Tag: utah occupational therapy

Toys and Activities to Keep Kids Active and Meet Their Sensory Needs in a Small Home

Have you ever seen an occupational therapy sensory integration room? (You’ll be jealous of my OT job if you have.) It is a fabulous, big gym with swings, balls, trampolines, mats, bolsters, crash pads and looks like a child’s dream room. If you have a child with sensory processing or sensory integration difficulties and have received therapy in one of these rooms, you’ve wished you could take this room home to help regulate your child’s sensory system each day! And if any child with or without sensory difficulties has been in a sensory room, they’ve begged their parents for a room like one of these in their own home (my own children included)!

Some families are fortunate enough to be able to replicate a big sensory room in their own home, but many simply do not have the space. Parks and outdoor play are the best sensory input in good weather, but snow, rain or even extreme heat may keep you and your child with high sensory needs inside for days at a time. Families can create environments in their own small homes to support their child’s sensory processing needs! Be inspired by this family of 5 who lives in a small home (2 1/2 small bedrooms) and has used their small amount of space wisely.

For about the past 2 years on and off, this family and I have worked together to create the appropriate environment with the right equipment and key activities to help their children regulate their sensory systems at home. They wish more than anything that they had a designated sensory room, but for now while space is very limited, they’ve incorporated important pieces throughout their home. They’ve slowly added equipment throughout the last 2 years so the expense wasn’t so big to start. I’ve asked them to share what the most important equipment and activities they use to help their children regulate their sensory systems and stay active. Even if you don’t have a child with a sensory diagnosis, be sure to look at these ideas, because any child can benefit from being active and having fun in their own home! (And any parent’s sanity can benefit from non-screen activities and equipment like this when their children are cooped up inside!)

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This family actually bought much of their equipment from Amazon. I’m hoping this post is informative, but also that these links will help families save time and energy if interested in using some of these ideas in their own home.

VIDEO: See Tera talk about these toys and activities to keep kids active with FOX 13 The Place here.

GYM1 INDOOR PLAYGROUND (PREVIOUSLY NAMED GORILLA GYM)

One of the hardest pieces of equipment to replicate at home from a full sensory gym is a swing. Yet, a swing is also one of the most powerful pieces of equipment to help regulate a child’s sensory system and ask any of the kids, it’s also the most fun! The Gym1 Indoor Swing is a fantastic way to get a swing into your home without a big price tag, large space or expert installation. The Gym1 package has a pull-up bar that can be installed onto a door frame without drilling and comes with attachments that can hang from the bar. The Gym1 Indoor Playground Deluxe Package includes a pull-up bar, swing, trapeze bar, rings, rope ladder and rope that attach to the pull-up bar and can be used in an open doorway. The Gym1 Indoor Playground Package includes the pull-up bar with a swing, rings and rope ladder. Or there’s the Gym1’s Indoor Swing Package with the pull-up bar and swing only. I LOVE the these indoor swings, so do the kids who live in AND the kids who visit this small home!

ROCK CLIMBING WALL

Climbers need a place to climb! Rock walls are perfect for a small home because you already have all the space you need! Dad built this wall fairly easily. He used some extra backer board leftover from a tile remodeling project. Although, he says most people typically use plywood on the walls. He used these Rocky Mountain Climbing Gear’s kids’ rock climbing wall holds with hardware. (Be sure to order child-sized holds for small hands.) The mounting hardware is easily screwed into the wall through the center of each hold. Really, rock climbing walls can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. And there’s no reason you can’t add onto it later and let it continue to grow or shrink as needed.

MINI TRAMPOLINE

Big or small trampolines will be great investments for your child’s sensory needs. I love the handle bars on the mini trampolines for stability and more sensory input into the child’s arms as they lean into it while jumping. A trampoline helps give great input in one contained spot in your house. This family bought this Little Tikes mini trampoline from Amazon. I’ve also had good experiences with the Fold n Go mini trampoline. For bigger kids, the Pure Fun mini rebounder trampoline is a good option.

