The warm weather is an ideal time to enjoy the outdoors with your child. A simple walk through a park or nature reserve can feed your senses. Explore your surroundings using your eyes, ears, nose, and hands. Use the opportunity to discuss what you are experiencing and talk about the various sensations.

• Auditory: Stimulate the auditory system by tuning into the sounds of nature around you. Try to distinguish different animals and birds by the sounds they make. Listen for the sound of running water and guess how close or far it is from you.
• Visual: Heighten observation skills by looking out for different kinds of trees, plants, flowers, animals, birds, etc. Discuss what is the same and different amongst the species. Look at footprints in the ground and talk about which animals might have left them. To facilitate visual perceptual development play “I-Spy” or “Same and Different.”  
• Olfactory: Take a whiff of fresh air and compare the smells of different trees, plants and flowers. The unique scent of each type of flower and plant can enhance your sense of smell.   
• Tactile: Explore nature with your hands. Feel the different textures of bark, gravel, sand, plants and leaves. Collect objects from your outing, such as leaves, rocks, flowers. Count and sort your collectibles afterward to commemorate your experience. Using your collectibles, create a keepsake to remember what you shared together. Place 2 of every unique object in a bag and try to match them without looking.

 By: Aviva Goldwasser, MS, OTR

July 25, 2011

What to do in the days and week(s) in between camp and school

Managing the time in between camp and school can be challenging for parents. Although you want to enjoy the last taste of summer and relax with your children, many children do not function as well when their time is unstructured. Sticking to some semblance of a routine will keep your child’s behavior organized as well as help with the transition back to school.

• Wake-up time should be the same as on a school day for at least a week before school starts.
•  Review the day’s schedule to help your child know what to anticipate.
• Call the school to find out what time snack and lunch times are so that you can mimic some of your child’s school schedule   at home.
• Set up play dates with other children from your child’s class so that he/she will feel comfortable with school friends
•  For preschoolers who may be tactile defensive or resist touching arts and crafts materials, do projects at home with materials that are typically used in a preschool classroom such as play-doh, glue, clay, Model Magic, etc.
• For older children who are required to wear a uniform and resist the feel of the clothing, pre-wash the uniform and have your child get used to wearing it before the first day of school arrives.

If your child has a later bed time over the summer, slowly push bed time up by 10-15 minute increments before school so that he/she will be well rested.

Blog by: Aviva Goldwasser, MS, OTR