Boom Yah!

One of the things I love about the holiday season is that it often means the discovery of new toys to bring into work.  I am a bit of a stalker on Facebook and Instagram when people post pictures of the gifts their kids got for the holidays because I always find something new.  This year, one of my colleagues posted pictures and videos of a game and I just knew I had to have it.  The pure joy and the hysterical laughter coming from everyone playing it made me go right to Amazon and order it.

Boom Blast Stix by Moose Toys has quickly become not only one of my favorite games, but the kids love it too.  My daughter was actually upset with me that I was taking it to work.  It's a simple game that doesn't require batteries and can keep kids entertained for a long time. The directions are very straightforward making it a great game for kids (and grownups) of all ages.  While it says it's meant for kids who are 6 and older, I have played it with some of my 4 year olds and they have been successful.  The game comes with a container and lid, which acts as the gameboard and 32 stix.  Kids have to lock the sticks into place, great for improving grasp strength and manipulation skills, and then gently place them on top of the lid.  The key to this game is placing the pieces on as gently as possible with the goal being stacking as many as possible before the stix explode.  The biggest obstacle I have found with  my kids is the whole idea of gently placing them on top of each other.  So many of my kids I work with have difficulty with regulating their movements and are often in a rush to finish their turn.  While I remind them at the beginning of the game to take their time with their turn, I have found that after a couple of times of their stick unsnapping, they remember to slow down without verbal prompting.

**one other reminder....my kids have a tendency to put their heads right above the game as they are putting their pieces down.  It's important that they keep their faces away as you have no idea when the pile will explode and where the pieces will go!

In addition to working on the aforementioned skills, this game is great for working on the following skills:

Improves Grasp Strength/Manipulation Skills-the locking of the sticks is a great activity to help make those little muscles in the hands get stronger.  Kids also have to pay attention to how they are snapping the pieces into place.  I also require that the kids use a pincer grasp when placing it on the lid.
**I sometimes sneak an extra strengthening activity during cleanup by making them pick up all the pieces with a pair of child-friendly chopsticks
Improves Bilateral Coordination-in order to lock the stix, kids must use two hands at a time.  Many of the kids I work with will try and use their dominant hand at all times but with this game, you just can't snap the pieces into place without using both hands.
Improves Hand-Eye Coordination-this game requires a tremendous amount of visual attention and focus.  Kids must look at the pieces carefully before placing the piece down.
Improves Executive Functioning Skills-this game is great for working on improving focus and attentional skills.  It's also perfect for working on self-regulation and organizational skills.  It requires a child to control the impulse to throw the pieces down on the lid.  It also works on motor planning and organizational skills because they have to look at the pieces on the lid and see what spot is the safest/least likely to cause the pieces to explode when they put them down.
Improves Social Skills-while the directions are very straight forward with this game, you can challenge the kids you are playing with to try and come up with their own rules.  Throw a dice into the box and have them roll the dice to see how many sticks they need to put down on that turn.

What I really love about Boom Blast Stix is how many occupational therapy goals can be addressed while playing this game.  The kids don't even realize that they are "working" which makes it doubly great.  Parents are always asking me what they can be doing at home with their kids and the thing that is most important to me is that kids don't feel as though they are in another therapy session.  Good family games are always my go-to recommendations and Boom Blast Stix will be on the top of that list!

If you have any other fun family games that you have recently discovered, especially ones that would be good for the whole family, I would love to hear about them.  I am only a click away and love hearing from you all.

For the Wee Ones!

Baby and toddler toys are always the hardest for me to recommend.  Not because there aren't a ton to choose from, but more that I want to make recommendations that may end up lasting a longer time.  When kids are really little, you can end up acquiring a ton of products that only get used for a very short amount of time.  But there are a ton of great products out there that can grow with your kid....can be adapted to make it better to use depending on their age and skill set.  Here are my top 10 (with a little help from some of my new moms out there!):

Bolli-I am a huge fan of OgoSport so when I saw that they had created the Bolli ball I was psyched.  I was initially drawn to it because of its shape and design.  I loved how the open spaces in the ball encouraged manipulation and grasping skills in younger children.  But the more I looked at this ball, I realized just how great it really is.  It can also be used for teething without parents worrying because it is made of materials that are 100% nontoxic, BPA and phthalate free.  It's soft and pliable making it easy for young kids to squish and stretch it which is great for working on bilateral coordination skills and hand-eye coordination.  As kids get older, you can work on throwing and catching skills with it! For all you parents concerned about how you clean this thing, it can be thrown in the dishwasher!  Each pack comes with 3 varying colors so you don't have to worry if one gets lost.

