Reach and grasp Archives - Therapy Fun Zone

Jungle rescue game for fine motor

Therapy Fun Zone — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 04:37:01 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.Save the Wildlife Fine Motor Game I found this cute little game that takes an idea that many people have made themselves, and I think makes it even better. It is called the Jungle Rescue game made by Educational Insights. I love it because the fine motor work starts in...

The post Jungle rescue game for fine motor appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

scanning manipulatives

Therapy Fun Zone — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 16:27:39 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.When I am working with a small group of kids, a great way to get them to slow down and listen to follow instructions is to have them scan the manipulatives for a specific one. I will pour out my little bag of manipulatives and make them wait before picking...

The post scanning manipulatives appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Wriggleworms garden

Therapy Fun Zone — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 21:11:45 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I found this cute game on Amazon and completely fell in love with it. The little worms are a rubbery texture and are different lengths. It is fairly easy to pull the worms out of their holes in the garden, but requires a bit more fine motor precision to get...

The post Wriggleworms garden appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Make a fine motor balance tree

Therapy Fun Zone — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:51:13 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.It is great to work on fine motor control away from the body, as that gives more of a challenge to the muscle control. You have to have control and coordination to balance and stack small objects onto a surface. i have the game scatterpillar scramble, and wanted to make...

The post Make a fine motor balance tree appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Hanging on a Trapeze Swing

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 01:51:58 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.The trapeze swing is basically bar with two chains or ropes going up on each side to a center point to form a triangle, then a single rope going up to the swing mount. The benefit of this configuration is that the trapeze can swing around in a circle or...

The post Hanging on a Trapeze Swing appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Using Gel Clings in Therapy

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 09:00:25 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.We have a guest post written by Kristi Rapp, COTA. When it comes to finding items to work with that are therapeutic, budget friendly, and versatile it can sometimes be a challenge to find just the right item to use. I have found a hidden gem with Gel Clings. Yes,...

The post Using Gel Clings in Therapy appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Flower Garden Fine Motor and Visual Motor Challenge

Therapy Fun Zone — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 21:36:05 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I was looking for an activity that would give a good challenge to the visual motor system as well as challenge fine motor control. I wanted quite a bit of visual motor reaching and grasping while in prone. In one school that I work in, I have access to suspended...

The post Flower Garden Fine Motor and Visual Motor Challenge appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Tips on Shaving for Teenagers who have Hemiparesis

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 09:00:27 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.This is a guest post by Marie Logan, OTR/L about teenagers and shaving when they have hemiparesis. As children mature into teenagers there are undoubtedly times of transition that can be a bit awkward for them as well as their parents. As they grow older we expect our teenagers to...

The post Tips on Shaving for Teenagers who have Hemiparesis appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Play Doh Connect Four

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:07:49 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.Play Doh Connect Four is a fun activity that was created by Marie Logan, an Occupational Therapist with UAB Pediatric Neuromotor Clinic. This activity is a great way to combine the benefits of using play doh, and the fun of playing connect four while working on hand, wrist, and forearm skills. ...

The post Play Doh Connect Four appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Many Uses of the Matrix Ball

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 15:50:23 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I found a new ball that I love in many different ways. I love it because I can use it form many different things. My new favorite ball is called the Matrix Ball, and it is made by Tangle Creations. The ball is a great texture and has open holes...

The post Many Uses of the Matrix Ball appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Sticker Squash Game

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 02:35:06 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.This is a game that was submitted by a therapist, Marie Logan, OTR/L. It is a simple game that is played on paper, and it is similar to the game Battleship. During the game, you work on eye hand coordination and hand positioning, challenge diffierent grasp, and work on visual...

The post Sticker Squash Game appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Clean Mud

Therapy Fun Zone — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.Playing in mud is a great sensory and tactile activity, but it can be very messy. This “clean mud” activity gives a similar sensation to regular mud, but you come away from the activity cleaner than when you started. You need a plastic tub or bucket with a couple of...

The post Clean Mud appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Using Motor Skills While Making Ice Cream

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:00:41 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.We have a challenge this summer to make things and experiment with making different stuff. We decided to start off our challenge with making ice cream, and the first type of ice cream that we made only needs 3 ingredients, some ziplock baggies, ice, salt, and physical activity. Ingredients: 1/2...

The post Using Motor Skills While Making Ice Cream appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Fun foam on the Mirror

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:00:57 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.One of my absolute favorite activities with young kids is playing with fun foam shapes on a mirror. It works well in the bathtub, shower, or on a glass door too. You spay the glass surface with water (great squeezing activity) and then the foam shapes will stick to the...

The post Fun foam on the Mirror appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Recycled Egg Carton Garden Games

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 09:00:03 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.Pinching small objects is great for working on fine motor skills, so when I saw this cute carrot harvest idea on Powerful Mothering. I immediately thought it would be perfect for some of the kids that I work with. I wanted to give it more of a purpose for the...

The post Recycled Egg Carton Garden Games appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Color matching velcro block fine motor toy

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 08:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I love all of the recycling activities that the Recycling OT does, but I am not as good at saving items to recycle. I used an empty tennis ball can, and put colored duct tape stripes on it in the colors of the items that I wanted to attach to...

The post Color matching velcro block fine motor toy appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Acorn cutting, tearing, and painting

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I love cutting activities that then include other skills, like tearing paper, writing, and q-tip painting. I have done many different cutting activities, and here is a quick and easy fall cutting activity that can be done in different ways to work on different fine motor skills. We have some...

The post Acorn cutting, tearing, and painting appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Make Your Own Zoom-Ball

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 08:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.Every clinic needs to have a Zoom Ball since it is so great for working on so many skills. You hold the handles and pull them out wide so that the zoom-ball moves along the two strings to the person holding the other handles. In order to make your own...

The post Make Your Own Zoom-Ball appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Kinetic Sand

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.I went to an Occupational Therapy Conference last week and found a cool new product while I was there. It is called Kinetic Sand, and it is seriously the coolest stuff. It is sand, but it does not act like sand, and it is a wonderful sensory experience to run...

The post Kinetic Sand appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.

Simple matching with clothespins

Therapy Fun Zone — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links.This is a very simple activity that is easily used with a scooterboard or other motor activity. You start with clothespins at one end of the room with numbers written on them. The child attaches the clothespins to the bottom of their shirt. You could have a ribbon for them...

The post Simple matching with clothespins appeared first on Therapy Fun Zone.