POP-UP TENT AND TUNNELS

Small, enclosed spaces can create a sense of safety for an overwhelmed child needing to calm down. Pop-up tents and tunnels are great for this purpose. Tunnels are great to crawl, hide and play inside because moving inside a small space gives more proprioceptive (muscle and joint) input and creates a higher demand on the body to move than a wide, open space. If space is a concern, buy tents and tunnels that can be folded up and stored in small spaces, like this package of 2 pop-up tents and 2 pop-up tunnels or this set of one tent and one tunnel.

KIDOOZIE SUPER SKIPPER

Mom happened to find this toy in a small toy store on the clearance shelf in Wyoming. This was a great find and she says they use it every day at their house. The toy is placed on the ground and when turned on, the sticks spin and the kids jump over it again and again and again. We haven’t seen this exact toy again, but found this similar KidSource Musical Hop Skipper on Amazon.

AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS’ GONGE CAROUSEL

Spinning is intense vestibular (movement) input and is great for children who have a hard time keeping their bodies still. Spinning will meet movement needs quicker than back and forth movement. This family used an old office chair to spin until little baby brother’s arrival and they had to replace their desk and office chair for a crib. Now they use this fun Gonge Carousel! The Gonge Carousel spins easily without a constant push. Its uneven mounting causes spinning with the body weight of even small children. It’s also low enough to the ground that a child can stop quickly by putting their foot down. If you have a small home and a child who loves spinning, you need this!

POOL NOODLE SWORDS

A couple of years ago, I happened to see these pool noodle swords at a farmers’ market in North Logan, Utah made from PVC pipe, pool noodles and duct tape. They were a great price, so I also bought some larger batons (think ninja warrior equipment) for my own older kids at the same time (and they STILL love them). These pool noodle swords have proven to be perfect for this family to help regulate their sensory systems. The pool noodle is soft enough to not cause injury. The design with pool noodles on both sides seems to keep them from falling apart after almost 2 years of play. Visit Kid’s Armory Facebook page for contact info if you’d like to try these fun pool noodle swords and batons also. (In case Utah is too far away, I found this package of 4 pool noodle swords on Amazon. I’ve not used them, but wanted to give a link to find something similar.)

WEIGHTED PILLOWS AND BLANKETS

Weighted pillows and blankets are great way to help children to settle and calm for a midday nap or after a long day of play. My favorite local Utah company, Comfort Weighted Blankets, is where I usually recommend buying weighted blankets. (Not only do I like to support local companies, but I’ve found that buying from local companies can decrease the shipping cost on weighted items.) You can also find other companies or you can make your own. Here is a link to a child’s weighted blanket from InYard on Amazon. This family loves Minky Couture blankets, also a favorite local Utah company. These aren’t as heavy as weighted blankets, but use a super soft material that is quite heavy. Because this family has so many, they usually pile several minkies on top of their kids for deep pressure, especially when it’s time to calm and settle.

This little guy has a very favorite old throw pillow and loves to chew on the corner of it. Mom decided to make it into a weighted pillow to help him calm at night with deep pressure. She sewed pockets of rice into old fabric, unstitched the side seam of the pillow, put the rice pockets inside and then stitched it back up. It was easy for even a mom who claims she doesn’t sew. He uses it every night and asks for it when he needs to calm down as he sets it on his lap and chews on the corner. You can always add weight into pillows, blankets or stuffed animals on your own with rice, rocks, or plastic pellet stuffing, etc.

EASY OR NO-EQUIPMENT-NEEDED ACTIVITIES

DANCE PARTIES : Only music needed to get your dance moves on!

BALLOON TOSS: Blow up a balloon and try to keep it in the air! (Easy activity for kids to do while parents are occupied.)

CLIMB, JUMP, CRASH: Jump from the couch, stairs or beds into blankets, pillows, cushions, bean bags or stuffed animals. You can always buy a crash pad or make a crash pad, but a pile of blankets, pillows and stuffed animals on the floor to crash works well also. Your children will incorporate more intensity on their own if they need it with somersaults, flips, etc. (Bunk beds are the preferred jumping spot in this house.)

