Therapy Archives | SmallTalk

How Virtual Speech and Language Therapy Can Support Your Family

Educational, Featured, General, Speech Therapy, Therapy | Apr 22, 2025 2 min read

As the world continues to expand its abilities to connect with other people, so has our ability as therapists to connect with you in ways that are flexible, effective, and fun! Virtual visits are a great method of speech-language services that ensure your child’s ability to make progress on their communication goals, while simultaneously supporting your family navigating busy schedules and lives.

What can be accomplished virtually?

There are a variety of benefits that a virtual visit can provide, much like in-person visits:

Assessments: Standardized assessments to determine the diagnosis of potential speech-language delays, as well as implementation of a comprehensive treatment plan are entirely achievable by meeting virtually. Virtual assessment sessions usually include a combination of standardized testing, particularly if your child is of age to participate. Another effective measure is parent interview, hearing from you exactly what your concerns and observations are of your child in their home environment.
Treatment: Virtual speech therapy sessions can be designed to meet the communication-specific needs of your child. Whether it is articulation, expressive/receptive language, social/pragmatic skills, or related areas, tasks developed through various online games, interactive stories, and songs/videos help support the progress of your child. Not to mention, they are designed to be fun and engaging so that your child will want to continue to attend these virtual visits!
Parent Education and Collaboration: Parents are just as important to the process of speech-language development as the therapists that work with your child. Virtual visits allow for private, constructive conversations to give parents suggestions, resources, and in-the-moment opportunities to demonstrate language facilitation strategies with their children right in the comfort of their own home!

So what now?

If your child might need a little guidance in speech and language, receiving services virtually is an effective way to support the communication journey of your child. SmallTalk offers virtual sessions all-week long, including several therapists, like me, who have dedicated an entire day to virtual sessions to connect with more families around the San Diego community. Please consider giving it a try – I hope to see you online!

By Alex Maloney, SLP

Catching Some Z’s

Educational, Featured, Occupational Therapy, Therapy | Mar 27, 2025 2 min read

Sleep is extremely important for one’s mood, growth, and overall wellbeing, but sometimes counting sheep just isn’t enough to fall asleep. Falling asleep can be particularly challenging for children with sensory processing differences, developmental delays, or Autism. Working with your family, occupational therapists can develop an individualized plan to help your little one fall asleep and catch some Z’s.

Why Isn’t My Kid Falling Asleep?

Sleep can be challenging for multiple reasons including:

Sensory Sensitivities and Overstimulation: Your child may have heightened or under-responsive sensory processing, which means they can be overly sensitive to certain sights, sounds, textures, or even smells. These sensory sensitivities can make it difficult for them to relax and fall asleep.
Difficulty Regulating Emotions: The transition from daytime and play to nighttime and bed can be challenging for those learning calming strategies for when transitioning can be challenging. Changes to routines from earlier in the day or known changes in future routines can also impact a child’s stress and ability to navigate through challenging emotions before they can calm to fall asleep
Medical Issues: Gastrointestinal problems or other sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea could also be negatively impacting your child’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep (Consult with your child’s pediatrician to rule out any medical issues that may be affecting sleep.)

How Occupational Therapy Can Help

Developing a Bedtime Routine: Having a routine helps kids wind down for the night. They know what to expect and don’t have to use additional brainpower to go from one step to the next.
Creating a Sensory-Friendly Sleep Environment: Occupational therapists can coach you to make your child’s sleep environment the best for them. That may mean using a sound machine, looking at the fabrics of both the child’s clothes and the sheets, and incorporating calming sensory supports prior to bedtime.

Final Thoughts

If your child is experiencing difficulty falling asleep, reaching out to an occupational therapist may be a valuable step towards finding a solution that works best for your family. With the right support, restful nights and more manageable days can be within reach.

By Lauren Fong, OTR/L

What Are Primitive Reflexes and What is Their Impact?

