As we come to the end of the school year, we hope everyone has an enjoyable summer.  It was a pleasure working with your child this year.  The following suggestions will help in the development of your child’s motor, visual perceptual, and sensory abilities:

Gross Motor Activities

• participating in playgrounds, sports, and obstacle courses

Fine Motor and Eye-Hand Coordination Activities

• stringing beads or noodles or using lacing cards
• coloring, tracing, and maze activities
• using squirt guns to knock over paper cups
• playing games to develop hand skills and eye-hand coordination:Magna Doodle, Cootie, Don't Spill the Beans, Lite Brite, Legos, card games

Hand Strengthening and Coordination Activities

• play-doh activities such as pushing into containers, making
• objects, making snakes, and forming them into letters, shapes, or numbers
• clothespin activities such as placing them on a string or paper plate edge

Writing Activities

• using chalk or water and sponges on sidewalk or chalkboard 
• making letters in the air while holding on to a streamer
• taping paper on wall or fridge and draw while kneeling high (builds upper body strength, coordination, and sense of position

Life Skill Activities

• prepare food (make sandwiches, frost cupcakes), organize drawers/cabinets (sort by food or clothes), sort coins
• do chores at home: set table, fold towels, wash/dry dishes
• play dress up using fasteners.  Have your child snap (age 3), button (age 3-4), zip (age 4 1/2), and tie (age 5-6)

Touch Activities

• playing in sandboxes
• filling a container with sand, salt, rice, beans, etc. and hiding objects in it with yoru child finding objects with eyes open and closed
• fingerpainting to practice designs, shapes, letters, or numbers

We hope you have a great summer!