2021 Stocking Stuffers and Small Stuff Guide

This is always one of my favorite gift guides to put together because I feel like we are always looking for small gifts for kids whether it be an add-on to a larger gift or to be used as a motivator or prize for a job well done. There are some gifts on here that make the list year after year (Thinking Putty, chopsticks, on-the-go craft kits) but most of these are new this year. There are so many clever gifts out there that can be used for therapeutic purposes without the kids even knowing. I tried to include gifts for various ages and many of these are appropriate for kids of all ages and are not age-specific. 

1. Magnetic Connect 4-saw this and thought it was a fun game to play on a fridge or some other kind of magnetic surface. The goal of the game is the same as the original but you can work on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills while also working on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning, problem solving and organizational skills. For you city dwellers, the added bonus is that you don't have to figure out where to store another bulky game with lots of pieces. 

2. Nee-Doh Dohjee-squishy balls are all the rage these days and these have been a huge hit with my friends at the gym. What I love about these are that they come with a mini nee-doh ball and an outside animal/creature covering that you can mix and match with other Dohjees you collect. Great for increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills, improves bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination in addition to having a small little fidget that will help calm down during stressful times. 

3. Silicone Bracelets With Charms Set-fun set of plastic bracelets that kids can personalize with a variety of charms (you must buy both separately). I am actually planning on ordering a bunch of these for the kids to make as a holiday gift from me this year. Great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and also works on improving bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination. I like that you can easily swap the charms out of your bracelet so if the child's interests change or they want to coordinate with the outfit of the day, they can. 

4. Tiny Ice Cream Kit-my sister bought my daughter the tiny baking kit and it was a huge hit with her and her friends. The kit comes with all the mini-sized tools you will need and an instruction book with 15 different tiny ice cream ideas. A great gift for an older kid (definitely suggest 8 or older like recommended on the packaging) who has decent frustration tolerance. This adorable set works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and is a fabulous way to encourage executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and organizational skills. In the end, they have some adorable and tasty creations to show off. 

5. Busy Ideas for Bored Kids (Outside Edition)-after the last crazy 20 months, I am finding that so many kids don't really know what to do when they aren't on a device or being told exactly what to do. I am trying to encourage my own daughter to get outdoors as much as possible while the weather is still nice but oftentimes she will say she is bored or doesn't know what she should do. This deck of cards will help children choose fun activities to do outside with their peers. Hopefully they will use the cards as suggestions and add their own adventures to the suggested activities. 

6. Whatchamadrawit Game-this fast-paced drawing game encourages creativity, imagination and thinking outside the box. All you need is a paper, writing instruments and your imagination. This can definitely be played during family game night and I think the more players, the better! Before each round a judge is chosen....a card is picked and everyone has 60-seconds to draw what is on the card and the judge will pick his/her favorite and the winner gets the card. The person with the most cards at the end is the winner. Such a fun way to work on improving drawing and graphomotor skills and working on kids, especially those more rigid ones, to think outside the box and have fun. 

7. DIY Air Dry Clay Kit-I love using clay with my kids at work because it's such a great way to work on improving grasp strength and fine motor and manipulation skills but they often get upset when their creations get ruined. I have avoided using the oven bake clay since I don't have an oven to bake it at work and when I try and bring it home to cook, I end up ruining it. So I am loving this air dry clay from Ooly and how easy it is for kids to manipulate. Kids can make a creation (or practice making letters, numbers, shapes, etc.) and by the time they return the following week it's dry and ready to take home. 

8. On-The-Go Play Again Sticker and Game Set-reusable stickers can be a hit or a major miss but these sets from Ooly are an all-time favorite. There are three different sets to choose from: Daring Dinos, Sunshine Garden and Workin' Wheels and each set features a simple board game, a match and learn game, tic tac toe and a scene board where kids can use the stickers to use their imagination and create their own picture. These are so awesome for developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye coordination works on developing focus, attention, organizational and problem solving skills. The best part is that everything is easily stored within in the packaging so it's easy to take on the go to keep kids entertained while traveling. 

9. Dimple Pops-I love when a toy fad ends up actually being therapeutic and fidget toys have made a really big comeback since Covid. I'm not gonna lie....when I was doing a majority of my sessions remotely, I found myself needing something to keep my hands busy so I started using a fidget to help me focus. When I first saw all these pop-toys, I was instantly obsessed. I love that they have expanded and have kids of all ages in mind. What young kids don't realize is that while they are playing with this new fad toy, they are working on developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual motor skills and so much more. These Dimple Pops are really great for the little hands who are working on finger isolation. 

10. Loopy Looper-this is a fidget toy for older kids (or grown-ups) and the fun thing about this particular one is that there are four different options with different challenges. 