Educational, Occupational Therapy, Therapy | Jan 30, 2025 2 min read

The Basics

Primitive reflexes are involuntary movements that develop in the womb and are present during infancy. They help your child learn to eat, reach for objects, roll over, crawl, and explore or learn their environment. Primitive reflexes are essential for survival and development in early childhood and many are often integrated by 6 months of age. Here are some examples of primitive reflexes:

Rooting: Your baby turns toward an object when their cheek is stroked.
Sucking: Your baby automatically sucks on a nipple or clean finger when inserted into their mouth.
Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex: When your baby’s head turns to one side, the arm and leg on that side extend and the opposite arm and leg flexes.
Tonic Labyrinthian Reflex: When your baby looks down, their arms, hips and legs want to curl in closer to the body and when they look up, their arms and legs tend to move outward.

Retained Reflexes

In some children, these primitive reflexes remain intact and are not naturally integrated. This can impact several aspects of development including:

Motor Planning
Muscle Tone
Postural Control
Balance and Coordination
Bilateral Coordination
Emotional Regulation
Attention
Vision
Spatial Perception

In older children, retained reflexes can result in clumsiness or increased cautiousness, difficulties attending in class, challenges with remaining seated, feeling fidgety, feeling anxious, or having emotional regulation challenges.

What Can I Do at Home?

Engaging your child in a variety of activities and exercises can help integrate retained reflexes. Activities that require crossing the body midline, using both hands together, and crawling scavenger hunts that promote independent head movements are some examples. However, if you suspect that your child may have retained primitive reflexes, consult your occupational therapist. They can best determine which, if any, reflexes your child has retained and provide an individualized treatment program for them.

By Danielle Pham, MOT, OTR/L

Big Voices in Little People: Understanding Vocal Nodules in Children

Educational, Speech Therapy, Therapy | Dec 23, 2024 2 min read

What Are Vocal Nodules?

Vocal nodules, often called singer’s nodules, are callus-like bumps on the vocal folds.
Caused by repeated misuse or overuse of the voice, they prevent the vocal folds from closing completely when producing sound.
Unlike vocal polyps (blister-like growths that can form from a single event, e.g., yelling), nodules develop gradually over time.
Their size can range from a pinhead to a split pea and, if untreated, can lead to further vocal strain and damage.

Common Causes of Vocal Nodules

Vocal Abuse Behaviors in Children:
- Excessive talking for extended periods.
- Loud vocalizations like shouting, screaming, whining, cheering, or crying
- Frequent coughing or throat clearing
- Strained vocal sounds (e.g., imitating vehicles, animals, or superheroes)
Vocal Misuse and Other Contributing Factors:
- Poor breath support during speaking or singing.
- Straining the voice or using incorrect pitch or volume outside of one’s natural range
Environmental and health factors:
- Chronic upper respiratory infections or allergies
- Acid reflux
- Exposure to second-hand smoke or air pollution, which exacerbates swelling and inflammation

Healthy Vocal Practices and Alternatives

To reduce strain and help nodules heal, children should follow these guidelines:

Avoid loud talking
- Family members should take turns speaking so that the child does not need to talk over other members in the family to be heard. Also, the child should walk closer to the listener instead of yelling from a distance.
No screaming when angry
- Offer alternatives like punching a pillow or tearing paper.
Stop imitating loud sounds (e.g., animals, motors, superheroes)
- Use a gentle humming sound instead.
Refrain from talking over background noise
- Turn off TVs or radios during conversations to avoid shouting.
Replace throat clearing with a hard swallow
- This clears secretions without damaging the vocal folds.
Pause singing for now
- Encourage playing a musical instrument or using a whistle instead.
Stay hydrated
- Drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated drinks. Caffeine causes dehydration, making vocal folds more prone to injury.

Encouraging Compliance

Positive reinforcement works best. Use tools like sticker charts to track progress.
Offer gentle reminders rather than nagging if rules are broken.

By adopting these practices with consistent effort and patience, vocal nodules will typically heal over time. Your speech-language pathologist can assist your child in regaining healthy vocal habits and preventing future issues.