WRESTLING: A great way to keep kids and adults active! (P.S. Dads and uncles are wrestling all-stars!)

TWISTER: A classic game that can be fun for all ages!

Please share if you have great equipment and activities you use to meet your children’s sensory needs and keep them active in your home!

*Be sure to follow all product safety recommendations. Always supervise your children to help them stay safe with all equipment and activities.

*I am part of the Amazon Associates Program. If you choose to buy any of these products from Amazon, I’d love for you to purchase them through the links on my website to help support the work I do with Yums Theraplay! Thank you!

Fidgets in the Classroom: Why? What? How?

By Courtney Bills and Tera Robinson

We are right in the middle of the fidget spinner craze! The debates and rants have died down a bit because school is out for summer and no one has a problem if children are paying more attention to their fidget spinner than they are to their screens. Or the fidget spinners are inside while the kids are swimming, riding bikes and playing at the park. But… School starts soon and the discussion will surely fire back up! Hopefully, this post will help give some thought and good ideas to implement and help calm the craze, especially in our classrooms.

This time, I’ve teamed up with an amazing elementary teacher with 15 years of experience in classrooms, Courtney Bills. She has used fidgets in her classroom and gets everyday practice to implement sensory strategies into her teaching as she works with students, teachers and her own children who have sensory processing difficulties. We’ve collaborated together to help students and teachers for several years and she has some great ideas to successfully implement fidgets in classrooms. Courtney is going to share HOW she implements fidgets into her classroom at the end of this article.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links as a convenient way to find products and tools recommended.

VIDEO: See Tera talk about fidgets in the classroom on FOX 13 The Place here.

WHY USE FIDGETS IN THE CLASSROOM? (by Tera)

A fidget is one of many tools that helps students self-regulate their attention, behavior and learning. Fidget spinner marketers have done a fabulous job in gaining the attention of the general public about something people have been doing for ages and that occupational therapists have been recommending for decades! You’ve already seen fidgets in many forms, even before the invention of the fidget spinner! Twirling hair, tapping fingers, bouncing knees, clicking pens, doodling…

Fidgets can help a person who is having difficulty paying attention, holding still, or behaving appropriately to seek out movement (vestibular), muscle (proprioceptive) and touch (tactile) sensory input that will keep them alert, attentive and maintain appropriate interactions during important daily activities. For students in a classroom, appropriate daily activities would include sitting still, paying attention, listening to the teacher, following directions, staying on task, completing work assignments and participating appropriately in classroom activities with others nearby.

Maybe you know a student or two or three… who may struggle with some of these appropriate classroom behaviors. Students with the following behaviors would benefit from using a fidget:

difficulty paying attention, listening and following directions
difficulty maintaining alertness (may exhibit “dazed” looks)
difficulty holding still or staying in his/her seat
difficulty keeping hands to her/himself and staying in his/her own space

WHAT FIDGETS WORK IN THE CLASSROOM? (by Tera)

The key to a successful classroom fidget is that it that works as a tool, not a toy. Each student will respond differently to different fidgets. I’ve seen a variety of fidgets work very successfully in classrooms, including simple fidget spinners for a student or two and fidget cubes for a few more, but the key is still that it is used as a tool, NOT a toy. Students have many other classroom tools such as pencils, crayons, scissors, paper, desks, chairs, books, computers, iPads… Teachers teach and maintain guidelines about appropriately using these classroom tools and not allowing them to become toys. (A few examples: A pencil is for writing, not sword fighting. Scissors are for cutting paper, not hair.) Teachers should also teach and maintain guidelines for classroom fidget tools. A successful fidget tool will not be the focus of a student’s attention, but will be used in the background with the focus of attention being given to the instruction, activities and learning in the classroom. Students should be able to answer questions, participate appropriately and not disturb others in the learning taking place while using the fidget. One reminder is that novelty will always create excitement, but once it is consistently used in the classroom, the excitement wears off. So if fidgets are used consistently in the classroom, they will become old news to many students and the ones who need them will keep coming back for them.