Edge: Place your marble inside and find the perfect speed to keep it sticking to the rail.
Flow: Spin as slowly as you like to, taking time to feel the marble flow around the loop. Helps with focus, concentration and getting creative juices flowing.
Hoop: relax with a simple spin around the loop or launch into a quick-fire challenge by trying to land the ball inside the hoop! 
Jump: this Loopy Looper requires skillful spinning to get the marble through the gap. Once the child figures out the method, they can keep going as fast as they can. 

These are great for developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improve hand-eye coordination and encourages concentration, focus and a sense of calm. 

11. Mega Construx Pokéman-it's funny how Pokéman are still a thing today after all these years. I'm loving these construction sets that work on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, increased grasp strength, improves focus, attention, planning and organizational skills. There are 6 different characters to choose from or you can collect them all. 

12. Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty-I love everything about this putty but most love that the founder hires adults with special needs and trains them to have meaningful jobs. There is a giant variety of colors, styles and even some that smell! Putty is a great way to work on increasing grasp strength and manipulation skills and is also a great fidget for those moments when your child may have to return to remote learning. I like to hide small beads, coins or little animals in the putty to make it more motivating for tired little hands. 

13. Light Saber Chopsticks-couldn't resist adding these when I stumbled upon them. One of my go-to activities I give parents to do at home to work on improving grasp and manipulation skills is to use child-friendly chopsticks while eating. I still have a lot of older kids who need to work on this skill but want nothing to do with the babyish chopsticks. How much are older kids going to love these light saber/Star Wars inspired chopsticks?!?

14. Speks Geode Magnetic Sets-I picked these up on a whim a few months ago not realizing they would be a huge hit and now I am not sure who loves them more...me or the kids! Think Magnatiles on a much smaller scale. Great for on the go fun while also working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills. There is no right or wrong way to play with them and you can collect all the sets to create larger projects. 

15. Kids Made Modern Unicorn, Shark, Mermaid and Cosmic Necklace Kits-cute little on the go necklace making sets from an incredible company. I've been a huge fan of the quality of the materials that come in each of their kits. These necklace sets come complete with a charm, cord for stringing, 40 various beads and comes in a cute little tin storage case that can be used later as a trinket box or even use it to turn into a homemade ornament once your little crafter completes their necklace. 

16. Scribble Scrubble Pets-another fun little toy that will encourage even the most resistant writers pick up a marker and start coloring. My kids have loved coloring, designing and playing with these but they truly love scrubbing them clean and doing it over and over again. These are great for introducing younger children to coloring but also works on encouraging bilateral and hand-eye coordination, imagination and creativity skills and early writing skills. You can also work on improving tactile sensitivity by having them use soap or shaving cream on the scrub brush when scrubbing them clean. 

17. Mini Jenga Game-couldn't resist adding this to the list when I stumbled upon it. Jenga never fails to entertain kids and now you can take it on the go. Jenga is great for working on hand-eye coordination, focus, planning and organizational skills. If you want to add a fun little twist to the game, you can turn this into an ice-breaker game by writing questions on each block. 

18. Secret Decoder Ring-cute and simple way to encourage kids to work on handwriting in a fun way. Leave your kids messages that they have to decode using this ring. Each letter has a number that it coordinates with. Want your kids to do a chore? Write the message out in numbers and have your kids solve the mystery. Not only is this a fun way to work on handwriting, by twisting the ring you are working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills. 

19. Exploding Hand Soap-do you have kids who are resistant to hand washing? Try motivating them with these water bead like soap balls. They use the little spoon shaped like a hand to take one of the jar and then pop the bead that's filled with soap. Once the color disappears, they know they have washed long enough and can rinse. Love that we can add a little bit of sensory fun to a pretty boring but necessary task. 

20. Peanut Crayons-a great first set of crayons for little hands. These peanut-shaped crayons are a perfect size for early drawers and super well made so there is no fear of them breaking during use. The unique shape of these crayons makes it easier for little hands to grasp for greater ease with coloring. Made from all natural and non-toxic beanwax so parents don't have to worry if they accidently end up in the mouth. 

21. All of Us Crayons-inclusivity is a very important thing, especially in schools. This set of 8 crayons represents all colors of skin and encourages children to see the beauty of all colors and shades of skin. They are a perfect size to encourage a more proper grasp for little hands. Just a fun fact about these crayons: they made it onto Oprah's Favorite Things guide this year!

22. Uno Flip-this is one of my favorite new games this year and my older kids are loving it as well. I mean, who doesn't love Uno? This two-sided Uno game offers the traditional game of Uno with a special card that makes you flip the whole game over for a more competitive side of play with new challenges. Uno has always been a go-to game for me to work on developing executive functioning skills for my kids because it's a fun way to work on focus, attention, organization, planning and problem solving skills. 