By Kathleen Winger, M.S., CCC-SLP

Valentine’s Day Activities for Speech and OT

Activities, Educational, General, Speech Therapy, Therapy | Feb 01, 2024 2 min read

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we’re excited to share some heartwarming and therapeutic activities that not only celebrate the season of love but also contribute to the growth and development of our clients. Join us on this journey of combining affection with effective therapy!

Speech and Language Therapy

Valentine’s Day provides a unique opportunity to explore the language of love. Speech and language therapy can be both educational and enjoyable as we engage our clients in activities that focus on expressing emotions, social interactions, and building meaningful connections through communication.

Activity Ideas:

Love Letter Writing: Encourage clients to express their feelings by writing or dictating love letters. This activity enhances language skills and emotional expression.
Conversation Hearts Challenge: Use conversation hearts candy with words or phrases related to communication goals. Clients can create sentences or engage in conversations using these sweet treats.

OT- Sensory

Occupational therapy often involves sensory activities that stimulate and enhance sensory processing. This Valentine’s Day, let’s explore sensory-rich experiences that promote engagement and development.

Activity Ideas:

Scented Sensory Bins: Create sensory bins with Valentine-themed scents like roses, chocolate, or strawberries. Clients can explore different textures and engage their senses.
Heart-shaped Stress Balls: Make heart-shaped stress balls filled with different textures to provide tactile stimulation. This activity is great for hand strength and stress relief.

OT- Fine Motor Fun

Fine motor skills are crucial for daily activities, and what better way to practice than with Valentine-themed fine motor activities?

Activity Ideas:

Valentine’s Day Crafts: Engage clients in crafting activities like making heart-shaped cards, cutting out paper hearts, or creating tactile crafts. This enhances fine motor coordination.
Cupid’s Arrow Game: Use a bow and arrow game to target various objects. This activity improves hand-eye coordination and fine motor precision.

Valentine’s Day is not just about chocolates and flowers; it’s about fostering growth, connection, and joy through therapeutic activities. We invite you to join us in celebrating the language of love and the development of essential skills that make every day special for our clients. Happy Valentine’s Day!

By Amy Rawlings, MA, CCC-SLP

Tips for Stuttering and the Holidays

Educational, General, Speech Therapy, Therapy | Oct 01, 2023 4 min read

For many people, October-December is the most wonderful time of the year filled with good food and company. But for others, this time of the year can be busy and stressful, overfilling our internal buckets. This bucket analogy is frequently used by stuttering specialist, Dr. J. Scott Yaruss, and illustrates the idea that many factors can affect stuttering, including child factors (genetics, temperament), interpersonal stressors (life changes, fast-paced lifestyle), and communicative stressors (competition for talking time, frequent interruptions). We like to encourage families to try to lower the level of the bucket, since we all communicate best under the least amount of stress and pressure.

Here are some practical ways to try to pour out some of the bucket’s contents when it gets filled
with the uncontrollable holiday bustle:

1. Include some space and time for quiet as a family

When our homes are filled with family and friends, especially those we haven’t seen in a while, conversations can be found at every corner. This can take a toll on those who stutter who might not enjoy, and may even anxiously anticipate, constantly conversing. Before a big gathering…

Do: Enjoy leisure activities together that don’t require as much talking like coloring, reading, puzzles, legos, play-doh, etc.
Try to avoid: Activities that encourage pressure, speed, and are verbally taxing such as competitive board games.

2. Keep the joy, lower the excitement

Children may have a more difficult time speaking when worked up in either a positive or negative way. Still speak about the great time that will be had during the holidays, but try to limit ramping up emotions and building a lot of anticipation.

Do: Speak positively “I love getting to try so many different kinds of candy on Halloween.”
Try to avoid: Speaking to heighten emotions “Aren’t you excited to show off your new costume?!”

3. Practice stressful areas

You know your child best, and when and where they communicate their best. You know if your child is a perfectionist, and can anticipate that when other children come over, win games and take toys, yours may be very thrown off. Or, you may know your child to be on the shyer side making trick-or-treating a difficult activity. Practicing these scenarios with people that are familiar to the child and in a controlled environment can help transfer readiness and emotional preparedness for the more spontaneous encounters.

