Here at Kid PT, we have compiled a list of our favorite toys that promote gross motor skills and development. We strongly believe that the effectiveness of exercise, movement, and learning is always amplified when combined with joy. As each child is unique, consider your child’s strengths and preferences to pick gifts that excite them. The age ranges listed below are recommendations not rules. Happy shopping!

0-6 months:

1. Love Every Play Kit Subscription: This is a great gift for parents and baby as each month you will receive age appropriate activities and well made toys to play with your child at each stage of development. 

2.Rainmaker: So much sensory fun with this toy with stimulating sounds and bright colors. This promotes visual motor skills, cause and effect, visual tracking, grasping, hands to midline, and overall movement.

3.Hands and Feet Rattles: This toy promotes bringing feet and hands together in midline, hand eye coordination, body mapping, and core strength and endurance.

 4. Oball with Rattle: The easy to grasp design is well suited for little ones as it promotes hands to midline, hand eye coordination, gaze stabilization, core activation, visual tracking, and motivation to perform gross motor skills of tummy time, rolling, sitting, and play on their backs.

5. Curious Baby Activity Cards: Another great gift for both parents and baby are these activity cards. They provide education on how baby is developing at each age and age appropriate activities to further promote development. The kit also includes high contrast image cards to promote newborn visual development and can be used to motivate visual tracking and tummy time. 

6. Baby Play Gym Activity Mat: A play gym provides babies with motivation to move and explore their environment.

7. Tummy Time Play Mat: This play mat includes various textures, high contrast images, crinkle material, and a removable mirror. These features promote movement, exploration of the environment, reaching with arms, weight shifts, pivoting, and floor mobility.

8. Tummy Time Floor Mirror and High Contrast Images: This mirror and picture display is another great addition to tummy time. It promotes motivation to stay in tummy time to develop strength and endurance in their core, shoulders, and hips while also developing vision, body awareness, gaze stabilization, and overall movement.

9.Suction Toys: Suction toys are versatile as they can be secured to the floor, mirrors, tables, feeding trays, or the bathtub wall. They are incredible motivators for our babies in tummy time, sitting, and standing by promoting reaching, hand eye coordination, cause and effect, weight shifts, and balance reactions. 

6-12 months

1. Sensory Tissue Box: This toy is filled with “tissues” of different textures, colors, and patterns. This is a great toy to promote movement especially while sitting and standing. As your child pulls the tissues out of the box, it develops their core and extensor strength, balance, weight shifts, and hand eye coordination.

2.  Stacking Cups: Gift this baby development staple as it promotes cognitive, fine motor, and hand eye coordination skills. It also promotes motivation while performing gross motor skills in tummy time, supine, sitting, and standing.

3.Climb and Crawl Set: These large blocks are versatile as they can be used for hand support in tall kneeling, pull to standing, and as obstacles to creep over. This targets strength and stability of the core and hip muscles. 

4. Drum Shape Sorter: This toy targets so many aspects of development including cognition, object permanence, hand eye coordination, and movement. This is a perfect height to promote upright sitting and is also a fun task to promote weight shifts, reaching, and balance in standing.

5.Little Balance Box: Standard baby walkers can be distracting and unsteady due to the wheels, which can impact the motivation to walk and also the quality of walking. This balance box was designed by a PT to provide a moveable, semi-stable surface to promote standing balance and supported walking. We often recommend using household items of chairs, boxes, and laundry baskets instead of standard baby walkers and this balance box was designed for just that. 

12-36 months

1. Curious Toddler Activity Cards: Fear not, Curious baby also provides development and activity cards for your toddler.  

2. Rody Horse: A great toy that provides proprioceptive and vestibular input, a full body workout, and also challenges sitting balance.

3.Pull Toy: This pull toy combines shape sorting, stimulating sounds, and gross motor fun. 

4. Squigz: Squigz are a clinic favorite from our babies to our school aged children. They are versatile as they can suction to walls, mats, windows, mirrors, hard surfaces, and other squigz. They challenge fine motor skills and can be incorporated in balance and obstacle course activities.

5. Corn Popper Push Toy and Bulldozer Push Toy: These highly motivating push toys make exploring the environment stimulating and fun. It challenges a child’s coordination to navigate the push toy forward and around obstacles and turns.

6. Walker Wagon: Have your little one push their toys around the block to promote strength and endurance with this fun wagon walker.