I really love this video that explains and gives guidelines on how to use fidgets in the classroom as a tool and not a toy: Long Story Shorts – Fidgets. Teachers and parents, show this to your students so they can learn how to use a fidget effectively to help them learn!

There are a few practical considerations to take into account when choosing fidgets for the classroom:

Price is important in a full classroom of young students. Expect that fidgets will be lost and need to be replaced, so I try to only buy fidgets that are about $3 or less.
The ability to use hands for learning activities is another important factor. Fidgets requiring two hands are fine for listening and discussion, but if a student is writing, at least one hand should be free to use a pencil. You can add a clip to tie to belt loops or a pencil topper fidget to avoid dropping or losing the fidget.
Simple and plain is best for classroom fidgets. Remember that fidgets should NOT be the focus of a student’s attention, so entertaining factors, such as stress balls with eyes that pop out when squeezing or bright, flashing lights or any noisy fidget, should be avoided in the classroom.

Several of my awesome teacher friends have helped me create a list of their most successful fidgets of the many that I’ve recommended in their classrooms over the past few years.

Nut & Bolt Pencil Toppers

Coil Bracelets

Scrubber Sponges

Yarn

Sticky Back Velcro Tape

HOW CAN FIDGETS BE USED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE CLASSROOM? (by Courtney)

Although many children can be taught in a traditional classroom without modifications, many children will find greater success with simple classroom adjustments. I have found that providing opportunities for children to discover their personal sensory needs enhances their learning, their motivation to learn, and their engagement in instruction.

I have learned a few things over the years in using fidgets and other sensory strategies in my classroom: (Although this article is specific for fidgets, all points in this section can be applied to any sensory strategy, such as seating options and brain breaks, used in the classroom.)

All fidgets should be taught with procedures and purpose just like turning in an assignment, sharpening pencils or lining up. You can eliminate almost all misuse of fidgets with proper training and procedures.
Provide more fidgets than children. Only a handful of children will “need” a fidget during carpet time, but if all children have the option, no one feels different or singled out.
Don’t use fidgets as a punishment for not being able to sit still or poor behavior.
Don’t take away fidgets for not following directions, using fidgets incorrectly, or not sitting still. Don’t misinterpret the fidget to be the cause of poor behavior, but lack of training and understanding the proper use of fidgets.
Most importantly, help children self-regulate and recognize when and if a particular fidget is helping him/her engage in the learning.

To help students learn how to self-regulate by using fidgets, ask questions such as:

How did having this fidget help you participate during carpet time?
Why did you choose to use this fidget to do your assignment today? Did it help you or distract you?
What fidget could you try next time that may help you stay focused?
I noticed that this fidget seemed to help you get your work done. How did it make you feel inside? Why do you think it helped you?

Fidgets are one of many sensory strategies that we use to support student success at school. Ask your occupational therapist for recommendations to meet the specific needs of your individual child or student. You may also be interested in learning about the importance of full recesses and seating options for sensory strategies to be used in combination with fidgets at school.

Every Minute of Every Recess for Every Student!

Classroom Seating Options for Students Who Struggle Sitting Still

Courtney Bills is a wife and mom of three awesome kids with their own individual sensory needs. She has taught in elementary classrooms for many years and is now a National Educational Consultant, with a focus on literacy instruction through C & B Reading, LLC. She works locally in Utah to help integrate an inclusion model for all students by providing necessary accommodations in the classroom for engagement and success of all learners.

Simple Tips, Tools and Resources to Help Young Students Develop Basic Handwriting Skills

I recently collaborated with Help Me Grow Utah, a great Utah resource, to write a guest post, “3 Simple Ways to Prepare Your Kindergartener for Handwriting Success”.