23. Water Beads-when I pull these out for my kids, they are so excited! Loving this linked set that comes with thousands of water beads in various sizes. Water bead play is a wonderful way to encourage sensory play and exploration with little mess for grownups to clean up. I always give my kids cups, spoons and other toys to use when playing to encourage bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination and focus and attentional skills. Sometimes I like to hide little plastic animals in the water beads and have them go on a hunt to save them which is always a big hit. 

24. Eraser Puzzles-these come highly recommended by my 11 year old daughter and her bestie. I love when a gift is not only practical but can also be used to reach developmental goals. Kids can work on problem solving, hand eye coordination, bilateral coordination and improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills. Each eraser has 5 pieces and you can mix and match. Be sure to check out your local toy stores to see what kinds of eraser puzzles they have....I have picked up the cutest animal and food eraser puzzles over the years for goody bags and prizes for my kids at work. 

25. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game-not sure if you have noticed but I happen to have a thing for card games, especially ones that will engage the whole family. My speech therapist colleague Jacki Barredo  suggested this game to me and I have been sharing it since. This game sounds more complicated than it actually and can be enjoyed by the whole family. The deck is split evenly between 2-8 players. Each person takes a turn flipping a card face-up on a pile in the middle while saying the words "Taco", "Cat", "Goat", "Cheese", "Pizza" in that order. If the card in the middle happens to match the word being spoken, the players race to slap the deck...whoever is the last to slap the deck must take the whole pile and add to their set of cards. The person who gets rid of all of their cards first is the winner. 

26. Mini Twister Game-this is truly a dream recommendation for an occupational therapist! Twister has always been a favorite of mine because it works on so many developmental goals and this mini version makes me so happy. Such a fun way to work on improving fine motor and manipulation skills, finger isolation skills, motor planning and executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and problem solving skills. 

27. Animal ABC Stickable Foam Bath Shapes-I've always encouraged parents to make bath-time as meaningful as possible. Whether it be using shaving cream on the wall to practice drawing or writing letters, I believe that kids learn best at a young age through hands-on, sensory based play which is why bath time is a perfect time for early learning. Loving these extra adorable foam animal alphabet stickers that come with a mesh bag for easy storage. A perfect opportunity to not only learn letters, these are great for working on improving fine motor and grasping skills and to expand language skills and learning letter sounds. 

28. Unplugged Play: Grade School Edition-I'm constantly hearing that my 11 year old daughter is bored and doesn't know what to do (even though she has enough to keep her entertained for days on end) if she isn't allowed to be on her phone. I do think that after almost 20 months of everyone relying on technology, kids really are struggling making choices about what to do during their downtime. Since most kids don't want to be told what to do, I am loving the idea of giving them a book like that that has tons of choices for them to make. There are a variety of activities such as indoors vs. outdoors, solo play vs. playing with a friend/sibling but the common factor is that they don't require any technology. Be sure to check out the preschool edition for your younger kids. 

29. Boon Bath Time Pipes-going back to my love of making bath time as meaningful as possible, how cool are these suction cup pipes??? This 5 piece set can be used individually or can be connected to build a chain. Each shape has a unique feature which encourages sensory exploration, hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination, cause and effect and so much more. These don't only have to be used during bath time....you can add them to a sensory bin with a variety of materials such as rice, beans, water beads and so much more. 

30. Twee Chalk-I love that there are some things that are ageless and timeless but also love that some of those things have become more advanced and exciting. I am totally obsessed with all of the gorgeous chalk creations from Twee (a Philadelphia based woman run company....woot woot). While my 11 year old daughter pretends to not care about these these things, she still get's excited when I buy a set of Twee chalk and insists I do not bring them to work. Living in Brooklyn and having a lot of sidewalk space so we have spent countless hours doing chalk drawing. Sidewalk chalk drawing is great for encouraging creativity and imagination skills and works on increasing upper extremity and hand strength. I encourage parents to have kids practice writing letters, numbers and shapes. 

I have tried once again to link some of my favorite local toy stores whenever I could as I have always found it very important to support our local businesses but even more so now. Many of the items listed above are ones that I have seen in most toy stores I have visited all over the place. And since are all hearing about shipping nightmares and problems with supply chain, why not take out some of the stress and support your local stores where you don't have to worry about toys arriving on time. If you are shopping for family members who are not local, find out their local toy stores and see if you can shop from there. If you are in the NYC area, be sure to check out the following stores: Lulu's Cuts and Toys, Little Things Toy Store, Norman and Jules, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store, West Side Kids, Stationary and Toy World, Mary Arnold Toys, Kidding Around Toys and Boomerang Toys. 

If you are looking for specific ideas for your kids or kids on your shopping list, please do not hesitate reaching out to me for suggestions. I have so many more thoughts on great gifts for the important toddlers in your life. I am only an email away at otmeghan@gmail.com and love to hear from and help in any way I can. 

The Write Stuff!