Do: Talk about emotions! Encourage losing and still having fun. Talk about how nice it feels when your child shares a toy with you. Practice knocking on bedroom doors and saying “trick or treat!”. Have your child switch roles with you in each scenario to be the winner/loser, sharer/taker, etc.
Try to avoid: Rewarding only winning and reacting negatively when things don’t go perfectly.

4. Encourage and advocate

Our children may be meeting visiting guests for the first time, who may bring up that they stutter. This is a great opportunity to advocate for your child and to address the situation head on. Speaking openly and positively about stuttering helps children feel empowered to be themselves, and reduces the chance of children developing avoidance behaviors.

Do: Learn about stuttering with your child (myths/facts, famous people who stutter, etc.) to build their confidence and eliminate negative associated feelings about stuttering. Acknowledge the stutter, acknowledge that he/she/they is/are trying to find strategies to speak smoother through therapy, talk about your child’s strengths.
Try to avoid: Avoiding the conversation of stuttering and using vocabulary that portrays it as negative such as “fixing” or “correcting” it.

Feel free to reach out to your Speech-Language Pathologist for additional suggestions relevant to your child and their plan of care. For more stuttering related-resources, check out stutteringtherapyresources.com.

By Mariel Manuel, MS, CCC-SLP

Gestalt Language Processing

Educational, General, Speech Therapy, Therapy | May 01, 2023 3 min read

Let’s unpack some buzz words that you may have been hearing lately:

“Echolalia” is the repetition of language spoken by others. It can be repeated either immediately or after some delay. With echolalia, language is stored as a “chunk”, or a whole unit.

“Scripting” is another term that refers to echolalia. “To infinity…and beyond!” is an example of a script from media. “See you later alligator” is an example of a script that may be heard in conversation. When children are “scripting”, they may be observed reciting dialogue from a TV show, singing lyrics from a YouTube song, or copying phrases they’ve heard other people use. The message is often identical to the source where they heard it, and has the same melody.

“GLP” stands for Gestalt Language Processing. This is a form of language development where children learn the meaning of language in chunks first, then over time learn to break the chunks down and formulate their own original language.

Let’s bust some myths:

Are most autistic children GLPs? YES!

Does being a GLP automatically mean a child is on the Autism Spectrum? NO! Some neurotypical children learn language via chunks as well.

Unsure if your child may be a “GLP”? Here are some common signs:

1. They echo back what you say or the last part of phrases you say, without appearing to process the language.

2. They have difficulty answering questions in conversation.

3. They like to hum or sing songs rhythmically.

4. They have a preference for intonation-rich sound input, such as music or videos.

5. They replay certain portions of video clips over and over.

6. They like to repeat play scenes in the same way over and over.

7. They like to play with the WHOLE set – if a figurine is missing, they are not pleased. They are seeing the world in a “gestalt” way.

8. They like to label objects they see around them and can recite their ABCs or count 1-2-3, though have trouble using their language to ask for help or communicate other important functions.

I think my child is a GLP… Now what?

1. Find a Speech-Language Pathologist near you that has been trained in Gestalt Language Processing. They can help determine which stage of the Natural Language Acquisition framework your child is in and give tailored advice on how to support your child’s language development at home.

2. Follow social media accounts such as @meaningfulspeech and @bohospeechie, which provide brief, useful posts related to GLP.

3. Take a look at free resources on the website www.meaningfulspeech.com. If you have extra time, consider taking Meaningful Speech’s parent friendly course.

4. Check out Marge Blanc’s book, “Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum. The Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language.”

Things to Keep in Mind:

Echolalia is not just a “stimming behavior” that should be ignored, decreased or extinguished… Echolalia communicates.
We should acknowledge children’s scripts by nodding our heads or repeating back what they say, even if we are unsure what they mean.
Speech therapists are here to help!