As a follow up to the Help Me Grow Utah post, I wanted to share some very simple tools, products and resources to help your young student develop basic foundational skills for good handwriting!

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links as a convenient way to find products and tools recommended.

VIDEO: See Tera talk about developing handwriting skills with FOX 13 The Place here.

ENCOURAGE THE USE OF SMALL TOOLS

The use of small tools will require the small muscles of the hand to develop important fine motor skills for handwriting. You already have perfect items in your house right now: toothpicks, beads, string, pipe cleaners, tweezers, tongs, sticks, chalk, Legos, small game pieces, clothespins, paint brushes, etc. Get these out for play time to help develop fundamental fine motor skills!

Smaller is better! Stay away from thick or chunky writing tools for your young students. Buy the regular-sized pencils, crayons and thin markers. (Remember this when buying school supplies also.) In fact, save some money! Broken crayons and short pencils are ideal to encourage a proper pencil grasp.

Add a stylus to screens to encourage better fine motor skill development than just using fingers.

Below are examples and links to some of the small tools I use to help young students develop handwriting skills!

Crayola Chalk

Chameleon Tails Pipe Cleaners

Games with Small Pieces (Hi Ho Cherry-O)

Boogie Board eWriter

Stylus Pen

ENCOURAGE AN IDEAL PENCIL GRASP

Encourage a tripod pencil grasp. Thumb, pointer and middle finger should pinch the pencil while ring and pinkie fingers are tucked into the palm.

“Let the pencil breathe!” Allow thumb, pointer and middle fingers to form an circle while the finger tips hold the pencil. If fingers or thumb are wrapped against the pencil, it is difficult for fingers to move effortlessly without getting tired.

ENCOURAGE FORMING LETTERS FROM THE TOP

Reinforce starting each capital and lowercase letter at the top with the exception of lowercase d and e (which start in the middle). Handwriting becomes more automatic when letters have a consistent starting point. Eventually, we want students to be thinking about the thoughts they are writing, not on how to write the letters.

I love using handwritingpractice.net to create free worksheets with correct starting points. (I recommend using the print letters with the starting point dots. I don’t recommend using the arrows from this website.)

Handwriting Without Tears letter formation charts are what I use to help children remember how to form their letters. (The letter formation from this program encourages more fluid letter strokes over the letter formation arrows in the previous website mentioned.)

You can also use Handwriting Without Tears workbooks specifically for your child’s grade level. It’s always convenient to have a workbook for them to follow. I love these products.

Happy handwriting!

You can read my full article with tips for handwriting here on Help Me Grow Utah’s blog: 3 Simple Ways to Prepare Your Kindergartener for Handwriting Success

Help Me Grow Utah is a great Utah-based resource to help answer any parenting and child development questions a parent or provider has by providing information and community referrals. You can contact them at no cost by dialing 211 and asking for Help Me Grow.

The Best Developmental Spaces for Your Baby (pssst… NOT a car seat)

A baby’s car seat is essential and one of the most important baby gear items you will purchase before your newborn arrives. The absolute best and safest place for a baby inside of a moving car is buckled into an appropriate car seat! However, outside of a moving car, a car seat is NOT the best place for a baby. Outside of the car, parents will want their baby in spaces and positions to foster their baby’s best development and a car seat is NOT one of those places. Hopefully, I can help spread understanding about the best spaces for your baby’s development and also spread understanding that the best place to leave your baby’s car seat is inside the car.

Car seats have been designed to be very convenient for parents to move and carry their baby for almost every activity except changing a diaper. You’ll see babies being carried in a car seat from their car into home, into the store, onto a shopping cart, into a restaurant, set up to the restaurant table, sitting in church, going for a walk that attaches to a stroller, sleeping at home… As a mom of three, I completely understand the importance of convenience on days when I am sleep-deprived and stressed to the max. (Those days happen too often!) But just like the convenience of feeding my older children fast food from the drive-thru each day, convenient options for parents are NOT always the best choice for your children.