There are several reasons children are referred to occupational therapy but one of the most common, especially for school age children, is because of difficulties with handwriting.  Expectations for handwriting jump pretty quickly between grades.  In most preschools, handwriting is a choice and done through more hands-on kinds of activities (which I totally support!) but in most kindergarten classes, children are expected to be able to write and then by first and second grade, they are expected to write for longer periods of time with accuracy.  Many of the kids who come my way are able to write but lack endurance or have an inefficient grip on their writing instruments that may lead to messy handwriting.

Below, I share a handful of my favorite writing instruments for children of all ages.  These are ones that I use in my practice and recommend to parents and other professionals all the time. 

Squiggle Wiggle Writer Pen-I was really excited when I saw that this pen was making a comeback.  I had used it almost daily when I first began working as an occupational therapist and loved how something could not only be motivating, but be therapeutic at the same time.  The Squiggle Wiggle Writer is vibrating pen that produces squiggly pictures.  It comes with 3 interchangeable pens which slide in and out of the tip of the pen (which is great for working on bilateral coordination).  The vibration is great for providing children with sensory input while drawing or writing which helps with focus and attention.  Kids are also given an opportunity to work on improving their creativity and imagination skills.  Since there are only three colors to choose from, I have the kids fill in details of their pictures using crayons, markers or colored pencils.
*the one downfall is that due to its weight, kids are not always able to use a tripod grasp when they hold it.  Most kids are observed to use a fisted grip to gain control of the pen which I don't always have them change.

Zebra Zensations Mechanical Colored Pencils-hands down, these are my favorite colored pencils I have used.  First of all, I am a huge fan of using mechanical pencils with children because it helps them work on grading the pressure they use when using them.  If you press too hard, the tip will break which gets frustrating after a few tries.  This set includes 24 colors but you can get a smaller set of 12 pencils here.  Another great things about these colored pencils is their triangular shape.  The triangle shape helps to encourage a tripod-like grasp when holding them.

Twist n' Write Pencil-I always have a collection of 1/2 pencils to use with the kids I work with.  The shorter a pencil is, the more likely they are to use a proper grasp.  However, there are many kids who require something else to encourage a better grip on pencils.  This typically happens due to decreased grasp strength and delayed manipulation skills.  I was introduced to the Twist n' Write pencil when I was seeking alternative writing instruments for my own daughter.  This pencil was designed for a child's hand.  The Y design not only encourages a child to utilize a tripod grasp for graphomotor tasks, it also forces them to use less pressure allowing them to write for longer periods of time without tiring.

Yummy Yummy Scented Glitter Gel Pens-I'm a complete sucker for gel pens.  Throw in scented and glitter gel pens and I am done for!  This set from OOLY is one of my daughter's favorite possessions and we must always have a backup set for her coloring, letter writing and list making projects.  I tend to only use gel pens with my older kids who I am trying to challenge more with more advanced coloring activities.  Gel pens are great because they are smoother and typically much brighter on paper.

Crayola My First Crayons-there are a lot of people who get anxious about giving toddlers any kind of crayons, markers, etc.. They are worried they may put them in their mouths or may draw on a surface they shouldn't.  I encourage parents to let their kids draw as early as possible, especially if they are showing an interest in it.  Crayola has launched a handful of new products meant just for little hands.  These egg-shaped crayons are the perfect size and shape for your little artist.  There are many benefits of children drawing at an early age including developing fine motor and grasping skills, encourages creativity and imagination, improves hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination.  It's also a great way to introduce colors to children.  If you have an easel, I highly recommend having even the youngest of artists to use that because working on a vertical surface is great for kids of all ages.


 Mumbo Jumbo Chunky Markers-another one of my favorite products from OOLY.  As I mentioned above, it is important for even the youngest of children to explore and experiment with drawing as early as possible.  It's also important that we provide them with the right tools that will help them be successful.  These washable markers are great for little hands.  The box of 16 markers are short and have a thicker barrel making it easier for little hands to hold.  The colors are really bright.  Sometimes using markers are better for children, especially if they have decreased grasp strength since it requires less pressure to make markings on the paper.  This set of markers come in a sturdy box with a handle which my kids love to carry around.

Cosmonaut Stylus-for a variety of reasons, kids spend more time on tablets these days.  As with all things, as long as you don't overdo it, working on the iPad can provide a lot of benefits.  One of the things I recommend to all parents is that if they are going to let their kids use an iPad or other kind of tablet, be sure to have them use a stylus as much as possible to help develop fine motor and grasping skills.  I think this is especially important if your child is doing any kind of handwriting or drawing apps.  There are a lot of different stylus' to choose from but the Cosmonaut is my favorite.  It is a little pricier than some of the other ones made for children but it is far more durable.  I have had mine for several years and it still looks brand new.  The barrel of the stylus is thicker which encourages a tripod-like grasp when holding it.