Rainbow Cone Tower-I am pretty sure that most everyone knows about the original Fisher-Price Rainbow Stacker.  I mean, I remember it from my childhood and have used it during my career.  Some people aren't always open to having plastic toys and would rather spend a little more to have a toy that may last longer.  One thing to keep in mind with baby/toddler toys is that less may be more...bells and whistles and lights and flashes may actually be more over-stimulating for young children.  When I saw this wooden rainbow stacker at Norman and Jules, my local toy store in Park Slope, I kinda fell in love with it.  This is the wooden version of the Fisher-Price rainbow toy from my childhood.  It will work on improving grasping and manipulation skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills, color recognition, motor planning and organizational skills.  This toy is made out of the highest quality and naturally harvested wood, colored using non-toxic dyes, paints and finishes meaning it's okay if your kid starts to chew on it!

pipSquigz-I have been a fan of the regular Squigz for a long time.  Their bright colors drew me in at first but then I fell in love with the popping sound they made as you pulled them apart from each other or off a mirror or wall.  The developmental skills that can be worked on while using them are amazing.  Then I discovered the pipSquigz and my mind was blown.  pipSquigz were created for younger kids and their little hands.  They are meant to encourage sensory exploration and awareness, stimulate bilateral coordination skills, hand-eye coordination and fine motor and manipulation skills.  Suggested for kids 6-months and older, but can be used as a teething device for younger children since they are BPA-free.  These are also great for speech and language development because you can teach kids color, sounds, feelings, etc. while they are playing.

Rody Horse-I've always loved Rody because he is super cute and the kids are always drawn to him.  They don't realize that they are actually working on developing trunk control and strength, balance and coordination skills and providing themselves with body awareness through the bouncing up and down while sitting on it.  Kids can also work on improving grasp strength and manipulation skills while holding onto Rody's ears.  While initially intended for children 2 and older (it can hold up to 100 pounds of weight), younger children can use it as well.  Rody comes in a variety of colors and is easy to pump up with a hand or foot pump.

Shape Sorter-a shape sorter is a really good gift to get for those younger kids because they will last a long time.  There are a lot to choose from which can make it confusing for people as they try and decide.  Over the years, they have evolved and I have found myself being more drawn to the wooden ones.  My new favorite shape sorter is by Hape (I love so many of their toys) because there is a sensory experience as well.  Each shape not only has balls/bells in them to make them rattle when shaken, they also coordinate with a color on the sorter.  You can start using this with kids as soon as they begin to sit up and are using their hands to explore the different shapes.  As they get older, you can start having them work on matching the shapes and colors.  Great for working on improving grasping and manipulation skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills and focus and attentional skills.  Made from all natural woods and painted with nontoxic paints, parents don't have to worry about kids putting the pieces in their mouth.

EZ Grip Massaging Teether Fruit-one of the biggest concerns I get from parents of my younger clients is that their sweet babes are putting everything in their mouths.  I've loved the vibrating fruit teethers by Innobaby for a while.  Babies get to soothe the pain from teething while working on grasping and hand-eye coordination skills.   I don't know from personal experience, but many people have said that by introducing kids to these fruit-like teethers that they have kids who are more open to trying a variety of fruits.   BPA, Phthalate, PVC and lead free, these are truly safe for your baby.

Poke-A-Dot Books-I discovered these books when my daughter was a baby and just loved them.  At the time, there were only 2 to choose from so I am happy to see that they have expanded their collection.  These books are interactive books that help in developing fine motor skills in babies and toddlers.  Each page has raised buttons that are part of the story (for example, you have to push a button down as you are counting the monkeys in 10 Little Monkeys). Using their pointer finger, kids push the buttons down as they are counting or finding objects on the pages.  Kids love the popping sound and that they get to be an active while having stories read to them.  Poke-A-Dot books are also great for working on improving hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination, focus, attention, counting skills and language development.

