea

While shopping at our local weekly swap meet, I came across some small plastic clamps. I tried them, and it took very little tensile strength to squeeze them open.

This is perfect for helping to increase hand strength! They came in cool colors too!

Big Project

I gave a hint the other day that I was trying to finalize a really big project. I am not going to spill the beans just yet, but I have a wonderful idea.

I am starting the process of creating this tool, which I hope will be greatly beneficial and universal across the board. I am giving you a picture of the materials I have collected so far for this project.

I will keep you updated as things progress and will display the final product with a big bang!

Here is today's quote!

Don't wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.

Ideas Are Everywhere

I was at Big Lots again the other day picking up some more of those salad tongs I found earlier. Tyler's teacher wanted a couple sets for her classroom! I happened to spy a set of cookie cutters that had a unique pattern to them.

One side of the cookie cutter is a solid square. The other side is a scalloped pattern. These can be used as stencils. Have the child grasp the side that has scallops, and then they can trace around the solid square. This will help to enforce that pressure is needed to write and to hold the stencil in place.

Here is a demonstration!

The scallops allow a place to firmly grasp the shape!

Tooth Brush Update

After a few days of using the spin brush followed by the double sided brush, we are having some great results. Those hard to reach places are finally getting some attention.

Tyler also has a condition known as enamel hypoplasia. He had to have a special sealant placed on his permanent molars to delay erosion. Hopefully with this new toothbrush, we will continue toward health dental habits that he can tolerate!

Here is a picture of Tyler holding his special toothbrush. It has an indentation under his thumb to help with gripping.

Help From The Dentist

I had a dentist appointment today, and I was talking with him about Tyler's refusal to brush his teeth sometimes. The stimulation from the brush will cause him to go into a meltdown every now and then. He suggested we try a double sided toothbrush and gave me one to take home.


 I will post an update late and see if this helps. It is supposed to cut brushing time in half because it cleans all angles of the teeth at once. I will also post a picture with this update.

New Project

I found some interesting magnetic clips the other day at Family Dollar. They are refrigerator magnets. I added a face and they look cool!

They have hard rubber grips with an indent. This is perfect for maintaining correct finger position to manipulate the clips. They were only $2.00!

Here is today's quote.

You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you cannot have it.

Wooden Tool Box

I finally found a reasonably priced wooden tool box set to use for a project. I am hoping to have this done in a few days. I am very excited about this one.

I also have a very big idea that I will be sharing once I work out some more details. This will be the largest project to date and I am hoping it will be very helpful!

Here is today's quote!

In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take.

Finished Project

I am not sure how receptive a child would be to this one, but you never know until you try. Here is the idea I had about the empty pill bottles. One game could be that the character on the bottle has to rescue 5 friends or beans. Or the character has to take 5 friends or beans, home. Use tweezers to place or remove the beans. This can help with basic math as well as fine motor skills.

Here is today's quote!

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.

New Idea

I was shopping at Home Depot yesterday and I picked up a small item for about $3.00. This is a great find for fine motor skills and you can alternate left and right hands.

You could also add small rings to this and make it a game to lock or unlock the rings.

Here is today's quote!

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

New Project

I was shopping at Big Lots yesterday, and had an interesting idea. There was a set of green salad tongs which cost me $4.00.

I drew a face and decorated the handle to look like a crocodile! These can be used to help with fine motor skills and the kids get to pretend to be a crocodile and gobble things up!

Here is today's quote!

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

 

 
 

Creative Thinking

I think that to post every day is a bit much for me right now, so I will try to post as often as I can. One of my son's therapists shared a really great idea the other day.

These mini cups can be used to help transition from sippie cups to regular cups with minimal effort. They are the perfect size to grasp for little hands!

You can also fill the cups with water and freeze them. This allows for a safe chewing device for those that need oral stimulation, but please do not leave the child alone with these. Once the ice has melted, the only thing left to chew is the cup!

Here is today's quote.

If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you.

Ideas Are Everywhere

While I was preparing an old medicine bottle for recycling today, I had a thought. The bottle can be decorated with a child's favorite activity or cartoon character, and turned into a game. You can fill the bottle with beans!


