As we wrap up our #OTMonth board game series, we must discuss one that induces so much stress and anxiety but is still a classic after all these years. It’s the ultimate challenge of fine motor dexterity and mental agility, all while staying focused under pressure.
Continue reading
A game that combines suspense and fine motor prowess in a world of pretend play? Not to mention our first exposure to idioms. No wonder Operation has been a classic for decades.
Continue reading
Screen time is just an arm’s reach away and let’s face it, kids are more likely to lounge around face-down in their tablet rather than engage with the objects around them. To be fair, we’ve all had our fair share of staring at a screen this past year.
Although technology is changing how we function from day to day, it’s still important that your child gets hands-on interaction with their environment. Not only does it build their fine motor skills, but it also shapes how they engage with people and their surroundings.
Continue reading
An effective pencil grasp is one that allows for the greatest amount of finger movement and the least amount of fatigue in the hand muscles. This requires hand and finger strength, finger isolation, manual dexterity, and wrist stability. Here is a quick list of activities to help.
Continue reading
Children scribble. Children draw. Children explore, get messy, and climb on things. All of these build the skills necessary for handwriting.
The moment a child has a writing tool in their hand, their first inclination is to make marks with it. As they mature, they create intentionally meaningful drawings and scribbles which later turn into letters and words.
As children begin to learn how to write letters, they start developing pathways in the brain necessary for reading. In fact, research shows that 2- and 3-year-olds can distinguish writings from drawings, and that children at the age of 4 can recognize that printed words have meaning that can be decoded.
Continue reading
Child(ish) Advice 