Peek N Peep Eggs-sometimes the simpler the toy is, the better it is for kids.  This set of six eggs and chicks is an example of this.  Each chick is a different color and has different facial expressions that match one of the shells.  Great for working on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and perceptual skills, focus and attention.  For toddlers, it's a great way to help them identify feelings and emotions. Oh, and they squeak when you push them down which is sure to make your wee one giggle!
*Be sure to check out your local toy stores for this product.  I have seen and purchased it from Little Things Toys in Park Slope.

Chomp and Count Dino-this toy was highly recommended to me by another occupational therapist who also happens to be the mom of 8-month twins.  The interactive dinosaur comes with eight play pieces that you feed to him.  It has a counting and a food mode.  As he "eats" them, he will respond with different phrases that will help your children learn about colors, numbers, shapes and food.  There is also an option of pressing a button that will ask your child a question about what they have just learned (this is obviously something to do with older children).  While this is intended for children 12 months and older, my friend has been doing hand-over-hand with her babies to have them put the pieces into the mouth.  This is great for not only learning a lot of important concepts, it helps to develop fine motor and manipulation skills, hand-eye coordination and visual motor/perceptual skills.  Another great feature, it comes with a pull string so as your kids begin to walk, they can take the dino for a walk!

Oball Products-the classic Oball was my daughter's first favorite toy and I have been recommending and gifting it to people ever since.  Six years ago, they just had the classic ball but since then, they have evolved and developed a bunch of new products that are just as wonderful.  The concept is simple:  each ball is made up of holes which make it easy for those little hands to grab onto them.  They help in developing fine motor and grasping skills and encourage bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination.  They are super durable and made from non-toxic materials making them safe for teething.
Some of my new favorite products:
Oball rattle-just like the Oball Classic but has 3 rattles built in
Rattle and Roll Toy Car-this should be every babies first car!  It is easy for even the youngest child to grasp onto the top (which is made of an Oball) and push it back and forth
2-in-1 Roller Toy-this is a walking toy.  As kids begin to walk, they can push this.  They are rewarded with a fun sound as they push it all around
*again, be sure to check out your local toy stores to see if they carry them.  There isn't a single toy store in New York City that I have walked into that doesn't carry the Oball products.

If you are looking for gifts for older children, don't forget to check out the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide.

The Little Things....Stocking Stuffers and Other Little Gifts

Small Gifts/Stocking Stuffers
People are always on the lookout for small gifts or stocking stuffers that won't clutter up your house. There are also a lot of people who need to get a little gift for kids as a thank you for having them to a party or a simple gift exchange.  I've been putting together this list for more years than I can count and one of my favorite things to share are my favorite small gifts.  Stocking stuffers/small gifts are almost always the ones that bring the biggest smiles to faces.  Haven't we all learned that sometimes the best gifts are the small ones that come in the smallest boxes???


Discovery Putty-working on making those little hand muscles stronger can be a challenge for kids.  I have found that you have to make it fun and motivating for kids and Discovery Putty is just that.  There are four sets to choose from with different themes (transportation, school supplies, animals and sweet treats).  Kids work on improving their grasp strength and manipulation skills by hiding the small objects in the putty and then finding them.

Tenzi-this dice game is one of my all time favorites!  More importantly, the kids love it and ask to play all the time.  The rules are simple:  each person playing grabs 10 dice (each set comes with 4 different colored dice) and starts rolling.  The first person to get all 10 dice on the number they choose is the winner.  Be sure to check out their website for lots of different ways to play the game!  Tenzi is a great game for working on eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, focus/attention and organizational skills.

Rock Chalk-you can never go wrong with giving kids chalk!  My daughter spends hours and hours during the warmer months drawing on our sidewalk.  This set of chalk, shaped like rocks, is perfect for those little hands and even can help in developing grasping skills.  If you have an easel at home with a chalkboard, this set of chalk is perfect!  (Working on a vertical surface is great for improving upper extremity strength and shoulder stability).

Zoo Sticks-meals can be a really frustrating time for some families so why not try and make it more fun??  I've been using these child-friendly chopsticks at work and at home for years and kids love them.  Okay, I won't lie....I don't know how to use real chopsticks and will sometimes use these!  Chopsticks are great for working on improving grasp strength and manipulation skills.  They are also great for working on improving eye-hand coordination.  You don't only have to use them for meal time.  I like to have kids at work use them when picking up small objects.

