2019 Holiday Gift Guide-Stocking Stuffers/The Small Stuff

This is one of my most of all my holiday gift guides to put together. I think there are a lot of people who need to pick up little gifts during the holidays and there are so many to choose from. The problem with a lot of the little gifts out there are that they can be used once which can be really frustrating. In this list, I have tried to put together a variety of toys, crafts and activities that can either be used again and again or when created, can be used for a long period of time. Many of them are great for keeping kids entertained when on-the-go or out and about. All of them were hand-picked because I know that they will help the children on your gift-giving list develop a variety of skills. More importantly, they were chosen because I know that kids enjoy playing with them without knowing that they are actually "working". Below, you will find over 20 of my favorite stocking stuffer/small gifts.

Plus Plus Tubes-these manipulative toys are just awesome and make a great stocking stuffer or small gift for those on your list this year. There are several themed tubes to choose from depending on what your child's interests may be and they are all great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improving hand-eye and bilateral coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and works on a variety of executive functioning skills. Kids can follow the step-by-step directions and create whatever they suggest or can use their imagination and make their own creation. I love how you can throw these into your bag for on-the-go entertainment.





Scratch and Scribble Kits-another great product from my favorite OOLY that would not only make a great stocking stuffer, but also great for keeping kids entertained while on-the-go. Each of these kits (there are a bunch of different ones to choose from and come in two different sizes) comes with 4 illustrated cards and a variety of blank cards that kids can make whatever designs they feel like creating and a special wooden tool. These are great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and graphomotor skills, improves hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages creativity and imagination skills.

Gunner and Lux DIY Holiday Ornament Necklace Kit-a perfect little gift for your fashionistas. This adorable DIY Necklace Kit from Gunner and Lux comes with the wooden ornament, beads, tassel, a marker (but you can use any of your favorite markers to complete the ornament) and rope. Kids color their ornament in any way they want, add beads and the tassel and then tie the rope to the desired length. This is a great activity for working on developing fine motor, manipulation and graphomotor skills, improves bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages creativity while working on developing executive functioning skills.

Squiggle Wiggle Pen-this is something I have loved and used in my therapy sessions for as long as I can remember. The Squiggle Wiggle Writer is a battery operated vibrating pen that allows children to turn straight lines into loops, circles, curves and a variety of other things depending on the amount of pressure you use while drawing. It comes with 5 different color refills that you can switch in and out as you please. While this is a fun writing instrument, it is a great therapeutic tool as the vibrating helps with focus and attention. It is also great for working on developing fine motor and grasping skills and encourages creativity and imagination.





Mad Mattr Quantum Pods-this is one of my 9 year old daughters favorite things in the whole world. I should mention I am kinda obsessed with Mad Mattr as well. From the makers of Kinetic Sand, Mad Mattr is a non-toxic, oderless dough that flows and never dries out. Made out of a polymer-dough mix, this sensory material can be used to help kids with tactile defensiveness, increase grasp strength and manipulation skills and encourages creativity and imagination. Use it with cookie cutters and other tools (I like to use some of my tools from playdough sets) to encourage bilateral coordination skills. For parents who worry about sensory materials making a mess, this is your thing. This is a super clean sensory material that doesn't stain hands or your furniture.

Build-A-Bot Unicorn Robot Toy-I can't speak for anyone else's kids but my daughter is a big fan of all of the small interactive animal toys out there. We have had more Little Live Pets, and even at almost 10 years old doesn't want to part with them, then I can count. As the mother of a huge unicorn fan, I wish this S.T.E.M. kit had been around when she was younger. Kids can build their very own Unicorn robot. Each kit comes with over 20 pieces and stickers for your kid to build their very own pet unicorn that you an interact with. Great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves bilateral and hand-eye coordination and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning, organization and task completion.



Shrinky Dinks DIY Pins Project Pack-I am a long time fan of all things Shrinky Dinks. I love that things from my own childhood are still a thing now and that I can enjoy them with my own daughter. This set comes with some images images of cute animals, food and other things that you can trace onto two types of Shrinky Dinks sheets but you can also trace your favorite book characters or images you like. Cut out the design, color it in and follow the bake and shrink directions provided. Once it is cooled off, you can add a glitter sticker to the back to give it a shiny metallic look, glue on the tie-tack and put it on your favorite jacket, your back pack or anything else you think could use a little extra bling! Great for working on improving fine motor and graphomotor skills, encourages creativity and imagination and works on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organization and task completion.