VIDEO: See Tera talk about the best spaces for baby development with FOX 13 The Place here.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links as a convenient way to find recommended products.

WHY NOT A CARSEAT (OR OTHER SEMI-RECLINED BABY GEAR)?

A baby’s first year of development is primarily about learning through her sensory system, integrating the sensations she receives from the world, and producing important motor movements with the information she has gathered from her sensory world. The sensations babies are processing include: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, movement and muscle and joint input. As a baby begins to understand this sensory input, she begins to experiment with her own new body in response and in anticipation to these sensations. These responses may include calming and falling asleep when being swaddled, sung a lullaby and rocking back and forth in the arms of her sweet-smelling mama. Anticipation may include recognizing the face and smell of her mama who breastfeeds her or recognizing what a bottle looks like, showing exciting movements and opening her mouth in anticipation to suck her bottle, swallow her milk, fill her tummy and interact with her caregiver during her feeding. As a baby is exposed to the sensations of the world, she develops ways to move and navigate through her world, and as she moves more in her world, she learns more and more and in turn develops more and more ideas and skills, with the cycle going on and on…

Car seats, especially with a car seat cover (as cute as they are), significantly limit a baby’s ability to interact with his sensory world outside of the car seat. Sights are obstructed, sound is muffled, touch and smell are blocked, and movement, muscle and joint activation is limited when a baby is buckled into a car seat, therefore limiting a baby’s ability to learn and develop ideas and motor skills to navigate and understand his world.

Positioning and buckling a baby into a semi-reclined position restricts movement. If a baby spends too much time in this position, it can cause other developmental concerns, including flattening of a baby’s soft skull (plagiocephaly is the medical term) and muscle imbalances of the neck (torticollis is the medical term). Plagiocephaly or flattening of the skull may require a helmet to reshape your baby’s head. Torticollis or muscle imbalances of the neck can lead to even further developmental motor concerns for your baby if not addressed appropriately. Too much time in car seats, bouncy chairs, swings or other baby-holding gear with a semi-reclined sitting position can often cause and will always make both of these conditions worse. (Torticollis can develop despite good positioning habits, but good positioning habits are always an important part of a good treatment plan and prevention plan for plagiocephaly and torticollis.)

As an occupational therapist treating babies with developmental concerns, including torticollis, plagiocephaly, motor and sensory delays, I recommend that babies be in car seats, bouncy chairs, swings or other semi-reclined positioning baby gear no more than 20 minutes at a time and no longer than 2 hours a day, unless the baby is required to be buckled safely in a carseat for a longer car ride. I find that these are good recommendations for all babies to foster their best overall development.

WHERE ARE THE BEST SPACES FOR A BABY’S DEVELOPMENT?

The best spaces for a baby’s development is… (drumroll please…) BEING HELD IN YOUR ARMS or ON THE FLOOR or other flat surface! So simple, so inexpensive, but so important for your baby!

Hold your baby, snuggle your baby, rock your baby or recruit happy helpers to do this when your arms need to be doing something else. Don’t underestimate the importance of holding your baby! When my babies were little, I liked to pass hand sanitizer to any happy helper willing to hold my babies or at least wrap them in a blanket to avoid passing germs. Don’t be surprised if I happen to sit by you and your buckled baby and ask if I may hold him. (Yes, you can ask me to use hand sanitizer too.) When you are holding your baby, he is immersed in calming sensations similar to the womb from which he’s recently come.

Flat surfaces are best for your baby’s motor development. Lay your baby down on a blanket on the floor. Lay your baby on her flat crib mattress or in the flat surface of a playard (also called pack ‘n play or play pen). Lay your baby in a stroller that lays down flat. Allow your baby to lie on her back, on her side and yes, her tummy for essential tummy time to foster good motor development. (Remember when putting your baby down to sleep, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends lying her on her back. Your baby’s supervised awake time is best for tummy time. Click to see the AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations.) Your baby can look around, focus on your face to smile at you, listen to the sounds around her, find her hands to suck on them, move her head from side to side, kick her legs back and forth, practice picking her head up… As a baby gets older and her motor skills develop, the floor is still the best place, but movement will include pushing up onto her hands while on her tummy, rolling over, sitting up, crawling and learning to walk. She can’t build strong foundations to learn or practice these motor skills well while buckled into a car seat or other baby-holding gear.

