Hands Up for Handee Band!

When I was Christmas shopping this year, I discovered this really subscription box that I had to get.  The Sensory Theraplay Box comes once a month and is chock full of some pretty awesome products.  Some of them are ones I have seen or already have but there have been more than a few that are new to me and I couldn't be more excited about them.  One of the things I have been introduced to and have to share with you all is the Handee Band.  This is an awesome and totally affordable exercise program for children that is kinda perfect for those kids who might be taking a break from therapy over the summer but need to maintain some kind of home-based strengthening routine.

Let me tell you about the Handee Band.  It was created by a Los Angeles based occupational therapist, Francesca Avalli, who has years and years of experience working with children with a variety of learning disabilities.  It is intended for children between the ages of 3 and 7 years old and the goal is that they can independently exercise at home with this program.  The exercises are taught to kids from the different monsters created by Francesca.  Everything is bright, cheery and child-friendly.  This is meant to be something that once a child is comfortable with it, they should be able to do it on their own.  What's nice is that they don't have to do all of them....they should choose a few and do however many they can in about 15 minutes.  The exercises are intended to help a child do the following:
-increase core strength and trunk control
-increase upper extremity and grasp strength (which leads to improved fine motor and manipulation skills)
-improve endurance
-improve bilateral coordination skills
-improve motor planning and organizational skills
-work on following multi-step directions
-improves balance and coordination

All of the things mentioned above are important skills for preschool and school age children to help get them ready for academic skills.  For example, in order for a child to develop age-appropriate grasping skills, they need to core, upper extremity and grasp strength.  Also, for kids to be more independent for dressing and undressing themselves, they must have good balance and coordination, use two hands in a coordinated manner and follow multi-step directions.

Here is a small sample of some of the exercises:

Flamingo Hops and Frog Jumps-while holding the Handee Band tightly in each hand, take a deep breath, bend both knees and jump up and down like a frog 10 times.  For an increased challenge, jump on just one foot like a flamingo
Karate Chop-while holding the Handee Band tightly with two hands, stand up straight with arms at your side; raise arms high and straight above your head, take a deep breath and when someone yells "chop", lower arms down until they are in front of your chest 10 times.
Row Your Boat-while sitting on the floor with legs straight out in front of you, wrap the Handee Band around your feet while holding the ends in each hand.  Start with straight arms while sitting up as tall as possible and bend your arms at the elbows before straightening your arms again. 

There are two kits to choose from The Handee Band Exercise Kit contains 1 Handee Band, an illustrated book with 15 different exercises broken down into 5 easy to follow steps, a spinner with all of the activities, a dry erase marker and checklist to keep track of progress and a sheet of stickers.  The book is a high quality book that can stand up making it easy for a child to see/follow the instructions.   What I like about this, especially when doing it in a bigger group of kids, is that with the addition of the spinner, you can make it more of a game and a chance for them to be leaders.  Each child can take a turn spinning the The Handee Band Exercise Cards Set is intended to be able to take with you/throw in your bag.  It comes with 1 Handee Band and 17 exercise cards stored on a reclosable ring for storage purposes.  This is perfect if you are going to be doing a lot of traveling but want to keep up with some kind of exercise routine with your children.

One of the nice things about the Handee Band program is that it can be done individually, with a friend or siblings or can be part of a larger exercise curriculum in classrooms or social skills groups.  I am actually going to be introducing an abbreviated version of this program to my kids this summer at The Meeting House.  So many of the children who attend my group are not only in need of working on increasing overall body strength but also need to work on following directions, staying with the group and doing what their peers are doing.  I believe that if they can master some of these fun exercises, they may be more motivated to try more challenging things throughout the afternoon.  Additionally, as they master each activity, their confidence and self-esteem increase. 

I am so excited to have found something like Handee Band to be able to recommend to the families I work with.  So many programs I have tried in the past get too clinical or therapeutic making it difficult for parents to follow-through on.  Finding something like this that can be implemented at home is like winning the lottery for me.  Do you have any awesome home-based exercises programs that you use with your kids or recommend to the families you work with?  I am only a click away love hearing recommendations from you all!







                

       

More Than Pen and Paper

As an occupational therapist for school age children, one of the things I work on a lot of the time is the development of age-appropriate  graphomotor skills (the combination of cognitive, perceptual and motor skills that lead to drawing and writing).  For most kids, this is a skill that they learn naturally and without much support required.  However, for some, this can be a really frustrating thing for some kids I work due to a variety of reasons.  For some, decreased grasp strength and manipulation skills makes it challenging for some kids to have the endurance to write for long periods of time.  Some kids may have visual motor and perceptual difficulties so they may have a hard time learning how to draw or learn how to write letters and numbers.  Then there are the children with learning challenges.