Twee Sidewalk Chalk-as the weather gets warmer, kids tend to spend more time outside.  One of my favorite outdoor activity is drawing with chalk. While any sidewalk chalk will do, I am a particular fan of the fun ones by Twee.  These handmade sets are created in small batches by a Philadelphia based preschool teacher and are meant only for outdoor use.  I was drawn to them when I saw the adorable sets, especially the unicorn horn set that the Easter Bunny will be delivering to my unicorn obsessed daughter.  Some of my other favorite sets from Twee are the alphabet and letters and the sushi.  There are so many benefits of drawing with chalk outdoors including: develops fine motor skills, works on increasing upper extremity strength, motivates kids to practice letters and numbers and it encourages creativity.

Rainy Dayz Gel Crayons-one thing that motivates kids to write is when they can do it on a forbidden surface like a window or mirror!  Working on a vertical surface is wonderful as it works on a variety of developmental skills, especially promotes improved fine motor and gross motor development.  In addition, working on a vertical surface helps increase core and upper extremity strength while encouraging proper wrist position, head and neck position, promotes bilateral coordination and crossing midline skills.  There are a lot of different products out there, but my favorite are the these gel crayons by OOLY.  The colors are bright and they don't require too much pressure for colors them to show up on the mirror and window.  I like gel crayons because they do help children learn about using an appropriate amount of pressure.  Many of my kids who have decreased grasp strength are observed to use a lot of pressure when coloring.  If they use too much pressure when using these gel crayons, they will lose the tip of the crayon.  For older kids, you can play games like Hangman and Tic-Tac-Toe

Handwriting Without Tears Flip Crayons-one of the first things I tell parents, caregivers or educators when they have a child with an immature grip is to break crayons into little pieces.  To be completely honest, I don't think any preschool classroom should have full sized crayons for the kids to use.  The smaller the crayon is, the more likely it is that they will use a tripod-like grasp.  The HWOT Flip Crayons are great because they are about 2 inches long and have 2 colors making them a perfect size.

Some things to keep in mind when picking out writing tools for children:
-the smaller the writing instrument is, the more likely it is to encourage a tripod-like grasp
-for kids with decreased grasp strength, drawing and coloring with markers or gel crayons may be easier and decrease frustration when presented with more challenging activities
-work on a vertical surface whenever possible.  It's not only great for working on increasing upper extremity and core strength, it encourages wrist extension which is important for proper grasp on writing instruments

If you have any questions or are looking for something specific for your child, don't hesitate reaching out.  I am only a click away and love hearing from you all. 

Thinking Inside and Outside The Lines

This may be my favorite section of my whole guide because one of my favorite things to do is color.

 I can spend hours coloring and my daughter has found a love of this as well.  We will sit side by side sharing our pens, markers and crayons talking about what we are coloring and helping each other out every once in a while.

Did you know that coloring is not only great for kids but has been found to have many benefits for adults as well?  This article from Huffington Post last year talks about how coloring can decrease stress in adults which makes it a great thing for parents and kids to do together. Not only is it fun, it's a great way to bond and talk about things.  Coloring is a fabulous way to work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills in a non-stressful way.  When you are coloring with your child, you shouldn't tell them what to do (for example, what colors to use) or make them stay in the lines.  When there are specific instructions, have them read them to you and make sure they understand what is being asked of them.  Encourage independence, success, creativity and imagination as much as you can.

There are SO many great coloring and activity books out there right now.  So many that it can make it really difficult to choose sometimes.  There are also tons of different tools out there for coloring.  Some people like to color/draw with crayons and pencils, while others would much rather color with markers.  There is no right or wrong....it's whatever works best for you.  I have shared some of my picks below.  Ones that have been kid tested and therapist approved!

Usborne The Big Book of Things to Find and Colour- another great activity book by Usborne. This one is packed with tons of fun pictures.  Each page has directions for things to find and color in. For example, there is a page filled with fairies and you have to find all the ones holding wands and color them in a certain color, find the one with wings and color them in, etc. This highly motivating activity book works on improving visual motor and visual scanning skills, focus and attention, grasping skills and planning and organizational skills.

The Super Book For Superheroes-this activity book is the perfect gift for your superhero loving artist.  It is filled with ideas, drawing, coloring and activities that encourage kids to be creative and use their imagination.  Kids will learn how to draw villains, create superheroes, secret hideouts, costumes and gadgets they will need to save the world!  For older children, you can have them write out their thoughts and write stories so you can work on improving handwriting skills at the same time.  Kids will have fun working on improving graphomotor, visual motor and perceptual skills, storytelling, focus, attention and organizational skills.