32 Ways To Dress a Bunny-this cute little booklet has 32 different drawings of a bunny and your child gets to draw different outfits on the bunny!   Each page has a picture of the bunny's face and limbs (or fox) doing different activities.  Your kid gets to decide how to dress and accessorize them!  Great for working on improving graphomotor skills, focus and attention, improves creativity skills and can be great for encouraging language skills.  Another great feature....they are small and can be thrown in a bag to keep your kids entertained at a restaurant, in the car or in a waiting room!

Slime Suckers-if you have a kid who is cool with gross, this is perfect for them.  The best part, kids get the thumbs up to play with gross stuff and work on improving fine motor skills at the same time!  Each set comes with a container filled with slime and a creature that can suck the slime up.  I love the fact that it's totally affordable (under $3!) but really love the fact that it is a super fun way to get kids to work on developing fine motor skills.  I just might have to buy this for every kid I know!

Magnetic Hangman Game-I grew up playing the game of Hangman with my friends and sisters.  Hangman is the perfect game for kids who have learned how to spell and want to show off their skills.  This particular version of Hangman is great because it is easy to put in a bag and travel with.  In general, the game of Hangman is a great way to reinforce learning how to spell words, learn the letters of the alphabet and work on social skills.  It's also a great way to work on improving many executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, problem solving and organizational skills.

Wikki Stix-I've been a big fan of Wikki Stix from the first time I went into a restaurant with a kid and they gave them out instead of crayons and a coloring page!  I remember the kid I was with making a pair of glasses out of the Wikki Stix and my now husband and I making our own designs!  For those of you unfamiliar with Wikki Stix, they are wax-covered pieces of yarn that can be molded and made into a variety of things.  I like to use them to help kids learn how to make shapes, letters, numbers and other kinds of pictures.  Kids can also work on decreasing tactile sensitivity and improving bilateral coordination, fine motor and eye-hand coordination skills when using Wikki Stix.


Rock Crayons-maybe there is a pattern with me....I like writing instruments that encourage an appropriate grip.  An added bonus is if said writing instruments actually are brightly colored!  Each set comes with 12 multi-colored, rock-shaped crayons.  Because of their shape and size, they help to encourage a tripod-like grasp when you use them.   The multi-colored design makes them more exciting and motivating for kids who may be a bit discouraged to pick up a crayon to draw or color with.

Molin Roty Transfers-my daughter received these at a birthday party recently and she has been obsessed with them!  I was so excited to see her so into them because I remember doing these when I was her age.  These make a great little gift and are perfect for working on improving fine motor skills, graphomotor skills, creativity and eye-hand coordination.  One of the things I like about these is that you can also work on storytelling and language skills.  Once all the pictures are in place and they have colored the pictures in, you can have your kid make up a story about the scene.

Travel Spirograph-another toy that brings me back to my own childhood!  Spirograph is perfect for working on improving bilateral coordination, fine motor and grasping skills, eye-hand coordination and visual motor skills.  It also encourages creativity in children.  Easy to throw into a bag and bring to a restaurant or on a plane.

Melting Snowman-I have used this at work and the kids love it!  You get a little box of white putty with all the necessary parts to build a snowman.  Once it is all together, he will melt and you have to put him back together.  Everyone thinks it is hilarious to watch him melt!  Great for working on improving fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, building grasp strength and manipulation skills, body awareness and focus and attention.  I've actually seen these sets at several of my local toy stores (Little Things in Park Slope, Stationary and Toy on the UWS of Manhattan and Mary Arnold Toys on the UES to name a few).

Game On!

Games make a great gift, especially if you are looking for gifts that will be good for the whole family. In a day and age where kids seem to be connected to some kind of electrical device more often than not, it is nice to know that there are lots of game options out there that will keep the whole family entertained.  When picking games, I wanted to be sure that they could help in the development of fine motor, gross motor and/or visual skills.  I also wanted to be sure that they would help in encouraging good social skills, including good sportsmanship.  Many of these games can be adapted based on a child's skill level and his/her needs.

Here are my top picks for the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide:
Happy Salmon-this simple, fast-paced card game that combines visual perceptual and gross-motor skills.  Everyone flips cards over their action card after they flip it over; if two people shout out the same action, they celebrate by doing that action together.  The first person to match all their cards in their deck wins.