NeeDoh Bubble Glob Groovy Glob Ball-I am pretty much obsessed with any and all sensory/squishy balls. One of the most popular things at my gym is this giant container of sensory balls and tools  and many of them are from the NEEDOH line. Thanks to my monthly subscription to Sensory TheraPlay Box, I have learned about a lot of great sensory tools including the extensive collection of squishy balls from Schylling. Color changing, Snowball, Gumball, Cool Cats.....there are so many to choose from and they are all pretty fabulous. Other than the overwhelmingly good feeling of squeezing them, squishy balls are great for reducing stress and anxiety in children while working on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills.

Kid Made Modern On-The-Go Drawing Kit-if you don't know about Kid Made Modern On-The-Go kits, you are missing out on some pretty awesome stuff. When my daughter was little, I was always carrying around a bag of random things to keep her entertained when we were out and about. I wish that these little kits had been available to us because we would have gotten so much use out of them. The first kit I will share is the Drawing Kit. This kit comes with a 32-page sketch book with drawing prompts, 12 mini colored pencils and a pencil sharpener which can be stored in the fabric carrying case. This on-the-go drawing set is great for developing fine motor and graphomotor skills, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills, helps with improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and organizational skills while encouraging creativity and imagination.



Kid Made Modern On-The-Go Jewelry Making Kit-another one of my favorite on-the-go gifts. I actually got a handful of these last summer and brought them to the beach for my daughter and her friends when they needed some down time. Great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination, works on improving focus, attention and organizational skills while also encouraging creativity. Each kit comes with over 100 multicolored acrylic beads and 2 colors of cording which can be stored in the fabric carrying case.



DIY Charms Accessories Kit-this is another great on-the-go crafting kit that works on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourages creativity and can help with letter recognition. This craft set comes with 50 assorted plastic letter beads, charms and multi-colored jewels and string to make bracelets, necklaces, keychains and other accessories.





32 Ways to Dress Wild Animals Book-as the mother of a budding fashion designer and an animal lover, I was so excited to find these at Norman and Jules a couple of years ago. This adorable book is another awesome on-the-go activity book that works on developing fine motor and graphomotor skills, encourages creativity and imagination, works on visual motor and visual perceptual skills and helps develop executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organization and planning skills. This little activity book comes with 32 perforated and removable black and white illustrations with upper bodies and feet/shoes and allows your little artist to draw the perfect outfit for each animal. Can be used with your favorite writing instrument but I highly recommend the ooly Yummy Yummy Scented Gel Glitter Pens  or ooly Sketch and Color Colored Pencil Set.



Kiko + Wakka Game-love this little game that and totally takes me back to my own childhood with our little water games similar to this. The point of the game is simple: there are a bunch of little hoops floating in the water and by pushing the two buttons, you try and get them onto the the spikes. This little hand-held game which you can pick up from Norman and Jules in Park Slope is great for working on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, increases grasp strength and manipulation skills and works on developing executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organization and improves frustration tolerance.

Wikkidoodle Fun-these are another item that has made my gift guide year after year. I recently got a fresh new set of Wikki Stix and introduced them to one of my kids who has been really struggling with learning how to write letters. It was so much fun to watch him twist and turn the Wikki-Stix into letters and shapes and I could see his confidence increasing with this simple multi-sensory approach to learning. The Wikkidoodle Fun kit is another great on-the-go gift to keep kids entertained while in the car, on a plane or at a restaurant. It comes with 36 Wikki Stix and a 32 page doodle pad. The doodle pad doesn't require any crayons or markers, just the Wikki Stix and your child's hands. Kids work on developing fine motor and grasping skills, improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and works on bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination while twisting, turning and bending the Wikki Stix into the shapes they see on the pad. I love how it also encourages creativity and imagination by giving them a prompt with a line or a squiggle and has them turn it into something else.