By Julia Navarra MA CCC-SLP

The Top 10 Tools and Activities Used by Occupational Therapists

Educational, General, Therapy | Apr 01, 2023 6 min read

April is Occupational Therapy Month. This month is designated to celebrate the field of occupational therapy and what occupational therapists do to support their clients and families in living life to their fullest potential. In a pediatric setting, this includes supporting children with their participation in age appropriate activities of daily living (ADLs), play activities, feeding activities, educational activities, as well as any activity that is meaningful to the child and their family. Occupational therapists use a variety of techniques and activities to support their clients in building a variety of skills. In honor of occupational therapy month, here are the top 10 tools and activities therapists use during pediatric occupational therapy sessions.

10 of Our Therapists Favorite Tools and Activities

1. Swings – Swings can be used in a variety of ways. Swings provide vestibular input which is sensory input that tells the brain and body how they are moving in relation to the environment. Vestibular input can be calming or alerting to the child’s body depending on how the therapist directs the swing movement. Swings can also be used in a variety of ways other than for swinging movement. A swing can be a balance beam, or a surfboard, or a log. Using swings in a variety of imaginative ways can target lots of different skills.

2. Climbing Items- Climbing uses a child’s muscles in ways that can help regulate their sensory systems and support their self regulation abilities. Climbing also supports a child’s gross motor skill development and helps them learn more about where their body is and improve their body awareness.

3. Arts and Crafts Materials- Paper, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, beads, you name it, we have probably used it in our sessions at some point. Whether it’s ripping, cutting, gluing, or stringing there are a variety of skills that can be developed through craft activities. While fine motor control and visual motor skills can be developed through the use of arts and crafts we can also work on executive functioning, motor planning, and attention skills through crafts that have multiple steps or parts. Arts and crafts can also be tailored to a child’s interest, getting the child excited about working on a lot of skills at once.

4. Putty/Playdoh- Playdoh and putty can be used for a wide variety of things. Therapists use these activities to build hand strength, work on tactile differentiation (the kids have to find items in the putty-feel the differences between the putty and the item), using both hands together, spatial awareness (the play doh has to be rolled big enough to fit the cookie cutter), and many other skills.

5. Crash pads/Bean Bags- Kids can have the opportunity to crash or get under crash pads or get squeezed by bean bags. This can support a child’s sensory processing skills and therefore allow them to have greater self-regulation abilities.

6. Games – Not only do games help therapists teach social skills through sharing and turn taking but they can often be paired with gross motor activities to support kids sensory processing skills and abilities while also incorporating a variety of skills that can be targeted depending on the game. Using games also allows the child some choice in the session activities and creates greater buy-in.

7. Dressing tools/items- One of the things that OTs work on with children is their ability to dress themselves and tolerate a variety of clothing textures. Using button boards, zipper boards, as well as, socks, shoes, shirts, and pants are important tools to support building those skills.

8. Crayons, Markers, and Pencils- One of the most common things people think occupational therapists work on is handwriting. While it is just one of many things that we address. Using crayons, markers, and pencils are important to help a child build an appropriate grasp. Using small markers, broken crayons, or writing on a vertical surface all help facilitate an appropriate grasp.

9. Weighted Items- Using weighted items can support a child’s sensory processing and increase their attention, engagement, and regulation. Weighted vests and ankle weights can be worn during a variety of activities to provide the child with additional sensory input and therefore increase regulation. Therapists also use weighted blankets, lap pads or stuffed animals to help a child calm their body and attend to a task for a greater period of time.

10. Balls- Balls of all shapes and sizes are wonderful tools to use in occupational therapy sessions. Balls can be used at chairs to allow the child to wiggle a little extra while sitting at the table. They can be used under a child’s belly to build their core, shoulder and hand muscles while they support themselves. A therapist can use throwing and catching a ball as a way to build the child’s hand eye coordination, as well as, their upper limb coordination. Balls can also be used to apply pressure to a child’s body through rolling over their back, legs or arms, to support increased sensory regulation.