Giggle Wiggle-this is an updated version of the Scatterpillar Scramble game.  Kids race to get all the marbles in the hands of the moving caterpillar.  Great for working on improving eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills and focus, attention and regulatory skills.  For younger children, you can decrease the level of difficulty by not turning the game on while they are trying to put the marbles on.


Willy's Wiggly Web-this cooperative game combines teamwork and the development of fine motor and cutting skills, eye-hand coordination, counting skills and recognizing left and right hands.  The purpose of the game is to cut all the bugs free from the web before the spider falls from the top of the web. Once the web and all the bugs are in place, kids pick cards and then follow the instructions to cut the web.

ListMania-this cooperative game for kids 7 and older requires them to take turns to make a list of items in alphabetical order.  This is great for working on imagination skills, organizational skills, focus, attention and regulation skills.  If you want to work on improving handwriting, this could be a fun way to get them motivated to write!  Some of the things you can write about are body parts or things you do at the beach.  There are three different ways to play the game.

Pancake Pileup-this is a favorite for the kids I work with!  In this relay style game,  kids have to pile up pancakes in the correct order based on which card they pick up.   Place the pancakes on one of the room and a plate on the other side and kids have to run back and forth while stacking them up.  Great for working on gross motor skills, balance and coordination, focus and attentional skills, visual motor and visual perceptual skills.  You can encourage social skills by having kids work in teams when playing this game.

Tumbling Monkey Stick Game- this has been a fine motor favorite of mine for a long time.  Much like the game Kerplunk but instead of marbles, there are monkeys that you are trying to get out of the tree.  Great for working on developing fine motor and grasping skills, eye-hand coordination, problem solving, organizational skills, attention and focus.  This game can be adapted to be easier or harder depending on children's skill level.

Yeti In My Spaghetti-another great game to work on the development of fine motor and grasping skills.  Place a bunch of plastic spaghetti pieces on top of a bowl and then put the yeti on top.  The point of the game is to pick out a piece of spaghetti from the pile without letting the yeti fall into the bowl.  This has been a big hit with all my preschool and school age kids!  In addition to working on fine motor skills, kids can work on improving eye-hand coordination, problem solving and organizational skills and improve social skills when playing the game.


Thumbs Up-the goal of this game is to be the first to stack a series of rings on their thumb based on the card they choose. Each card has different pictures with different colored objects and numbers on it.  Great game for learning colors, improving visual attention and eye-hand coordination, focus and attention and processing speed.  Can be adapted for kids of different ages and skill levels.

Sturdy Birdy: The Game of Perfect Balance-this game focuses on improving gross motor, balance and coordination skills.  There are 12 cards with different poses on them and kids have to master each one in order to win the game/make it to the end of the line.  They roll the dice to find out where to place a beanbag and how long to hold the position. Everyone counts while the pose is being held which helps in developing good sportsmanship skills.

Hatch N' Some Fun!

It's been a while since I have blogged about a toy.  I've been trying to recyle and re-discover some of my old stuff that has been hidden deep in my closet this summer but a couple of weeks ago, I could see that I needed something fresh and exciting for the remainder of the summer.  For those of you who read my blog consistently, you know that finding a new toy that the kids are excited to play with is like winning the lottery.  Finding a toy that will actually work on occupational therapy goals is even more exciting for me!

A couple of weeks ago, I was searching for some Finding Dory toys for work.  It's all the kids at work are talking about this summer and I wanted to see what I could find.  On my hunt, I found these things called Hatch N' Heroes.  I had never heard of them but I had to test them out as they seemed like the most perfect occupational therapy toy/tool.  Simply put, Hatch N Heroes are egg shaped toys that can transform into different characters.  Remembering how popular any transformer toys were when I was growing up, I felt like it would be a fun thing to try with the kids.  It was especially exciting to find characters like Nemo, Dory, Lightning McQueen, Woody and a bunch of other popular characters.

These simple and affordable toys are a great tool to work on improving fine motor and manipulation skills.  Some kids require some more verbal prompting and assistance from me, but I've been impressed with how kids are eager to figure out this "puzzle" So far, all the kids are loving them but some of the younger kids require verbal prompting and some hand over hand assistance to successfully turn the egg into the character.