Disney Princess Magic Clip Dolls-these are easily one of the most asked for toy at my gym and would make your princess loving kid so happy. These little dolls can be purchased individually (I picked up most of mine at Lulu's Cuts and Toys in Park Slope) or in an 8 pack for a larger gift. These tiny little dolls work on developing so many skills such as improving grasp strength and manipulation skills, develops hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning and organizational skills. I have been using them with my kids in my social skills group and paired them up with Magna-Tiles, having them build a castle with the Magna-Tiles and then watch them play.

Scribble Scrubbie Pets Beauty Salon and Vet Sets-I picked these up on a whim last week at Stationery and Toy World on the UWS of Manhattan and these are now a new favorite of mine. More importantly, the kids absolutely love them. These adorable sets from Crayola work on developing fine motor and graphomotor skills, helps to improve bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination and visual motor skills while encouraging creativity and imagination skills. Using the special scrubbie markers, kids can color their pets any way they want. When they are done, they can use the little spray bottle to wet the animals down and then scrub them clean with the brush provided. When used in my social skills group, we worked on cooperative play by having them color them together and help each other with cleaning and drying off their pet.



Tiger Tribe Coloring Sets-I have picked up a few of these sets from one of my local stores, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store in Park Slope, and they have been really wonderful for keeping my daughter entertained in the car and in restaurants. There are a ton of different themes to choose from so you are sure to find one perfect for your kid. Each set comes with a book of 36 coloring pages, 2 handy storage drawers, 3 sheets of stickers 3 double sided markers. I really like the included markers because they are a good size and encourage a tripod grasp. Not only great for keeping kids entertained but also works on developing fine motor and graphomotor skills, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages creativity and imagination skills.



Bag of Magic Tricks-looking for something a little off the beaten path for one of the kiddos this year? I love this Bag of Magic Tricks that I have seen at Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store in Park Slope. The set includes over 15 tricks packaged in a fabric bag making it easy to take on the go to entertain people over the holidays. It also includes a 20-page magician booklet so your child can master the magic. This is great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination and is awesome for working on developing executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, sequencing, following directions, planning and organizational skills. While your kids are mastering these magic tricks, they are building confidence and self-esteem at the same time.

Melting Snowman-this simple little gift will bring hours of entertainment to your children while also working on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills while also working on learning about body parts and improves body awareness. This melting snowman kit comes filled with reusable melting putty, hat, scarf, eyes, nose and arms for your kids to make their own snowman over and over again. It is so much fun to watch their delight each and every time the snowman goes from standing tall to being a puddle.





Creatibles D.I.Y. Eraser Kit-another one of my favorites from my OOLY is not only great for working on developing a variety of skills, but also a very useful end product for school age kids. My daughter is constantly on the search for erasers and I have to believe (or at least hope) that she's not alone. This easy make and bake eraser kit helps children use their imagination to make their own erasers. Creatibles comes with 12 pliable clay colors that can be mixed together to make any color they want. Kids can use their hands or tools and their imagination to make their very own erasers. Once they are made, they get thrown in the oven to cook and then they can be used to assist with homework! This kit is great for working on increasing fine motor skills, grasp strength and manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination and visual motor skills and encourages creativity.

Lee Sticker Puzzles-I discovered these awesome sticker puzzles years ago at another one of my local toy stores, Little Things in Park Slope, and have always had a handful of them in my work closet since. These are one of my most recommended on-the-go/travel activities when people ask. There are many different books to choose from and each one comes with 8 puzzles. I love that they start simple with books that have fewer and larger pieces and go up to more challenging puzzles with smaller pieces and higher numbers. This simple book of puzzles works on so many skills including developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on number recognition and matching skills, works on improving visual motor, visual perceptual and visual tracking skills and helps with developing executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and organizational skills.




I had so much fun putting this part of my gift guide together. One of the things I thought about when putting it together was how I could support my local small businesses. While I do more shopping online than I am proud to admit, I also do my best to support my local New York City small businesses. I love my local toy stores and encourage you all to support your local toy stores when possible.

