Successful Online Sessions are Possible!

It's been a while and every time I go quiet with blogging, I promise myself I will get better. The good news is the reason I took a break from blogging was because I was actually busy with work. The gratitude I feel for being busy during this crazy time is immeasurable. I love what I do and to be able to continue even remotely felt like such a gift. In July, I was able to slowly go back to my New York City office to see a handful of kids in person, but the majority of my caseload has been remotely and will continue that way with this new school year. 

Unlike March and April when we were all trying to figure out this new way of doing therapy, I feel so much more prepared and ready for whatever gets thrown at us this school year. Not only do I feel more prepared, I have figured out how I can support parents and caregivers for these sessions to be more successful by setting up the environment. With the help of my daughter (illustrator) and my husband (graphic designer), I have created this infographic that I will be sharing with all of my families before we begin online therapy sessions. The suggestions made are not exclusive to therapy sessions and can be used to make distance learning and online extra-curricular activities 

1. Dress in therapy appropriate clothing-I know that we have all fallen into a clothing rut. Why really bother to get dressed if we are not going to be going outside. Keep in mind that kids do better with routine and consistency so if they are going to be on a zoom class or therapy session, they should get dressed just like they would for an in-person session or school. This is especially important for activities that will require them to get up and moving. I like to start most of my remote sessions with a gross/sensory motor activity and it's helpful if they are wearing shoes (if you are a no-shoe household, get a pair of inexpensive shoes that can be worn indoors). 

2. Plan to have a snack and use the bathroom BEFORE a session begins-another thing that I saw a lot of during my remote sessions was kids turning on the camera with a big snack in-front of them. These remote sessions make it much easier for snacks to be at our disposal whenever we want them. This is a huge distraction for kids during sessions, especially if they are presented with more challenging activities. Having that snack right there in-front of them is an easy way to avoid tasks. Typical therapy sessions last no more than 45 minutes so if your child says they are hungry, make a plan with them that there will be a snack waiting for them as soon as their session is over. As for the bathroom, we all know that when you have to go, you have to go but if possible, encourage your child to use the bathroom right before their session begins to avoid a pause in the session. My observation was that it quite tricky for the kids to regain their focus and attention afterwards. 

3. Set up a good work space-I know that space is something that can be quite limited, especially for my New York City based clients who live in apartments and you are juggling parents working from home and multiple children doing remote learning/therapy. I speak from my own personal experience with my 10 year old daughter. While in my head I knew this was going to be a long-term thing, my heart wanted something else so badly that I just threw her at a crowded table with too much junk. That disorganized table naturally led her to be disorganized with her supplies, papers, etc.. No matter what happens with NYC schools, my daughter will be home and we are starting the year off with a proper desk with her computer and only what she will need for school. This designated area will be her own space and will be the only place she will be allowed to do her work. In order for therapy sessions to be successful, do the same. Have a designated space, preferably a child sized table or desk with room around them for them to participate in any gross or sensory motor activities. 

**for kids who have a hard time sitting for long periods of time, consider a standing desk that can be adjusted for them throughout the day. 

4. Physical movement space is a must-kids have never been asked to spend so much time sitting in front of a screen and we forget how much natural movement occurs throughout a school day. Getting up from circle time on the floor to go to their tables, moving from their classroom to the lunch room and specials rooms are all things that will no longer be happening so we must create movement opportunities, especially when we see their focus is impacted. Whether your child will be in school or at home, make sure they are set up with space around them to get up and do some quick physical movement. Some simple movement activities that can be done throughout their school day: jumping jacks, dance parties, freeze dance, running in place or some simple yoga poses. 

5. Only have materials needed for school/therapy sessions on hand-going back to number 3, whatever work space you have set up for your child, only have materials that they might need for their sessions or that particular class. I can't tell you how much time was wasted during some of my sessions asking kids to put away their favorite stuffed animals, books or other toys. One of the things that I have learned and vow to be much better about this year is to send an agenda to my remote session parents at the beginning of the week with any materials that will need to be printed and what we will need for our sessions. If I know a child well enough and know that they will need markers or Legos during their session but having them out before they are needed will distract them from doing other activities, I will ask parents to bring them to them when needed.