Bonus Number 11: Messy Play Activities- Messy play activities, such as shaving cream, water, slime, finger painting, etc., can be a great way for children to decrease their tactile sensitivities (or their resistance to having dirty hands) through exposure in a fun way. Messy play can also work on a child’s sensory processing abilities that support feeding skills. Therapists will sometimes use messy play for development of visual motor skills as well, drawing in shaving cream or paint can help a child learn the way to make letters and shapes without the added skill of needing to hold a pencil.

Occupational therapists use a variety of activities in conventional and sometimes very creative ways to support the skill development of the kids they treat. The most important part of all the activities used by pediatric occupational therapists is to ensure that they are fun and that the kids are motivated by them. Sometimes that requires some really impressive imagination! Skill development through play is the goal of pediatric occupational therapists at SmallTalk.

By Erin Christensen, OTR/L

Feeding the Picky Eater

General, Therapy | Jan 01, 2023 4 min read

Eating is a very complex and sometimes challenging task for some of our friends with sensory processing challenges. The looks, smells, textures, and tastes of foods can sometimes be very overwhelming for these kiddos. When it comes to meal times which include foods not on their, sometimes minimal, list of preferred foods, these overwhelming feelings can result in big behaviors or even shutting down completely. Below are some simple strategies to encourage your child to explore new foods at mealtimes while taking the pressure and stress out of the situation.

Setting up the Environment

How and where the child is sitting during mealtimes can be the first consideration in allowing for the greatest success at mealtime. Giving children the appropriate postural support while sitting at the table allows them to focus more on the food presented and less on having to use their muscles to sit. It is ideal to position your child so that they are seated with their hips, knees, and ankles all bent at a 90-degree angle with their feet resting on something. If your child’s feet can not reach the ground while sitting in the chair, try putting a box or stool under their feet to give them something to rest their feet on. If the dining room chair is too deep for them to keep their hips and knees at 90-degrees, try putting a pillow behind their back to help them maintain that upright position. Another key aspect of setting up the optimal environment for mealtimes is to turn off screens. When screens are not present, this allows kids to engage with the foods with all of their senses, building new sensory pathways and flexibility in order to support engaging with more foods in the future.

Increasing Engagement with Foods

There are a few different ways to increase your child’s engagement with novel and different foods. If your child has a really limited diet and only eats a few foods, one way to modify their foods and increase engagement is to change the shape or color of their preferred foods. Get your kids involved in changing the color by allowing them to add a drop or two of food coloring or allow them to change the shape of their foods by using a cookie cutter. Another way to increase engagement around food is to talk about the food during mealtime. Talk about the shape of the foods, the color of the foods, the smell of the foods, how they feel about the foods, etc. Talking about the sensory aspects of the foods can support the foundational sensory pathways that support adding new foods to their diet. Serving foods family-style and allowing your child to scoop the amount of food they want on their plate is another way to increase engagement with foods during meal time.

Presentation of New Foods

When presenting new foods to your child, first take all pressure out of eating it. Provide choices to your child about how they want to interact with the new food. For example, “Do you want the food on your plate or on the napkin next to your plate?” Giving your child options in how they engage with the new foods allows them to feel a little more in control in a situation where their sensory systems often feel out of control. Also, when presenting new foods, encourage your child to play with them. Can your child drive the green bean like a car or make their cracker smash the pea? What about, sneeze the piece of chicken off their head or draw a mustache with the soup? Encouraging play with foods allows the child to experience these foods and exposes their sensory systems to the various sights, textures, and smells of these foods without the pressure of actually eating the novel or non-preferred food.

Feeding these kiddos with sensory processing challenges can definitely be tricky for all involved. By setting up the environment for success, making small changes to their preferred foods and getting them to engage with foods in novel ways you can support them in growing their food repertoire and hopefully make mealtimes less stressful for everyone.

By Erin Christensen, OTR/L

OT’s Favorite Toys

Activities, Educational, General, Therapy | Dec 01, 2022 5 min read

As the holidays approach, we’re hearing many parents ask for gift recommendations! We
thought we’d put together another gift guide for 2022.