If you have any other amazing small gifts/stocking stuffer that the kids in your life have loved, please send them along. If you need some specific recommendations for the kids on your gift-giving list this year, send them along. I am only a click away and love hearing and learning from you all.

2019 Holiday Gift Guide-Crafty Kids!

I think one of the things that I love most about being a pediatric occupational therapist is that I get to play and craft throughout my work day. I love having a job that I get to find products that are not only fun but ones that work on achieving occupational therapy related goals. Crafting with kids can be a fun and effective way of working on developing fine motor skills, increases dexterity, improves hand-eye coordination, boosts self-esteem, encourages self-expression, helps in developing social skills, encourages imagination and creativity, enhances decision making skills and works on developing flexibility.

Discovering new arts and craft activities and projects fills me with such satisfaction. Watching kids play with them and show off their completed projects is another awesome thing to witness. Completed art projects help children feel more confident and encourages them to try more challenging activities down the line.

Below, I have shared some of my favorite craft kits. You'll see that there are a variety of sets intended for children of all ages.


Razzle Dazzle DIY Gem Art Kits-these are a new addition from Ooly and they are an awesome gift for older kids on your list this year. My 9 1/2 year old daughter and her friend spent so much time working on these during a playdate and they look awesome. There are 4 different sets to choose from (Llama, Unicorn, Fox and Lion) and come with all the supplies, including a picture frame to put it in once it is completed, you need. Kids use glue and a little pen to place the different size and colored gems onto the correct letter. This activity is great for working on SO many skills such as improving fine motor and grasping skills, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills, visual tracking, visual attention, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination and executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, frustration tolerance and organizational skills.




Scratch and Scribble Art Kits- t-another fun little arts and crafts kit from from Ooly that work on developing fine motor, graphomotor skills and visual motor and perceptual skills. There are 8 different sets to choose from (dinosaurs, unicorns and dogs are just a few of them) based on your child's interests. Each set comes with 6 scratch and scribble sheets, 4 with designs already on them and 2 blank ones for them to come up with their own designs. These are also great for on-the-go entertainment as they are small and lightweight enough to throw in a bag.

Klutz Make Your Own Puffy Stickers-this is another big hit with my daughter and some of my older clients at work. It's funny how happy a sticker can make even older kids. This set comes with all of the materials to make 60 puffy stickers. There are many designs for them to color in but also comes with some that are already colored in. Using a special tool and following the easy to understand directions, kids will make their own stickers. Great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages graphomotor skills when you color the sticker in and great for executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning and organization.






Kid Made Modern Arts and Crafts Library-while some children really benefit from structured art projects with a definite beginning and end to it, others do much better with more open-ended and creative kind of activities. This amazing collection of art materials comes in a sturdy carrying case and features all kinds of materials (including glue and scissors)  that encourage creativity in children age 7 and up. Some of the fun materials you will find in the box are feathers, felt pieces, buttons, pom poms, beads, googly eyes and SO much more. This kit encourages children to use their imagination and be creative while also encouraging the development of fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and improves executive functioning skills such as organization, planning a project and completing it.

My First Arts and Crafts Library-I love that Kid Made Modern realized that younger children would benefit from different kinds of materials and created another arts and crafts library that is better suited for 4-6 year olds. Just like the original Arts and Crafts Library, this kit offers children the opportunity to use a variety of art materials that encourages creativity. The pieces in this kit are a bit larger and easier for smaller hands to manipulate. Kids will use straws, stickers, buttons, pipe cleaners, beads and so many other materials to create. This kit encourages young artists to use their imagination while developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills.

Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics-these make my gift guide every year and for good reason, they are awesome! There are a variety of sets for both toddlers and big kids with themes ranging from unicorns and rainbows to dinosaurs and sports. Sticky Mosaics are great for working on a ton of developmental skills such as color and number recognition, improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and works on a variety of visual skills such as visual tracking, visual attention, hand-eye coordination and visual motor skills. Kids gain confidence and self-esteem as they match the coordinating colored stickers with the number on the picture. When they are done, they have a piece of art they can display at home. Be sure to check out your local toy stores as they tend to have a large selection of these kits.