By using the twist off kind, you can work on coordination, and use the beans for a counting game or to improve fine motor skills with a pair of tweezers.


It is amazing how the littlest things can spark an interesting idea!

New Project Idea

My next project will involve these pill boxes, which I picked up for about $2.00. This will help with fine motor skills as well as tactile stimulation. I am going to use a rough material to glue to the outside and a soft material will be glued on the inside.

I was not able to post yesterday because I received some bad news about my father. Today's quote is about being optimistic!

Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.

Return From Spring Break

I do apologize that there have not been any recent posts. My family took a small vacation for seven days to visit my father who lives in Florida! Unfortunately, he does not own a computer. We had a wonderful time and got to see so many new things!

I am still on the look out for a reasonably priced wooden tool set for a new project and have a few other projects lined up. One of my goals from this point on is to try to post something new everyday. It may be a new idea or new project. It may be a good piece of advice. I am hoping to start getting some responses flowing!

Here is a quote to start a new week!
You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

New Project

I found a simple silicone baster at Dollar General the other day, and I used some stickers I had of Disney's Frozen characters. This would be perfect for a little girl for light brushing, and she can choose who is going to help her brush!

Here are the pictures. Will it be Anna or Elsa today?

Color Changing Milk Experiment

I apologize these pictures are late. We were up late adding the finishing touches to Tyler's Derby car for the race today with the Cub Scouts! The experiment was quick and easy.

Did you notice that the colors kept on merging and swirling? Science is very fun! Here are our pictures. I hope you had as much fun as we did.

Friday Night Fun Project for 3/6/2015

Fun With Science - Color Changing Milk

Materials:

1. Milk (2% or Whole)
2. Dinner Plate
3. Food Coloring
4. Dish Soap
5. Cotton Swabs

Pour the milk onto the plate so it covers the bottom and is about 1/4 inch thick. Let it settle. Add 1 drop of food coloring for each color to the center of the plate and keep them close together. Place a drop of dish soap on one end of a cotton swab. Place that end into the middle of the milk and food coloring. Keep it there for about 10 to 15 seconds.

What will happen to the food coloring? I will post our pictures tomorrow night and hope everyone has fun with this project!

Family Projects

I am excited to add a new weekly Friday Night Fun activity to my blog. This will be a creative family oriented activity designed to be a learning experience for everyone.

I will try to make it an easy, inexpensive project. I will be doing the same projects with my own family and will post before and after pictures. I encourage anyone who tries these activities to also post pictures.

Ideas Are Everywhere

I will be going to Home Depot soon to buy a wooden play tool set. I am going to incorporate different mediums on all of the pieces so it can be used without the need of interchangeable Velcro pieces.

I try to find ideas for projects everywhere I go and this idea was sparked as soon as I saw the toys. I hope it turns out great and look forward to feedback on the many suggestions I have set forth on this blog.

Finished Project

The first attempt didn't come out like I expected, so I went back to the drawing board and the next try was great!

I have one done with a Finding Nemo pattern and the next one will be a Winnie The Pooh pattern. Can't wait to try this again.

Here is the finished project! I used my son as a model.

New Project

I am excited to start on this new project today. I have gathered all of my materials and will be starting to put it all together shortly.

This project is geared toward light sensitivity. I was able to procure some of the materials for free from my ophthalmologist's office!

I will post the finished product later today.

New Project

This one turned out great! I took a store bought cut out and mounted it onto a piece of balsa wood.
It gives it dimension and also creates a visual stimulus for the child. Trains!

I will be experimenting with making masks for my next project. Something fun that those sensitive to light can use to block out that stimulus. Creating an immediate calming effect is the goal.

Here are the pictures!

New Mediums

I found a new medium that I have added to two of my projects. It is ridged shelf liner and it is clear.

It is very easy to cut and work with. I like that it is clear, especially for the sword so the brown handle can be seen.

I also had a situation occur with one of Tyler's peers. It was a comment that made me stop and realize that not everyone is educated on what Autism is all about. When you try to explain things as complex as Autism to younger children, they don't always grasp the concept. I think of Tyler as an equal to his peers, but he learns differently. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas on how to convey this better to a group of eight to ten year old children without them referring to "the special kid", please post!

Here are the pictures.