No matter what is causing them to have trouble with the development of graphomotor skills, my  job is to make sure that when I am working with the kids, that I make it as fun as possible.  I try and with so I try and make it as fun as possible.  I also like to come up with activities and ideas that can be done at home with parents and caregivers so they can practice and generalize the skills. And for a variety of reasons, I try and come up with ideas that don't require the use of pen and paper.  Not only is it better for our environment, kids tend to think that the activity is less work and more fun if you don't require them to use an actual writing instrument.

Below, I share a handful of the products and activities I have found to be helpful in teaching kids how to draw and write without using pen/pencils and paper.  They are things that I have not only found useful at the gym when working with kids, but have also heard from parents that they can use at home with success.  


Etch-A-Sketch-I remember using an Etch-A-Sketch as a child and always being frustrated by not having the coordination, motor planning or creativity to make something cool on an Etch-A-Sketch.  In the end, I would have some crazy looking mess on the screen!  So when I was in a local store (Stoopher and Boots) on the UWS, and saw the newest version, the Etch-A-Sketch Freestyle Drawing Pad,  I knew I had to get it for work.  There are a lot of things I like about this for handwriting purposes.  First of all, it comes with a stylus attached to it; it is the perfect size for little hands and encourages a proper grip for my emerging writers.  It's lightweight and and doesn't take up much space making it perfect for throwing into a backpack or bag when traveling.

Boogie Board-I've been a big fan of the Boogie Board for years and always have a couple of them in the gym.  This LCD writing tablet is a great way to work on improving graphomotor skills.  I love how the Boogie Board has evolved over the years and now there are 3 different kinds that were designed for kids.  We use the traditional Boogie Board to create lists with the kids who require more structure and routine to be successful in the sessions.  After they complete each activity, they check it off.  I really like the Scribble n' Play board because it is colored and comes with 4 different kinds of stylus' (each with a different tip) to use when drawing on it.  The Magic Sketch set is another favorite with the kids.  This set comes with a see through screen that allows kids to trace pictures, letters, numbers, etc..  It also comes with 4 different kinds of writing instruments, a roller stamp, 3 stamps and 60 stencils with different kinds of activities.  All of the Boogie Boards are lightweight and can be thrown in your bag making it perfect for traveling, entertaining kids at a restaurant or while waiting for appointments.

Buddha Board-this simple toy is great for working on drawing and handwriting.  The Original Buddha Board comes with a board to draw on, a bamboo paintbrush and a stand to prop the board in to.  Kids dip their paintbrush into water and draw away.  What I really like about the Buddha Board is that it requires nothing but water....there is no ink to stain clothing.  I also like how the stand allows for the board to propped up so kids can work on a vertical surface which we know is great for kids.

iPad with a Stylus-the use of an iPad is not for all, but I have found it to be a highly motivating tool for learning how to write, especially for my more resistant clients.  I never use just the iPad but will use it in conjunction with a Boogie Board, chalkboard or dry erase board. I've found some really great drawing and letter writing apps that make learning fun for the kids.  LetterSchool is one the most popular apps amongst all my kids; nobody ever complains about having to practice writing when I bring this app out.  Whenever kids use the iPad, they have to use a stylus so we can work on grasp development at the same time.  My favorite one is the Cosmonaut stylus; it's a bit more expensive, but it's incredibly durable and is wider than most of them which encourages a tripod like grasp.  Another app I use a lot for drawing and writing is Bord, which turns your iPad into a chalkboard.  Kids like that they can choose the color


Legos-for some kids, using Legos can motivate them to do just about anything!  In my gym, we have a big container of extra Lego pieces so we can allow the kids to be more creative when playing with them.  Years ago, I bought these Lego Mosaic sets that come with tons of little square cubes and see-through baseplates so you can copy picture designs.  Recently, I have been writing letters on paper and having the kids practice writing their letters this way.  Another thing I am hoping to add to the gym I work in is installing a couple of large Lego baseplates onto a wall on the gym so kids can use our extra Legos to practice making letters, numbers and shapes.  One of the reasons I like this activity is that it also works on improving grasp strength and in-hand manipulation skills at the same time.  Additionally, if you have a baseplate on the wall, you can have kids work on a vertical surface which is great for increasing upper extremity strength, shoulder stability and core strength.