Klutz Clay Charms-Klutz has made making these cute little charms for a charm bracelet easy by providing simple step-by-step directions. Kids get to work on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, increase grasp strength, work on following visual directions and improve focus, attention, planning and organizational skills when making their charms. Each kit comes with a clay shaping tool, special glaze, 9 bright clay colors, the supplies needed to turn each clay creation into a charm bracelet, a charm bracelet, a display stand and a detailed instruction book.

Unicorn Smile Kit-my daughter never got into the whole slime thing (which I have always been grateful for), but I know it continues to be a big thing with a lot of kids. I love that this kit comes with everything you need, including a sturdy storage box, to make tons of different slime. The kit includes glue, unicorn beads, ink, different kinds of textured materials to put in the slime, slime containers, scents and so much more. It also comes with different slime recipes for your kids to try out. Making slime is great for working on improving fine motor and manipulation skills and works on executive functioning skills such as planning and organizing, task completion, following directions and focus and attention. The great thing about slime is that it can be used to help build grasp strength when they are playing with it.

Aaron's Thinking Putty Mixed By Me Thinking Putty Kit-like
slime, I find putty to be another big hit amongst kids of all ages and I couldn't be more excited about this kit from Crazy Aaron's. Kids can create their very own color changing Thinking Putty in this newest addition to their line of Mixed by Me kits. Each kit comes with 5 tins of clear putty, three Chiller concentrates, three Thriller effect putties and a mat that has all the directions to make a heat sensitive Thinking Putty. The cool thing about this kit is that it comes with a variety of recipes for different ages. This kit is great for working on increasing grasp strength, improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and encourages executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, motor planning, task completion and organizational skills.



Trading Card Kit-I discovered these DIY when my daughter became obsessed with making her own Pokeman cards. While she was making those, I thought about what a great activity it would be to have kids make their own trading cards during sessions. This awesome kit from Kid Made Modern comes with 36 blank trading cards, 12 gel pens, 3 foil bags (for those kids who love to open blind packs, this will be a huge hit) and a sticker sheet. There are so many fun things you can do that encourage creativity while working on developing fine motor, graphomotor and visual motor skills with this kit. Here are some ways to use these cards:
*have kids create a trading card with a picture of themselves on one side and all their important information on the other side
*have kids make their own superhero cards. Draw pictures of their superheroes on one side and then have them fill in important information about them on the other side
*if they have trading cards that they love to collect, have them make their own. Baseball cards, Pokeman Cards, etc. Encourage them to think about things that they love and make their own unique trading cards.

Rainbow Weaving Kit-Kid Made Modern has done it yet again with this fun weaving kit for kids 5 and up. As a child, I remember learning about weaving by making pot holders with those stretchy cotton bands and those plastic looms. I was introduced to this kit when shopping at Stoopher and Boots on the UWS last spring and they were a huge hit with my kids at work. Each kit comes with enough materials to make 4 projects. The frames have double sided tape on the edges so there is no glue necessary. Kids can choose their colors or you can encourage them to make a pattern for an added challenge. This is a great activity to work on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination and works on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, task completion, planning and organization.

Classic Friendship Bracelet Kit-this is another awesome craft kit for some of the older kids. I feel like the older I get, the more nostalgic I get about things from my childhood coming back. I have vivid memories of my collection of embroidery thread and all of the friendship bracelets I made. It makes me so happy that kids today still get enjoyment out of this activity. Not only is it amazing that we have physical ways to show how important friendship is, it is such a great activity to work on developing fine motor and manipulation skills, improves bilateral and hand-eye coordination and encourages executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, task completion, planning and organization. This kit from Purl Soho includes 5 spools of Chinese Knotting Cord, a safety pin and the pattern to make 9-18 friendship bracelets and comes in 6 different color schemes.

Olli Ella Playpa Coloring Rolls (Forest Coloring Roll, Fairytale Coloring Roll)-these came highly recommended to me by the owner of one of my favorite Park Slope toy stores, Norman and Jules and she has never steered me wrong. I've always been a fan of large coloring posters as they are great for kids to work on together and to be used as a bit of a long term group project. Kids can work on developing visual motor and visual perceptual skills, work on grasping skills and develop hand eye coordination and improve focus, attention and organizational skills. I love that you can hang these on the wall with the coordinating paper roller and then you add the benefit of being able to work on increasing upper extremity strength.