7. Broom and Mop Set: This fun pretend play set promotes core strength, coordination, and balance.

3-5 years

1. Balance Bike: Ditch the idea of using training wheels. Have your child learn how to balance and coordinate weight shifts by using a balance bike prior to training on a bike with pedals. 

2.Hedge Hog Balance Pods: These stepping stones provide countless opportunities for fun by using them with obstacle courses, pretend play, and exercise for the whole family. They promote strength, stability, coordination, and balance.  

3. Mini Basketball Hoop: This works on ball skills, hand eye coordination, visual motor skills, and can be incorporated into obstacle courses.

4. Mini Trampoline with Railing: Trampolines help with developing coordination, power, core and leg strength, jumping skills, balance, and endurance.

5. Rocket Launcher: This is a beloved toy at the clinic as our kiddos take such joy in launching the rockets as far as possible. This promotes single limb balance, strength, coordination, and jumping skills.

6. Pop the Pig: This is a great game to activate and strengthen the core while pushing down with both hands on the pig’s head. It can also be incorporated into obstacles and balance activities.

7. Climber and Slide Play Set: The climbing portions promote core and hip strength and the slide activates the vestibular system.

5 years and up:

1. BoBo Balance Core Trainer: This is a visual feedback device that can be connected to a phone or ipad that challenges core strength, balance, coordination, and visual motor skills. It is versatile as you can use it in varied positions with your arms, both legs, or just one leg. The challenges include mazes, snowboarding, sledding, submarining, and so much more.

2. Wooden Wobble Balance Board– The balance board challenges core and hip strength, coordination, and balance. You can also turn it over and it can act as a little bridge.

3. Hyperdash: Hyperdash has both individual or group player modes that challenge coordination, response time, and speed. 

4. Roller Skates: Roller skates are a great gadget that challenges coordination, endurance, balance, and single limb stance. 

5. Zoom Ball– This is a great activity that challenges visual motor skills, coordination, core strength, and postural control.

6. Bike: A bike is a classic toy that promotes strength, balance, coordination, and endurance. It is a great way to keep kids active throughout the year.

We hope these ideas were helpful to you and your family! If you have any favorites share them with us in the comments!

By Dr Ali and Dr Kat

Hey families! Are you looking for fun, outdoor activities in the changing weather that will challenge your kiddo’s motor system? Well look no further, because we have the most fun, festive, fall activities RIGHT HERE!

Rake the leaves: Help mom and dad out by grabbing a rake and raking all the leaves into one pile. Using a rake is a great gross motor activity because you have to use two hands together while turning your upper body to rake successfully (aka you have to use your core muscles). You need to do this while holding your lower body stable, working on balance while working on your kiddo’s core at the same time!

Jumping in the leaves: Leaf jumping is so much fun! Make sure that there is a big pile to jump in first, then run and JUMP into the leaves. You can try all kinds of jumps here: a traditional jump which includes a two footed take off and two footed landing, a leap where you start on one foot and land on the other foot, or a hop where you start on one foot and land on the same foot! There are so many possibilities.

The Squirrel Hop: Squat down low to the ground with your hands on the ground too (kind of like a frog). Now jump your hands forward and then jump your feet to your hands to hop like a squirrel (think like a frog jump!). Do this jump all over the house and make it even more fun by adding acorns to the mix and hide your acorns all around the house (but don’t forget where they are!)

Nature walk: Enjoy a family outing with a walk at a nature trail or local park. Encourage curiosity about wildlife and the plants you come in contact with by using nature bracelets. Simply wrap duct tape loosely around your child’s wrist with the sticky side facing out. When they find a leaf, flower, or small item that they are interested in, they can pick it up and stick it to their bracelet. (Make sure to educate your kiddos to stay away from poison ivy though.) By the end of the walk, let everyone showcase their bracelets. 

Apple Tree Balance Act: Draw the outline of a tree with chalk on your driveway or sidewalk and scatter “apples” on each branch that they have to gather. For apples, you can use real/ toy apples, pom poms, bean bags, leaves, small balls, or anything you find nearby. Have your child keep their feet on the chalk lines as if they are walking on a tightrope and keep both feet on the chalk as they squat to pick up the “apples.” Increase the challenge by having them do it backwards/ sideways, touching elbow/ hand to opposite knee with each step, or incorporating “apples” of varied colors that they need to sort into different baskets.

Do you have any other fall fun activities to share? Post them in the comments!