In addition to being really cute, Hatch N Heroes are great for working on a bunch of occupational therapy goals.  Some of the skills that can be worked on when using them are:
Improve Fine Motor/Manipulation Skills-as already mentioned, these are a great toy to work on fine motor skills. The eggs are small, so the kids are forced to use a fine pincer grasp when pulling out some of the pieces.
Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-while I have seen kids try to play with them with one hand, they have quickly discovered on their own that it is a lot easier and takes a lot less time when they use one hand to hold the egg and the other one to do all the work.
Improve Executive Functioning Skills-great for working on improving focus and attention, organizational skills and problem solving.  Kids need to be patient while they try and figure out how you move the pieces to transform the egg into the character.  For some of my older kids, I see if they can turn the egg into the character without my assistance.  For the younger kids, they tend it's a great way to work on following verbal directions.
Improve Graphomotor Skills-for some of my older kids who are working on writing, I use these Hatch N Heroes in an obstacle course where the final step is writing the name of the character they just rescued from the top of the mountain.  There is something about all the big body work that takes place prior to the actual handwriting that helps the kids get more organized and focused for the handwriting task. And let's be honest....if a kid gets to be a superhero and save anything, they will be way more open to any kind of handwriting activity!

As you can see, these little toys are packed with lots of benefits for kids.  I like that they are small and can be carried around easily in a bag for traveling.  There are no batteries required, so you don't have to worry about them making any noise other than the sounds that kids will make when they are acting out scenes with the characters (this has been happening a lot for me!).  One thing to keep in mind is that they are plastic toys with a little moving pieces and if one of the pieces is bent the wrong way or pulled too hard, it might fall off.  The good news is that they are easy to put back on.

So, if you are looking for something new and exciting for your kids, be sure to keep your eyes open for these toys.  These are the kinds of toys that you will want to play with with your kids!  I have been searching every local toy store, Toys R Us and Amazon.com looking for any  new ones.

Road Trip Fun!

I'm only a couple of days into summer vacation with my daughter and it's going really well.  I mean, the fact that we don't have to get woken up by an alarm in the morning is all kinds of magical.  And ice cream for dessert every night makes my girl happier than you could imagine.  I'm so looking forward to a summer with my girl.  This means lots of adventures and many of them require us getting into the car for long stretches of time.  While Quinn is a champion traveler, she is like all other kids and can get bored quickly and sick and tired of being strapped into her booster seat for hours on end.

Many of you will be traveling this summer as well, and whether you will be traveling by train, planes or automobiles, you will want to have a bag of tricks to keep your kids entertained.  Like many of you parents, I don't like to just give her an iPad for hours on end.  She also gets bored with it pretty quickly and wants to be entertained in different ways.  Entertaining a child in a car can be quite challenging but it can be used as an opportunity to work on some occupational therapy goals.   Below, you will find my top 10 activity/suggestions to help make this summer's traveling a little more entertaining for your kids and less stressful for you.

1.  AquaDoodle Travel Doodle Mat-I've been a fan of all things by Aqua Doodle for years.   I love the idea that you can use water to draw, color and create on a mat and that you can re-use it over and over again.  There is no mess at all other than a little wetness from water as you are filling up your pen.  Your kids can practice writing letters, draw pictures or play some tic-tac-toe/hangman with each other.  If you are willing to spend money and be a bit patient (these take about a month to get delivered), do a search for Tomy Aquadoodle mini mats on Amazon.  Instead of it being a blank canvas for kids to use their water marker on, they are little pictures where some of the images are blank that they can color in.  Once the water dries, the kids can use them again.

2.  Usbourne Sticker Books-my daughter is a huge fan of these books and has gone through several of them over the years.  There are a lot of different ones to choose from so you will be sure to find one that your son or daughter will enjoy.  Each book has a handful of characters that you have to dress up with stickers in a bunch of different scenes.  For example, there is one that focuses on school and you have to dress the 3 different characters for gym class, for art class, etc..  Not only are these great for improving fine motor skills, it is great for working on eye-hand coordination.  If you have a child who needs to work on language skills, you can have them tell a story about the pictures they have created.

3.  Boogie Board-the Boogie Board is an old favorite of mine; check out this post from the past that tells you all about the Boogie Board and all the occupational therapy benefits.  In summary, it is a portable LED writing tablet....think modern day Etch-A-Sketch.  Kids can draw, practice writing letters/numbers or play games with friends or siblings while in the car.  If you have kids who like to draw, but you don't really feel comfortable with them using markers or crayons in a car, this is a perfect option for them.  There is no mess to worry about!  The best part is that it is incredibly thin and lightweight, taking up almost no room in a travel bag.