Cookie Sheet with Sprinkles-another fun way to practice drawing and writing is by putting different kinds of foods on a cookie sheet or a baking pan (cover the entire surface) and either having the kids use their fingers or a paintbrush to draw.  Some ideas of foods that can be used are rice, beans and sprinkles.  This is an easy activity to grade for kids at different levels.  For example, younger kids can copy letters or shapes from flashcards while older kids can write them with just a verbal prompt from a grownup.  If you have a child who has an immature grip on writing instruments, make sure to provide them with a paintbrush so they can work on that at the same time.  If you have a child with tactile defensive tendencies, this would be a good activity to do with them.

Playdough-playdough is another material to use to practice shapes, letters, numbers, etc..  There are two ways you can do this based on the age of the children and their skill level.  For younger children who are just learning, I suggest that parents get a set of letter and number cookie cutters or stamps.  I love this set of Alphabet Stamps by Lakeshore Learning because they have a nice handle for the kids to hold onto.  Have the the kids roll the playdough out and start making "cookies" or press the stamps into the playdough.  If using cookie cutters, you can have them match letters on a puzzle or alphabet placemat or write the names of all your family members on pieces of paper and have them match the letters to the names.  For older children, you can have them form playdough into letters without any kind of visual prompt provided.
This activity has an added benefit of working on improving fine motor strength and manipulation skills, encourages bilateral coordination and can work on improving visual motor and perceptual skills.
Shaving Cream/Bathtub Crayons-I like to offer activities to parents that are easy to fit into a schedule.  So many parents feel guilty about not being to spend as much time working on occupational therapy goals so I try and come up with ideas that are easily built into their routine.  An easy thing to do is work on handwriting and drawing during bath time using shaving cream.  Have kids spray a generous amount on the wall and have them practice drawing shapes or pictures and writing letters and numbers.  Mr. Bubble has kid-friendly shaving cream that can also double as soap to clean your kids.  Some kids are resistant to touching shaving cream so you can also check out these awesome Bathtub Crayons by Crayola (these might be even better for some of your older kids so you can sneak in some work on pencil grip!).
In addition to being great for graphomotor skills, this activity also works on increasing upper extremity strength, shoulder stability and core strength because they are working on a vertical surface.  This could also be a fun chance to work on social skills with a sibling by having them create scenes together or play games like Tic-Tac-Toe or Hangman.

Dry Erase Boards/Chalkboards-one of my top recommended gifts on my annual gift guide, especially for pre-schoolers, is an upright chalkboard.  It's a great way to encourage creativity and introduce young children to letters and numbers.  At the same time, kids can work on increasing upper extremity strength, shoulder stability and core strength while having fun.  As kids get older, I have found that they tend to like a dry erase board better.  My daughter loves to practice her spelling words on her portable dry erase board.  One thing I like to do with the kids at work with both my portable chalkboard and dry erase board is to write letters, have the kids erase them and then write them again.  This multi-step way of practicing helps them learn quicker.  Plus, they can practice, make mistakes and not worry about wasting a ton of paper.
For many of the families I work with, an upright chalkboard may take up some precious real estate in their already cramped apartment so I couldn't have been more excited to find removable chalkboard and dry erase panels at Paper Source.  The Wallies Chalkboard Panels and the Writeyboard are removable sheets that can go on a wall or back of the door....or anywhere really....without taking up
any space.

Things to keep in mind with handwriting:
*Providing a multi-sensory approach to learning how to write not only makes it more fun for children, it helps them retain the information more effectively.
*When possible, have kids work on a vertical surface.  Working on a vertical surface is great for improving wrist and shoulder stability which is required for the development of fine-motor and manipulation skills.  It's also great for working on improving core strength and encourages good posture.
*Don't push kids too much during handwriting tasks.  If you see they are fading out or getting frustrated, take a break or switch the activity up.  We want to make sure that kids are having fun and learning instead of having it be something anxiety producing.
*Find things that interest a child (characters, sports, etc.) and incorporate them as much as possible into handwriting activities.  For example, for some of my older kids who are really into sports, I have them practice by writing sports teams or their favorite players. 

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to make drawing and writing fun without picking up an actual pen and wasting paper.  Do you have activities that you do at home or at work with your kids that they love?  I would love to hear your ideas and know my readers would as well.  I am always a click away and love getting new ideas to put into practice at work and at home with my own daughter.

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.