Experience Gifts

Your family could make gingerbread houses, bake a family recipe together, or play some
seasonal music while going for a drive to look at the lights in festive neighborhoods. Consider
packing dinner and going to see a seasonal movie together at the Santee Drive in. A family day
trip out to Julian or to Mt Laguna after a big rain to see the snow is often treasured more than
any gift or gadget! Experience gifts are wonderful ways to share new sensory experiences
together, and you can build in options for flexibility to support your children.

Gross Motor Play

For your busy child who seeks movement, consider obstacle course materials like balance
stones or beams, a mini trampoline, a pop up tunnel, or even a three-wheeled scooter or a
balance bike! If you’ve got outdoor space, perhaps consider a climbing dome or a new swing
or trapeze attachment for your play structure. For items that can be easily packed away, we
love the floor is lava game, parachutes, basketball hoops that hook anywhere, and bean
bags. Your child’s occupational therapist would love to show you at least 4 different exercises
for your child on a child-sized therapy ball. Our other favorite balls for indoor or outdoor play
include soft weighted balls, playground balls, and beach balls or balloons for children still
learning how to catch.

Pretend Play

You name it, they’ve made it: doctor’s kits, cash registers, dress up outfits, tool sets, and
sets with pots, pans, and pretend food. Pretend play enables children to experiment with the
social and emotional roles of life. They take another person’s perspective and enjoy controlling
the narrative. Children tend to develop skills in pretend play which start with familiar, everyday
experiences (sleeping, eating.), expand to less frequent experiences (visiting the doctor, going
on a plane). Children may feel more competent acting out scenes of a movie they’ve seen many
times than pretending to be adults they’ve only encountered a few times like a doctor or even a
grocery clerk. Start with your children’s strengths and interests, and build from there!

Hands-On (Fine Motor and Tactile) Play

From creative activities like drawing or painting to scooping and digging through kinetic sand,
play activities that build up the muscles of the hand are excellent for your child’s development.
We love easels you can put outside for a messy paint project or in the house for drawing on the
whiteboard. Some children may engage better while standing and working at a vertical surface
than seated at a table. We love dot-to-dot or maze books for quiet times. For children who
need extra pizazz with this type of play, we love jumbo chalk along with a water spray bottle
to erase, doodle boards that light up or play music when you draw, scratch paper books, and
of course, you can never go wrong with a fresh batch of playdoh.

Food-Related Play

If you’re looking for tools to bring your child into the kitchen, we’ve got a few favorites! Toddler
towers or kitchen helpers can provide opportunity for your child to get in among the action,
drizzling (or dumping!) ingredients together, using plastic tongs to move foods from one
container to another, or even just small measuring scoops and a sponge to play with soapy
water at the sink (and to keep them busy while you cook!). For children old enough to
participate, consider child-safe kitchen knives, shaped like a real knife but with a plastic/nylon
blade, or perhaps pick out a child-friendly cookbook together.

Constructional Play

To support your child’s skills in problem solving, fine motor control, dexterity, and spatial
awareness, consider constructional play materials. We love wooden block sets, lincoln logs,
marble runs, and of course the tried and true lego (or duplo / mega blocks for younger
children). We like constructional play activities that come with picture cards that provide a visual
goal for what to build, like light bright or k’nex, and we also love toys that encourage children
to ditch the models and create their own ideas. And for the child who loves a challenge,
stacking rocks as well as magnet building tiles may build both caution and resilience.

Social and Emotional Play

We love games and materials that encourage expression of a wide range of emotions, like
wooden eggspressions toys, the Big Feelings Pineapple, or books like Grumpy Monkey or
The Color Monster. Board games are a wonderful gift for family fun. For children who often
end competitive games with a chip on their shoulder, we love cooperative board games like
Mermaid Island, Dinosaur Escape, and Count your Chickens. We also love social
inferencing games like Hedbandz or Charades.

For more ideas on gifts specific to your child, check out our article from 2021! If you’d like ideas
specific to your child, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s therapist for their input.

By Rachel Marshall, OTR/L