4.  Water Wow Books-Melissa & Doug are known for so many things, but their collection of reusable coloring books are one my favorite.  They are especially great for younger children who aren't really into coloring yet.  All you do is fill the pen provided with water and let them color away.  As the water dries, the pictures lose their color and they can color them again.  This no mess activity can keep your kids entertained for hours!  Another great thing is that the books aren't limited to just pictures.  They have a great selection of books that help kids learn how to write letters and numbers.

5.  Crayola Color Wonder Books-you know you can't go wrong with Crayola!  Their line of Color Wonder Books are great for preschoolers who may not be quite ready to color with real markers (or any coloring tools) while in a moving vehicle.  Kids like that they can color their favorite characters in and parents love that the markers are 100% mess free so if your kid tries to color on themselves or the car, it won't matter.  To make coloring a little easier, I suggest getting your child a clipboard so they have a sturdy surface while coloring.

6.  Puffy Sticker Play Sets-these reusable puffy sticker sets are a great thing for long car (plane, train, etc.) rides.  Each set comes with over 50 reusable stickers and a two sided case to store your stickers when not in use.  The set is like a folder so you can easily keep all the stickers in one place when it isn't in use (and it will fit in perfectly in the pocket of a set in your car). Great for working on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, eye-hand coordination and visual perceptual skills.  Also great for encouraging creativity and pretend-play with kids.  If you want to work on improving language skills, you can have kids tell you a short story about the scene that they worked on once it is complete.

7.  Lee Sticker Puzzles-I have been a big fan of these sticker books by Lee Publications for a long time.  I was originally drawn to them because they were affordable, motivating and easy to carry around with me from my home-based and school-based sessions.  When I started  using them, I was excited about how many occupational therapy goals could be worked on when using them.  Great for working on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, eye-hand coordination and visual perceptual skills.  Also good for working on focus, attention and organization skills.  These sticker books are great for all ages as they have books that have only 8-piece puzzles and some that have as many as 45-pieces.

8.  Take 'N' Play Anywhere Games-sometimes kids need more than activity books to keep them occupied on those long car/plane/train rides, especially if you have kids who like to play together.  I love all these magnetic games by PlayMonster.  They offer a large assortment of magnetic games that are great for kids of all ages.  One of the best parts is that they games are small, don't take up a lot of room and all the pieces can be stored inside.  My favorites are the Hangman and Matching games.  Not only are these magnetic games great for passing some time, they are also great for working on improving fine motor skills such as grasp strength and in-hand manipulation skills, eye-hand coordination and focus and attentional skills.

9.  Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics-easily and hands down one of my absolute favorite therapeutic activity.  The Orb Factory Sticky mosaics are great for working on fine motor and grasping skills, eye-hand coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills.  Additionally, it's a fun and motivating way to work on improving focus, attention and organizational skills.  Kids love that they get to show off their completed project.  There are a variety of sets to choose from so if you have a kid who is into fairies or dinosaurs or pirates, you have plenty to choose from.  There are also smaller sets available for the younger crowd because you know that if a younger sibling sees their big doing something, they want to be doing it too.  These kits don't take up much room and easy to throw in a bag and take with you wherever you are going.

10.  Clipboard/Lap Pillow-earlier, I mentioned that kids might have an easier time with some of the coloring and activity books if they had a sturdy surface to lean on.  A cheap clipboard from Staples or an office supply store is all you need and it's super easy to store in the pocket of a car seat.  Each kid should have their own and you can let each of them personalize it with stickers, markers, etc.. Another great option is a lap pillow but it takes up more room.  I like this one by Kikkerland because there is a space for you to put an iPad or tablet so kids can work on an incline surface.

So here are a few of the things that I use with my daughter and always recommend to families to pick up before a long trip.  It's so important that kids are kept occupied on long trips or else everyone will go crazy.  And let's be honest here....there is only so much kids music (if any) that us parents can tolerate on those long trips.  All of the activities and toys that I have recommended are also great for taking from the car to restaurant tables.

Do you have any wonderful on the go toys, books or activities that you rely on for long trips or recommend to your families?  I have a lot of long car trips coming up with my girl and am ready to add some new things to her backpack of tricks!  I love hearing from all of you and am just a click away!

Happy Summer to you all and may your travels be filled with happy memories!

Just The Two of Us!

One of my favorite things to do is color.  Now this shouldn't come as a surprise since I blog about coloring books all the time.  But most of those posts focus on books that are appropriate for children.  While I love to color by myself to help calm down after a long day or when I am feeling particularly overwhelmed by some kind of life event, I have found that it is also an activity that my daughter and I can enjoy together.  The good news is that my 6 year old daughter has inherited my love for coloring and it's one of the things that we love to do together.  For a while, we would color side by side sharing our special pens, markers and pencils.  She would color in her princess or unicorn books while I tackled the more complex ones like Secret Garden by Johanna Basford.  As Quinn has become older, she wants to do exactly what I am doing but they are often too difficult for her, causing her to become easily frustrated and wanting to give up.  So what was once a fun and bonding experience for us began to turn into a more stressful activity than I was willing to make it.  

So, imagine my excitement when I discovered a whole set of coloring and activity books that encourage kids and their adults to color, draw and create side-by-side!  Not only that, there are a handful of books out there that allow kids to do the same thing!  Below, you will find the ones that I have tested out and fallen in love with.  

Draw With Me, Dad!  Draw, Color and Connect With Your Child-I happen to be married to a guy who loves to draw and create with our daughter.  I will do the coloring but have failed when it comes to being more creative with her.  What I love about this book is that there are these great pictures and illustrations that you need to complete together.  Since my husband is super creative, he often has an easier time coming up with big ideas than our daughter.  What I have noticed is that that tends to stress Quinn out (although this is improving and she is becoming much more creative.  Over a span of two pages, there is a scene that a dad and kid can complete together.   They give you suggestions on what you could add to your pictures if needed but you can be as creative and imaginative as you want.  

Color With Mom-there is finally a coloring book out there that is perfect for moms and their kids to work on together.  You can sit next to each other or across from each other and each color in your own page.  The pictures have a similar theme but one page is a little more complex while the other one is a bit simpler so your child can have success.  After you both complete the picture, you can display them side by side (some may even choose to frame them) for everyone to see

Color With Me: A Coloring Book to Share-from the same people who created Color With Mom.  Color With Me is intended for friends to do together.  Each spread has two different pictures with a similar theme that can be done side-by-side.  Kids are encouraged to not only color the pictures in but to also add details to the images.  

A Coloring Book for Two-Best Friends Forever-Color Together-I'm sure I am not the only one who has watched their kids on a playdate trying to negotiate what picture each of the kids will color.  What sets this book apart from others is that kids don't have to choose one because there are two identical pictures side-by-side.  Each can do the same picture just the way they want to.  

There are so many occupational therapy benefits to coloring including: 

*improving bilateral coordination skills

*improves fine motor coordination and graphomotor skills

*improves self-regulation, modulation, focus/attention and other executive functioning skills

*improves self-esteem and confidence.  When a child completes a picture and is able to show it off or display it for others to see, they end up feeling much more confident in themselves and will be much more willing to try more challenging graphomotor activities in the future

Additionally, these side-by-side activity books are a great way to encourage social and language skills in children.  The social benefits of coloring with a friend are learning things such as sharing materials, waiting your turn if the materials you want are in use and improving social conversation.  Encourage children to talk about what they are coloring or have them work together to add details to their pictures.  While you are coloring with your children, you should be talking to them about what they are doing or what is happening in the pictures.  For older kids, you can encourage them to write a sentence or two about the picture in order to work on improving handwriting skills at the same time.

One of the other great benefits of coloring with your children, especially if you have a child who is a perfectionist like mine, is for them to see that you have to patient and focus on your work.  I have found that my daughter has become more creative and less concerned about things being perfect since she has started coloring and drawing with us more.  Things used to have to be by the book and being silly made her feel anxious.  She is now the one who is initiating the additions of silly things to some of the pictures these days and she is having more fun in general.

Now that summer is officially here, parents may be looking for something to do with their kids at the end of a long day.  These coloring and drawing books are a perfect way to wind down with your kids.  If you have any questions or want some more suggestions, please don't hesitate asking.  I'm just a click away and love hearing from you all!