6. Set up technology before the session begins-this is especially important for younger children and children who might not have a grownup right there to support them in the moment (working parents, parents/caregivers supporting other children). Make sure that the camera and volume are on and stay with your child until you are certain they are signed on and everything is working with their therapist or with their class. Another important thing, make sure your device is completely charged before your child's day begins and be sure to check on the battery level throughout the day. The more you use a device, the quicker it will go through a charge and if kids are in the middle of an activity and their device dies, it's very hard to come back and attend. 

7. Limit distractions-again, another much easier said than done expectation. But there are some easy things that can be done no matter what your remote learning situation looks like. If your child has a session or class, turn the television or music off and have them put away any toys that they might have in their eye sight. If there are siblings at home, try and have them occupied so they don't interrupt your child's session. Also, if your child needs your assistance during your session, try not to be on the phone as that can be a huge distraction for kids. 

8. Make sure a grownup is available for troubleshooting-one of the things I realized early on is that one of the most helpful things I could do as a therapist is set up an online session in a way that parents didn't have to be involved 100% of the time. This ended up being easier for older children but I did figure out that even for some of my younger children that as long as I was clear with what I needed for each session prior to beginning, things went smoother. My pre-schoolers did great because they had a grown-up assisting them for much of the session but for my older kids who were more independent, I worked it out with their parents or caregivers that they would be reachable via text if I needed something from them. 

I want to end this post with discussing the importance of routine and structure, especially during these uncertain times. Knowing what to expect from their day and what will be expected from them will help children feel more in control of things. If your child does well with visual instruction, set up a visual calendar for the week with when they will be going to school (online or in-person), what therapy sessions they have and any other extracurricular activities that might be involved with. If your child will be mostly remote learning, I can't stress the importance of adding body and brain breaks into their schedule. Whether it be having a dance party between sessions or doing some kind of obstacle course in your house, movement helps with learning. 

The last thing I want to say is that we are all in this together and we are all doing the absolute best we can. This is not easy and none of us could have expected when 2020 started that life as we know it would come to a screeching halt and we would need to make all of these lifestyle changes. Parents, it's okay to feel overwhelmed and nervous about what lies ahead but know you are not in this alone. Find yourself a friend who you can vent to when necessary. Us parents need to support each other now more than ever. This is a whole new adventure and I too am nervous about what will be, but I also know that we all know so much more than we did months ago and that's making me feel a little less anxious for this new school year. 

Good luck to you all! I am here to answer any questions or provide any support I can this school year. I am only a click away and love hearing from everyone. 

Let's Get That Body Moving....Part 2

Last week, I blogged about the importance of brain/body breaks during this crazy time and provided a bunch of activities that could be incorporated into your child's daily schedule. Things like playing a game of Simon Says, jump roping or hula hooping throughout the school day can help your children reset for the rest of the day. Some kids require more movement than others and for different reasons. Let's be honest, some kids are perfectly happy with not having forced movement throughout their day while others just can't get enough movement. 

As I have been supporting families through this crazy time, some of them have asked me to help create some kind of weekly schedule that will help their children gain some kind of routine. For many of my kids, this involves building in several body breaks. While our kids are spending a lot more time in front of screens, it is often while they are seated. One of the most helpful things I have been using to start my remote sessions before we sit down and do our table work is some kind of big body/movement activity. When we are at the gym for our sessions, we always start with a swing, jumping on a ball or trampoline or some kind of obstacle course and it is such a great way to get them organized and energized for the rest of our session. Since we can't be face to face at this point and most people (particularly my families in the city with not a lot of space for equipment) don't have access to things like a trampoline or large therapy ball, I've had to get creative. With the help of screen sharing, I have been able to find fun ways to get my kids up and moving. There are some really fabulous three to 5 minute movement videos on You Tube that have been a huge hit with my kids. As I mentioned last week, these movement breaks are not only necessary for giving our kids a chance to move around but have been proven to help with improved learning. This is even more important now than it ever was as kids are not getting out. Below, I share with you twenty short videos that you can do at home with your children. Since we are all home, make this a family thing and add a few dance parties or brain breaks to all of your schedules. This will not only be good for getting your up and moving but dancing and moving is good for you emotional well-being. 

