Summer Ideas
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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!