WHAT BABY GEAR WILL FOSTER MY BABY’S BEST DEVELOPMENT?

Going for a walk? Going to the store? Or even going to a restaurant? Use a baby wrap or baby carrier that allows your arms to be free, but still gives the sensory experiences of being held in your arms. Strollers that can lay down to a flat surface are best for your baby until he has stable head and trunk control and can sit up in a buckled stroller seat. While lying flat in a stroller, your baby can still move freely and will not be positioned to cause developmental concerns, such as plagiocephaly (head flattening) and torticollis (neck muscle imbalance).

If you are concerned about putting your baby on the floor, use a playard with a flat surface. (Some playards come with “napping” attachments that are in a semi-reclined position. Don’t use these.) Some playards come with a bassinet option that is a raised flat surface. These are great sleeping and playing options for newborns that can’t sit up and reach over the edge. When your child is able sit or stand, you will want to remove the bassinet option and place her on the bottom surface. Flat surfaces for sleeping and playing are always best for the motor development of your baby.

Below are some examples of baby gear (Amazon affiliate links) with options to position your baby and foster the best developmental opportunities so can you leave your baby’s car seat in the car and put away your semi-reclined baby holding gear.

BABY CARRIERS:

If you would like some guidance in choosing a baby carrier, click on this article, “The Basics of Babywearing” by Jessica Quigley, a Certified Babywearing Consultant in Utah. This will direct you to Jessica’s babywearing website, carrylittlehearts.com, where you can find a wealth of information on babywearing and Jessica’s contact info.

Boba Wrap

Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier Original

Moby Wrap Baby Carrier

Baby K’Tan Original Baby Carrier

Onya Baby Infant to Toddler Bundle – Outback Carrier

LILLEbaby Complete All Season Six-Position 360 Ergonomic Baby & Child Carrier

Ergobaby 360 All Carry Positions Award-Winning Cool Mesh Ergonomic Baby Carrier

Tula Ergonomic Carrier with Tula Infant Insert (sold separately)

STROLLERS WITH A FLAT RECLINE AND/OR FLAT BASSINET ATTACHMENT:

Some travel system strollers with car seats included have great full recline or bassinet options. But remember that you will want to use these full recline/bassinet features, not the “snap ‘n go” feature of using a car seat in the stroller.

Graco Aire3 Click Connect Stroller

Graco DuoGlide Click Connect Double Stroller (The rear seat reclines fully, even though it is not pictured.)

Graco Modes Stroller

Evenflo Sibby Stroller (Although this picture shows the car seat clicked into the stroller, I recommend using the stroller in the full recline position without the car seat.)

Joovy Scooter X2 Double Stroller (Both seats recline to “near-napping” position, even though the reclined position is not pictured.)

Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller with optional Bassinet Kit (sold separately)

Evenflo Pivot Stroller

Chico Urban Stroller

UPPAbaby VISTA Stroller with Bassinet

PLAYARDS:

Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard On the Go

Evenflo Arden Playard

Joovy New Room2 Portable Playard

Lotus Travel Crib and Portable Playard

4Moms Breeze Playard

Build Your Preschooler’s Skills with Purposeful Play

Thank you to my guest bloggers, Nancy and Jason, owners of Effortless Art Crayons, a Two Sparrows Learning Systems product. Effortless Art Crayons are a unique early learning crayon designed to support and improve young children’s grip and grasp. Watch your child’s joy and creativity grow as they use the Effortless Art line of products. You can check out all their products and learn more about their journey as young entrepreneurs at www.effortlessartproducts.com.