The Freeze Dance

Go Bananas

Smallfoot: Do The Yeti

Dancing Robots Song

The Goldfish Song by Laurie Berkner 

The Goldfish Song: Let's Go Swimming 

The Hokey Pokey

Shake Your Sillies Out 

Simon Says

Walking, Walking, Hop, Hop, Hop

Twist and Shout 

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Get Funky: The Funky Monkey Dance

Baby Shark Dance Song

Trolls: Can't Stop The Feeling

Can't Stop The Feeling Dance Party

Animal Dance and Freeze

Move and Freeze

Boom Chicka Boom

Frozen 2: Make Your Move

If You're Happy and You Know It    

Do The Bear Walk


These videos are not only great getting kids up and moving around, but have more therapeutic value than you even realize. Kids will learn how to follow directions, work on improving body awareness and motor planning skills. This moving around will help them with their ability to focus and attend better to more challenging school work or therapy activities. The best part about this is that so many of these are familiar songs or characters which makes these videos even more motivating, especially for those kids we know who totally prefer to sit on the couch! 

This new way of doing therapy with my children has forced me to be more creative and think outside of the box. While I can't wait until the day when I can get back to my toys, equipment and co-workers, I am embracing all there is out there and what technology is allowing us to accomplish during our therapy sessions. If you have any other movement videos that you are using with your kids, send along! I am only a click away and love hearing from you all. 

Get That Body Moving!

I hope that this latest blog post finds you all healthy and staying sane. My daughter is just starting week two of her remote learning and we are all adjusting with our new "normal". We have set up our small apartment with three stations for school and work and so far, it's working. One thing I have noticed being cooped up inside for a majority of our day is how important it is to get up and moving throughout the day. For the first time in my daughter's school career, the majority of her work is done on a computer which means she is spending hours on end looking at a screen and I am realizing how important it is for her to get up and move around throughout the day. Seeing this firsthand has made me realize even more than I already know just how important body and brain breaks are crucial and have been encouraging my daughter to get up and move around, especially when she seems to be getting frustrated by something.

Look at how much active your child's brain is after just 20
minutes of physical movement! 

The importance of brain/body breaks can't be expressed enough. Here are a few of the many benefits of incorporating these breaks into your child's daily schedule while remote learning is taking place:
*improves cognitive skills as they complete these activities. Be sure to up the challenge for them as they become more successful with them.
*improves focus and attention which helps with the learning process. We must allow time for movement opportunities in order for our children to learn.
*movement has been proven to actually help "turn on" your brain.
*engaging in organized physical movement helps a child with being able to not only focus and attend but also helps with organizing your work.

Brain breaks are easy to build into your child's day, especially if they are following some kind of schedule. My daughter gets her daily schedule first thing in the morning and then writes it down on her dry erase board. We know when she will have Zoom meetings and know what assignments need to get done and know when it needs to be completed so we work around that and then think about where to add in some brain breaks. Like most things, what kinds of brain breaks work for children are individual. Below, I share some simple and fun brain breaks that you can do at home.

1. Dance Party-my daughter's go-to brain break is to have a dance party. We have music playing in our apartment all day long. It's something all of us love and helps us focus and attend. When it's time for her to get up and move, she is allowed to pick a song or two of her choice, typically Taylor Swift, put the volume up and just dance. If you have more than one child, put together a family dance party playlist that they can shuffle through during these dance parties.

2. Freeze Dance-during all of my remote therapy sessions, I start with a game of Freeze Dance. Sometimes I have them choose a song which is highly motivating to them to get them up and moving and helps them to get their bodies organized before we sit down and do our work in this non-traditional manner. During each of the freeze moments, I add in some kind of body awareness challenge. For example, I will say to them, "The next time the music stops, make your body a small shape." There are also a ton of really great video options on You Tube that my kids have really enjoyed.

3. Simon Says-this is an easy game to do, even in the smallest of spaces! I like Simon Says because it is always different and you can pick activities that are appropriate for each child. Jump up and down, touch your toes, touch various body parts, do jumping jacks, run in place, and so much more. This is a great activity to get your kids up and moving but also helps with improving body awareness, body strength, motor planning and coordination and improves executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and self-regulation.

4. What's Your Name Workout-I have been doing these workouts with my kids at the gym and they love it because it is personalized for them which makes it feel more special. I have included both the beginner's and extreme workout for you to take a look at. Change things up by having your kids spell out other family members or pet's names. If your kids are struggling with their spelling words, have them practice them by combining it with the these activities.





5. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt-this is also a great way to work on handwriting but the main goal is to get them up and moving around. Give your child a clipboard with a piece of paper with the letters of the alphabet written along the left hand side of the paper. Depending on how much time they have, highlight a certain number of letters and have them walk around their house or apartment and find objects that start with those letters and write them down. If you have siblings, they can compete against each other or work together to complete the scavenger hunt.

6. Play Charades-charades is a fun brain break activity that can be played with a child and a parent, with siblings or as a whole family. It not only gets kids up and moving around, it helps with developing body awareness. You can have kids come up with their own ideas (might be easier for your older children) or come up with a list as a family and throw them in a bowl and pick them out one at a time to act out. Definitely set a timer because it could go on forever and then lead to kids getting super frustrated. For those of you who prefer to have the work done for you, check out some of the great charades games out there: Charades for Kids, Pictures Charades and Kids On Stage.



7. Animal Walk-this is a really fun activity, especially for younger children and can be silly or serious. Come up with a list of animals and talk about how they move before you do this with your child. I am a big fan of using colorful visuals with kids so I encourage finding pictures of a bunch of animals, print them out and turn them over so they can't see the picture. Decide on how many animal walks you are going to do, pick that number of cards and place them somewhere the child can see them and start moving! Maybe find some fun animal-themed music (In The Jungle is a good one!) and have it playing in the background.





8. Yoga-not only do our kids need to move around, they need opportunities to practice mindfulness. That is more important right now than ever before as so many kids are feeling confused and uncertain about what is going on. Yoga is the perfect activity to combine both of these things and there are so many fun videos out there, especially on You Tube (people swear by Cosmic Kids Yoga). I have been using the Super Duper Publications Yogarilla cards with my kids for years and I love them. I actually just purchased a new set since mine are stuck at work to use in my remote therapy sessions. At this point, I prefer the cards just because I feel like our kids need a break from screen time with this new school format. These cards are my favorite because the cards are large and the illustrations are great. On the back of each card, there are regular and adapted directions for children with different skill sets and other activities that can be done.

9. Balloon Games-since we are spending more time inside, I recommend balloon ball games instead of using a regular ball so you don't have to worry about something breaking or someone getting hurt. Just blowing up a balloon is a great activity for kids to help with calming them down and getting them to focus and attend. Here are a couple of balloon games you can have your children play or play with your children during these brain breaks.
*Balloon Toss-set up two spots for you and your child to stand on and tap the balloon back and forth to each other as many times as you can. Keep a tally to see how much better you are getting at it!
*Balloon Tennis-instead of using your hands, make a tennis racket out of a paper plate and stick and use that to toss the balloon back and forth to each other.
*Balloon Catch-try and find something at home that you can use to catch a balloon that is tossed at you. For example, a large funnel or a beach bucket.
*Balloon Head Volleyball-Instead of using your hands to tap the balloon back and forth to each other, use your head!

10. Hula Hoop Games-i'm thinking that now that the weather is getting nicer and my daughter needs more opportunities to move that body of hers, it will be time to get a new hula hoop. The most obvious use of a hula hoop is the traditional way but you can take that and make it more challenging for them. Have them try getting it around a certain number of times or a certain length of time. Keep track of how long they can go so they can see their progress. Here are two other ways to use a hula hoop:
*Hula Jump-stand with the hoop vertically in front of your body and then flip it down towards your feet, jump over it and bring it back behind you. See how many times you can go before having to take a break.
*Hoop Rolling-this was actually one of my daughter's favorite things to do here in Brooklyn. We are lucky enough to have a long sidewalk with not much foot traffic (even less now) where my daughter can see how far she can roll her hula hoop. She really likes to flick it so it comes back to her and one of her favorite things to do was to have contests with me or her dad.

Many of the activities I suggested are ones that can be played inside or in your backyard. Keeping in mind all of my New York City families and their limited space, I tried to suggest things that don't require a lot of space or equipment. Keep in mind that not only do kids need brain breaks, grownups need them too. I can say that I have been missing my morning routines, especially my commute. I am one of those strange people who loves that 45 minutes of walking, movement, etc. before I walk into the office. When your kids take brain breaks, do it with them! In order to keep healthy and sane, we need to make sure that we are keeping our bodies moving. Do you and your family have brain games that you have begun to incorporate into your daily routines? What are your family favorites? It would be great to hear what other brain games people are playing. I would love to hear from all of you and am only a click away.