DIY Monster Kit-another great craft kit for children 8 and older. Using just a few simple materials, kids can create their very own monster. If you have kids who are interested in sewing and creating, this is a great gift for them. The kit includes a small cushion, two yes, a felt ball, an embroidery hook, needle and strands of acrylic and wool in a variety of colors. Kids work on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improve planning, organization and task completion, work on bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination. Additionally, this is a great craft kit for encouraging creativity and imagination and when they finish their monster, giving them increased confidence and self-esteem.

Tots Art Start-this is such a great starter art kit by Alex Jr. for toddlers who are still acquiring fine motor skills and working on the ability to focus and complete tasks presented to them. This kit comes with all the materials needed for 6 activities...shaped paper for decorating, shredded paper for adding to collages, doilies, colored tissue papers, triangle-shaped crayons (great for encouraging a proper grasp), stickers and two frames around peel and stick center areas. This art kit is great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills in toddlers, works on building focus, attention and task completion and encourages creativity and imagination using a variety of different materials and offers sensory exploration in toddlers which is essential for the development of a variety of skills.



Putting this list together was a lot of fun. Personally, I love doing crafts with my own daughter and was so happy to find some new craft kits that even she at 9 1/2 years enjoyed doing. So many kids prefer to spend time in front of some kind of screen but if you find the right art and craft project, you may be able to tear them away for a little while.

If you are looking for some other kinds of ideas when it comes to arts and crafts, don't hesitate reaching out to me. If you have some favorite craft kits that have been a huge hit with your children, I would love to hear about them. I am only a click away and love hearing from you all.

The Small Stuff-Stocking Stuffers and Small Gifts

There are lots of times when you just need a small gift for people on your list or you are looking for some new and really fun things to fill up a stocking with. Today, I share a bunch of my favorite small gifts that are all kid tested and approved. Everything recommended have some kind of therapeutic benefit but the kids won't even know it! Whether it be helping with the development of fine motor and grasping skills or provide time for sensory exploration, all of the items recommended are guaranteed to make your kids happy. The thing I love about these small gifts is that they can be taken on the go to keep your kids entertained when necessary.











1. Ninja Erasers
2. Yummy Yummy Scented Glitter Gel Pens
3. Tenzi Dice Game
4. Pinch Me Therapy Dough
5. Wikki Stix
6. Bop It Micro 
7. Mad Mattr
8. Marker Pens 

1. Sticker Puzzles
2. Meteor Monster
3. Discovery Putty 
4. Build Your Own Alphabet Straw
5. Do-Overs Erasable Highlighters 
6. 32 Ways to Dress Fox Activity Book
7. Pop Tubes
8. On The Go Monster Kit

1. Kiko and Wakka Water Game 
2. Kid Made Modern Bits & Pieces Jewelry Kit
3. Melting Snowman
4. DIY Window Cling Art Kit
5. Eraser Puzzles
6. I Am a Rebel Girl Journal 
7. Zoo Sticks
8. Animal Poppers 

1. Tegu Rainbow Magnetic Tram Set
2. Orb Soft N' Slow Squishies
3. Teebee Play and Store Box
4. The Offbits Building Sets
5. Mad Libs/Mad Libs Juniors 
6. Wubble Fulla Sensory Balls
7. Kid Made Modern Comic Book Kit
8. Donut Pom Pom Maker 

While I have links for all of these items, I have to tell you that most of them were purchased at my local toy stores here in New York City. Your local toy and book stores are often treasure troves for wonderful gifts. While I like to support my local toy stores all year long, I find it extra important this time of the year. If any of you have found anything amazing, please share! I am only a click away and love hearing from you all.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and fun-filled holiday season!

Summer Crafting With Your Bigs!