Happy Snacks Color-In'Book-my daughter is really into Shopkins right now so when I saw this adorable coloring book, I had to get it.  The pictures are so cute and engaging.  I love how while we are coloring, we are talking about what we see and whether we like that food or not.  My little girl is a bit of a "by the books" kinda kid, so I've used this book as a way to encourage her to think outside of the box and be more creative.  There is no reason the mushrooms on the pizza can't be purple or the marshmallows in the hot chocolate can't be green.  At the same time, we are working on improving visual motor/perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination, focus and attention and improving her grasping skills.  Once your picture is complete, they are easy to tear out and display for others to see!
The Usbourne Book of Drawing, Doodling and Colouring-I am a huge fan of almost every single Usbourne book I have every purchased.  They are colorful, engaging and educational.  This particular book is a favorite of mine because it combines the best part of many of their books into one big collection.  This book allows a child to color and create things.  It allows them to work on improving their drawing skills.  It gives them step by step instructions in a very easy to follow visual friendly manner that allows kids who feel like they aren't artists be really good artists!  There are pictures to fill in and make your own and give you instructions to follow in order to complete pictures.  Great for working on improving fine motor skills, such as improving grasping patterns, improving visual motor/perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination and executive functioning skills.

The Dollhouse Book-I am madly in love with this activity book by Rock and Pebble that I just found when at my local toy store, Norman and Jules.  The Dollhouse Book is a drawing book shaped like a half of a house.  When you open it, you will find 30 blank pages that can be turned into your child's dream dollhouse. Through drawing, coloring, painting or using stickers, kids can make 15 different rooms.  This is great for working on improving imagination and creativity skills as kids are encouraged to make each room different.  For kids who have a hard time with coming up with ideas, you can spend some time looking at pictures of different rooms of houses and have them talk about what they will draw.  This book is great for working on improving fine motor and grasping skills, improving visual motor and perceptual skills and executive functioning skills, such as focus, attention and organization.
Once Upon A Doodle-in this activity book, kids get to create and complete fairy tale pictures. What I

like most about this book is that while there is a lot of room to be as creative and imaginative as you want, there are certain rules that need to be followed to complete the pictures.  For example, there is a page with a bunch of horses in a field.  Your child's job is to turn all those horses into magical unicorns.  Whether it be turning those horses into unicorns or drawing a long, stringy beard on Rumplestiltskin, kids will have fun coloring and drawing while working on improving fine motor, visual motor and perceptual skills, focus/attention and organizational skills.  It's fun to introduce kids to new fairy tales and work on building storytelling skills by having them tell you what's happening in the pictures they have completed.
Usbourne Sticker Books-my daughter is obsessed with these sticker books and can be entertained by them for hours on end.  There are several to choose from and you can often find them in most book stores.  I love them because they are great for working on developing fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination and visual motor and perceptual skills.  Also great for working on expanding language skills.  There are a lot of different sticker books (sports, princesses, castles and doll houses to name a few) to choose from so you will be sure to find one that is just right for your child.

Doodle Lit:  Coloring on the Classics-from the creators of the amazing BabyLit board books comes this fabulous and beautiful activity book.  Doodle Lit introduces kids to classic literature such as Pride & Prejudice, Romeo & Juliet, Alice in Wonderland and many, many more.  The book is chock-full of activities, including decorating the teapot for Alice's tea party and Jane Austen paper dolls.  There's so much more than just coloring in this book and can be a great book for your older children.  While learning about classic characters in literature, children are working on improving imagination and creativity skills, eye-hand coordination, visual motor and visual perceptual skills and improving fine-motor and grasping skills.
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book-this beautiful and interactive coloring book, illustrated by Johanna Basford, is something that you will want to do with your children.  I have spent countless hours working on this book (and others from Johanna Basford) with my daughter by my side.  It's more than just a coloring book...adorable garden creatures are hidden throughout the pages, making it great for working on improving visual perceptual skills.  Additionally, it's great for working on building speech and language skills as you and your child talk about what you see on each page.
Scented Gel Pens-I am a total sucker for good coloring tools and these happen to be my favorite right now.  More importantly, my little girl (who ironically has a terrible pencil grip) loves them!  This particular set is great because the pens are smaller and encourage a more appropriate grip.  Even if you have decreased grasp strength, you can use these and be successful because they are smooth and easy to use.  An added bonus is that they smell really good so kids get excited to use them.