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, we can all take a breath and settle into a more normal routine for our families. I don’t know about all of you, but our family flew right back into the craziness of work and school and we are still trying to catch our breaths! We are really trying our best to still fit in family time, but it’s so hard to find time for just having relaxed downtime with your kids, amidst all the practices, games, after-school activities, and driving here, there, and everywhere! Everyone is so busy and over scheduled as families lately that it is easy to forget to carve out time doing the simple, fun activities, like crafts, building forts, making block towers, and exploring together. These are so important for children’s development! Our son is three and this is such an important age to develop his fine motor skills, his problem solving, foster his communication skills, and experience activities that he can be creative with. I try my best, but I’m not perfect, and often my best-laid plans are left lying on the kitchen table!

I have decided that this year, my “New Year-Long” resolution is to find time each week, even if it is only 30 minutes, to spend with my son playing, creating, or crafting together. It’s winter, and even though we are a hockey family and spend plenty of time on the ice, there are still lots of times where we are stuck indoors, and it’s perfect for spending some time playing together.

Play is such an important part of learning and development. Children need purposeful play that helps them develop their fine motor skills, language skills, ability to interact with each other, and foster emotional regulation. Screen time or using an iPad, unfortunately, does nothing to help this. If you are looking for some easy, low-cost ways to have fun with your child and not break the budget while cooped up, dig out puzzles, blocks, Legos, and toys that encourage building and construction. Choose toys that encourage pretend play and help your children develop their imagination. Even if they are older, find new ways to use them. Can you see how fast your child can assemble the puzzle? What about pulling out two puzzle sets at once and seeing if they can assemble both correctly? Mel issa and Doug themed puzzles are great for this. What about building an entire city with blocks and Legos, and getting those Hot Wheels out (our son’s current favorite), and connecting the buildings with roads? Small warning…you may have to leave it up for a few days, so set it up somewhere where there is not a ton of foot traffic! (Links above in this paragraph are Amazon affiliate links for Yums Theraplay.)

Our son absolutely LOVES to do “projects” as he calls them. He loves to paint, color, draw, glue, cut, and create anything he can imagine with a paper plate, puffballs, and glue! I cherish these times as we make memories together, talk, laugh, and I get to watch his joy and eyes light up as he creates something new. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we have kept busy in the cold temperatures finding fun crafts that still practice fine motor skills. Check out our “I love you to pieces” hearts and our “Heart Man.”

I worry that these experiences are being lost and happening less and less, as iPads and video games are overtaking our children’s time and attention. Even something as simple as making paper snowflakes seems to have fallen away. As parents, we can’t forget how important these activities are for our children’s development and how much better they are than any app.

I recently completed a research project working to develop children’s fine motor skills. I worked with preschool students and saw incredible growth in our pre and posttests. “What did we do,” you ask? Well, we worked with play dough, painted, practiced picking up items with clothespins and tongs, used paint dabbers and stickers to practice making lines and shapes, and of course, colored with Effortless Art Crayons! You know, really high-tech things! Children’s pencil grasp and visual motor skills improved, which is a huge foundational piece for young children to progress to harder tasks, like writing letters and numbers, not to mention, increasing their independence!

Bottom line – all these activities are necessary for your children to experience if you want them to be ready to read and write. We may not think much of them, because it seems too simple. However, simple is truly better, in fact, simple is necessary. If you do not build your child’s foundation, they will have nothing to stand on when it comes time to learn to write, spell, and move onto more complex literacy skills.

Let your New Year’s resolutions ring out through the year! I hope you join me in making a resolution to focus on helping our children experience the fun of creating art, of being creative, of engaging in purposeful play. Try it out now starting with Valentine’s Day! Your children will most certainly love the time spent with you. Till next time!

The Effortless Art Family,
Nancy, Jason, and Crayon Kid

Nancy is a former special education teacher and currently is a university instructor in special education. The Effortless Art Crayons were born out of a need she saw for her students teaching in the public school system. Jason’s background is in product development. Their son, Crayon Kid, is their official product tester and crayon sorter.