Today's blog post was inspired by all the summer camp posts I have been seeing all over Facebook and Instagram. I have an 8 year daughter who happens to love crafts but doesn't go to camp. She prefers to spend her summers relaxing and just enjoying some downtime, but I need to keep her brain working and I like to do this by introducing fun arts and crafts projects. Since we both love crafting, this happens to work out perfectly for a summer plan. We spend a lot of time hanging out on a beach and not always into being in the water. In today's blog post, I share some of my favorite craft kits....many of which can be thrown in a beach/pool/travel bag without taking up much room. They can keep kids entertained while traveling, at restaurants or on rainy day.  Many of these are intended for school-age children and work on higher-level skills....mostly executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, sequencing, organization and managing frustration when challenged.

Aquabeads-I blogged about these sets a while ago and even though my daughter has outgrown them, I am still obsessed with them...especially as a therapeutic activity.  Kids get to make cute little collectable toys or jewelry by placing the correct color beads on the plate with a template underneath.  One of the things I like about this is that you can use your fingers (great for developing grasping skills!) or use the bead pencil that kids can fill up with multiple beads to make placing them easier and faster.  Once all of the beads are in place, kids use a little spray bottle which makes the beads stick together.  There are so many fun themes to choose including Tsum Tsums, Disney characters, Calico Critters and SO many others!  Not only is this great for working on developing fine motor skills, it helps develop hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills, visual tracking, focus, attention, organization and motor planning.

Bead Weaver-this bead loome is great for older children who want to up their jewelry making skills. Kids can weave bracelets, headbands, keychains and much more using glass beads.  This set comes complete with the loome, loads of glass beads, thread and the needle tool. I watched a couple of You Tube videos to figure out how to use it and if I could learn from a video, so can kids who have learned how to do so much from them!  In addition to working on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organization, sustaining and shifting attention and dealing with frustration, this tool also works on improving bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and fine motor skills. Another great thing is that kids master this and are able to create jewelry or other things, their confidence increases making them more willing to keep trying more challenging activities.

Arts And Crafts Supply Library-I am obsessed with all the products from Kid Made Modern.  If you have a child who loves creating, you have to check out all of their products.  I am a big fan of open-ended activities for my daughter and this Arts and Crafts Supply Library is perfect for that.  This set comes with loads and loads of craft supplies in a sturdy carrying case that holds everything in little compartments.  The set includes beads, sequins, pom poms, felt pieces, googly eyes, wooden discs, pipe cleaners, scissors, craft sticks and SO much more.  The supplies invite a child to use their imagination and create whatever their hearts desire including murals, jewelry, keychains, etc..  In addition to encouraging creativity, the Arts and Crafts Supply Library is great for working on developing fine motor and in-hand manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills and works on developing executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organization, time management and motor planning.

Super Easy Friendship Bracelet Kit-I spend much of my free time knitting which means that I spend an awful lot of time in yarn stores. While searching for yarn one day at Purl Soho, I discovered their friendship bracelet kits and fell in love and have been giving them out as gifts ever since. Each set contains enough material for 5-12 bracelets and comes 5 yards of Chinese Knotting Cord, a safety pin, the pattern for two different friendship bracelets and a sturdy storage case.  There are 5 color waves to choose from. Making friendship bracelets is great for working on fine motor and grasping skills, encourages bilateral coordination, motor planning, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills and develops executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, organizational and sequencing skills. Additionally, they make perfect gifts for kids to give friends.

The Loome Tool-I'm on a bit of a kick here, but I am a sucker for things that work on developing fine motor skills and encourage friendship at the same time. I'm also intrigued by things that will help me use up my excessive yarn supply! I was first introduced to the Loome Tool at a holiday fair in Brooklyn as a pom-pom maker and I fell in love with it! I have been using it ever since to add pom-pom-poms to my knitted hats but now that my daughter has more patience, we are using it for more than just that. This little tool (and there are a bunch of different versions to choose from) has SO many uses and is such a great on-the-go crafting tool. In addition to being a pom-pom maker, kids can make tassels, friendship bracelets, small weavings and cords. The website has amazing tutorials that you can watch with your children and help them learn how to do all the things this tool allows them to. By watching the videos, kids not only learn how to make some super fun things (building confidence and self-esteem) but work on developing a ton of executive functioning skills such as focus, sustaining attention, organization, frustration management and so many more. Additionally, kids work on improving fine motor and in-hand manipulation skills, bilateral coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills.

OffBits-for kids who love Legos but are ready for an increased challenge, you should check out the OffBits. In addition to being just awesome, I like how these sets are a bit smaller and easier to take with you on the go. I discovered these when I was looking for something for some of my older kids who needed to work on improving fine motor/in-hand manipulation skills and developing executive functioning skills. Kids get to build robots and vehicles using a variety of screws, nuts, bolts and other hardware bits and pieces. They can use their hands as tools or use the multi-purpose tool that comes with each set. What's nice about OffBits is that the kits is that kids can follow step-by-step directions to create what is recommended or they can make their own creations combining different sets. In addition to improving executive functioning and fine motor skills, OffBits work on improving hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages creativity and imagination.

Mixed By Me Thinking Putty Kits-while make your own slime is the thing, I happen to come from a home where my little girl hates slime. She typically jumps on the current trends but not this one. What she does like is putty and happens to be obsessed with all things Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty. So while everyone else has been making slime with a million different recipes, my girl has been mixing her own putty using the Mixed By Me Thinking Putty Kits. There are two sets to choose from, Glow in the Dark and Holographic. Each kit comes with enough supplies to make 5 tins of their own Thinking Putty, including putty, tins, tin labels, colored pencils and the special ingredients to make them sparkly or glow in the dark. In addition to being great for working on developing fine motor and grasping skills and increasing grasp strength, these sets encourage creativity and imagination skills by coming up with special names/colors for your creations.

Orb Micro-Mosaics-for anyone who reads my blogs/annual holiday gift guides, you know my love of the Orb Factory Sticky Mosaic kits. While many of my older kids still love them, I wanted to find something a bit more challenging and "grown-up" looking. No surprise that Orb came up with something amazing...Orb Micro-Mosaics. Instead of matching stickers to numbers, kids create stone-like mosaics by pressing the sticky micro pebbles into the correct spaces. Each set allows kids to create a poster, door hanger, picture frame and magnets. Kids can work on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and a slew of executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning, organization, flexible thinking and so many more. This also requires children to be patient and control their frustration when things get challenging. In the end, kids end up with some really cool looking products that will make them feel really good about themselves.

Craft-tastic Empower Poster Kit-one of the things I find for many children of this age is that they tend to be more self-conscious and sometimes have a hard time knowing their personal strengths.  I LOVE this poster kit because it makes kids focus on finding their strengths and identifying what makes them special and unique.  The kit comes stocked with a long list of inspirational words, poster board and glue and tissue squares to decoupage the poster to make it their own.  This is not only great for building confidence, self-esteem and positive self-thinking, it is great for working on improving fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills all while encouraging creativity.

XYRON Creative Station-this was one of my impulse purchases from a weekly trip to Paper Source that my daughter insists we make. It also happens to be one of my favorite impulse buys and I have recommended it to a lot of my friends who are looking for a gift for a school-age child. My daughter loves stickers and loves to draw and color. The Creative Station is meant for many things but we have been using it as a sticker maker and it's been awesome.  I have used it with my kids at work and they love it too! While this has many purposes, I use it primarily for making stickers. I have kids either find things that they want to cut out or have them draw pictures and color them in. Once they have finished cutting/coloring, they stick the picture in the machine, turn the handle and the sticker back attaches to the picture. This is not only a great tool to work on improving cutting and graphomotor skills, it also works on improving bilateral coordination, focus, attention, organization and motor planning skills. At the same time, kid's confidence and self-esteem increase as they create their unique stickers.

These are just a handful of the many craft sets that you can use with your older children to help keep their brain working during these school-free summer months. Since many of the families I work with travel these last few weeks of summer, I chose many of them based on the ability to throw it in a bag to also keep kids entertained (screen-free) while traveling. Do you have any great arts and craft kids that your big kids love? I'm always on the lookout for new stuff for both work and for my own child. If you are looking for some specific ideas that target specific goals, let me know and I will share some other ideas. I'm always a click away and love hearing from all of you!