Halloween is here and it’s the second year we are taking extra precautions because of COVID. It can be overwhelming for parents especially since there are a whole new set of provisions to take to get our kiddos ready for trick or treating. This
past year, we have had the opportunity to receive the COVID vaccine therefore the restrictions this year have been looser. But, it is still important to take the necessary steps to make this Halloween safe for everyone. We would like to share some tips and tricks to keep our community safe while also having fun.

1. Wear a mask: Although the state mandate says people who are vaccinated do not need to wear a mask, it’s still safer to wear one regardless. A Halloween themed 2-ply mask is a fun way to stay safe! Children who are wearing costumes with a face covering should still wear a 2-ply mask to ensure safety as well.
2. Handing Out Candy: Homeowners participating should also wear a mask. They can also individually hand out candy instead of letting children pick into the communal bowl.
3. Social Distancing: It can be difficult to avoid overcrowding on Halloween, but you can take chalk to make markings every six feet leading up to your door to ensure social distancing is still taking place.
4. Receiving Candy: Parents should always inspect candy and throw out anything that is open.
5. Limiting Group Sizes: Keep your child’s group size to a few close friends as well as siblings.
6. Hand Sanitizer: Also use hand sanitizer between visiting homes to reduce any risk.
7. Where To Go: Travel in well-lit areas and plan your route ahead. To avoid any confusion, it’s also important to stay in a familiar area
8. Stay Home: If you feel unwell, do not go trick or treating. It’s hard to miss out on the fun. But remaining safe and healthy is more important

And remember, come trick-or-treating and play some games at KidPT on Halloween for some fun!!!

We know it is only the beginning of October, but EVERYONE is already thinking about Halloween (we know you are)! There are so many fun, spooky, but also wholesome fall themes all around, like pumpkin EVERYTHING, little ghosts, the monster mash, and so so much more. Because this whole month seems to be filled with Halloween goodness, we wanted to bring you our Halloween themed exercises early, so you can practice them ALL MONTH LONG, all the way to October 31st! So let’s get Monster mashing, come on!

The Frankenstein Kick

Stand with your arms out straight in front of you, and walk forward while kicking your legs straight TEN times. Kick your hands if you can! Now you are doing the Frankenstein Kick!

The Zombie Drag

Lie on your tummy on the floor. Now drag yourself forward (aka do an army crawl) switching your arms 10 times! You can make this even harder if you pretend you are a Zombie who’s legs went missing and try to just move using your arms (it is so tricky).

The Pumpkin Roll

Sit on your pelvis, criss cross applesauce. Now hug your knees close to your chest with both arms. Roll toward one knee, forward, and then try to sit back up. If you keep going in the same direction, you will start moving in a circle, so try it 5 times to the right then 5 times to the left. If you can’t do this one it is okay it is very hard. An alternative position is the stable pumpkin: Hug your knees into your chest and hold for 10 seconds!

The Mummy Twirl

Pretend someone is wrapping you up in a whole roll of toilet paper (or actually use the toilet paper for this one and make it even more fun). Hold your imaginary or real toilet paper in between your arm and your side. Then twirl 10 times to the right to wrap yourself up tight like a mummy. Untwirl yourself by going 10 times to the left so you are not so dizzy (and not left mummified)!

The Flying Ghost

Okay, we are going for the scare factor on this one, kids. Jump as high as you can into the air, bring your arms up over your head, and say BOO! Repeat this 10 times in a row to be the SCARIEST ghost on the block!

And there you have it, ghouls! Have fun performing these exercises to let your inner monster out and to get in the Halloween spirit! Stay tuned this month for more Halloween themed fun and tips to last you the whole month of October. Have fun moving and grooving, and remember to keep it SPOOKY!

As we are finally back to school, it is important to also acknowledge and address the stress that may accompany a return to the school environment. Any transition to a new setting can be stressful, especially for children with disabilities. The combination of an unfamiliar environment, interactions with peers, classroom expectations, unpredictability, reduced control, change of routine, challenging coursework, facing the unknown, or the impact of disabilities can signal the stress system (aka sympathetic nervous system)  in our children’s bodies. This is also known as the fight, flight or freeze system. When faced with fear, uncertainty, a perceived threat, or the anticipation of a stressor our bodies will increase the stress messengers of the body (aka adrenaline and cortisol). This results in changes in breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, posture, concentration, and also systems like digestion. As this is a normal response in the human body, sometimes it can be overactive and can impact a child’s ability to engage with peers and learning activities. 