Chalkola Markers-I was lucky enough for this product to have found me before I published this years gift guide.  I've been searching for something like these for a while and they happened to drop in my lap.  For many of the kids I work with, I suggest that parents find a wall in their house that they can put up some chalkboard or white erase paper on a free wall to work on graphomotor skills.  However, finding the write writing instruments to use on these surfaces has been tricky.  Dry erase markers are great but for so many of the kids I work with, they drag their hand along their work and erase their work before finishing.  These chalk markers are great because they go on as smoothly as they come off.  When I took them out at my gym recently and had the kids write on our mirror, they were so excited.  I had one little boy (who has always been resistant to handwriting activities) ask to write his name four different time in as many colors.  The nice thing about these chalk markers is that once they are started, they are easy to use so if you have a kid with decreased grasp strength, they can still be successful.  I happened to work on a large wall mirror with my friends which is great for building up upper extremity strength and shoulder stability.  When working in this upright position, kids are also more likely to prop their wrists up correctly which puts them in a more appropriate grasping pattern.  Besides practicing shapes, letters and numbers, you can play games like Tic-Tac-Toe, Hangman or the dot game.
Crayola Pip Squeaks-all of the Pip Squeak line is pretty awesome but the markers are a staple in my gym and I recommend them to all parents.  There are two different kids of Pipsqueak markers....regular and skinnies.  I love them both and tell parents to try both to see what their child
does better with.  One of the things I work on the most with the kids I work with is getting them to hold a writing instrument in a correct way.  One thing I have learned is that the smaller the writing instrument, the more likely a child is to hold it correctly.  Some people ask why I recommend markers over crayons or colored pencils and the answer is simple:  if you have a child with decreased grasp strength, they will fine more success when using markers over any other writing instrument because the amount of pressure they need to use on markers is not as much as crayons or pencils.
Crayons and Pencils-it's hard to know which crayons and colored pencils are the best.  It's really a personal preference and you may choose different coloring tools for different activities.

As an occupational therapist, I tend to use ones that are in the shape of a triangle because they help to Crayola's My First Crayons are a great and affordable option for your little artists and can be found in most drug stores, local toy stores and big box stores like Target.  A little tip...the smaller the crayon is, the more likely a child is to hold it in a more appropriate grasp.  For older children, P'Kolino carries amazing products.  My personal favorite is the Hexagon Shaped Colored Pencils.  Unlike most colored pencils, these are 100% color so you can use the whole pencil and there is no pencil sharpener required (honestly, where is a pencil sharpener when you really need it??).  Another nice thing about these colored pencils is that they are pretty durable and don't break easily, which is a nice feature for those kids who tend to use too much pressure when engaged in graphomotor tasks.
promote a tripod like grasp.

I could go on and give you all dozens of more options, but if you are anything like me, the more choices I find myself presented with, the more confused I get.  Do any of you have a fabulous coloring or activity book that you love?  I would love to tell Santa about them for my daughter if you have any we shouldn't love without!  I am always a click away and I love hearing from you with your ideas and suggestions.

Gearing Up For a New Year

Many kids have already begun the school year but by the middle of next week, after all those Labor Day picnics and parties, almost everyone will be starting school.  For some of the kids, it will be their first time going to school and for others, they will be returning to school.  While this time of the year can be very exciting, it can also bring about anxiety in children.  For many of the kids I work with, this time of the year can be difficult and parents are as anxious as they are about how the new year will go and what they can do to best prepare their children for the upcoming year.  Each of us has our own thoughts and ideas about this and it is most important to figure out which of these strategies work for your child and his/her areas of need.  As I prepare my own daughter (she begins kindergarten next week) for a new school year, I will be doing some of the following with her to get her ready and excited for all this new year has to bring.  

1.  Start your school year routine with your children the week before school begins.  This includes waking up to an alarm if necessary, eating meals the way you will during the school year and getting a bed time routine worked out before those first few days of school.  This is important for all kids, but especially those who have a difficult time with transitions and changes in routines.  If it helps, find some kind of daily schedule you can hang up for your children that they can look at before leaving the house for school so they have an idea of what to expect.  You may even want to put that schedule together right before bedtime the night before so your child can feel as prepared for the next day as possible.

2.  One of the things I remember most about growing up is the annual shopping trip for a new backpack and lunchbox.  This was super exciting and always made me feel slightly less anxious for a new school year.  Allow your children to be part of the process of picking out their new backpack and lunchbox.  If they are feeling anxious about going to school, make a big deal about showing their friends whatever they pick out.  I am one of those parents who avoids getting supplies with characters (but my daughter is more into pretty designs like clouds, stars and unicorns) but if you have a child who is into Disney Princesses, Cars or any other popular character, let them get it.  It doesn't seem like it would be a big deal but it really is!  

When picking these bags out, a few tips: 

*make sure that the backpack and lunchbox are not too big for your child to carry independently.  We send our kids to school to become more independent people, but if their bags are too heavy and cumbersome they are going to rely on grownups to take care of it for them.

*if you can find a backpack that has a lunchbox that will attach to it, even better.  I am a big fan of the new big kid backpacks by Skip*Hop.  In addition to being large enough to accomodate all the things a school age child needs to carry back and forth, there is a compartment built in for the lunch box to slip right into.  

*if you have a child who has decreased trunk strength, you might want to consider a bag that has wheels on it for them.  This way they have the option of carrying or dragging their bag.

3.  School supply shopping can be a daunting project but it is a necessary one.  My daughter starts kindergarten in a public school next week and the long list of supplies is crazy.  Since she has fine motor issues (nothing major or that warrants therapy...the poor kid has a mom who is an occupational therapist and is all over her!), I want to be sure that I get her supplies that she will be able to use and that might help support some of her difficulties.  Here are some of the things we will be getting for her and I will be recommending for the children I work with:  

Crayons-for the younger kids, especially those who may have a delayed grasp, I suggest the Crayola Triangular Crayons.  It comes in a box of 16 colors and are a bit thicker than the regular sized crayons. Additionally, the triangle shape helps encourage a tripod grasp when using them.

Colored Pencils-again, I am a fan of any of the Crayola colored pencils.  For the smaller hands, their Pip-Sqeaks Colored Pencils are perfect.  As they get older and still struggle with using a proper grip, you might want to consider getting the regular sized pencils and breaking them in half. The smaller the writing instrument, the more it encourages a proper grasp.
Scissors-I have always been a fan of the Fiskars blunt-tip scissors.  They are the perfect size for those little hands.  They also have left-handed scissors which not all companies carry.  You can find them in almost all chain drug stores but their website also has a large selection and you can find the exact color for your child!

Student Planner/Assignment Books-some schools now give each student a planner at the beginning of the school year which I think is amazing.  Many of the kids I work with struggle to keep their assignments organized, often forgetting what each of their teachers has asked them to do.  As children get older, they need strategies in order to keep themselves organized and more independent for classroom success.  Go to Staples or book stores and look at their selection and figure out which would be best for your child.  There are so many to choose from and there may be something about one that is better than another for your child and his/her needs.   It's important to go over what you expect from them when using this book.  Be sure to go over this before the school year begins and maybe even copy a few pages so you can do some practice runs before they have to use it for real.  

Folders-I don't care what brand you pick out but do have some suggestions, especially as kids get older.  First of all, if you have a kid who has difficulty keeping their backpack clean and organized, get those thick folders made out of plastic.  They can take a beating as they are shoved into their bags!  Also, I would suggest getting different colored ones for each subject so they don't have to open and close each one every time they need to complete an assignment.  If you have an older kid who you need to come up with organization strategies for, you can consider getting a binder to put all of the folders in so everything is in one place.
Pencil Case-be sure to find a pencil case that is big enough to carry what your child needs, but not so big that they have a hard time finding all they need.  If you have a child who presents with difficulty with organization and other executive functioning skills, you may want to find something that has compartments so it is easy to find everything when they need them.  You don't want your kids to lose out on time to complete assignments because they are too busy digging through their pencil case.  I am a big fan of this one here by Yoobi.  It's a little larger than the typical case, but it you can definitely find what you need when you need it without a problem.  Be sure to check out all the other products on Yoobi because for each product you purchase, they will donate one to a classroom in need.  

4.  A new school year can be most difficult partly because of all the new faces that a child may have to learn.  For kids who have learning, language or sensory delays, this is even more challenging.  Many of the kids I work with don't only have to worry about new teachers, but new therapists both in and out of school.  When possible, try and schedule a meet and greet with your child's new teacher and therapists prior to their first day with them.  While on these meet and greets, you can ask to take pictures for them to go back and look at leading up to their new schedule beginning.  You can also use these pictures to set up some kind of visual schedule for your child to look at the beginning of each day so they know where they will be going, who they will be seeing and what they can expect from their day.  This seems simple, but it can go a long way in setting your child up for a successful day.  

5.  It may seem crazy, but since I have a kid who is a picky eater I have to worry about her snacks and lunch for the school week.  Summer has led to bad eating habits (you know, eating ice cream for dinner or snacking on junk food during the day instead of having dedicated meal times) for us and one of my biggest concerns is will she have enough to eat during the day to ready her for brain learning all she has to do.  Packing protein filled meals is important to keep our kids from being hungry.  And since there are so many classrooms that are peanut and nut free, we have to become creative in what we pack for our kids.  When possible, take your child shopping for snacks and lunch foods.  I find that when they get to help choose them, they are more likely to eat them.  For kids with fine motor, sensory or feeding difficulties, be sure to pack foods that your child can eat independently.  Cut food into small, bite-sized pieces so they can easily take a piece with a fork or use their fingers.  If they have a hard time with using spoons, get squeezable fruit packs, applesauces or yogurts so they don't have to worry about using a spoon or asking for help.

Do you have any back to school tricks that you would like to share with my readers?  Any strategies that you have used with your sensory sensitive kid that made the transition back to school that much smoother and easier for not only your child, but your family leading up to the first day of school?  I am sure us parents and therapists have a lot of advice we can offer one another to make this anxiety producing time of the year less stressful and more enjoyable.  I love hearing from each and every one of you and hearing your helpful advice and know that when you share it with me, you are sharing it with tons of others!  I am only a click away and look forward to hearing from you!

As you all, parents, therapists and especially the kids that we love, begin this new school year, I wish you a wonderful and exciting year!