As parents/ educators/ therapists, our desire is that our kids thrive and enjoy learning about our crazy, cool world with confidence and curiosity. A calm, confident, and aroused state is key to this success in the classroom and with peers. Luckily, our body always tries to have a balance (homeostasis) by having its own checks and balance system. 

Introducing: the de-stress system (aka parasympathetic nervous system) which counteracts the stress messengers and helps achieve a calm state. Successful strategies of managing stress often include techniques that help stimulate this de-stress system. Such strategies include slow/ controlled breathing, postural alignment, reducing arousing stimulus, adjusting exposure to stressors, calming touch, engagement in a soothing activity, spending time in nature, and consistent exercise. 

Below are some practical tips to incorporate these de-stressing strategies into your household routine for your children and the whole family!

Recommendations:

1. Open and supportive communication 
   • Assist your child in processing events of the day, interactions they experience, and their emotions. Not only does this give you a glimpse of their day, but it also enhances child/ parent bonding and it provides your child with a safe and trusted place to process complex feelings and thoughts. One practical way is for each member of the household to discuss highs and lows of that day at a designated time. This is a good opportunity to model emotional regulation for your children, by showing how you as an adult also face highs and lows and move forward in healthy and productive ways. Decluttering the mind reduces stress.
2. Deep breathing
   • Slow, deep, controlled breathing stimulates the de-stress system. One way to do this is to have your child place their hands on their stomach and breathe in through their nose so that their stomach fills and pushes into their hands. Hold for 3-5 seconds and then slowly blow the breath out through the mouth. You can make it fun by placing a toy on their belly and watch it move up and down as they inhale/ exhale.
3. Yoga & Mindfulness
   • Yoga combines intense tactile input, exercise, and coordinated breathing which stimulates the de-stress system while also promoting strength, stability, and balance. One free resource is cosmic kids yoga on youtube which provides fun and popular, kid-specific themes. Mindfulness is another effective strategy to help stimulate a calm and self aware state that is ready to learn and engage with others. One resource that has a variety of mindfulness activities is the OT Toolbox blog (https://www.theottoolbox.com/mindfulness-for-kids/).
4. Address Sensory needs
   • Kiddos with sensory processing difficulties may also experience stress if they are over or under stimulated. Some children may be sensory seekers or instead sensory avoiders. Depending on the child, they may need increased or decreased sensory input to promote a calm state of arousal. An idea to address the needs of sensory seekers is to perform handstands against a wall when they arrive home from school. When sensory needs are significant and impacting their success at school and home, your child may benefit from a consultation with an occupational therapist.
5. Exercise and play
   • Research supports that individuals who engage in regular, consistent exercise have reduced baseline stress levels. There are also countless studies that support positive impacts of exercise on mental health, anxiety, and depression. After sitting in a classroom the majority of the day, it is important for our kiddos to engage in physically active play as this promotes their development and brain health.
6. Engage in Soothing Activities
   • Every person is unique and has different preferences for calming activities. Some examples can be listening to or playing music, going outside in nature, art, reading independently, story time with a caregiver, or journaling. The key is to find an activity that promotes a calm state for that specific child.
7. Reduce screen time
   • High levels of screen time are correlated with increased anxiety and depression with adolescents and teens. Although screen time can have a calming impact, take into consideration the lighting of the device and that screen time can be an isolating activity. 
8. Stress education
   • There is an expanding library of educational resources for children to better understand their bodies and how it processes stress. Knowledge and understanding of how our bodies work can help kids interpret why they feel certain thoughts, sensations, or emotions and provide them with effective strategies to stimulate the de-stress system independently. Here are two youtube videos that provide stress education for the adolescent and primary school aged child. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nf2Pzcketg (adolescent) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYFofKgBHxU (child)
9. Adjust and limit exposure to stressors
   • Reducing activities that stimulate the stress system can also reduce your child’s stress level at school. Getting ready in the morning before school is a common example of a major stressor. So planning ahead, giving adequate time, incorporating routines, setting clear expectations, and setting clothes out the night before can eliminate the stress of rushing to get to the bus or school. Think about what are potential stressors for you and your child and how things can be adjusted to reduce that stressor.
10. Have fun
    • The happy chemicals that our brains produce when we are enjoying what we are doing also counteracts the stress system. What brings your child true joy? Incorporate that into their routine to promote wellbeing.

This post is for education purposes only. Please seek medical advice from a licensed health care provider that directly manages your care.

Further reading on stress: